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Don't expect much entertainment from the driving, though. The Sport part of the Explorer's name is missing from the equation. Throttle response feels surprisingly sluggish given that there's a 4.0 liter gasoline engine under your right foot, coursing its 205 bhp / 327 Nm through a five-speed automatic gearbox. This is partly due to our test unit's being almost fresh from the factory, but even after break-in, don't expect it to snap to attention like a BMW 6-cylinder. The gearbox doesn't feel like a huge improvement over the F150's four-speed in terms of response, but it should help the fuel economy. It's still pretty dismal though: one owner reports around 6.5 km highway and less than 5 in city driving. We noticed that in sedate driving, the gearbox would shift up at 2300-2500 rpm, letting the huge displacement of the engine do the work. Downshifts are prompt but the engine seems happier in the lower range than in the 4000-5000 rpm sweet spot favored by Japanese V6s. Cane it, though, and this truck can keep pace with your typical 2.0 sedan. Steering is slow and doesn't offer any feedback, but it is smooth and accurate. Which is probably a good thing, anyway. These trucks aren't meant to be tossed about like a roadster. We've already heard some horror stories of F150s and Explorers being rolled because their drivers failed to remember that these are vehicles with a high center of gravity and just have to be driven differently from a car. The large windows and mirrors and commanding driving position help in maneuvering this beast through traffic. The "F150 Factor" ("I will suffer severe damage by crashing into this Ford") also helps in jostling with jeeps and FX taxis for road space. We had to bear in mind, though, that behind the cabin was still some 1.6 meters of truck. Cornering is still uncomfortably vague if you're used to a car but with less of a floaty feel than the F150. As for safety, ABS and dual airbags are standard equipment. Though the "Sport" may be lacking, the "Explorer" and "Trac" are true. The Explorer part is certainly guaranteed, given the robust chassis and towering ground clearance, making the car ideal if you have to plow through floods. The Trac (for traction, presumably) is also a sure bet, given the huge engine and 4WD high/4WD low gearbox. On rough-road driving, the Explorer rides well, absorbing bumps and impacts from protruding rocks, filtering out most of the harshness from bouncing the occupants.
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