2001 Ford Explorer Sport 2 Dr STD 4WD SUV Reviews

Handles good. Ride is exceptional,lots of power with the 4.0L SOHC.
I have only just brought it from Toronto but mileage was exellent. $14.00 to drive home.

Bought this 4 wheel drive Explorer Sport used for a winter trip to Colorado, and kept it for two years afterwards. It was formerly an executive vehicle with a rental company, meaning it was not a daily rental, so it looked and ran showroom new when I found it on a Ford dealer's lot. It had the dreaded Firestone tires, which were replaced with brand new Goodyear Wrangler's at the Ford dealer, since it was still under the new car warranty.

This vehicle had the 4.0 litre overhead cam V6, which impressed me, much more so than the 4 litre OHV V6 in my 1993 Explorer. It had enough power to easily maintain speed on hills and long grades and the trip to Colorado was an easy one. The interior was the standard bucket seats which were manually adjustable and reasonably comfortable. The 4 speed automatic transmission was smooth and no problems shifting; the 4 wheel drive easily tackled snow in Colorado, both in high and low ranges, although we really didn't need the low range in any area.

Interior space is good in front; access to the rear is by folding the front seats forward and climbing into the rear, somewhat of a task for older adults or women in skirts or dresses, especially considering this combined with the higher door sills. Once in, rear seat comfort is acceptable, unless you are a tall adult in which case you would lilkely be uncomfortable. We didn't have the nerf bar running boards which I didlike, since I found they get your clothes dirty getting in and out, and, if you go off-roading, tend to get hung up on the oddest things. I did install Ford OEM fog lights and tow hooks though and the fog lights were a blessing in the early morning fog.

There is adequate cargo space with the rear seats folded down, but this is a 2 door, and lacks much of the cargo space of the 4 door. If you need the greater cargo space in cubic feet, the 4 door is the way to go.
  
The ride in the Sport 2 door is choppier than the 4 door due to the shorter wheelbase. Not uncomfortable, but I would say choppy. The difference, however, between the Firestore and Wrangler tires was night and day. The Wranglers made the vehicle handle as close to a 4 door ride as anything I've driven, while the Firestones made it feel like a bronco at feeding time. Tires can make a world of difference on these vehicles, as can proper inflation, etc.