The 2004 Ford Explorer was the first to be offered with Ford's Advance Trac antiskid system for all models (available as an option on the XLS, and standard on the XLT, NBX, Eddie Bauer, and Limited trims). This was just the latest addition to the safety features with which Ford had laden the Explorer: the SUV also came standard with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and specially designed passenger seatbelts; side-curtain airbags were an often-recommended option.

The concern with safety carried over into other aspects of the 2004 Explorer. Buyers had the choice of rear-wheel drive, four-wheel drive (4WD), or all-wheel drive (AWD); the Control Trac 4WD system provided an added degree of refinement, enabling drivers to choose between automatic and high-power four-wheel drive depending on road conditions.

The 2004 model year Ford Explorer also provided plenty of choices under the hood, with two V-6 engines (a 160-horsepower basic model, and a single overhead cam V6 that put out 205 horsepower) and a 239-horsepower 4.6 liter Triton V-8 engine on offer.

Despite all that engineering wizardry, though, the keys to the '04 Explorer's domination of the SUV market were most likely its roomy interiors (seating five adults comfortably, with a third-row seat option to take capacity up to seven), its impressive cargo capacity (up to 88.1 cubic feet for the five-passenger versions), and its reputation for being "built Ford tough".