STRENGTHS:
Standard safety equipment list; quiet cabin; city driving comfort matched with towing and off-road capability.
VALUE:
The 2010 Explorer has the passenger-carrying capabilities of a mid-sized SUV combined with strong towing and off-road capabilities. Safety equipment includes standard stability control with a rollover sensor, as well as Ford's Trailer Sway Control, which works to keep a towed trailer in line once it begins to pitch. The Explorer also offers third-row seating for additional passenger capacity. The base rear-wheel-drive XLT starts under $30,000.
WHAT'S NEW:
The venerable Ford Explorer has been the best-selling SUV since its birth in 1990. The Explorer is more powerful, safer and more comfortable than ever. These days, the Explorer looks less like a large SUV and more like a station wagon and similar to many of its fellow car-utility vehicles. The Explorer sees few changes for 2010.