When Ford introduced the Explorer to the UK in 1997 it must have been pretty confident that it would secure some serious sales. Not only was the car the world’s bestselling 4x4 at the time but the market for luxury SUVs was booming.

However, UK buyers balked at its £25,000 price tag and heavy fuel consumption and sales plummeted. Just four years later Ford stopped selling its flagship 4x4 in Britain.

Six years on and the fashion for 4x4s is waning, but if you are in the market for a large luxurious vehicle then a second-hand Explorer has much to recommend it.

The car was only ever available with one engine, a 4 litre V6 petrol unit producing a lusty 208bhp. This was enough to power the 2,000kg vehicle from 0-60mph in under 10sec and on to a theoretical top speed of 100mph. The downside is that it does less than 20mpg.

The Explorer’s main market has always been America, and this is evident in the large, soft front seats. Rear legroom is on the tight side if the front seats are pushed well back but there is no shortage of shoulder room thanks to the vehicle’s generous 6ft 5in width.

In terms of load lugging the car is hard to beat. The boot features a useful rear screen that opens separately, similar to that on the Range Rover, which makes loading and unloading shopping easy, and there’s also a step built into the rear bumper that makes lifting luggage onto the standard roof bars a much easier task.

With a towing capacity of more than 2,500kg it will also handle a standard caravan, jet ski or horse box with ease. Boot space is generous, and although the high rear can make the upwards leap a challenge for elderly gun dogs the optional rear dog guard is ideal for its purpose.

American buyers demand a pretty extensive equipment list on their cars and UK buyers benefit as a consequence. All models come with air-conditioning, cruise control, twin airbags, factory sunroof and remote central locking as standard and in 1999 the introduction of the XLT models saw the addition of leather upholstery and heated front seats with electric adjustment.

On road the Ford Explorer is a surprisingly decent drive, and despite its size and weight generates minimal body roll. The relatively crude leaf rear springs mop up lumps and bumps well and the robust chassis endows the vehicle with a reassuringly rigid foundation, while nicely weighted power steering provides good feedback.

Off road, Control Trac, the clever Ford 4x4 system, switches automatically from rear-wheel drive to all-wheel drive as required, while a dash mounted switch allows you to choose 4wd high and 4wd low ratios when the going gets tough.

With early used prices now starting at around the £2,500 mark the Ford Explorer is certainly a bargain alternative to the usual contenders from Mitsubishi, Land Rover and Jeep, but as with all old cars buyers need to check the vehicles over carefully.

Although the Explorer is no longer sold here, spare parts are easy to find at Ford dealers, but they can be expensive: front wishbone ball joints can fail and at around £500 are not cheap to replace, and watch out for dirty oil, which can signal a block in the oil feed on the timing chain tensioner, which can result in a £2,000 repair bill. As with all high spec vehicles, items such as air-conditioning and electric seat motors need to be performing perfectly.

The Ford Explorer may have enjoyed a lukewarm reception from British buyers when it was launched back in 1997 but a decade on this big, comfortable, reasonably priced and well equipped 4x4 deserves a second chance.

• Safety Twin front airbags are standard
•  Upholstery Post1999 XLT models have standard leather and electric-adjust front seats
• Tailgate Useful opening glass rear screen for easy loading and unloading
• Engine Dirty oil blocks the oil feed for the timing belt tensioners – a costly repair, so top up oil between services and renew every 6,000 miles
• Air-conditioning Standard on all, as is a sunroof
• Roof Rack Standard roof bars on all models
• Bodywork Bonnet is prone to stone chips and bumpers are easily scuffed
• Tyres Check front tyre shoulders for wear
• Gearbox Five-speed auto as standard – expect 18-20mpg, and less if towing
• Security Remote-control alarm, immobiliser and deadlocks are fitted as standard
• Stereo Top specification has CD autochanger

THE ONE TO BUY

• Ford Explorer 4.0 XLT auto 2000 W with 60,000 miles. Pay £5,275 at a dealer and £4,000 privately

Source: estimates based on confidential CAP black book prices. ‘Trade’ is what a dealer would pay to buy your car; ‘Retail’ is what you would pay a dealer

Alternatives

Figures based on CAP June 2007 edition

 © Bumper Media Limited June 2007