I financed my Explorer due to the fact that I had a tiny compact car and was expecting my first child. We have many nieces and nephews and opted to pay extra for the third row seating, which accommodates a total of seven people. It is extremely roomy, even in the third row, enough to accommodate an adult with plenty of leg room. It is a basic model, with no extra bells and whistles which provides ease of driving without any extra complicated buttons/switches, etc. It is sportier than the minivan, which appeals to my husband. I own a cleaning company and all the seats fold down flat which provides plenty of room for all my business equipment. The hatchback opens either halfway or fully, which makes it easy if you are loading something large or heavy. The gas mileage isn't horrible for an SUV, and it rides very smoothly. I would prefer the gas mileage to be a little more economical however, I did choose this when I was purchasing. I wish there were more vents installed. The only ones are for the front passengers, and one for the second row, which is on the very bottom of the hand rest, so the people in the third row don't feel much comfort when the heat or air is on. The third row is difficult to secure a car seat in, because the seatbelt buckles are farther away which causes the car seat to tilt. The radio comes with a cassette and CD player, however I would prefer the radio controls to be on the steering wheel for ease of driving. I have had no major problems with this vehicle. We have been adamant about routine maintenance and I average about twelve thousand miles per year.

I love how my car has held up over time. It is reliable and still looks good, even at 13 years old. It has plenty of room for our family and has made us want to invest in another Ford Explorer, when the time comes to upgrade.