Ford Explorer

Thanks to improved on-road dynamics and better fuel efficiency, the 2011 Ford Explorer, available at our Nebraska Ford dealer, Sid Dillon, looks like it will have greater appeal to crossover SUV shoppers than before.

The all-new 2011 Ford Explorer shares little with last year’s model other than its name. The standard 2011 Ford Explorer engine is a new 3.5-liter V6 available in either front-wheel- or four-wheel drive. It’s good for 290 horsepower and 255 pound-feet of torque and is said to be 20 percent more fuel-efficient than the previous 292-hp V8.

For even better mpg, front-drive Explorers can be optioned with a turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 237 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic is standard for all models, but four-wheel-drive models will no longer have low-range gearing.

The new 2011 Ford Explorer will still have three rows of seating. The cabin is roomier now, with increased shoulder- and hiproom. The interior looks considerably more modern, and Ford has thrown in all its latest technological goodies, including Sync, MyTouch and MyKey.

On the safety front, the Explorer gains inflatable second-row seatbelt airbags (a first for the automotive industry) which promise to improve safety for smaller occupants. Also new is Ford’s Curve Control, a system designed to enhance braking if the SUV exhibits signs of excessive speed while turning.

Summed up, the new 2011 Ford Explorer is much more in tune with what today’s crossover shoppers are looking for. It drives well, gets good fuel economy and still retains the versatility that made people like SUVs in the first place.

Sid Dillons Auto Group is a Ford and Chevrolet dealership near Lincoln, NE in Crete, Nebraska. Visit our Sid Dillons Auto Group website at http://www.siddilloncrete.com. Sid Dillons Auto carries new and used cars in Lincoln Nebraska.

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