1995 Ford Explorer Kept The Good Times Rolling: Retro Review

In recent times, we’ve been treated to many fascinating blasts from the automotive past thanks to MotorWeek‘s Retro Reviews YouTube series, which has blessed us with a look back at Blue Oval models including the 1997 Ford Taurus SHO, the 1997 Ford Expedition, the 1997 Ford F-150, and the 1994 Ford Aspire, to name just a few. Now, everyone’s favorite TV car magazine show host John Davis is back with another look back at a Blue Oval model from the recent past – the 1995 Ford Explorer.

At this time, the Explorer was already an established hit, racking up more than a million sales since its debut in 1991 – which made the arrival of this new, second-generation 1995 Ford Explorer all the more important. FoMoCo was careful not to try and reinvent the wheel here, but the 1995 Explorer did feature far more rounded styling compared to its predecessor, along with a few revisions for the powertrain and suspension.

MotorWeek also points out that the second-gen Ford Explorer was quite competent off-road – thanks to those aforementioned revisions – but it certainly wasn’t a burner on the pavement. The SUV’s 4.0L V6 churned out a modest 160 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque, which propelled it from 0-60 in a slow 10.6 seconds, with the quarter-mile taking 17.7 clicks. Regardless, power delivery is reportedly smooth and handling solid, though ride quality left a bit to be desired – particularly on the highway.

Even with this loaded Eddie Bauer model’s price tag of $29,500 – which was near the top of the segment at that time – the 1995 Ford Explorer still managed to leave a good impression on MotorWeek‘s reviewers, with Davis noting that it’s an excellent all-rounder and something of a modern station wagon, to boot. He also predicted that the Explorer would remain a leader in the SUV segment – a notion that certainly held up in the ensuing years.

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