The drivetrain delivers middle-of-the-road performance. The V-8 is confident but not a neck snapper. With the V-8, the Explorer has a 4,500 trailer-towing rating. The automatic shifted when it should to deliver the most power possible to the transfer case, but it shifts pretty often. This Explorer featured Ford's automatic transfer case, which gives the driver the option of two-wheel drive, full-time four-wheel drive, part-time four-wheel drive, and 4-Lo. The full-time option is becoming more popular, and we thought that this system worked very well without giving up the two-wheel-drive selection.
Specs
Manufacturer: Ford
Model: 2000 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer
Base Price: $33,705
Price as Tested: $36,540
Options Tested: Side airbags, power moonroof, trailer towing package, rear load leveling, reverse sensing system, skid-plates, and multi-disc changer
Engine: 4.0L V-8
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Transfer Case: Full- or part-time
Front Suspension: IFS
Rear Suspension: Ford 8.8 solid axle
Axle Gear Ratio: 4.10:1
The Years That Were
By now you're probably jonesing for another millennium-in-review story, right? Flashback with us to things automotive. 1900 vs. 2000 Here are some facts and estimates from U.S. News & World Report.
*The number of passenger autos registered in the U.S. in 1900: 8,000. In 2000: 130 million.
*The number of cars produced in the U.S. in 1900: 5,000. In 2000: 5.5 million.
*The number of highway fatalities in 1900: 36 per 100 million miles. In 2000: 1.64 per 100 million miles.
*Miles of paved road in 1900: 10. In 2000: 4 million.
*First president to ride in an automobile: Teddy Roosevelt.
*First aftermarket accessory: A log you chained to your car so you could throw it out like an anchor when you wanted to stop (brakes weren't quite up to speed yet, so to speak).
*Reason they got rid of the crank in gas-powered autos: No, it wasn't because of broken arms. A guy died when the crank handle hit his face.
*Inspiration for U.S. superhighways: Hitler's autobahns.
*The man considered the father of the Interstate Highway System: Frank Turner.
Car Awards The Independent Global Automotive Elections Foundation, a group of 132 members of the auto community from 33 countries, picked its top contributors to our sport.
*Car Engineer of the Century: Ferdinand Porsche.
*Car Designer of the Century: Giorgetto Giugiaro.
*Car Entrepreneur of the Century: Henry Ford.
*Car of the Century: Ford Model T. Runners-up include the Volkswagen Beetle, the British-built Mini, the Citroen DS 19, and the Porsche 911.
Greatest Events in Automotive History This list is from Dallas-Fort Worth radio station 570 KLIF and its show Wheels. The station sent out 428 surveys to listeners, automotive writers, dealers, and broadcasters in North Texas to compile a list of 100 great moments. A sampling:
*Reason for the creation of the five-day work week: Lagging sales of the Model T.
*Vehicle that resulted from stolen designs: The Volkswagen Beetle.
*The man who quit his own car company because he wouldn't give up smoking: Louis Chevrolet.
*Where the medical world got the notion of "areas of specialty": Henry Ford's assembly line.
*Popular reason given for the failure of the Ford Edsel: Launch of Sputnik.
Did You Know?
Ford entered the Latin American market in 1911, when it began selling cars in Venezuela. In 1913 came Argentina, then Brazil in 1919. Ford says that nowadays its products are manufactured, assembled, and distributed through Ford dealer networks in each of the three countries.
Special-Edition Land Rover
Ever heard of Holland & Holland? Well, you should have. It is to gunmaking and the sporting-apparel business what Land Rover is to the road. So a star was born once the two companies got it on: the 2000 Holland & Holland Range Rover. Only 400 of these limited Rovers will be produced, and the U.S. will see just 125.