2000 Ford Explorer Article at Automotive.com

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2000 Ford Explorer

Below is an enthusiast article written by the automotive experts at Motor Trend. * Chevrolet Suburban * Ford Expl orer * Honda CR-V * Isuzu VehiCross* Jeep Grand Cherokee * Jee...

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LEARN WHY

IntelliChoice Value Rating

The chart above shows the purchase price versus ownership cost for each car from a specific vehicle class. The cars with better than average ownership cost/purchase price correlations are the best values, and these best value cars are represented by the dots below the curve. (i.e. the cars that have a lower ownership cost compared to its purchase price.) Those cars, which are worse than average or poor values, appear above the curve.

One way to view the graph is to draw a vertical line through any purchase price. You may see several dots that fall on this line - each of which is a car with a similar purchase price. However, notice the difference in ownership costs of each car represented by the vertical position of the dot. Two cars with the same purchase price can have thousands of dollars difference in ownership costs. This is what separates "good value" cars from "poor value" cars.

What is a good car value?

A "good car value" is one whose cost to own and operate is less than expected. The lower the cost to own and operate a car compared to what is expected, the better the value of that car.

But how do we know a car's "expected cost"?

For each car in the class, IntelliChoice plots the car's purchase price against the total five-year cost to own and operate it as determined by IntelliChoice research. Each dot on the above chart represents a specific car. Generally, we find that as the purchase price of the car increases, the cost to own and operate that car increases. This is why the dots on the graph tend to rise upward and to the right. This phenomenon also makes intuitive sense - as the purchase price rises, financing costs tend to rise, as do insurance, depreciation, taxes, and most other car ownership costs.

This is an important concept. It's normal for car ownership costs to rise as purchase price rises. Therefore, we can't just establish one "average" ownership cost number for each class, since cars in the class have different purchase prices. (This is why the "Relative" shown on each chart is different for cars in the same car class.)

Using statistical techniques, IntelliChoice "connects the dots" to form a curve that defines, for this car class, the relationship between the car's purchase price and car's ownership costs. This curve is our "expected cost" curve. The curve defines, for any car in the class, the five-year ownership cost that we would expect to see at each possible purchase price. If every car in the class were an average value, then all the dots would fall exactly on the curve. However, it's rare that any dot is exactly on the curve. Some dots are a little higher or lower, and some are a lot higher or lower. The dots that are a little lower are better than average car values, while the dots that are a lot lower are excellent car values (A dot that is a lot lower than the curve has ownership costs much lower than expected for a car of its purchase price). Conversely, a dot a little higher than the curve is a poorer than average car value, while a dot that is much higher than the curve is a poor car value.

Value is a relative term, not an absolute term. It is performing better than the logical expectation.

So is a Mercedes-Benz E320 expensive to own and operate? Certainly in an absolute sense. Most other cars cost less. But, when its cost to own and operate is plotted against cars with comparable invoice prices, the E320 costs less. So the E320 is not expensive to own and operate - it is a good car value. The Mercedes does not have low ownership costs, but it has low ownership costs for its invoice price.

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Article From Motor Trend Magazine

2000 Ford Explorer - Top 10 Suvs Sport/Utilities

Article provided by: Motor Trend Magazine

Lincoln's truck has been a fast-moving powerplay right from the beginning. Available in two- ($39,510) and four-wheel ($43,160) drive, the Navigator started out with a standard 5.4-liter/230-horsepower SOHC V-8. During the 1998 calendar year, the "Triton" engine picked up 30 horsepower and 15 pound-feet of torque. And this past December, Ford Engineering dropped in a DOHC version of the 5.4, called the "Intech," with 300 potent ponies.

All these engines have been mated exclusively with a four-speed automatic transmission, and the Navigator is available as a two-wheel drive, but Lincoln found most customers opt for the 4x4 arrangement. Thus, when the road to the lodge gets rutted or, perhaps, ends, you can keep right on trucking with the set-and-forget Control Trac four-wheel-drive system.

But the need for speed also creates thirst. Thank goodness for the Navigator's 30-gallon fuel tank because, even with its 13 city/17 highway EPA numbers, fuel stops aren't too inconveniently frequent.

Making customers comfortable with additional power isn't just limited to underhood changes. For '99, Lincoln is one of the first makers in the world to adopt a power-adjustable pedal cluster. An electric motor drives the pedals through 3 inches of travel, ensuring good pedal accessibility, particularly for shorter drivers.

Surprisingly, once drivers are accustomed to its size, this vehicle's smooth shifts, precise steering, and high level of overall mechanical polish make it a delight to drive, except when it comes to parking this tall, long, beasty.

The Navigator's standard interior arrangement is two rows of buckets with a third-row bench for accommodating seven. A second-row bench is also available if eight-passenger capacity is required. The capacious interior's premium trim includes deep carpeting, burled walnut inserts, leather upholstery, and a soft-touch instrument panel.

Along with the advanced powertrain, the Navigator offers a load-leveling air suspension, four-wheel-disc brakes with anti-lock, and suspension and tire tuning aimed at a smooth ride.

Beyond the safety provided by the vehicle's massive body-on-frame chassis, Lincoln also offers dual airbags, three-point lap-shoulder belts for all outboard seating positions, and rear-door child-safety locks. And for '99, a convenient hands-free portable cell phone option has been added.

Optimized for toting jobs, the Nav handles payloads of up to 1800 pounds. Add the Class III towing group, and it will tug a trailer weighing up to 8100 pounds. With the third-row bench removed and the second row folded, it offers up to 116.4 cubic feet of minivan-style cargo volume.

Power, polish, and pampering poise sum up Lincoln's rugged, premium-priced roomy Navigator.
-Jack Keebler

Thumbs Up
Awesome power
Power-adjustable pedals
Hedonistic interior

Thumbs Down
Challenging to park
Too tall to fit in our underground parking
Bring extra gas cards

Lexus RX 300
Most Carlike Personality
"I'm tired of driving a truck!" This has become an all-too-popular mantra, often uttered by folks who purchased a truck-based sport/utility and may not be enjoying the result. In truth, many people are buying more off-road and towing capability than they really need-and have begun to miss some of the carlike attributes they gave up in the exchange. Lexus was one of the first to recognize this and fired a rifle-shot into the marketplace called the RX 300, designed to hit the sport/utility target somewhere in between truck and car. We felt the results were impressive enough to name it our inaugural '99 Sport/Utility of the Year.

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