2001 Ford Explorer Sport Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I bought my Explorer Sport with 63,000 mile, three years ago, (I have 80,000 miles now). Contrary to the features listed in the spec section, I have full leather seats, not cloth. This cars shorter wheelbase takes getting used to... The missing 18 inches makes handling this SUV a lot more responsive on the highway, small motions of the steering wheel are amplified, causing lane departures to be more pronounced (It took me about a month to adjust my steering habits). Otherwise, for an SUV, the Sport is quite roadworthy, the ride is smooth and firm, the ride height is comparable with the full size SUVs and pick-up trucks that dominate the highways today and the sound dampening that installed inside the vehicle makes a long distance trip, comfortable and not at all stressful. The only objection I have with my version of the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport is... the only available option the original owner did not buy, was factory installed running boards... (the ground clearance makes for a tall step up into the vehicle.) When I purchased this SUV, one of the first things I did was to remove bumper mounted hitch ball, in favor of an aftermarket class III receiver, to tow my 18 foot boat (which this automobile is more than capable) I also tow an 17 foot vintage camper as well (I turn off the overdrive feature on the automatic transmission, and limit my speed to 62 MPH)... My camper weighs about 4000# and the 245 Foot Pounds of engine torque get our rig up to highway speeds in no time. Otherwise, this SUV has to be one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. May 22, 2023

Didnt dislike anything. The only thing that remotely would come close to dislike woulf be, it didnt come with an ask tray. That it! Otherwise, I truly love this vehical! It was my black beauty. Sharp looking, kicking sound system, power sun/moon roof, running boards, lugage rack, fog lamps, cruise, big ass wheels/tires, road nice & drove even better! :~) Jan 23, 2015

I like the looks of this vehicle. The sport model from this year had a more aggressive look than the 4 door explorers of the time. The seats are comfortable, but only if you aren't driving down the road. Every little bump seems to be magnified 10 times, even after new shocks were put on. Visibility is good and the interior is quiet overall. Maintenance has been very little, just regular items like a ball joint and the shocks. Gas mileage is not great, but it is about the same as the Ranger I drove before this. Braking is good, but handling isn't the best. The vehicle seems a little top heavy when cornering, and acceleration is somewhat sluggish. Overall, I think the Explorer Sport is fun to drive, and I think the models in later years corrected some of the ride quality problems. For an individual or a single passenger, this truck is perfect, especially if you like the sporty look of a 2 door vehicle.Jun 06, 2013

This car runs and performs great. I love the power it has too. When they put the sport behind the word Explorer, there we're kidding. I have drag raced random cars including a friend 1994 GMC Sierra 1500 with a 350 under the hood and duel pipes. He had me off the line but after about 8 seconds i passed him like a bat out of hell. I can drift my car also, and boy is it fun. The original model was of course a bit top heavy, but that is counteracted on my car when you add on the 20" rims with an 8" base on them. Also, the tires on the car would be street tires. They are not low profiles, i don't like low profiles. my tires are larger than most low profiles.Oct 01, 2012

I have had three Explorers and I like the size and roominess. I have dogs and the crates fit perfectly without blocking my sight lines and also give me room for groceries. It has a comfortable seat for long drives and I am happy about the overall look of the vehicle. I went for the sport because I am no longer hauling kids and it's more efficient. Sep 03, 2012

Performance wise, it's....well it's an SUV so what do you expect. Quality wise, not so good. It's been through three transmissions, and just an incredible amount of repairs, but for a truck with 206000 miles, what do you expect? It's a pretty cool looking truck, but again, it's still an SUV. A gas guzzler, but it could be worse...and it's a b**ch to maintain. Overall though, it is a fun little truck, and I wouldn't want to go mudding in anything else. Also, it hauls. Sure I've probably maxed out the weight limit, but it hauled. Every summer I back it into the ocean a dozen times with the boat, so the body is rusted to hell, and it's a miracle that it's still holding up, actually.Apr 14, 2012

its cool, nice engine, short wheelbase, big off road tires. it can do just about anything. it only gets about 16 to the gallon. the bumper is hanging down a few inches and the grill is cracked a little. bu everything else looks amazing. it can accelerate really well from 0-40ish but then it starts crawling. can corner very well, it has a low center of gravity for an suv.Aug 08, 2010

I love this car, this has been a GREAT purchase. This is a great college vehicle if you need to commute somewhere farther away than just down the street. I can fit everything in it and it looks wonderful! yes the gas mileage does kind of suck, but its still fairly good for an SUV. Never broken down on me, only had to fix the AC and other normal wear and tear...very fun car to drive, wonderful for a college studentAug 14, 2008

Good solid Ford conctruction. Lots of room for fishing gear and the family. Good towing power. I can go offroading with it and not have to worry about it not being able to handel the challenge. I would prefer for it to be a true 4x4 insted of having the auto locking front differential. when the back tiers slip and the front ones engage it is easy to lose control.Aug 01, 2008

I have had this car for four years now, and although I don't hate it, I don't love it either. This may just be personal preference, but I think that the only cars that should have two doors are cars with only two seats. It is inconvenient for adults to climb into and out of the back seat of this car. Also, the ride is not very smooth at all. You feel every single bump in the road, which I suppose could be expected from an SUV built on a truck chassis. On a positive note, the car has been very reliable. It now has almost 100k miles, and I have had no major problems. Around 80-85k, I had to replace a sensor that was about $300, and the original battery lasted about as long. Other than that, I've only had to perform normal maintenance. I think I would purchase another Explorer, just not the Sport.Jan 03, 2008

The vehicle has many positive attributes and gets pretty good gas mileage which is a big plus. But the overall ride quality is akin to riding on a rock going down the road. Everytime I encounter anything on the pavement surface, the vehicle pounds on the road like the suspension had been stolen and sold for scrap metal. Does anyone know how I might be able to make some adjustments to improve comfort and overall ride quality in my Sport?Dec 18, 2007

Bought this 4 wheel drive Explorer Sport used for a winter trip to Colorado, and kept it for two years afterwards. It was formerly an executive vehicle with a rental company, meaning it was not a daily rental, so it looked and ran showroom new when I found it on a Ford dealer's lot. It had the dreaded Firestone tires, which were replaced with brand new Goodyear Wrangler's at the Ford dealer, since it was still under the new car warranty. This vehicle had the 4.0 litre overhead cam V6, which impressed me, much more so than the 4 litre OHV V6 in my 1993 Explorer. It had enough power to easily maintain speed on hills and long grades and the trip to Colorado was an easy one. The interior was the standard bucket seats which were manually adjustable and reasonably comfortable. The 4 speed automatic transmission was smooth and no problems shifting; the 4 wheel drive easily tackled snow in Colorado, both in high and low ranges, although we really didn't need the low range in any area. Interior space is good in front; access to the rear is by folding the front seats forward and climbing into the rear, somewhat of a task for older adults or women in skirts or dresses, especially considering this combined with the higher door sills. Once in, rear seat comfort is acceptable, unless you are a tall adult in which case you would lilkely be uncomfortable. We didn't have the nerf bar running boards which I didlike, since I found they get your clothes dirty getting in and out, and, if you go off-roading, tend to get hung up on the oddest things. I did install Ford OEM fog lights and tow hooks though and the fog lights were a blessing in the early morning fog. There is adequate cargo space with the rear seats folded down, but this is a 2 door, and lacks much of the cargo space of the 4 door. If you need the greater cargo space in cubic feet, the 4 door is the way to go. The ride in the Sport 2 door is choppier than the 4 door due to the shorter wheelbase. Not uncomfortable, but I would say choppy. The difference, however, between the Firestore and Wrangler tires was night and day. The Wranglers made the vehicle handle as close to a 4 door ride as anything I've driven, while the Firestones made it feel like a bronco at feeding time. Tires can make a world of difference on these vehicles, as can proper inflation, etc. Aug 24, 2007