On the highway, the new Explorer has much-improved road manners. The independent rear suspension not only smoothes the ride but gives better handling. It curves into turns securely and doesn't have the choppy ride of the old model that had a solid rear axle. To accommodate the new rear suspension, which is geometrically similar to that of the Lincoln LS, Ford engineers came up with a design where the rear axles pass through portholes in the frame. This allows the load floor to remain low without hindering off-road ground clearance.
Safety is one area that has received considerable attention.
Side-impact curtain airbags inflate to provide head protection and cover the side windows. Later in the year, modifications will enable the side curtain airbags to be triggered in the event of a rollover. Advance Trac, a vehicle stability system, will also be offered later in the year. Advance Trac works by combining traction control and one-wheel braking to help keep the vehicle under control during emergency swerves. To lessen impact damage to smaller cars, the lower edge of the Explorer's front bumper is the same height as that of a passenger car.