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Let's get sexist. Let's get politically insurrect and start drilling beneath the surface of the 2006 Ford Explorer. Although it doesn't qualify as an all-new model -- there's still enough 2005 Explorer in the mix to prevent that distinction -- the 2006 Explorer has had a heck of a lot more work done on it than just a face-lift (that's not the sexist part -- the sexist part's still coming).
The new Explorer is quieter, more powerful, better-looking, better equipped, several rungs higher on the safety ladder, and a sweeter value than its predecessor -- (now comes the sexist part) and it's all because of a woman. That's right, Ford placed the fate of its best-selling midsize symbol of masculine needs and breeding -- the Explorer sport-utility vehicle -- in the hands of Judy Curran, chief engineer.
Judy's a quiet engineering filly, but man, does she ever know how to build an Explorer -- especially one for families.
Here are the Explorer basics for 2006:
It's slightly bigger and heavier than the 2005 model
Four trim levels: XLS and XLT models (for basic and one-step-up buyers), and Eddie Bauer and Limited editions (for the upper-crust crowd)
Two-row seating (for five occupants), or three rows (for six or seven)
V6 or V8 power
Rear-drive or all-wheel drive
Wheel choices ranging from 16-inch steel to 17-inch aluminum to 18-inch chromed
The Feminine Side: A Nice, Quiet Interior
No SUV ever lost points for being quiet enough to allow a conversation to take place between the first- and second-row passengers. Most SUVs, in fact, are echo chambers that bounce road noise, wind noise and engine noise around. Judy Curran didn't like that about SUVs, so her team loaded the Explorer with sound-insulation materials. Now the Explorer driver can even communicate with the kids in the optional third row without having to scream. Ford claims to lead the class in front-seat quietude, and we heard nothing to cause us to doubt it.
And in the absence of brain-rattling noise, you'll also notice that the Explorer's interior has been shaped up nicely, too. We drove the high-end offerings lined with leather (XLS and XLT models start with cloth seats) and packing V8 engines and all-wheel drive. The leather looked good -- felt good, too -- especially when accented by the Preferred Suede inserts. Not especially deep, the front bucket seats do provide good support for long-distance travel.
The driver benefits from a large speedo and tachometer, ringed in "chrome" on the upscale models. Headroom abounds in the first two rows, and second-row legroom is surprisingly generous, even in the three-row configurations.
So how much room do you need for your stuff? In two-row Explorers, there's 45.1 cubic feet of stowage space with the rear seats up, and 85.8 cubic feet in seats-down mode. That's generous for this class. Three-row Explorers present 13.6, 43.9 and 83.7 cubic feet as you move through the seats-down variations.
The Masculine Side: Horsepower
The Grrrrr factor for the 2006 Explorer comes in V6 and V8 forms. The 4.0-liter single-overhead-cam six, paired to last year's five-speed automatic transmission, put out 210 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque along with ultralow emissions (as good as Ford's Escape hybrid).
Bigger news, however, comes from the 292-hp V8. New to the Explorer this year, the optional 4.6-liter single-cam shares both spirit and three-valve-per-cylinder heads with the Mustang GT. The engine's 300 lb-ft of torque at 3,950 rpm, mated to a new six-speed automatic, raises the V8 Explorer's tow limit to 7,300 pounds. As a bonus, the six-speed also improves the fuel economy. The V8 lifts the Explorer off the line with decent escape velocity, but the midrange passing power was noticeably less Mustang-like -- this truck's torque is used for towing.
On four-wheel-drive models, the Control Trac system carries over, allowing the driver to select three modes: 4x4 Auto (essentially rear-wheel drive until rear-wheel slip is detected, then power is apportioned to the fronts), 4x4 High (which locks the center differential and splits the torque 50/50 front/rear), and 4x4 Low (for slow, rough off-road slogging through sand or what-have-you).
The Feminine Side: A Nice, Compliant Ride
The frame side of the Explorer's body-on-frame setup got a significant makeover. "Tube-through-tube" construction, adapted from the F-Series trucks, adds significant stiffness to the frame for better stability as well as less twisting, which means less "wringing out" of the body which creates squeaks. A new monotube shock design front and rear, and revised independent rear suspension settled the Explorer ride beautifully on-road and off.
The Masculine Side: Handling
And on those rare occasions when your Explorer does make an off-road appearance, you macho man from Mars, you'll appreciate how the Venusian comfort changes to the suspension also help you maintain control of the vehicle. And if you do run out of talent, the standard AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control will kick in (but not so early that you can't have a little fun playing in the dirt).
The standard four-wheel antilock disc brakes have been beefed up for 2006 to match the SUV's improved towing and payload capacity.
The Feminine Side: Safety
If you're shopping for a midsize SUV and you've placed safety at or near the top of your list, your list should include the 2006 Explorer. Ford has fortified the '06 Explorer to earn a galaxy of stars on federal front- and side-impact crash test ratings. In addition to the previous Explorer's front-impact and side curtain head-protection airbags, the 2006 model includes front-seat side-impact airbags. The '06 also employs a number of sensors designed to assess things like front-occupant size, seating position and crash severity, then deploy the vehicle's safety features to the greatest benefit.
Everybody Likes Value: The Sexist Conclusion
So how'd the skirt do? Well, she made the Explorer quieter. And safer. And nicer to live with. And better-looking. And better-riding. And better-handling. And more powerful than ever. In short, Judy Curran's Explorer priorities mirror what America keeps searching for in a family SUV.
Now here's the kicker: The 2006 Ford Explorer is less expensive than the 2005. Starting at $27,175 for a base XLS and moving up through the Limited (which starts at $33,160), you save an average of $1,750 over last year. Here's to a woman's touch.
Used 2006 Ford Explorer listings and inventory:
Shop Edmunds' used car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million pre-owned vehicles to find a cheap used and certified pre-owned (CPO) 2006 Ford Explorers for sale near Ashburn VA. There are currently 1,320 used and CPO 2006 Explorers listed for sale in your area, with list prices as low as 3,996 and mileage as low as 0. Simply research the type of used car, SUV, or truck you're interested in and then select a vehicle from our massive database to find cheap pre-owned vehicles for sale near you. Once you have identified a used vehicle you're interested in, check the Carfax and Autocheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the used 2006 Ford Explorer. Then select Edmunds' special offers, perks, deals, and incentives to contact the dealer of your choice and save up to 215 on a used or CPO 2006 Explorer available from one of 2,633 dealerships in your area.
What's a good price on a used 2006 Ford Explorer ?
Save up to $214.5 on one of 29 used 2006 Ford Explorers for sale at dealerships within 25 miles of Ashburn, Virginia with prices as low as $4496 as of Apr 20, 2018, based on data from 18 dealers and 36 consumer-driven dealer ratings ranging from 1 to 5 out of 5 stars.
Price comparisons for used 2006 Ford Explorer trim styles:
The used 2006 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer is priced around $7024 with average odometer reading of 126499 miles.
The used 2006 Ford Explorer XLT is priced around $5726 with average odometer reading of 111365 miles.
Shop with Edmunds for perks and special offers on used cars, trucks, and SUVs near Ashburn, Virginia. Doing so could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Edmunds also provides consumer-driven dealership sales and service reviews to help you make informed decisions about what cars to buy and where to buy them.
What options are available on the 2006 Ford Explorer?
Available Ford Explorer 2006 Submodel Types: SUV
Available Ford Explorer 2006 Trims: Sport, Base, Platinum, Eddie Bauer, XLT, Limited, XLT Sport, NBX, XL, XLS, Expedition, XLS Sport
Exterior Colors: Shadow Black, Magnetic Metallic, Ingot Silver Metallic, Ruby Red Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, White Platinum Metallic Tri-Coat, Tuxedo Black Metallic, Blue Metallic, White Platinum Metallic Tri-coat, Oxford White, Platinum Dune Metallic Tri-Coat, Burgundy Velvet Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, Blue Jeans Metallic, Caribou Metallic, Cinnamon Glaze Metallic, Sterling Gray Metallic, Deep Impact Blue Metallic, Dark Side Metallic, Bronze Fire Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, Sterling Grey Metallic, White Suede, Black, Guard Metallic, Smoked Quartz Tinted Clearcoat Metallic, Canyon Ridge Metallic, Red Candy Metallic Tinted Clearcoat, White Suede Clearcoat, Brilliant Silver Clearcoat Metallic, Kodiak Brown Metallic, Red Fire Clearcoat Metallic, White Gold Metallic, Dark Blue Pearl Clearcoat Metallic, Mineral Grey Clearcoat Metallic, Aspen Green Clearcoat Metallic, Green Gem Metallic, Kona Blue Metallic, Black Clearcoat, Dark Blue Pearl Metallic, Medium Wedgewood Blue Clearcoat Metallic, Sangria Red Clearcoat Metallic, Silver Birch Clearcoat Metallic, Tropic Green Clearcoat Metallic, True Blue Clearcoat Metallic, White Sand Tri-Coat, Bordeaux Reserve Red Metallic, Ceramic White Tri-Coat Clearcoat Metallic, Cinnamon Metallic, Dark Copper Clearcoat Metallic, Golden Bronze Metallic, Oxford White Clearcoat, Oxford White Clearcoat (Fleet), Sport Blue Clearcoat Metallic, Blue Flame Metallic, Dark Cherry Clearcoat Metallic, Dark Stone Clearcoat Metallic, Deep Jewel Green Pearl Metallic, Estate Green Clearcoat Metallic, Ginger Ale Metallic, Harvest Gold Clearcoat Metallic, Mineral Gray Clearcoat Metallic, Pueblo Gold Clearcoat Metallic, Sunset Metallic, Torch Red, Toreador Red Clearcoat Metallic
Interior Colors: Ebony Black leather, Charcoal Black leather, Ebony Black w/Red Accent Stitching leather, Medium Stone leather, Medium Light Stone leather, Medium Stone cloth, Ebony Black premium leather, Medium Soft Ceramic premium leather, Medium Light Stone cloth, Medium Light Camel cloth, Charcoal Black premium cloth, Medium Light Camel leather, Charcoal Black premium leather, Ebony Black premium cloth, Medium Parchment, Medium Light Stone premium cloth, Medium Light Stone premium leather, Medium Light Camel premium cloth, Charcoal Black w/Sienna Insert premium leather, Pecan premium leather, Graphite, Midnight Grey, Camel leather, Medium Stone premium cloth, Black cloth, Charcoal Black w/Sienna Insert leather, Dark Earth w/Ebony Black leather/sueded microfiber, Black leather, Black/Camel (Late Availability) leather, Camel cloth, Medium Prairie Tan, Stone leather
Popular Features: 5000lb Towing Capacity, Aux Audio Inputs, Trip Computer, Post-collision safety system, Third-row seating, Bluetooth, USB Inputs, Alarm, Parking sensors, Back-up camera, Keyless Entry/Start, Upgraded Headlights, Power Liftgate/Trunk, Mobile Internet, Navigation, Remote Start, Cooled Seats, Electronic Folding Mirrors, Apple Carplay/Android Auto, Sunroof/Moonroof, Blind Spot Monitoring, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Pre-collision safety system, Upgraded Engine, 2nd Row Bucket Seats, Upgraded Stereo, 6000lb Towing Capacity, Audio and cruise controls on steering wheel, Fold Flat Rear Seats, Rear Bench Seats, Stability Control, Tire Pressure Warning, Towing Hitch, AWD/4WD, Power Driver Seat, Leather Seats, Rear Entertainment System, Auto Climate Control, Heated seats, Multi-Zone Climate Control
Engine/Mechanics: 4, 6, 8 cylinders
Transmission: AUTOMATIC, MANUAL
Fuel Types: flex-fuel (unleaded/E85), regular unleaded, premium unleaded (recommended)
Drivetrains: all wheel drive, front wheel drive, four wheel drive, rear wheel drive
Used 2006 Ford Explorer Overview
The used 2006 Ford Explorer is offered in the following submodels: SUV. Available styles include Eddie Bauer 4dr SUV 4WD (4.0L 6cyl 5A), XLT 4dr SUV 4WD (4.0L 6cyl 5A), and XLT 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A). Pre-owned Explorer models are available with a 0-liter gas engine, with output up to 0 hp, depending on engine type. The used 2006 Explorer comes with four wheel drive or rear wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 5-speed automatic.
