July 09, 2008
Ford Explorer Praised for Affordability, Safety
DEARBORN, MI – The 2008 Ford Explorer is more resistant to damage and less likely to cause
damage to other vehicles in low-speed crashes than other mid-size SUVs, the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reported.
“The Ford
Explorer has been the benchmark SUV for family capability, safety, and value
for two decades,” said Darryl Hazel, president, Ford Customer Service Division.
“Insurance companies are more likely to give Explorer customers discounts
because of this established track record.”
Ford was
the first to market with crash structures on SUVs that are more compatible with
passenger cars. When the Explorer was redesigned for the 2002 model year, the
front bumper was dropped nearly two inches, to better align with the crash
structures of passenger cars.
The 2008
Explorer retains that design, which helps to reduce damage to cars in common
slow-speed incidents and allows lower vehicles’ energy-absorbing bumpers to do
their work. The Explorer is the only mid-size SUV to receive the government’s
highest frontal crash test rating for six consecutive years.
In
front-to-rear collision tests, the other SUVs overrode the rear bumpers of
stationary Hyundai Sonatas causing damage ranging from $3,891 to $4,737, and
each SUV sustained more than $1,000 damage. By comparison, the Explorer
sustained less than $1,000 damage, and it inflicted only about one-third as
much damage on the mid-size sedan.
The IIHS
reported real-world crash data is consistent with the tests. The Explorer
had lower-than-average losses under the same insurance coverage during the same
years compared to the competitive models.
2008 Ford Explorer - Dark Cherry