I’ve wanted to review an original Explorer for years. Enjoy this video, my 29-minute ode to the original Ford Explorer - the most important car of my lifetime.

Maximum 90’s nostalgia is a two tone Forest Green & Beige Eddie Bauer Explorer. 👌🏻

Not gonna lie, I actually like hearing the history of these vehicles before the quirks and features. Hopefully you'll implement this more in the future.

These are my favorite Doug reviews. Yes the McLaren and Ferrari exotics are interesting, but these reviews offer a more down to earth look at the vehicles we actually grew up with. The average Joe vehicles were actually pretty innovative and intriguing when you take a deeper dive.

I remember this being one of the most iconic vehicles from Jurassic Park. Awesome review Doug.

I like when Doug does rather normal vehicles, especially pre 2000s

I really liked the history part. Please do more of those for older cars!

My parents bought one of these when I was born for exactly the reasons Doug stated. It was a 4x4 5 speed manual model and my mom still says it was her favorite car to drive.They were into river rafting for our summer vacations and I spent a lot of time crammed in that back seat next to coolers. Of course by the time I was 7-8 my (icu nurse) parents realized my neck would snap in an accident and sold it. One interesting thing Doug didn’t mention is the higher trim model. 20 years after my parents bought theirs new, I purchased a ‘93 XL with leather power seats… what might surprise you is those power seats also had adjustable bolsters. A little switch on the side controlled air pumps that would inflate or deflate the side bolsters. That little thing was the nicest, best little sh*tbox I’ve ever owned and now I want to look for one of these again!

I had a good friend in college (92-96) who drove one of these. His was an Eddie Bauer 4x4 with a 5 SPEED MANUAL. I'm sure it's long gone, but if by some miracle it survived I bet that set up would be super rare. Great for road trips for a bunch of college kids!

I love reviews of the older cars. Keep'em coming Doug!

I love how you can tell when Doug is genuinely excited to review a car.

The 85 mph speedo was actually *federally mandated* from here late 70’s to the early the 80’s. Which meant when they were designing it, an 85 mph Speedo wouldn’t have been uncommon. In fact, they had to mod the one in the BTTF Delorean to read past 85 so Marty could hit 88.

The 1st gen explorer is my favorite gen. It was INSANELY simple..The dummy vent area was also for the 4WD buttons.

Hi Doug. I absolutely loved the history section. Please do more of those!

Well done! My Dad had one of these in 94. The "dummy" vent area is where the 4WD buttons lived on those vehicles so equipped.

I remember when they hit the market, everyone wanted the them. They were where literally everywhere. Never owned one but road in lots of them. I agree they are what kicked off this craze we have now. Pretty cool to see a survivor in that good of shape.

I love the history lessons, being a car guy. I was born in ‘93 and clearly remember 1st & 2nd gen. Explorers being everywhere in the 90s and 2000s. Seeing a blue or burgundy interior takes me back too lol. My aunt had one of the older Cherokees (like a ‘97 or ‘98 I think) and it was definitely very cramped in the back. It’s amazing to see how far these vehicles and the industry has come in the last 30-40 years. Curious Cars also gives a good history lesson on older vehicles, just finished up watching his Escalade video, and his rants on ducks and random animals makes the commentary even better haha. Nice job taking us back Doug!

You can tell that Doug is a lot more invested in this video, It’s one of his best lately in my opinion. I liked the history of the explorer in introduction, I liked when Doug was casually sitting in front of it and then told a story of what this car was like “back in the days”, this video feels more personal, more like simply hanging out with Doug, similar to Jay Leno when he reviews one of his cars Edit : Doug if you read this, please go back to the old Doug Score format where you went through each category, it really was an important moment of your videos, (what Doug think of this car’s styling etc)

Please keep doing these reviews. Old, quirky, rare, whatever. They're often so much more interesting than "oh yay a new Ferrari I'll never see in person." I appreciate how you're slotting these into the lineup.

One quirk of the second-gen Explorer is that the rear seat reclines -- which works fine in the 4-door model, but in the 2-door model, due to the shorter wheelbase, there is no room for the seat to recline into. So the reclining mechanism is still there, but it's useless.

It's almost surreal seeing this on DeMuro's videos. I'm still daily driving one of the 2-door Sports with a 5-speed - same one my mom bought new in 1993' to pull horse trailers (and my first car in 02'). Never replaced it because it's so insanely reliable. Original engine and transmission at over 400K and it's still reliable as my wife's current-ish era Toyota. Guess this means I'm now daily driving a classic car, lol.

Amazing video Doug. I really love the history lesson part at the beginning (even though i'm not so sure most audience would care lol). Please keep making reviews about these world-changing vehicles. They're niche but very educational + entertaining at the same time. Really appreciated the hard work!

Hey Doug. I just wanted to let you know that the "dummy vent" in the center driver side was there because that's where they placed the 4x4 controls if you took that option. My current vehicle is also a 94 explorer and is has 4x4

Here's a little trivia about the 1st and 2nd generation Ford Explorer: the 2001 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer were the last Ford vehicles to be officially equipped with the optional 302 Windsor V8(aka 5.0), though it was available only on the 4 door models. The 4.6 Modular V8 replaced the 5.0 Windsor for the 2002 redesigned 3rd generation model. The 1996-2001 Explorer and Mountaineer with the optional 5.0 V8 could be a potential sleeper vehicle because there are so many high performance parts for that engine.

Doug, that "empty space" is for the touch button 4x4 system if the vehicle was equipped with a transfer case for the front drive shaft/axles. Plus the hubs were automatic locking hubs AND they could be locked on the fly so you didn't have to get out to manually lock the front hubs.

doug keep reviewing like this!! the vehicle's historical importance is part of the quirks imo and you illustrate the history deliberatively and intentionally, keep it up!

My parents bought a 1993 Ford Explorer new as a family vehicle to prepare for my birth. Now 28 years later the Explorer has been a constant in my life. With proper car and attention, like all old trucks, these are a blast to drive and own! I am amazed and thankful to see the 1st gen. Explorer finally get the well deserved attention.

Growing up, my friend and I were huge Jurassic Park fans. We had all the crap the franchise had to offer. Then his family got the Explorer and it was awesome. Being a kid and traveling in the SUV from the movie was insane! Later on, my family bought a 1997 2-door Explorer. It was the first car I've ever driven and learned on. Thank you for this trip down memory lane. Also, I never realized this vehicles history and it makes sense. My parents were outdoorsy and always had Chevy Blazers in the 70s and 80s. When I arrived as their 3rd child, they eventually had to opt for a Dodge Caravan. My parents loved the comfort of the bigger vehicle, however, Blazers weren't exactly family friendly.

We called ours the “exploder” growing up. But we loved the different trims we owned over the years.

I like Doug's format. He discusses all the little things that make the car unique, how it drives. I also like that he mentioned his love of log cabins in this video and how he spoke about manly men getting wood. This car brings back memories.

I am completely biased but this is my favorite Doug video! I have a 1994 Explorer XLT in my garage with nearly 200k miles. It starts every time I turn the key and it drives nice and smooth. It doesn't have the "fake air vent" because that is where the push button 4X4 panel is. Mine is dark blue and has the same blue interior.

I have my grandfathers 1993 XLT. Just did new heads, all gaskets from heads up, and complete new AC system. Runs great!

I've never felt so old watching a Doug video. I can still distinctly remember getting off the school bus to see my parents had bought a 92 XL model 2 door manual Explorer. I learned to drive manual on that car. It was also a silver color that made it look like it didn't have paint, until that paint started peeling.

Fun fact: All speedometers from that era we're limited to 85 mph due to federal regulations introduced in 1979 in response to the gas shortage. Even sports cars that could go well over 100 could only display up to 85.

The Ford Explorer takes me back to my childhood. My uncle had one. He passed away a couple years back but every time I see one of these old explorers on the road I think of him.

I remember my father buying a 92 Explorer back in 1997.. Pretty good truck. He ended up giving it to a friend in 2009 who lived in mexico. To this day the truck still runs great!

Doug don't ever think that people are bored or leaving because you're talking about the history and impact too much... true fans of yours will always stay and will always love listining to you explain cars in every sort... keep up your fantastic work your an apsalute legend and you kill it with every upload. :)))

I always appreciate a clean and well-maintained car like this, no matter their significance. Something about a well-kept few decades old car that's garage worthy.

Great video! A 1992 Explorer was my first car at 16. Mine was a fully loaded XLT with leather, power driver and passenger seat, and a sunroof. The sunroof only tilted up and you had to turn a dial to do it, but I felt so cool! Simpler times 😊 Thanks for taking me back!

Oh my god. You turned back the clock for me with this one. So many memories. My father had one like this (red Eddie Bauer edition) he also had the next generation after that as well. As well as a 1992 Taurus. Big respect to Ford for these icons. Thanks again for sharing all the dates and numbers

19:50 There actually was a speed limit law in place for some time that required all automakers to highlight 55 mph and not produce speedometers over 85.

Thank you Doug for this amazing review on the car that changed the automotive landscape forever! Especially excited for this auction!

Doug severely underestimates the significance and market domination of the XJ Cherokee/Wagoneers of previous years. They deserve ALL the credit for introducing people to the SUV, and no virtually one was concerned about backseat room when that vehicle was in it's heyday. Doug is just making stuff up there.

my first car was a hand me down 93 explorer. purple with tan interior. absolutely loved it. me and my buddies abused it going offroading and fishing(only had the 2wd) and it kept on ticking.

Doug, you need to do an entire series on cars that impacted the automotive scene. Things like a mid 80s Chrysler minivan, an early 80s Reliant K-car, a early 90s Toyota Camry…things that defined a segment or changed the trajectory of the specific manufacturer or automobile scene in general. An original E30 3-series…things along those lines. Much more interesting than the next hyper-car…

I owned a 1998 Explorer XLT that was optioned WAY up... leather, 5.0L V8, AWD, 9 speaker BOSE sound system, etc... loved it, wish I still owned it. The whole Firestone thing really soured me on it at the time, but looking back, I wish I had it back. It was painted in a lovely Wedgewood Blue on the outside and gray on the inside.

My Mom drove the Mazda navaho and my Dad drove the mercury mountaineer when I was a kid. I still look back to those vehicles very fondly and whenever I see either on the road it excites me (especially since both were pretty low volume versions of the vehicle). The mountaineer kind of solved the power problem since it had the old windsor v8, that still only made about 215hp so it was by no means fast, but it could push past 85 if you gave it some mustard.

Thank you for going into all that detail about the explorer! You do a really good job at recapping it’s history and providing numbers behind the success of the suv

13:55 Talking about the interior being blue. A friend of mine had the Explorer during high school and it was red. Red EVERYWHERE. Seat belts, floor mats, steering wheel, you name it, it was red. In it you felt like you are in your personal red light district. BTW, I loved that car! From being a kid to graduating high school, this car was always around and so I grew very fond it.

Just one missing detail, the closed AC vent was used to put the off road buttons on the 4x4 version. That’s why it’s closed it was cheaper to close it instead of putting 2 vents.

I actually love the history behind the cars, please include it more if you can! I love seeing the cars and why they came to be how they are. Thanks for taking your time to tell us.

Great video Doug. Really enjoyed this video moving away from your normal format to bring us a history lesson on SUVs but then back into your video that we love.

Three things I remember: The 4.0 v6 was sturdy, the driver seat would bust on the right side, so the seat would lean sideways, and the push button activated 4wd button was certain to fail. Also, in the Cars And Bids screen shot of the description, it reads just over 49000 miles, but then in the vid, Doug reveals it is actually 149000 miles. I hope those bidding know this.

…and it received the best marketing ever being debuted in Jurassic Park. The biggest movie of the time.

I had a 1991 Ford Explorer Sport that I bought for $7000 in 1998. I really liked that SUV. I was really sad when I totaled it on extremely icy roads. It was quite capable in the snow as well.

Good video Doug. I myself also grew up around the explorer. Our 2004 brown explorer was my moms car and is now my vehicle. I see why these things sold so well, it’s a pretty dam good people hauler and utility vehicle.

Thank you Doug for helping me remember how big the Explorer was. And remember the it was the main SUV in the first Jurassic Park Movie that also had a huge impact as well. It just happened to be the right vehicle at the right time. But as we know, people just love hating on Ford. They actually started many car and truck trends that are prevalent today.

I like how these days, Doug isn't chasing huge numbers, but reviewing these old quirky/ iconic cars for his real fans. Edit: I know this car is on C&B but why does it matter, its in his interest to get the car he's always wanted to review for his site. and ofc he still does newly released cars, what i was saying was, he still reviews these old icons and quirky car when clearly they fetch less views.

The first vehicle I brought new was a 1986 Trooper 4 door. I slept many nights in the back. This truck made many trips over the continental divide in Colorado to Utah. Not bad for an under-powered 4 cylinder. Before that I had a 1976 Alfa Romeo GTV4 that I had the audacity to drive it down Schaffers trail in Utah. A few jeeps looked in amazement to see me traverse this trail in an Alfa. I loved that car, but unfortunately it was "T" boned at an intersection and thus totaled. The Recaro seats with their heavy side bolsters saved me from any injury.

The condition of this truck is amazing! Wow! Beautiful. I've had two 2nd gen explorers, and they're not that common here in Germany.

Doug, out of all the reviews and videos you've ever done, this is probably my favorite -and I mean that. Well done :)

That extra “vent” is where the push button 4wd buttons go on the 4x4 models

Doug is the type of guy to rehearse his thoughts in a mirror before expertly condensing his thoughts into a short blurb on a video where he makes us feel every bit of what he’s feeling about the car… as fellow car people. Thank you, Doug, for all you have done for the current modern car enthusiast landscape. You deserve all of your success.

I have a 94 Explorer I've been driving since 2007. 5 speed, green, xlt. Still runs great! All this time, I just figured I was poor. But now I realize I'm actually an enthusiast!

Actually, I’d be plenty happy enough if you included history lessons on more cars. I find it super interesting!

"Son go sit in the explorer with your sisters, we will be there in a few"

Even as a family car, first Gen explorers are great off road vehicles, and ACTUALLY Doug, there were some advertisements showing it going off road on rough terrain

I've been waiting a long time for you to review one of these. I have such a huge love for these Explorers that dates back to my early childhood right when the 2nd generation was coming out, and as such I sought one out when I could afford to buy one and have owned it for three years now. I have put tons of work into it and put over 20,000 miles on it so far. Having said that, there are a couple things I'd like add to some of the stuff you addressed: 14:44 The Limited models offered a color-matched steering wheel. I think those interiors also had accent coloring that matched the exterior paint. 15:47 That "hole" was for the shifter on the manual transmission equipped models you mentioned later. Although, some base model Explorers did in fact have a center seat up front taken straight out of the ranger of that time. 16:54 I'm surprised that you didn't mention the "one-touch" down feature for the driver's window that was just barely making its way into cars back then. It's one of my personally most-used features on my Explorer. 17:51 That space for a third vent was meant for the Touch Drive electronic 4x4 buttons (4x4 and Low Range). You could opt for that or a manual shifter on the floor if you wanted 4-wheel-drive, which this one doesn't have, as you stated later in the video. I will admit that it's not an incredibly intuitive spot for it (I think you said something similar in the Bronco video), but if you think about it, it's in the same vicinity as the column shifter, so it was considered the most practical place to put those buttons. The dummy vent was naturally the most aesthetically appropriate thing to put in that spot for models without the Touch Drive system. 19:33 The very last 1994 Explorers actually had a 6-digit odometer. Mine was manufactured in August 1994 and has it, whereas this one was manufactured in October 1993 (I looked at the door sticker on Cars and Bids) and was most likely still receiving parts intended for the previous model year. 19:48 Others have and will mention this, but that was common across almost all of Fords model lineup for the time as they were still coming out of the end of the national 55mph speed limit law (note "55" highlighted in red). It wasn't because they couldn't go faster than that, but really, you don't want to if you value your life. Quick maneuvers have a drastic potential to become deadly past 65-70mph in one of these, or at least that's when I start to get nervous. I've found that the vehicle is happiest and smoothest at 55 anyway, but I still like to keep up with traffic at higher speeds when I need to. Great video overall, you most certainly get a like from me, good sir!

Honestly Doug could entirely switch to just doing quirky/unusual used car reviews and not one person would be upset :) Love these types of videos Doug, keep it up!

As I was watching this on my break, a Mazda Navajo drove past me. I've never seen one in person before. That can't be coincidence

One of the best preserved vehicles I've seen on this channel. 🤍💙👍 Good find Doug. 👌

Great review, Doug! Important to go through all the history.

I find it ironic that THIS Explorer, the "first family suv", was definitely NOT owned by a family (at least not one with more than one or two kids). The Explorer is too well preserved...

In the early 90's I still lived in Russia and had a toy Explorer cop car. I remember it vividly, and recall it being so much cooler compared to the small cars I saw there. No surprise my first car in 06 was an SUV.

I just bought a 93 Explorer XLT 4x4 last week because my 06f150 failed me, it’s almost mint condition. It’s a time capsule really. I love it.

Doug, I understand older cars such as these don’t bring in as many views. But it brought me to your channel, which I just subscribed to. I imagine there are quite a few subscribers who found your channel because of those older, quirkier cars.

You're so right Doug , this really did change everything. This vehicle is a demarcation line; there is before Explorer and after Explorer.

My family had the '93 XLT 4x4 with the dash 4WD buttons. My dad worked for an american oil company here in Ecuador, and they brought a whole fleet of these for their executives. Later, employees were able to buy them for a fraction of their price, and that is how we got it until we sold it in 2013. I learned to drive an automatic and park in that. You brought back some memories, sir.

Great review, Doug! Love the historical intro, you should consider making more of these fun facts in upcoming videos (and make a time-marker for those too impatient to listen to it :P) On the odometer: Ford Ka had the same 5-digit odometer and was produced and sold in Europe up until 2008.

I love these videos, Doug! My first car was a 1990 Bronco II, the hint of Explorer. The fake climate vent is where the electronic 4x4 buttons were on 4 wheel drive models.

I'm surprised it mentioned the Firestone scandal. TO THIS DAY you cannot rent a U-Haul trailer if your going to hook it up to a Ford Explorer.

I've owned four of these over the years. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for these since the first one was also my first car that I bought as a teenager with my own money (a whopping $600). I really appreciated the interior space and decent power to weight ratio.

I love these so much. My dad owned I think around 5? 3 he sent to family in Mexico, one of them made it to 433k until it got totaled, one was stolen, and the other still drives, although she doesn’t sound like she’s doing too well. I have so many memories in these. Though, I still liked my dads excursion better.

I love seeing Doug review cars like these

Doug forgot about the Chevrolet Suburban, which was an SUV version of the Chevy C10 pickup, with 4 doors and a tailgate. Plus there was the Jeep Grand Wagoneer 4 door SUV. All of these were in abundance in the mid 1970s, the Suburban started production of 4 door models in 1967.

I remember my parents looking at Bronco 2's in the late 80's because my mom wanted a smaller SUV. They found out about the Explorer coming out, and ordered a 2-door Sport in bright red with a 5 speed manual in late 1990. I was in 1st grade. We then got a 1996, 2000 (both 4 door XLT automatics), and 2003 Explorer (2 door 5 speed). Basically I grew up in Explorers from 1st grade through graduating high school. I remember we took a 2 week road trip in our 2000 Explorer and got a new set of tires when we returned, and my dad found some tread separation on the tires...then the giant Firestone tire fiasco started. Scary.

This was a fun throwback. My mom had a first year explorer back in the day, it was red, 4x4 with a manual transmission. Had manual locking front hubs, think the electric ones came later. Also that dummy vent on the 4x4 models was where they put the 4wd selector on the ones with electric controls. Ours was fully manual.

I love seeing how excited Doug gets about many of the vehicles most of us take for granted. It makes me want to place a bid.

Love Your Channel Doug, You're Right On the Money The Ford Explorer its easily in The Top (10) in Automotive History because of just what you detailed in the video it truly, without a doubt changed the Automotive History for Ever. An argument could be had on just sales along and the trajectory of vehicle models there after that perhaps its The Single Most Important Vehicle Ever Made. It changed the Automotive World, I too remember them on how popular they quickly became it seemed at the time that pretty much Everybody and there Brother had one of these. Well anyway I Truly Enjoy checking out Your Super,. Duper Cool Videos. Keep dishing them out, Keep em' Coming. Big Fan from Louisiana.

Talk about another great reviews. Aside the Blazer, I'm surprised there was never anything mentioned about the Chevrolet/GMC Suburban (before being called the Yukon) as side seeing it in the Doug Score. Sure it was bigger in size, but it was one of the only few to haul your family around and have 4 doors.

I feel Cars & Bids opened Doug up to the best quality older vehicles. Still waiting for an original Caravan.

That 4L V6 may not have been a powerhouse, but good lord was it bulletproof. I had a '93 Ranger growing up, and the engine made it to 400,000 miles without incident with just regular oil changes. Unbelievably reliable.

I saw one of these a few days ago and it made me realize I hadn’t seen one in years. After growing up with these being so popular, it really made me wonder how long it had been since I’d seen one and how quickly they disappeared from the roads.

I'm 54 so I always smile and shake my head at some of Dougs comments about everyday things like having 2 keys for every car (Ignition. Glovebox/trunk) or whatnot. I was 21 when these blew up on the market, and they were a game changer. They were real popular in the Midwest as we of course have winters with lots of snow (At least we USED to) and cold, and those of us in rural areas look at 4X4 as almost a need nowdays. Most people put a agressive all-season tire on them at the first tire interval and it helped. As Doug said the automatic transmission was a weak point and the manual was the way to go. A friend of mine had a 94 2 door Sport edition with the 5-speed and he drove the hell out of it. Too bad that AMC didn't make it into the 90's, the eagle wagon was the grandfather to the CUV craze.

this was more enjoyable to watch than any of the new supercar stuff love it when doug brings in his personal experiences to a rather mundane car

My first car!! Never thought I’d see a video on it! In 2002 I saved up my money from my first job and bought my mom’s 1992 Explorer from her for $1000. It was dark green with the tan cloth interior. As a 16 year idiot, my friends and I beat the absolute crap out of that car and it never flinched. Good memories!

My dad bought one of these (I think a 1991 model) in the late 90s to get us around. It was a very tight time period for us financially, so it had been pretty heavily used. Still, I remember it being a good, rugged family vehicle that got us everywhere we needed to go. It only died when a mechanic deliberately broke the thermostat and it overheated on a trip.

I drove an '05 Explorer for my first three-ish years living in Alabama. Loved that truck to the moon and back but, bless its heart, it needed more work than I could justify putting into it. I've got a lot of love for these trucks! I definitely couldn't have started my new life without it :)

Hey Doug, great video. You are so right that the Ford Explorer is so important in car history. My family has owned a second gen since 1996. I still daily drive it to death. I'm nearing 270000 miles on it. Back then as a kid, I remember thinking that our second gen Explorer which smoothed some things out from the first gen, really seemed about 10 years newer than any other SUVs at the time. Compared to other things at the time, the styling and indeed the lack of focus on off-roader features really makes it feel more refined and modern that it really is. You did miss one key element of the Explorer's history though. The inclusion of the first generation Explorer in Jurassic Park was huge for it. You should have mentioned that. One of the original movie Explorers was preserved and sold for almost $30,000.

Love the work you put into explaining the history of this car. It really tied the whole video together. One of your best ones yet, Doug!