HOW TO COMBINE BUSINESS WITH PLEASURE
Sport utility vehicles are more and more popular. According to statistics, in 2000, the compact utes recorded a 39% raise in sales while the luxury utes were up by 16%. The mid-sizers, on the other hand, were down by 15,6%. Last year, Ford unveiled its Escape, a compact ute that took a fair share of that growing market. That type of vehicle fills a need, but does not truly fit the real SVU purpose. This year, Ford aims at the mid size segment. The 2002 Ford Explorer is a fine new generation ute and, moreover, is built over a real truck chassis.
The easiest way to test that type of vehicle is in a real world situation. As we know, people spend 90% of their SUV driving in urban trafic, and when it comes to venturing off road for fishing or hunting, the going gets tough and their vehicles, most of the time, aren't tough enough to get going. Our "Baby Boomers" need to have the true 4X4, the one that can carry those 600 pounds of material along with the three brothers in law who raise the overall load to 1000 pounds (loading capacity ranging from 508 to 681 pounds depending on options). That "off road specialist" will take you through along those not very accessible road and through remote places... the further, the tougher. In order to test the Explorer's abilities, I organized a fishing trip along with a few friends of mine and, of course, the in-laws. I abandoned my wife for the week end and drove on Route 138 East towards Tadoussac. We had reservations at the "Ça mord" fishing facilities in Baie Ste-Catherine. The route included some 210 km of rather hilly and steep roads, one of the most challenging one in the whole province. Our vehicle was a 2002 Ford Explorer XLS ($ 38,000 price tag). The XLS is a base version powered by a SOHC 4 litre V6 engine and a five speed automatic tranny with a two way transfer case and automatic mode. The vehicle also features an all new four wheel independant suspension.
Sport utility vehicles are more and more popular. According to statistics, in 2000, the compact utes recorded a 39% raise in sales while the luxury utes were up by 16%. The mid-sizers, on the other hand, were down by 15,6%. Last year, Ford unveiled its Escape, a compact ute that took a fair share of that growing market. That type of vehicle fills a need, but does not truly fit the real SVU purpose. This year, Ford aims at the mid size segment. The 2002 Ford Explorer is a fine new generation ute and, moreover, is built over a real truck chassis.
The easiest way to test that type of vehicle is in a real world situation. As we know, people spend 90% of their SUV driving in urban trafic, and when it comes to venturing off road for fishing or hunting, the going gets tough and their vehicles, most of the time, aren't tough enough to get going. Our "Baby Boomers" need to have the true 4X4, the one that can carry those 600 pounds of material along with the three brothers in law who raise the overall load to 1000 pounds (loading capacity ranging from 508 to 681 pounds depending on options). That "off road specialist" will take you through along those not very accessible road and through remote places... the further, the tougher. In order to test the Explorer's abilities, I organized a fishing trip along with a few friends of mine and, of course, the in-laws. I abandoned my wife for the week end and drove on Route 138 East towards Tadoussac. We had reservations at the "Ça mord" fishing facilities in Baie Ste-Catherine. The route included some 210 km of rather hilly and steep roads, one of the most challenging one in the whole province. Our vehicle was a 2002 Ford Explorer XLS ($ 38,000 price tag). The XLS is a base version powered by a SOHC 4 litre V6 engine and a five speed automatic tranny with a two way transfer case and automatic mode. The vehicle also features an all new four wheel independant suspension.