This year we decided to lease a 2001 Ford
Explorer Premium Sport. We got an excellent deal, and we badly needed a
sport-utility vehicle for all our outdoor sports. The ride is rough, but
it handled itself well on the terrible "roads" near Mt. Adams this
spring, and pretty good in the snow as well. The high ground clearance is
nice for off-road, and it's a good looking car for the price. We use it
like it's supposed to be used. We throw our snowboards and mountain bikes
on top, our golf clubs or climbing, scuba diving, and backpacking gear in the
back and we're on our way!