August 15, 2007
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Pori land OL server
2007 Ford
Explorer 4DR XLT
4X4 IRONMAN
by K athleen C akk
A fter Ford signed on to becom e the title
sponsor ofthe Ironm anTriathalon in 2(X)5,
the com pany decided to create an Explorer
"buzz vehicle" to celebrate the relation­
ship. The result is the 2007 Ironm an E x­
plorer, easily the best-looking Explorer
variant based on the current body style.
Explorer underwent a makeover tor 2006
that em phasized F-Series DN A and m atu­
rity, and the Ironm an Package throw s all
that out the window for a bold, in-your-
face look that's about as rough-and-ready
as an Explorer has ever looked. T he big
front grilled is blacked-out, and a gray
plastic "Ironman" logo-im printed low er
front fascia has been added to the bum per
below the opening. The paint — wow,
that's Orange! O range Frost Clearcoat. to
be exact. A trim kit has been added above
the four wheel wells. It's a rugged-looking
plastic fender flare that looks like it has
been bolted to the Explorer with exposed
A llen bolts — shorthand for "m asculine"
in design language. Black body cladding
runs along the rocker panels, creating a
tw o-tone look for the Explorer. A black
roof rack with black cross rails is m ounted
overhead, and 18” painted alum inum
w heels w ear the rubber. The back bum per
w ears a sim ilar gray plastic Ironman logo
piece as the front fascia.
Som ehow this w hole package w orks
really well. Explorer's not a bad-looking
SUV in the first place, if a little conserva­
tively styled for my taste. Loading up with
all that body-cladding and H allow een
co lor schem e could easily have gone
wrong, but it results in an Explorer that
stands out from the crow d. I'm glad that
Ford didn't go too heavily on the "Ironman"
logos — if anything, they're a little too
subtle and hard to read — because I would
Ironman ~ The Bold Explorer
Specifications: 4.6-Liter 3-Valve V8 Engine: 6-Speed Automatic 0 /D Transmis­
sion; 14-City 20-Highway MPG: $38,63 0 MSRP
feel silly w addling out o f a vehicle m eant
for a triathlete. As it is, Explorer has struck
that careful balance betw een overw rought
and cool.
Explorer's dash is a m edley o f plastics,
with various textures and qualities co m ­
peting for space and attention. T he layout
is logical and clean, with a m inim um (for
these days) o f buttons, knobs and co n ­
trols. T he analog speedom eter and ta­
chom eter are sunk into a sim ple chrom ed
oval above the steering w heel, and the
center stack houses audio, navigation and
clim ate controls. E verything's right where
it should be. My test vehicle was equipped
with a $2,505 (ouch!) navigation system ,
w hich I guess every Ironm an should have.
If I w ere a true triathlete I m ight opt for a
handheld navigation system and save a
grand or two.
Slow and steady w ins the race, right?
Well, Explorer isn'texactly slow. U nderthe
hood is a 4 .6 liter single-overhead cam V8
with three valves p ercy lin d eran d variable
cam shaft tim ing that cranks out a respect­
able 292 hp and 303 lb-ft o f torque m ated
to a six-speed transmission, plenty of power
to push around the 4777 lb vehicle. The
transm ission is good for sprints and long
hauls, with excellent pow erdistribution all
along the way.
Ford spent a lot o f tim e and m oney on
Explorer's handling after the rollover d e­
bacles o f the 1990s, and this Ironman
M avs mid reviews on new motor vehieles
handles very athletically as a result. Four-
wheel independent suspension, front and
rear sway bars are standard to keep body
roll toa minimum. Tractioncontrol with roll
stability control, front side airbags, side
impact door beams, and four-wheel anti­
lock brakes with electronic brake force
distribution are standard. A truly im pres­
sive 36.8' turning radius makes parking lot
m aneuvers and U-turns a breeze.
As big as it is. Explorer is really too small
to have a useful third-row seat. It has one,
but it is best used by the young and short
o f stature. Full-sized hum ans will not en ­
jo y even a short ride back there, and the
am enities are few - they don't even get the
leather seating surfaces that the first two
rows are treated to. It’s a one-tone vinyl
w orld back there in the third row. Oh. the
humiliation.
1 have to adm ire anybody who has the
Ingredients for life..
Page A3
fortitude to com pete in an Ironm an com pe­
tition. It's an am azing test o f endurance
and w illpow er, and deserves som e recog­
nition. Is this Explorer Ironm an the right
tribute? W ell, it is chiseled and muscular.
It does have som e athletic m oves and a lot
o f versatility, and it doesn't ever com plain
about the conditions. Perhaps it is w orthy
o f an Ironman. You can save a few bucks
on the Explorer by choosing few er options
-a p la in vanilla Explorer XLT with a V 6and
tw o-w heel drive starts at $25,300 — but the
Ironm an package is a fun, unique choice
for the triathlete.
If you w ant to be a triathlete, or ju st look
like one, the Explorer Ironm an is a very
attractive choice. M aybe I should dust off
my running shoes, grease up my bicycle
and start training for an Ironm an com peti­
tion o f my own. I feel inspired by the
Ironm an to be the bold explorer.
SAFEWAY Ö
F ood
T he m ission o f the ‘Food S ectio n ’ is to provide ou r readers w ith great
tasting healthy recipes and useful household inform ation. T he Portland
O bserver respectfully requests all com m ents and/or fam ily recipes you
would like to share with us. Address emails to foods @ portlandobserver.com
Poppy Seed Salad
"What's more inviting than
fresh fruit? This refreshing
fresh fruit salad has only 90
calories. ”
Ingredients
directions
. I n a m edium bowl, mix honey, lim eade
ancentrate and poppy seed.
. C arefully toss fruit wit honey mixture,
prinkle with almonds.
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup frozen lim eade concentrate,
thaw ed
• 2 tsp. poppy seeds
• 1 cup fresh straw berries cut in half
• I cup cubed pineapple
• I cup fresh blackberries
• 1 cup cubed w aterm elon
• 1/4 cup slivered alm onds, toasted-if
desired
Stuffed
Vidalia
Onions
"Vidalia onions
are currently in
season, healthy
and they create a
lively side dish
that everyone will
love! ’’
Ingredients
•
•
•
•
•
4 V idalia or sw eet onions
1/2 tsp. olive oil
2 m edium zucchini, shredded
3 cloves garlic, m inced
1 tsp. dried thym e, crushed
1 tsp. dried basil, crushed
3 Tbs. plain dry bread crum bs
1-1/2 Tbs. chopped toasted pine nuts
3 Tbs. freshly grated Parm esan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black peppe
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a small baking pan with foil.
2. Cut 1/2” o ff the top o f each onion; slightly trim the bottom s so that the onions stand
upright. Place the onions, cut side up, in the prepared baking pan and coat with cooking
spray. Bake for I hour, or until soft. Set aside for 15 m inutes or until cool enough to
handle.
3. Reduce the oven tem perature to 35OF.
4. Rem ove and discard the onion peels. Using a spoon, scoop out the onion centers
(do not discard), leaving a 1/2" thick shell. Chop the centers and reserve I cup for the
stuffing; save the rem ainder for another use.
5. Hea, the oil in a large nonstick skillet over m edium heat. Add the zucchini, garlic,
thym e, basil and the 1 cup of chopped onions. Craik for 6 m inutes, or until the zucchini
is tender and most o f the liquid has evaporated. Rem ove from the heat and stir in the
bread crum bs, pine nuts, salt, pepper and 2-1/2 Tbs. o f the cheese.
6. Divide the filling am ong the onion shells. Place the onion shells in the same baking
pan and top with the rem aining cheese.
7. Bake for 20 m inutes or until golden.
Tropicana
Pure Premium
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