Ford's Explorer, once the bread and butter of the company's lineup and one of the most popular vehicles in America, has fallen on some hard times.

Sales of the Explorer, which was heavily revised for 2006, have dropped dramatically and are still falling. The St. Louis plant that makes them has been slated for closure.

The Ford Explorer has changed so much it could almost be billed as an all-new product. Click photo for larger image. Today's Live Chat Transcript of today's chat with Don Hammonds

A good part of the problem lies with the bottom practically falling out in the mid- to full-size SUV market because of gasoline prices. The Explorer, as well as the Chevy TrailBlazer and similar products, have suffered as many consumers are flocking to crossovers and smaller SUVs instead.

But if consumers are ignoring the Explorer, it's their loss.

The Explorer has many improvements that make it basically an all-new product, even though Ford hasn't been billing it that way -- which also may be part of the issue. At any rate, it's a worthy choice, simply made more worthy by all the improvements.

For instance, there's now 292 horsepower in the 4.6-liter V-8 -- and you really feel it, too. Mileage is rated at 17 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. It's reportedly 31 percent quieter on rough roads and more than 26 percent quieter on bad ones, too. Even the climate control system is supposed to be 30 percent quieter.

Ford also has equipped the Explorer with a safety package that meets all U.S. government frontal and side-impact crash requirements. It includes AdvanceTrac with first-in-class roll stability control, traction control, yaw control and a vehicle roll motion sensor.

Our Explorer Eddie Bauer model had a base price of $33,625, but by the time you add options, it becomes an almost $40,000 SUV. Sounds awfully costly, but this price is matched -- and often beaten -- by Explorer's competition.

I especially liked the classy looks of the Explorer Eddie Bauer model I tested. The interior had a two-tone theme with rich materials, excellent seat support and a general ambience of luxury that belied Explorer's price tag and market position.

But the deal maker for me was the power folding third row. Hit a button and you're done. No muss, no fuss, no hassle. If you're "no bigger than a minute," as my Grandma always said about me, you'll appreciate not having to climb into the car to get the seat to follow your bidding.

Ford has been unfairly hit by criticism of its newly designed armrests and handles. One of the most comfortable designs I've seen, they are positioned in such a way that your arm is resting comfortably at an angle and you can operate controls for switches and other items easily.

So what's the problem? The control to open the door is built into the top end of the armrest. Some people find it awkward to use. But I didn't have any problem with it, so I don't know what all the fuss is about.

The Explorer's ace in the hole has always been the ride. With a four-wheel independent suspension, each wheel soaks up the bumps and bruises of driving, so you don't feel as bothered by intrusions as you do with a solid axle product. This year, the ride is even better because a number of improvements have been made to the suspension system.

But the Explorer does have some issues. Although this year's Explorer is quieter than last year's model, there's still a fair amount of road noise and engine noise that gets inside. Also, interior noise occurred every now and then when hard plastic abutted against hard plastic, but it tended to happen only on rough road surfaces.

I also found that the steering felt heavier than I would have liked, making for a tougher time when I wanted to park, for instance.

Altogether, Ford has something to be proud of in the Explorer. It just has to find ways to get the public to agree with it.

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Ford Explorer

Base price: $33,625
Engine: 4.6-liter, 292-horsepower V-8
Mileage: 17/22
Basic warranty: 3 years/ 36,000 miles
Traction control: standard
Stability control: optional
Side curtain air bags: standard
Luggage capacity: 44.9 cu. ft.

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Chevy TrailBlazer
Base price: $26,715
Engine: 4.2-liter, 291-horsepower in-line 6
Mileage: 16/22
Basic warranty: 3 years/ 36,000 miles
Traction control: not available
Stability control: Standard
Side curtain head air bags: optional, front and rear
Luggage capacity: 43.7 cu. ft.

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Toyota 4Runner
Base price: $29,975
Engine: 4.0-liter, 236-horsepower V-6
Mileage: 18/22
Basic warranty: 3 years/ 36,000 miles
Traction control: standard
Stability control: standard
Side curtain head air bags: optional, front and rear
Luggage capacity: 42.1 cu. ft.