LAKE PLACID, New York – Draped atop and between the impossibly lush northeastern Adirondack mountains, two-lane roads are clogged with athletic men and women training for the Ironman triathalon to take place in the Lake Placid, New York, region. Ironman triathalons require these hardy souls to swim, bike, and run to the limits of their endurance; to win such a grueling event requires an unflagging drive to succeed, tenacity in the face of tough competition, and extreme levels of endurance.

Fittingly, Ford selected this atmosphere as a backdrop for the introduction of the re-engineered 2006 Explorer, the most popular sport-utility vehicle in America since its debut for the 1991 model year. Despite market segmentation between traditional and crossover SUVs, a rapid proliferation of competitive nameplates, and the Firestone tire debacle, the Ford Explorer has stood the test of time, rising to every challenge, succeeding at winning the sales race in each year that it has competed. Judy Curran, chief engineer for the 2006 edition, says that the Explorer has been successful because it consistently finds the sweet spot of the market, combining “rugged capability, good looks, comfort, and affordability” in one appealing package.

To keep its champion SUV primed for the fight, Ford makes major upgrades to the 2006 Explorer, adding more power, improved performance, greater comfort, and high-tech safety gear in an effort to hit that constantly shifting sweet spot with consumers. We spent a day driving the revised rig in the Lake Placid region to see whether the 2006 Explorer has got what it takes to stay on top, and based on our brief drive, we’d say that Ford continues to field one of the best traditional midsize SUVs on the market today.