 Just bought the XLT with the V8 fairly loaded. Traded up from a 2002 XLT. Very happy so far. Had to hunt around NJ to find a XLT with a V8 and the 2007 appearance package, which makes it look a lot cleaner. The new V8 is awesome, quiet with a little growl when stepped on. Very smooth acceleration. Would not buy the V6, just too slow. Extremely quiet and confident ride. Also, the best thing about any Explorer that nobody talks about is that the seats are very comfortable. Perfect seating for cruising around with your arm hanging out the window on a nice day. Like a real truck.  