The AU copped plenty of flak for the way it looked, but it wasn't a bad car. There is no reason to believe it is any better or worse than any other recent Falcon. The mechanical package is the same, so I wouldn't dismiss it on that basis. Looks are a different thing, and the value of AU series cars is way, way down on other similar cars. That's an advantage if you're buying, but a disadvantage if you're selling. It's hard to give you any advice about the Explorer without knowing what you intend to do with it. If you want a heavy-duty four-wheel-drive for some serious off-roading, then I would look to the big Japanese models, but if you want it for around-town use, I would go for one of the compact wagons on offer.