Essentially, the Mountaineer was a near-duplicate of the latest Ford Explorer. However, Mountaineer was produced only as a 4-door wagon. Buyers got a choice of rear-wheel drive or permanently engaged all-wheel drive. Dual airbags and antilock brakes were standard. Sole engine was a 5.0-liter V8. A 4-speed automatic was the only transmission. The all-wheel-drive system was always engaged and required no input from the driver.