Ill put the pedal to the flo-ah / my two-tone Ford Exploh ah
You know how we do
-. Ice Cube, Down For Whatever
The great OShea Jackson wrote that lyric in 1993, and I know exactly what Ford Explorer he meant. Back in the day , the Explorer Sport was a three-door SUV that could be purchased either RWD or 4WD. It was based on the Ranger, and was available in a black combo and money that would Cube definitely fun, that was the most famous fan Raiders of the world (some prescience, he also emphasized the word Fleeeeeeex in this song). At the time, the explorer was praised by everyone from rappers aspiring to annoy Northern Virginia Housewives because Ford guaranteed residual values ​​that were simply another world. It was the first SUV that I remember as being omnipresent.
Then all Firestone happened.
For those too young to remember that, here is a brief story from Wikipedia. The tl; dr version is more than 250 deaths and 3,000 serious injuries have been linked to Ford Explorers rolling over when their Firestone tires have known the separation of the tread, earning the popular SUV the moniker In a world in 2015, "Exploder . " it is hard to believe that neither Ford nor the parent company of Firestone, Bridgestone, have been sued into oblivion.
But, remarkably, the name survived Explorer. Explorer today, however, bears little resemblance to the Tower of Ice Cube. Lets just call it what it is today - a crossover based on the same platform as its D4 much less popular cousin, Taurus. Ford refuses to admit it; they still call it an SUV, and they still use trim level names like XLT trucks.
When I bought my own Ford Flex there nearly three years, I-shopped against the flex against the Explorer and left massively disappointed with it. Even OEM, same platform, the same engine, but the Flex is a much better conductor. So when I chose the blackened Ford Explorer Limited with about 6,000 miles on the car clock a lot, I am ready to be disappointed again
Spoiler Alert :. I was not. Well, not quite.
The interior of the Limited version is splendid in its execution. All about the ergonomics of the car simply works. Certainly, every day I drive not one, not two, but three Ford. The Sony audio system with 12 speakers worked well for all of Iggy Azalea Iggy Pop. The seating position is perfect for small female pilots and 59 "men. Visibility is outstanding everywhere. The ride is quiet isolation point for highway driving. My only complaint is that it should just feel great inside it actu ally does the second line is surprisingly small -. I would not recommend that all the largest world I sat there for a while the third line. is useless for anyone larger than Verne Troyer, but when folded down, it offers enough storage space for a couple of 27-inch suitcases. Im not sure that the lack of space and legs matter all that much, since the explorer is now the target audience thirty women who need to take two, two lawnchairs, and a box of juice boxes at the local football field scale . diminutive cabin explorer could actually feel more comfortable and less intimidating to such client.
That being said, the look of the floating roof of the explorer, mostly in black, is the most masculine of choice in this segment. Between the Highlander, Traverse and Explorer, I know that I would feel coolest driving (is cool relative term regarding the crossings car-based, of course). When I got to meet a colleague for breakfast, she could not find me in the lot because she knew that I was driving a rental car and, as she says, "This thing looks like it cost a lot money. "this is good, because it does, but well get there soon enough.
the 3.5L V6 does not hurt either. as the sponsor did not like EcoBoost engine available, the 20 (!!) horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque means you will not find yourself on the losing end of too stoplight races or pressed on road mergers. Ford cites a time somewhere around eight seconds 0-60, but it feels much stronger than the butt dyno. And, of course, this cross does not need giant 20-inch wheels? I mean, if you do not rolling in twenty years, you is not really roll.
However, all this power and ballerness comes at a cost, and this cost is economy fuel. While my Flex averages around 21-22 MPG in combined driving, this same engine in the Explorer b ack much less - about 18 MPG. The ride on the highway is spectacularly smooth, but in the city in the conduct of the hip and fashionable Downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan was a less enjoyable experience. Potholes and cracks in the road have been translated more directly to the driver as I would have liked for a vehicle of this size. I spent all my time driving in FWD mode, although I would have been able to experience Fords Terrain Management system, which gives the suburban mom who likes to go mud run on the week- end four different selectable options to "optimize traction electronically."
In my dream world, I would use this Explorer Limited to tow around a black Shelby GT350 corresponding to racetracks around the country where I dominate everything, because it is estimated to take around 5,000 pounds with ease. Okay, maybe a F-150 makes a little more sense as a tow vehicle, but the Explorer is certainly capable.
So why my rear its ugly disappointment (lack of) head (room)? Because it is still not as good as Flex. The Flex does everything Explorer does, and he does everything just a little better. And Limited trim, optioned exactly like my rental was this explorer is on sticker to $ 43,695 before any incentives. Although this is a bargain compared against a similar Highlander engine and equipped, it still feels like a lot of money for a CUV - excuse me, SUV -. On a non-premium brand
My recommendation? Certainly catch a lot of rental if you are lucky. But for your own entry, go find a Flex SE and SEL.