Remember when Ford introduced the Explorer in the 1990s?
It was a handsome and useful replacement to the Bronco II and it hauled kids, gear and the family dog around with a hint of elan.
Now after delivering the kids to practice the 2013 Sport can lay down a reasonable patch of rubber and rocket to 60 in 6 seconds!
Powered by a 3.5-liter twin turbo-charged 365-horsepower V6, the same as the SHO, this Explorer has aggressive and bold lines, sport-tuned independent suspension and 20-inch wheels. Not that Ford is emphasizing the sport over the utility, as in SUV, but this vehicle and its price go nose to nose with many of the luxury imports.
Trimmed out with the navigation upgrade, our tester priced out at $45,670 on a $40,500 MSRP base. Packed full of nice standard features, the interior, although not as refined as some of the imports, is very nicely adorned with cross-stitched leather seats, tight and modern trim that doesn't feel cheap. I'd like a beefier steering wheel because it would complement the sports feel of the vehicle. And thank you engineers for finally sorting out the MyFord Sony infotainment center. Recently a true nightmare of non-functionality and complicated drill-downs, I found my way around the new version without having to pull over to read the instructions just to change the channel. Don't do this while driving, though.
You'll need another upgrade to get the luxury extras like parking assist, lane departure warnings and sunroof. This is a premium transporter in the elite class. It does offer the Terrain management system, a la Land Rover; a simple turn of the knob on the console and traction and height adjustments kick in to tackle your driving needs.
The dash is fitted with a simple single speedometer gauge augmented with electronic car data, information readouts and entertainment options that are operated from the steering wheel. Voice command responded well, making some functions, like a phone call, a snap.
The handling and ride are superb. A quiet cabin belies the powerful engine and although steering feel was muted, the nearly 5,000 pounds of truck had minimal body roll and cornered calmly. Heavier springs and larger brakes on this model make short work of the road. The six-speed automatic transmission on this all-time four-wheeler is tuned for speed and torque. A quick tap on the accelerator and the downshift is instant and powerful. It has the manual paddles for the enthusiast.
Where does the Explorer fall down?
It's the seats. They're just not very comfortable. Let's just forget the third row for anyone over 3 feet tall and give the adults in the second row some legroom. Because of the jamming, my passengers said they couldn't see out the windows because of the door pillars. They did, however, really like the independent rear climate control. Although manually flipping the two sets of rear seats down is a cumbersome process, it creates a solid 81 cubic feet of cargo space.
The Ecoboost engine squeezed almost 18 miles per gallon on average, which landed in the middle of the EPA estimates of 16 city and 22 highway.
This is a bold, fast and sure handling vehicle that will make short work of weekend chores and still deliver plenty of driving nuance for a spirited romp to work.
Measure this truck up against the Land Rover HSE, BMW X5, Audi Q5, Grand Cherokee and the Mercedes Benz ML 350 and it'll hold its own for performance and is the least expensive of the class.
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