![]() Ford’s designers and engineers have surely seen this in competitors. Look, theatre-style seating – slightly and importantly elevated second and even third rows – is not a novelty nor a revelation. Again, what were the product planners thinking? They are undersized, poorly padded and, worse, not elevated such that the kids who are likely going to be sitting back there in this family rig will spend their time looking at the front buckets’ headrests. Fuel economy, 9.6 litres/100 km combined, is fine – and you need only fill up with regular fuel.įourth, the second-row bucket seats are abysmal. Like all Explorers, the gearbox is a 10-speed automatic and all those ratios help to maximize performance. ![]() The Hybrid, rated at 318 hp/322 lbs-ft, looks only marginally more powerful than the 2.3, yet in real-world driving it delivers, smooth, seamless hybrid power and is particularly attractive for those tow. The rear buckets are not a triumph of design, nor of execution. British Columbia’s Coquihalla Highway comes to mind. But this little Ecoboost engine is raspy and noisy when pushed hard, say when towing or carrying a big, heavy payload up a steep and long stretch of highway. It’s a triumph of performance and fuel economy and adds just $3,000 to the sticker price.īase, XL and XLT Explorers come with a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-banger that on paper looks strong enough: 300 horsepower/310 lbs-ft of torque. Third, you want the Hybrid version of the Explorer, hands down. I’ll put it this way: the Explorer’s screen is an iPhone 5 at a time of iPhone 12s. The Sorento has a screen that stretches across the top of the centre console, with readouts far sharper than the Explorer’s, and better functionality. Look, please, go test drive the newest Explorer with its teeny screen and then compare it to, say, Kia’s newly reinvented Sorento. What were they thinking? Cost-cutting? Yes, I am aware of the better screen available in pricier, still, Explorers. How Ford’s product planners managed to botch the screen that allows you to successfully interact with the Explorer’s many and varied electronic functions is mystery for the ages. Second, the most important interactive tool here in this SUV (sport-utility vehicle), the infotainment screen, is ludicrously small in this age of large, useful, engaging screens – with the standard well established by Tesla and followed quickly by others, such as Volvo and Kia/Hyundai. This absurdly small screen is a non-starter in this age of large infotainment screens.
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