In the late 20th century the Ford Explorer was the go to vehicle for many families. This one vehicle almost single-handedly kicked off the bulk of the SUV revolution that nearly killed off small car and minivan sales. After several high-profile lawsuits, recalls and the ever-increasing price of gasoline, sales of the Ford Explorer tanked, and the model was killed off. After a few years of absence, a completely new and redesigned Explorer has been unleashed unto the world. Ford promises a more refined, safer Explorer with greatly improved fuel economy. We took the keys to a new 2013 Explorer for a week to see if Ford can repeat the success of the nameplate.
The biggest step in building a better Explorer was to ditch the old F-150 bones underneath. The new model is built using a unibody construction that shares much with the Ford Taurus. This gives the new Explorer a much more refined ride, and makes it immensely quieter inside. Gone is the top-heavy and trundley experience of the old models. Steering is a little light for our taste, but provides much more feedback than what comes from the Hyundai Santa Fe Sport. Overall, it drove much like the Taurus did, but that is to be expected considering how many parts they share.
Powering our Ford Explorer Limited was powered by the 3.5-liter V6 mated to a 6-speed automatic. The engine pumps out nearly 300 horsepower and just over 250 lb/ft of twist. Those numbers sound pretty good, but when you factor in the nearly 4,700 pound curb weight, that power is only adequate. You will never find yourself worried about merging into traffic, but I did wonder how well it would cope with its maximum tow weight of 5,000 pounds hanging off the back. Our tester did come with the AWD system, and anyone who is familiar with a Land Rover will recognize the Terrain Management System. This fancy version of traction control allows you to choose what kind of surface you are on, and it will adjust the amount of slip and power available. Choices include a Grass/Gravel/Snow setting a Deep Ruts and Mud setting and a Sand setting. Of course most people will just leave it in normal and go on with their life.
One of the nicer features of the fancy AWD system is the hill decent control. It basically lets you crawl down steep slopes without sliding, losing control, rolling over or otherwise killing yourself. We found out it works pretty well too. While trying to test the AWD system we found ourselves on top of a steep slope we never expected to climb in the first place. The hill decent feature is likely the only reason I didn’t end up looking like a Jeep; stuck shiny-side down in the mud.
While it will handle some decent off-road travels, the biggest use of the Explorer is going to be ferrying family to and fro. To test this, I decided it was time for a nice Sunday lunch with the family. I drove to get my parents and one of my younger brothers, and we began trying all sorts of fun seating arrangements to see what worked and what didn’t. The most entertaining was shoving my 6-foot tall father into the third row with my nearly 6 foot tall brother. The consensus after only 5 miles was that the third row should be a kids-only zone. Despite the cramped quarters in the rear, everyone agreed that the second row was perfectly serviceable for longer distances, but only for a pair. The Explorer just isn’t wide enough to handle three-abreast seating for adults.
If we did have one major complaint of the Explorer, it revolves around the center stack. Just like we saw with the Taurus, we have these fiddly capacitive buttons that are hard to press, and provide no feedback. Of course the Sync system with MyFord Touch also returns, but we have covered our gripes with this system before, so we won’t dwell for ages here. Basically, it’s a great theory, but it needs tons of work.
Storage is one of the strong suits of the Explorer. The seats are easy to fold, and once both rear rows are down you are left with a veritable cavern of space. Thanks to well placed, and easily operated, levers and straps folding those seats is also a breeze. We could see this easily being one of the better SCUBA cars we have driven, but we didn’t have the chance to load it with tanks and gear to test. If you are an avid camper, or partake in any other sort of active and equipment intensive activities, the Explorer makes a great case for itself.
Of course there are always some caveats. For us the $47,710 sticker price seems awfully steep. We would much rather take the lower lever trims, skip the often annoying Sync system and leather interior to have a much more serviceable SUV. The Explorer does well with comfort and multi-person travel, but it doesn’t excel. If you want a school runner, this would not be our choice. If you do like to go off-road, travel with friends, and need to haul tons of equipment the Ford Explorer tends to shine. Just skip the high cost that comes with the Limited and get a base Explorer with AWD.
The 2014 Ford Explorer, one of the few cars on the road that is better in base trim. If we needed a new car to go camping in, I wouldn’t hesitate a moment.
