2016 Ford Explorer. Photo (c) Aaron Gold
The original Ford Explorer is one of the vehicles credited with kicking off the SUV craze in America, but in the last few years, the Explorer has fallen by the wayside. The previous iteration featured a useful interior, but its strange exterior styling didn't do it any favors.
Now Ford is back with an updated Explorer, and they haven't just made a few minor changes: The new Explorer has a new look, a new driving demeanor, new techno-gadgetry, and even a couple of new engines, with EPA fuel economy estimates ranging from 16 to 19 MPG in the city and 22 to 28 on the highway.
The Chicago-built Explorer is covered by a 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty with 5 years or 60,000 miles of powertrain coverage. So is the Explorer ready to retake its crown as the standard-setter for full-size SUVs? Let's drive it and find out.
First Glance: Looks good, like an Explorer should
I liked the previous-generation Ford Explorer… sort-of. It had roomy back seats and a spacious cargo area, both of which are SUV must-haves in my book. The driving experience was okay; not great, just okay. But what I couldn’t get over was the styling. Maybe it’s because of my age; I can remember when the first Explorer hit the market, and to me, Explorers will always be boxy, practical things. The outgoing Explorer’s wacky looks made it hard for me to take seriously.
Ford has re-done the Explorer for 2016, and while there are a lot of improvements—including to areas I didn’t think could be improved—my favorite change is the styling. I’m not a fan of conservative design—I like strange-looking vehicles like the Nissan Juke and Fiat 500L—but I think the 2016 Explorer’s blockier shape is a big improvement.
The new look is solid and smart, and while there are still some cues from the old design (that reverse-slanted rear window pillar would be very expensive to get rid of), the new Explorer looks like a proper Ford SUV. I see it sitting there and I think, “Now this is a vehicle to which I would entrust the safety of my family.”
But there’s more to the 2016 Explorer redesign than a pretty face. Ford has made other updates that improve the Explorer’s practical nature and driver appeal.
In the Driver’s Seat: Setting the standard for space
For my critique of the interior, let’s start at the back. Most seven-passenger crossover SUVs have useless third-row seats. They’re fine for very small children or for use in a pinch, but for all intents and purposes, these seven-seaters are really five-seat vehicles. Even some of today’s biggest SUVs have lousy way-back seats (I’m looking at you, Chevrolet Suburbanand GMC Yukon XL). But the Explorer’s third row is a pleasant surprise: It’s a real seat, one that you can ask your adult friends to sit in without fear of being subject to a UN war crimes tribunal. And while the second row seats slide fore and aft, you don’t need to move them forward to provide adequate third-row legroom. As someone who sits in the way-back of a lot of SUVs—this is my job, people!—the Explorer’s is one of the best I’ve encountered.
And unlike many SUVs in this size class, using the Explorer's third-row seat doesn't preclude the carrying of cargo: There's still 21 cubic feet of luggage space that reaches deep below the bumper, shaped so as to accommodate medium-size suitcases standing on edge. The third-row seats fold flat into the floor—electrically on higher-trim Explorers and through a well-labeled set of latches and pull-straps on lower-spec models—opening up a generous 43.9 cubic feet. Folding down the second row nearly doubles that to 81.7 cubes. And Ford's kick-to-open liftgate (which requires you to wave your foot under the bumper; you don't actually kick the car, tempting as that may be) is optional.
Moving forward, the second row is lovely, with big, supportive seats (either a pair of captain’s chairs or a three-seat bench) that offer plenty of legroom. Pricier Explorers get 110 volt outlets for the back seats as well as what Ford calls "Smart Charging" USB ports that have the amperage to charge big devices like tablets, ensuring a constant flow of take-it-with-you entertainment for the kids. And Ford's airbag-equipped seatbelts, which offer additional protection for smaller occupants, are an available option.
At last we arrive in the front row, where Ford has made only a few subtle changes, most notably the move away from a capacitive touch panel for the stereo and climate controls; they are getting back to good old fashioned buttons. Ford's MyFord Touch system, which controls infotainment and navigation through a four-zone touch screen and buttons on the steering wheel, is no longer standard on lower-spec Explorers. I, like most car critics, find MyFord Touch to have a high learning curve, so this is not the worst news in the world.
Overall, I found the Explorer's cabin a nice place to be, with top-notch materials and a subtle, relaxing design. One of my few quibbles has to do with the doors: They extend below the Explorer's side sills to the bottom of the body. The advantage of this design is that you're less likely to get dirt on your trousers as you get in; the disadvantage is that if you park the Explorer next to a high curb, you can't get the doors open (and you risk a nasty dent if you try).
On the Road: New engines, but I'll take the old one, thanks
Ford offers three engines in the 2016 Explorer. All feature a six-speed automatic transmission and all but the top-of-the-line engine offer a choice of front- or all-wheel-drive.
Only the entry-level engine, a 290-horsepower 3.5-liter V6, remains unchanged, and while it's EPA fuel economy estimates aren't stellar (17 mpg city/24 mpg highway with front-wheel drive and 16/23 with all-wheel drive), it's actually my favorite engine in the lineup: It's smooth and quiet and provides strong, smooth, even acceleration.
New this year is a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine, which replaces last year's 2-liter. EcoBoost is Ford's trade name for their turbocharged and direct-injected engines. The idea is to provide an engine that provides six-cylinder power with four-cylinder fuel economy. The power is certainly there: 280 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, the latter far more than the 255 lb-ft of the entry-level V6, and aside from a slight hesitation from rest, this engine does indeed pull like a V6. But fuel economy is another story. EPA fuel economy estimates are 19 mpg city and 28 mpg highway (18/26 with all-wheel drive), but in my experience, you'll only see those numbers if you have a very light foot—a very light foot, and maybe not even then. Real-world fuel economy will most likely be similar to the standard V6, so why spend the extra money on the EcoBoost engine?
Engine number three is Ford's 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6, standard in the Explorer Sport and top-of-the-line Explorer Platinum. Ford designed this engine to do the work of a V8, and that it does, with 365 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque. EPA fuel economy estimates are 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway with all-wheel drive (your only choice with the 3.5-EcoBoost engine), but unlike the four-cylinder EcoBoost, these are realistic numbers. With so much oomph available, you needn't rely on the power-boosting turbochargers as much as you do with the four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, and that improves real-world fuel economy. Take note, however, that if you want to get as much power as possible out of this engine, you'll need to run it on premium fuel. (It'll work just fine on regular, with a slight reduction in power.)
Ford has changed the Explorer's steering setup for 2016; it now has a slower ratio, which means more movement of the steering wheel is required to turn the car, and that gives it a more relaxed feel on the highway. I like it, as I do the Explorer's comfortable and library-quiet ride.
The Explorer comes with a host of optional driver-assistance technologies. Ford pioneered the self-parking car (it's actually a cooperative effort; the driver controls the gas and brakes while the car does the steering.), and the 2016 Explorer gets an updated system that not only does parallel and perpendicular (stall) parking, but also helps the driver get out of those ultra-tight spots into which it is able to squeeze itself. Also new is a side-sensing system that beeps to warn you of objects beside the car that you might not be able to easily see from the driver's seat, such as those concrete posts that protect the pumps at gas stations. This is a useful feature, though one Explorer I sampled seem to be hyperactive; it sounded an alarm whenever I'd pull up next to another car at a stoplight. The Ford engineers thought that particular Explorer was defective, but you might want to try this feature out on your test drive.
Journey's End: Explorer finds its feet
Overall, I'm extraordinarily pleased with the new Explorer. After a few lost years, it feels like this well-known SUV has once again found its feet. The new Explorer looks the part, and it sets the standard for interior space, offering true seven-passenger seating with more comfort than most full-size SUVs.
Ford will offer the Explorer in five trim levels: Base, XLT, Limited, Sport, and Platinum. Prices start at a reasonable $31,595 for the Base model but rise to an eye-watering $57,225 for an all-wheel-drive Explorer Platinum with every available option. Over on Ford's Build and Price site, I created an Explorer XLT with the base V6 engine, all-wheel-drive, dual-zone climate control, a dual-pane sunroof, and a Class III trailer-towing package (which allows the Explorer to tow 5,000 lbs), and the total came to $41,405.
So what else is out there? I've always liked General Motors' "Lambda" SUVs—the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Encore, and GMC Acadia—but they feel badly dated compared to the Explorer. Chrysler offers the Dodge Durango, an underrated and oft-overlooked SUV that is a great choice if you need to tow a trailer. The Nissan Pathfinder clearly benchmarked the previous-gen Explorer for interior space, and Nissan's reliability is legendary. Most intriguing of all maybe Honda's all-new 2016 Pilot, which comes close to the Explorer for third-row comfort and offers impressive real-world fuel economy.
The Explorer faces some stiff competition, but it's certainly well equipped for battle. There was a time when the Explorer was the standard by which other SUVs were judged. Perhaps those days will come again. – Aaron Gold
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