Matthew DeBord/BI
PROS: Comfort, reliability, towing capacity, EcoBoost V6 engine, seating and cargo capacity, sleek SUV styling.
CONS: Fuel-economy, platform is getting on in years.
There are fancier SUVs. There are more luxurious SUVs. There are faster SUVs. There are more technologically showy SUVs.
But there are almost no SUVs that have a track record to match the Ford Explorer. Introduced in 1990, the Explorer has been in continuous production through five generations; the 2018 model year will see an update, but the vehicle is getting a little long in the tooth. That said, when we recently borrowed a 2017 Explorer from Ford — about $55,000 as tested, in the Platinum trim level — we were surprised at how well this venerable platform is holding up.
The mid-size SUV market is critical to Ford, given that in combination with its best-selling F-Series pickup trucks, mid-size utes are major profit-drivers in the US. Ford must keep the Explorer competitive, even as both mass-market and luxury brands bring new large SUVs to consumers — and as Ford itself expands its portfolio of crossovers (the fifth-gen Explorer sits on a crossover frame, not a truck-based architecture).
We had a great test in store for the Explorer: a run of roughly 200 miles round trip, from BI's suburban New Jersey test center to the east end of Long Island. Along for the ride would be my family of five. Here's how it went:
The 2017 Explorer arrived in "White Platinum" paint job, with a black leather interior.Matthew DeBord/BIThe design of this SUV has evolved over the years, becoming progressively sleeker. But this is still a full-size, three-row SUV that intended to max out passenger space and cargo capacity.Matthew DeBord/BI
The waveform grille and backward-wrapping headlights reduce the overall massiveness of the front end, but the Explorer continues to have a powerful road presence when viewed from this angle.Matthew DeBord/BI
The Ford blue oval badge is pretty big, but the arrangement of elements is in proportion.Matthew DeBord/BI
The rear end is also nicely proportioned relative to the rest of the vehicle. Overall, the Explorer's design is about as harmonious as a quite large SUV can be.Matthew DeBord/BI
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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