Practical, Plush, Pricey
New Year, New Me. It’s something many of us aspire to do – and it’s exactly what the Ford Explorer did. (Ed: What’s your excuse, Shane?) This is the Explorer’s sixth generation. But as that old cliché goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same. In this case, it’s not a bad thing. The Explorer has come to be a capable, comfortable and roomy three-row SUV in Ford’s line up. A far cry from its origins, which included a 2-door trim. But in a decidedly old-school throwback, this new platform is rear-wheel-drive based and shared with the Lincoln Aviator. Perhaps as a further hint to its sporting intent, there’s also a punchy Explorer ST available. But this time, we’re taking the luxe approach and getting behind the wheel of the range topping Platinum trim.
As massive as this behemoth is, it’s not even the biggest thing Ford offers. You can also opt for the expansive Expedition. But make no mistake, this thing has some presence. The Platinum Explorer gets its power from a twin-turbo 3.0L V6 good for 365 horsepower. One for each day of the year. The sportier ST gets a bump up to 400. All of that moderate power is controlled by Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission. Ford offers a number of different driving modes and drivetrain setups good for virtually any kind of terrain you can throw the car at. But you’re not going to get great fuel economy no matter what you do, even in Eco mode.
Given that the size and starting price of this Platinum trim, it’s not unreasonable to expect that however. But speaking of price, the Platinum starts at just under $64,000 and our unit was pushing $70,000. With that kind of cost, it’s disappointing that there isn’t even a heads up display – especially when one exists on the much cheaper Escape. But that aside, the inside of the Explorer is a very nice place to be. It’s not quite Lincoln level but is very beautifully designed and laid out, some cheaper feeling materials aside. We especially loved the small touches like the textured wood veneer on the steering wheel. The animations in the gauge cluster as you cycle through drive modes are beautifully done too.
Ford’s Sync infotainment setup is intuitive, nicely designed, and more importantly, easy to use. But it’s not perfect. We did not like the fact that you had to dig through to a Climate menu to make certain adjustments, despite there being some physical climate control buttons on the centre console. This presents a potential safety hazard as you will have to briefly take your eyes off the road. While the Explorer’s slew of safety tech is incredibly capable, there’s no alternative for being an attentive driver.
Given its stature, you’d expect the Explorer to be roomy inside. And you’d be right. I’m not the tallest guy around but I certainly had zero issue hauling five passengers. That third row is pretty petite however. It does fold down however, and was ideal for transporting a flat screen TV with zero fitment issues. There’s no denying the sheer practicality of this thing. It drives well, it fits people and cargo well and it’s not a bad looking thing, so what’s the big downside? To us, it’s the price. This tester was nearly $70k and we’re not sure it’s justified. At that price point, why not consider a Lincoln instead? It’s not too far off. Or even look at competitors like the Hyundai Palisade, which we’d argue is better value for money in this case – and a better looker too. But if you bleed blue (and not for the Maple Leafs) and can handle the price tag, the Explorer is a pretty solid choice.
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