A week in the all new 2011 Ford Explorer
Pros:
Handsome exterior
Beautiful interior
Smooth switchgear
Solid chassis
Cons:
Top end model somewhat pricey
Only average observed fuel economy
Living in the past
A replacement for Ford’s aging Bronco II; the Ford Explorer first appeared in March of 1990 as a 1991 model and is largely credited for being responsible for the surge in popularity of sport utility vehicles during the ensuing decade.
Sales of the Explorer peaked in 2000, when 445,157 were sold and although the Firestone tire rollover debacle subsequently cut into sales, Ford still managed to sell over 300,000 per year until 2005. And like the first, the three subsequent generations were all truck-based SUV’s.
That all changed in 2008, when Ford introduced the Explorer America concept at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. Based on a unibody platform, it signaled the Explorer’s migration from a sport utility to a crossover utility vehicle – based on the company’s own research that demonstrated that less than 3 percent of Explorer owners ever left the tarmac.
Into the 21st Century
So here we are in a new century and a new decade in which we welcome an all-new Explorer.
Styling responsibilities for the Explorer, as with all large Ford vehicles, are the responsibility of the company’s North American Design Center.
“Ford has changed everything about the all-new Explorer, yet it’s still instantly and instinctively recognizable as a Ford Explorer,” said Moray Callum, executive director of North America Design. “We believe that’s because it’s a contemporary interpretation of the same capabilities Explorer has always stood for, without compromise.”
What is our opinion of the new design? We like it, a lot. By blacking out the B and D-pillars, Ford has given the roof a cantilevered look that makes this large CUV look much more open and airy. In front, the body-colored three-bar grille carries over the corporate design philosophy first seen in the new Taurus. In back, the inverted L-shaped LED taillights give it not a touch, but a large dose of class.
Chrome is used sparingly – on the lower body sills, door handles, exhaust finishers and a thin strip that runs across the tailgate between the upper portions of the taillights.
Interior
“Make it look expensive: That was my goal for the new Explorer interior,” said Mike Arbaugh, interior studio manager. “This is a vehicle that challenges higher-end SUVs like BMW X5 and Audi Q7, so the interior design, craftsmanship and fit-and-finish should play in that league.”
In fact, our first thought on entering the Explore was that it easily could’ve been an Audi. The interior of our Explorer Limited was, in a word, spectacular. The seats were finished in black with pecan perforated leather inserts. Soft touch surfaces abound and the gray of the dash and door surfaces are set off by brushed aluminum and piano black trim – a simple elegance rarely found in domestic vehicles.
All in all, we found very little to quibble about. Our only nit-pick involved the large 8-inch touch-screen in the center console. The amount of information it’s required to convey to the driver can, at times, be a bit overwhelming and finding just the right area on it to place your finger can be distracting.
Equipment
To say that our Explorer Limited was well equipped is an understatement. Its standard equipment included three rows of seats, Sync with MyFord Touch, dual zone climate control, Sony 12-speaker audio with HD and Sirius satellite radio, rearview camera and remote start.
Our Explorer was equipped with the “Rapid Spec 4WD 202A package" which adds a power liftgate, rain sensing wipers, power folding rear seat, active park assist, adaptive cruise control, cross-traffic alert, HID headlamps, voice-activated navigation system and heated and cooled front seats. Both lists go on, but I’m sure you get the idea.
Base price the Limited model was $39,190 with the rapid spec package adding another $4,105. But we’re not finished yet. White platinum metallic tri-coat paint and a trailer towing package add $495 and $570, respectively, while destination and deliver come to $805. This brings the total MSRP price to exactly $45,160 (there is currently a $500 new car rebate on the Explorer).
On the road
Although Ford may have 86’d most of the previous Explorer’s off-roading capabilities with the re-design, the new model absolutely excels on the highway. The Explorer feels well-plated on the highway, and its suspension soaks up potholes and railroad tracks with aplomb. Cabin noise is nearly library-quiet at all speeds and turns and evasive maneuvers are executed with a minimum of fuss.
Keep in mind that at 4700 pounds it’s hardly something you’ll feel like tossing around, but then again drivers so inclined would probably not put an Explorer on their shopping lists, anyway.
Until the new EcoBoost four is available, all Explorers, as ours was, will be equipped with Ford’s Lima, Ohio-built 3.5-liter DOHC V-6 that produces 290 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque. Although not as efficient as 30 mpg cars like the Ford Fiesta, it's average for the segment as our observed fuel economy was 18.8 mpg.
The Bottom Line
If the new Explorer is Ford’s idea of an extreme makeover, we’ll tune into this program every week. The Explorer looks handsome on the outside and its interior is absolutely stunning. Its fun-to-drive quotient notwithstanding, the new Ford Explorer raises the bar of the crossover utility class to a new level.
It looks to us like Ford has another big winner on their hands.