2014 Ford Explorer Limited
SFAR

Standard Features
3.5 L V 6
6-speed Automatic
17/23 mpg
290 hp
Flex Fuel capable
7 Passenger
8 way power driver seat heated
6 way power passenger seat heated
Leather
2nd row outboard seats heated
3rd row folds flat
Power adjustable pedals
Rear view camera/ rear parking sensors
3 Zone automatic climate control
AM/FM CD with USB, Bluetooth, AUX and memory card
Sony branded with 12 speakers and subwoofer
390 watts stereo output
6 Months SXM
Cargo Capacity all seats up 21 cubic feet
Cargo capacity 3rd row down 43.8 cubic feet
Cargo Capacity 2nd and 3rd row down 80.7 cubic feet

Pros
Nicely equipped
Great handling
Comfortable ride
Shares many features of other Ford vehicles

Cons
Large blind spots
Engine felt weak, noisy, and poky
Could not get above 20 mpg

Summary
Another great 7 passenger SUV to choose from



Before I jump into the review, I wanted to mention a few things. There are two different Explorers in the pictures. The first one I was given was the SRAR version, and most of the pictures are of it. The next day I had to trade it in due to heavy smoke smell. This one had the double moonroof, and was AWD. Since they were almost identical I did not retake the pictures, and just added the moonroof.

I had been wanting to try out the new Explorer for some time, as I could tell it was nicely equipped. After driving it for 400 miles, I must say I am a tad disappointed. Most of the disappointment was in the engine, and the fuel economy.



The default engine for the Explorer is a 3.5L V6. There is also a 2.0L turbo four that is the same engine found in the many of the Fusions and Escapes. The simplest way to tell the difference is to look at the rear badging. The 3.5L will have the flex fuel badge on it, while the 2.0L will have the ecoboost badge on it.

The V6 is very similar in size and HP that is found on other similar size vehicles. I was a little disappointed in this one, as it felt a little slow to accelerate, and was noisier then others. After 400 miles of mostly highway, I only averaged 19.5 MPG. It is possible that the last person had pit E85 in the tank, so that would explain many of the issues. The FWD version I had did considerably better, so that is something to consider.



The Explorer shares the same gauges and touchscreen that is found on the Fusion, Escape, and Taurus. Anyone who has spent much time in those vehicles will find it easy to change the settings, and customize the car.

Like other high end Ford's, the Explorer was filled with high quality materials. The steering wheel was covered with leather, and there was lots of soft material on the dash, with plood trim. The front seats were also soft, unfortunately the headrests were hard, and not the soft ones from the Fusion Titanium. The passengers in the 2nd row had lots of legroom, and were comfortable for the 3 1/2 hour trip.



The Explorer comes with a nice variety of ways to listen to your music. It has USB, SD memory card, AUX, Bluetooth and CD. It also comes with six months of SXM. The 12 speakers plus subwoofer pumping out 390 watts of sound, will make sure however you are listening to your music, that it sounds good. The sound quality is what you'd expect from a high end Sony system.

On our way to the lake, we took the back roads with winding roads, like I have never seen before. Some of the twists and turns were so severe, the speed limit dropped to 15mph. The road was more suitable for a roller coaster. The Explorer handled the turns with ease, and there was great feedback in the steering. On the highway it handled great and was a smooth ride.



The Explorer Limited starts at $38,745 for the AWD. This one added the two panel moonroof ($1,595) for an as driven price of $40,340.

There were a few drawbacks besides the engine. There are thick rear pillars that create large blind spots. There is no blind spot monitoring system to compensate. Around town the car feels bigger then it is.

If I had my choice on a seven passenger suv/ crossover, I would pick the Durango Limited as my first choice, with the Enclave 2nd and the Explorer 3rd. The Explorer and Durango were very similar equipped, with the Durango having an 8 speed transmission giving it better MPG's, larger fuel tank for longer cruise periods, and a more powerful sound system. The Enclave has a few more features such as blind spot monitoring. If given the Explorer, it is a nice vehicle, but not my favorite.