2013 Ford Explorer Sport - A lot of fun, for a SUV
April 4 , 2013
By: Anthony Murdoch
Having first tested the Explorer with the 2.0 litre 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine (240 horsepower, 270 ft-lbs of torque), I came into my week testing the Sport version, equipped with the 3.5 litre V6 EcoBoost and 365 horsepower and 350 ft-lbs of torque with a lot of high expectations. I am pleased to report that most of my expectations were met with promise, however the Sport's main trump card, the turbocharged V6 engine, was actually a little less forceful than I thought it would be, not to mention a heck of a lot more thirsty than I was hoping for! More on that later.
My tester came loaded with an as tested price of $55,000 before tax. That's a big chunk of change for what is in essence a simple full-size SUV, and when you consider the base Explorer with its naturally aspirated V6 starts at under $30,000, you have to ask yourself; what am I getting by buying the Sport?
Essentially, you are getting the turbocharged V6 engine, along with cool looking wheels, a firmer suspension, unique seats, and bragging rights. The bragging rights can be cashed in at the school or shopping mall parking lot, when it comes time for picking up the kids or getting groceries. With 7 seats, the Explorer can do the duties of a minivan, but with the cool looks and cache of a SUV. Dads will notice that you've got no ordinary Explorer, and I when it comes to stoplight drag races, you could easily embarrass a young (or old) punk in their pimped out Civic, 3-series, or F-150.
On the road, the Sport feels and rides like a big car and heavy vehicle, which it is. That being said the steering is direct and very accurate, and I found that the suspension which was more on the firm side, soaked up all the bumps from the road in a good manner. Shifts from the 6-speed automatic were smooth and fast, however I have noticed that this gearbox can sometimes give you rough shifts.
Acceleration from the V6 is strong. You are never left waiting for power, however there is some turbo lag and the Sport never truly feels as fast as its numbers suggest. I fear my tester could have been filled with regular grade gasoline. The car will run fine of the low octane stuff, however for the full 365 horsepower, premium is needed. Fuel economy was a sour point, at least in my books. I managed a rather miserable 14 litres per 100 kilometres. This was based on everyday driving with a mix of city and highway. I was aggressive on the throttle at times, but this engine uses a lot of fuel to make power. To get Ford's claimed fuel economy numbers seems almost impossible. For much less money and really not that much less fun, you get way better fuel economy with the 2.0 litre EcBoost. At least that is what I found.
During my week with the Sport there was a typical Calgary March snowstorm. Although only equipped with all season tires, I found that the all-wheel drive coped well with the roads. Also, the selective terrain response system worked well in deep snow. I was never left without traction, however the Explorer is not a true off-road vehicle in the sense that the original body of frame version was. Yes, it can go off-road, but really the Explorer feels like a large and heavy modern sedan, which is not a surprise as this is what it is based on!
The interior is well appointed and I found the seats to be very comfortable. Fit and finish is good, typical of modern Fords, but the My Touch system is still hard to use. It has gotten a bit faster with time, but it is still hard to use and really, just give me some physical buttons to push!
One issue I had was getting kids in and out of the very back seats. The middle seats do fold down, however if a kid has a hard time getting back there, imagine what it's like for an adult! Space is okay in the middle, and even with the back seats in use the trunk still offers some decent storage space, although I found the power tailgate to be too slow in its operation.
Overall, the Explorer Sport has a nice and upscale feel to it. Ford has done a good job making a premium SUV here. However just don't kid yourself into thinking this is some sort of poor mans Porsche Cayenne. It's not, but I would recommend it as a buy should you really want a relatively fun and quick SUV that is well styled and is high on the feature list.
By: Anthony Murdoch
Having first tested the Explorer with the 2.0 litre 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine (240 horsepower, 270 ft-lbs of torque), I came into my week testing the Sport version, equipped with the 3.5 litre V6 EcoBoost and 365 horsepower and 350 ft-lbs of torque with a lot of high expectations. I am pleased to report that most of my expectations were met with promise, however the Sport's main trump card, the turbocharged V6 engine, was actually a little less forceful than I thought it would be, not to mention a heck of a lot more thirsty than I was hoping for! More on that later.
My tester came loaded with an as tested price of $55,000 before tax. That's a big chunk of change for what is in essence a simple full-size SUV, and when you consider the base Explorer with its naturally aspirated V6 starts at under $30,000, you have to ask yourself; what am I getting by buying the Sport?
Essentially, you are getting the turbocharged V6 engine, along with cool looking wheels, a firmer suspension, unique seats, and bragging rights. The bragging rights can be cashed in at the school or shopping mall parking lot, when it comes time for picking up the kids or getting groceries. With 7 seats, the Explorer can do the duties of a minivan, but with the cool looks and cache of a SUV. Dads will notice that you've got no ordinary Explorer, and I when it comes to stoplight drag races, you could easily embarrass a young (or old) punk in their pimped out Civic, 3-series, or F-150.
On the road, the Sport feels and rides like a big car and heavy vehicle, which it is. That being said the steering is direct and very accurate, and I found that the suspension which was more on the firm side, soaked up all the bumps from the road in a good manner. Shifts from the 6-speed automatic were smooth and fast, however I have noticed that this gearbox can sometimes give you rough shifts.
Acceleration from the V6 is strong. You are never left waiting for power, however there is some turbo lag and the Sport never truly feels as fast as its numbers suggest. I fear my tester could have been filled with regular grade gasoline. The car will run fine of the low octane stuff, however for the full 365 horsepower, premium is needed. Fuel economy was a sour point, at least in my books. I managed a rather miserable 14 litres per 100 kilometres. This was based on everyday driving with a mix of city and highway. I was aggressive on the throttle at times, but this engine uses a lot of fuel to make power. To get Ford's claimed fuel economy numbers seems almost impossible. For much less money and really not that much less fun, you get way better fuel economy with the 2.0 litre EcBoost. At least that is what I found.
During my week with the Sport there was a typical Calgary March snowstorm. Although only equipped with all season tires, I found that the all-wheel drive coped well with the roads. Also, the selective terrain response system worked well in deep snow. I was never left without traction, however the Explorer is not a true off-road vehicle in the sense that the original body of frame version was. Yes, it can go off-road, but really the Explorer feels like a large and heavy modern sedan, which is not a surprise as this is what it is based on!
The interior is well appointed and I found the seats to be very comfortable. Fit and finish is good, typical of modern Fords, but the My Touch system is still hard to use. It has gotten a bit faster with time, but it is still hard to use and really, just give me some physical buttons to push!
One issue I had was getting kids in and out of the very back seats. The middle seats do fold down, however if a kid has a hard time getting back there, imagine what it's like for an adult! Space is okay in the middle, and even with the back seats in use the trunk still offers some decent storage space, although I found the power tailgate to be too slow in its operation.
Overall, the Explorer Sport has a nice and upscale feel to it. Ford has done a good job making a premium SUV here. However just don't kid yourself into thinking this is some sort of poor mans Porsche Cayenne. It's not, but I would recommend it as a buy should you really want a relatively fun and quick SUV that is well styled and is high on the feature list.
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