2020 Ford Explorer first drive: Crossover for the new decade






Few other Ford nameplates have experienced as change-filled a journey in the past three decades as the Explorer. The Mustang has remained the Mustang, the F-150 became a freight locomotive and the Focus really just wanted to be in Europe all this time. Starting out as an SUV version of a pretty basic Ford truck, the Explorer experienced a lot of success early on, becoming the poster SUV of the 1990s. Some suburban Homeowner Association Agreements probably mandated Explorer ownership. As the first five generations of the Explorer progressed, it evolved from a non-luxury, five-door truck that was a little too off-road friendly for its own good into something far plusher and more car-like, fitting closer to how buyers were actually using them.

Now entering its sixth generation almost 30 years after the nameplate’s debut, the 2020 Explorer is trying to recapture its family truckster image while also settling into the role of a crossover that appreciates many aspects of station wagons, right down to a rear-wheel-drive platform, a third row of seats that (sadly) aren’t rear-facing, but not the wood-grain siding. That’s more of a Jeep Grand Wagoneer item, after all.

While you may have trouble telling it apart from the outgoing generation on the outside — the changes are perhaps on the subtler side — there are plenty of changes under the skin that signal that Ford isn’t done tweaking the basic formula as this model enters its sixth generation. And they’re the ones worth mentioning first.

The biggest change underneath the skin is the platform, which is now a rear-wheel-drive one shared with the current Mustang, but offers all-wheel drive as an option. The 2020 Explorer is also larger than the outgoing model — no big surprise there as crossovers and sport utilities keep growing — measuring 198.8 inches in overall length and featuring a 119.1-inch long wheelbase for a smoother ride. Stretching the wheelbase has bought some extra legroom for passengers — the Explorer is a three-row crossover and needs as much room for people as possible — while keeping adequate cargo room. Depending on trim levels, the second row is either a three-person bench seat or features two captain’s chairs, which also means that higher trim levels will accommodate a total of six people, while the lower trim level with a three-person bench will carry a total of seven humans.

The second biggest set of changes is the engines. The base model, the Limited and the XLT trims get the 2.3-liter Ecoboost inline-four, good for 300 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. The ST and the Platinum, representing the upper trim level sport and luxury flavors, get to play with the 3.0-liter Ecoboost V6 in two states of tune, with the ST model churning out 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque and the Platinum version generating a respectable 365 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque. And all of these engines are paired with 10-speed automatic transmissions. The 2020 Explorer also hasn’t forgotten about off-road driving in the process of becoming more on-road friendly, offering selectable drive modes including trail, normal, sport, slippery, tow/haul and eco. The Hybrid model, meanwhile, gets its own 3.3-liter V6 good for a combined 318 hp, but we’ll talk in detail about that model a little later this month because it deserves (and shall receive) its own review.

When it comes to the interior, the changes over the outgoing generation are evolutionary — Ford is largely tweaking a very optimized interior — and the most noticeable change is the iPad sitting at the top of the center stack. Actually, it’s not an iPad, but it looks like one to the point that you might get the sense that it might tip over while the vehicle is in motion, but fortunately for you and for it, the 10.1-inch touchscreen is glued on very securely. And it’s just a touchscreen, as there is no iDrive-style dial on the console as an alternative mouse of sorts. Vertical screens are in these days, and Ford followed the example set by a few other automakers in this regard — Volvo and Tesla come to mind — but its own take on the giant iPhone school of infotainment systems is distinct in that the screen sits much higher up and isn’t sunk into the center stack.

When it comes to safety tech, all versions of the Explorer feature Ford Co-Pilot360 safety suite as standard equipment, offering lane-keeping assist, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, a blind spot information system, cross-traffic alert and a rearview camera equipped with its own lens cleaning system. As options, buyers can also add evasive steering assist, which serves up steering support in situations where the driver is avoiding a collision, as well as post-impact braking, which applies the brakes following an impact. Other optional safety and convenience systems include adaptive cruise control with speed sign recognition, which reads speed signs and makes changes to cruise control settings accordingly. A couple other useful optional items include reverse brake assist, which applies the brakes automatically if the system detects an object in the path of the reversing vehicle — standard on the Platinum trim we’ve sampled — as well as active park assist 2.0, which pretty much takes over all steering and acceleration inputs to steer the Explorer into a perpendicular or parallel parking spot with just the press of a button.

 

 

There’s plenty of other tech that doesn’t have to do with avoiding stuff on the road; HD Radio is standard on the Platinum and ST trim levels, while the top audio system on the menu is a 980-watt Bang & Olufsen 14-speaker system. Smaller details like a wireless charging pad for phones is a nice touch, as are four USB ports, three optional 12-volt outlets and one 110-volt outlet. SYNC3 is the latest infotainment suite that lives on that big screen — lower trim levels get a smaller screen — and it offers the available AndroidAuto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. Passengers (but probably not the driver) will be able to connect up to 10 mobile devices to the standard 4G LTE Wi-Fi, available through a FordPass Connect subscription, which is a lot of mobile devices for one vehicle unless it’s hauling a tornado-chasing team in Kansas.
















On paper all of the things above sound great, but does the Explorer live up to the hype while battling an ever-growing cast of competitors?

I drove the Platinum flavor of the new Explorer first, which, alongside the sportier ST model, serves as one of the two range toppers. With a 3.0-liter Ecoboost V6 underhood churning out 365 hp, the Platinum level is best defined as the “everything and the kitchen sink” version poised to battle similarly sized models from … just about every other automaker except for Lotus.

The first thing I notice about the 2020 model before even setting off is just how wide the cabin is. The outgoing model never felt like it had the width of something like the Durango, but this new model does, along with a giant armrest that could almost serve as its own seat. The amount of rear-seat legroom immediately jumps out as well — it’s clear that Ford spent time figuring out just how to make this into a limo of sorts, complete with folding armrests for the second-row captain’s chairs, while also squeezing every extra fraction of an inch out of the interior in order to boost elbow room.

Firing up the engine, the EcoBoost V6 is a quiet-enough unit, certainly quiet on idle, but once we’re out on the rural roads of Oregon and Washington it doesn’t take a lot of effort for it to build up speed, with the mechanical thrum of the V6 serving as a reminder of the fact that there’s no V8 option anymore. That’s right — the V6 is the new V8 — and even on paper there isn’t much need for anything beefier underhood. The 10-speed auto is mostly unnoticeable, just as it should be, and it scarcely produces an odd shift, unless I’m trying to trick it by repeatedly coasting at high rpm.

 

The crossover’s handling and power are perhaps the best parts of this new Explorer, especially in light of repressed memories of the dynamics of Explorers and Mountaineers past, from a time when gas was $1.29 a gallon. The length of the wheelbase and the width of the track create a smooth and controlled ride, one free of nose-dipping during braking or other unpleasantness. (It’s almost as if Ford expects to sell a lot of these to police departments.) Body roll is kept in check as well through the corners, which are in good supply along the Columbia River in southern Washington state, where we got a chance to sample the various versions of this new model. Over a variety of paved and unpaved roads, the Platinum trim model serves up a nicely insulated interior that keeps most of the outside world out, even though road and wind noise can be moderate in some situations, depending on pavement. Evidently, that can be the price to pay with larger tires and wheels, but we’d take the handling benefits of those two items any day. Crosswind stability, however, is excellent, as the Explorer doesn’t feel the need to wander around the road, with lane-keeping assist ready to provide a gentle nudge back into the lane that doesn’t feel unnatural or sudden.

The interior ergonomics are another highlight, as Ford has managed to create a comfortable and well-proportioned cabin without doing anything fancy or high-tech. The width of the cabin and the range of the adjustable steering make the Explorer a comfortable place in which to spend several hours (or a whole 12-hour shift), even without diamond-quilted leather. There are a still a few plastic panels that are a little too industrial-grade for their own good, but most of them stay out of sight and, more importantly, out of touch. The ergonomics are almost good enough to obscure the fact that cabin design is a little too utilitarian — some Explorer models may seem a little too dull to the eye with a sea of black plastic — but the cabin is still good where it counts, which is the ability to live in the SUV for hours at a time without joint aches or unsupportive seats.

Those who will be using the Explorer to transport a big chunk of a little league team will be pleased to hear that the rear seats are accessible by little league players and big league players alike, but the little league players will have a distinct advantage in ingress and egress. Third-row seats are a must these days, and the Explorer lands midpack when it comes to third-row accessibility, which I realize for some will be a daily event. The Volkswagen Atlas allows third-row passengers to pull off this stunt far more easily, I should note, but there’s only so much third-row accessibility that can be built into something with four doors that isn’t a minivan. So that’s something to keep in mind. With the third-row seats up, cargo room is adequate but not extravagant, and this is inevitably an area where compromises just have to be made due to competing goals.

ON SALE: June 2019

BASE PRICE: $59,345 (Platinum trim tested), $33,860 (base)

AS-TESTED PRICE: $59,345-plus

DRIVETRAIN: 3.0-liter DOHC V6, 4WD, 10-speed automatic

OUTPUT: 365 hp, 380 lb-ft of torque

CURB WEIGHT: 4,727 lb

FUEL ECONOMY: TBA

Pros: Plenty of power, smooth ride, well-balanced handling, great ergonomics

Cons: Interior plastics a little too cheap in places, third-row ingress could be better, pricey in Platinum trim

 

The 2020 is not the Explorer you may have grown up with in the 1990s, and that’s a good thing, as Martha Stewart would say, because this model needed the dynamics of a sedan for a long time. The new rear-wheel-drive platform does just that while serving up engine power like a fire hose serves water. And it is also the future of law enforcement, to borrow the “RoboCop” tagline, as plenty of these are coming soon to a highway median near you. Just not in Platinum trim.

Speaking of the Platinum trim, it’s still a bit of overkill in this segment because it will cost you dearly at $59,345, especially when put up against the VW Atlas, Kia Telluride, Honda Pilot or even something much older like the Dodge Durango, which has been out since 2011. The Explorer scores points against most of these when it comes to handling, but the Telluride will serve up more equipment and a more premium interior very readily, while the Atlas will offer a much roomier third row.

It’s difficult to justify the price tag of the Platinum trim given the fact that, for many, the Explorer still has to play the role of the family truckster, so it’s best to stick to the pricing sweet spot of the 2.3-liter models and pocket the rest.

 


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