A Terrain Management system controls stability and other systems to limit wheelspin while maintaining a 5,000-pound towing capacity. But that doesn't preclude it from getting dirty now and then.
On the flip side, the car-like underpinnings mean that the Explorer can't quite hit the trails with the likes of the Grand Cherokee. There's nothing from the likes of Nissan, Toyota, Chevy or Honda that comes remotely close to the Explorer's road manners for that, you'd have to turn to its arch-rival Grand Cherokee. Performance is buttoned-down, almost to sport-wagon standards, with predictable, benign handling and available all-wheel drive. Explorer Sport and Platinum models get the 3.5-liter EcoBoost twin-turbo V-6, making 365 hp and 350 lb-ft, and it's a beast, effectively making this the closest thing to an Explorer SHO as we're likely to see.įord has tuned the Explorer’s chassis for 2016, and there’s more variance between the trim levels, but the hallmark is still an exuberant setup that combines quick electric power steering with relatively firm damping. Both are combined with a 6-speed automatic, with a choice between front-wheel and all-wheel drive, but the turbo-4 simply matches up better with the engaging driving feel of the Explorer, where the V-6 is duller in its responses and output. It's gutsy and sounds better in the Explorer than it does in, say, the Mustang-and we prefer its power delivery to the cammy feel of the standard 290-hp, 3.5-liter V-6. It’s available on base, XLT, and Limited models for $995 extra and can be paired with all-wheel drive for the first time. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine has been replaced for 2016-by the new turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-4, making 280 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque.
Inside, it does its best impression of a Taurus sedan in look and feel, albeit a little more upright.įor power, the Explorer is now like the F-150 pickup, in that it relies on turbocharged power for the majority of its sales. In back there’s a new sculpted spoiler and integrated exhaust tips, while the rear pillars are reshaped. It appears that there’s been an effort to visually lift the front end, with a higher, more defined mesh grille, while a chunky LED lighting arrays provide accents and the headlights have their own small radiator grilles. With new front and rear styling, the Explorer has a more "finished" and finely detailed look than ever before. In this year's Explorer, Ford has carried over the side sheet metal, but has changed just about everything else. As a result, it feels more sophisticated and, in some of its equipment levels, feels like it could have a luxury badge. It once was a rather basic, family-oriented rugged wagon in its current form, it's exchanged its trail-rated suspension for something a little more manageable for daily use. Over the nearly 25 years the Explorer has been sold (2016 marks that anniversary), it’s gradually moved on, up and beyond its practical roots. The 2016 Ford Explorer has received for this year a significant refresh, including smoother bodywork, an improved feature set, quieter interiors, and a stronger, more widely available 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-4 that joined the lineup.
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