The interior of the 2016 Ford Explorer is upholstered in Ebony Black leather.
FAST FACTS
* Model: 2016 Ford Explorer XLT * Exterior color: White Platinum Tri-coat Metallic * Interior color: Ebony Black leather * Engine: 2.3-liter turbocharged (Ecoboost) * Horsepower: 270 * Transmission: Six-speed automatic * Fuel economy: 28 mpg highway, 19 mpg city * Dealer: Mountain View Ford * Price (as tested): $39,560
The Ford Explorer SUV is a clean-cut suitor - one that's safe to bring home to mama.
All-American, dependable, and born into a good family, the Explorer personifies middle-class automotive virtues. It has spent 25 years as one of America's favorite highway haulers; and it became even more refined in 2011 when Ford turned the Explorer into a true unibody crossover vehicle instead of a gussied up body-on-frame truck.
For 2016, Ford has given its iconic Explorer a face-lift, equipped it with all sorts of high-tech gadgetry and even added a new 2.3-liter turbocharged Ecoboost engine. Ironically, the mighty little Ecoboost is roughly half the displacement size with twice the horsepower of the V-6 engine in the original Explorer introduced in 1990.
Ford still sells more than 150,000 Explorers a year. At the model's sales peak around the turn of the 21st century, Explorer sales crested 400,000 units per year. In one five-year span, from 1998 to 2002, more than 2 million Explorers were minted. In the 1990s, the Explorer was responsible for sparking the SUV boom that continues to this day.
Our tester this week is a four-cylinder Ecoboost-equipped Explorer provided by Shaun Kesler at Mountain View Ford. The 2016 Explorer comes in five trim levels, and our tester represents a mid-tier XLT model which stickers for $39,560 after options. Prices for the Explorer line range from $31,050 for a base unit, to $52,970 for a top-of-the-line Platinum model.
STYLING AND FEATURES
Some of the changes for 2016 are cosmetic. The 2016 Explorer gets a new grille and sculpted hood. The design tweaks also include a reworking of the LED headlights and fog lamps.
Our tester is coated in Ford's popular White Metallic Platinum Tri-Coat paint, a luminescent color that is set off by the Explorer's chrome work and 18-inch painted aluminum wheels. A nice touch is a chrome strip on the rocker panels with an embedded "Explorer" badge. From a front three-quarter's angle, the Explorer bears more than a passing resemblance to a Land Rover - which is another way of saying it has presence.
Our XLT model comes with attractive chrome roof rails and an automatic rear hatch. With the second- and third-row seats down, the Explorer boasts 81 cubic feet of cargo space. Our tester has a second-row bench seat, which makes it a seven-passenger vehicle. Opt for the second-row captain's chairs and it will seat six comfortably.
Inside, the full-size Explorer has an airy cockpit with plenty of head and shoulder room. Thick A-pillars and a smallish rear window pinch visibility a bit, but big side mirrors and an array of electronic safety nannies mitigate the issue.
Our tester comes with comfortable seats upholstered in soft, Ebony-colored leather. The front seats have power controls and contain posterior warmers to take the chill off in winter.
All the telematics functions are controlled through a touch-pad located centrally on the dash. The screen is divided into quadrants, with squares for audio, climate control, navigation and phone functions. New for 2016, Ford has added some dials and switches back for the climate control settings, for those who like a more conventional interface.
Parking assist - which allows for trouble-free parallel parking - is an option on the Explorer, although our tester did not come so equipped.
Optional equipment on our tester includes a $3,800 package with the MyFord touch telematics system, dual zone climate controls, premium audio with nine speakers, remote start, a forward sensing system and the leather interior.
Upgrading from the base V-6 to the turbocharged four-cylinder engine costs $995, and the hands-free lift-gate adds $550 to the bottom line.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
We were impressed with the four-cylinder engine on our mid-day test drive to the Raccoon Mountain area. Anybody worried about the 2.3-liter being able to do heavy lifting can rest easy. We pressed the Explorer up the twisty high roads leading to TVA's pumped storage facility, and it sprinted to the top without getting winded. The base Explorer comes equipped with a 3.5-liter V-6, and some of the upper trims have an optional turbocharged six-cylinder engine.
Steering is light and responsive for such a big vehicle. Michelin tires make for a comfortable and confident ride.
Properly equipped, Explorers equipped with turbo-charged four-cylinder engines can tow up to 3,000 pounds. Our tester is rated at 29 miles per gallon highway and 19 miles per gallon city.
BOTTOM LINE
Ford has taken a perennial best seller and made it even better. With a price range in the sweet spot for many middle-income families, the Explorer soldiers on as a great American success story.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.