By Derek Price
Automotive Writer
I like a vehicle that gives you nice features without trying to brag to the whole world about it — a luxury car that doesn’t look like one.
To me, that’s the biggest appeal of the Ford Explorer Platinum, an SUV that’s loaded to the gills with fancy features but doesn’t draw the unwanted attention of a luxury badge.
Nobody goes to the country club and brags that, “Hey, I just bought a Ford.” You won’t expect people on the highway to turn their heads and think, “Look at Mr. Moneybags in his Explorer.” It’s too low-key for that, despite looking reasonably classy dressed up in shiny paint and chrome.
Yet the Platinum trim level gives you all the luxuries Mr. Moneybags would expect. And I can’t help but compare it to its distant corporate cousin, the Lincoln MKX, that was one of the most pleasant SUV surprises I’ve driven in the past year.
After starting life as a truck-based brute in 1990, the Ford Explorer has transformed into a much more refined, car-based crossover today.
I loved so many things about the MKX I tested — the massaging seats, the quiet ride, the super-comfy cabin — that I expected the less expensive Explorer to be a big letdown in comparison.
It wasn’t. Not only was the Explorer considerably bigger than the Edge-based MKX, with more room in the back seat and cargo area, but it also matched the fancy Lincoln feature for feature, right down to the glorious massaging bucket seats that feel like living-room recliners.
My Explorer was set up to do some work with a Class III trailer hitch, too. And, while it’s not as truck-like as the Explorers of yesteryear, it does have a fairly high ride height and all-wheel drive to give you some capability when you need to leave the pavement.
And the price? Well compared to the Lincoln that cost almost $70 grand maxed out, the Explorer felt like a steal with an as-tested price around $55,000. The base model starts a little over $31,000.
Unfortunately, gas mileage isn’t that impressive. My all-wheel-drive test vehicle was rated for 16 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine. That’s a huge improvement over the old truck-based Explorer, but it still doesn’t beat most modern three-row crossovers for sale today.
Then again, the Explorer is designed to carry more and do more than most crossovers. Despite its crossover underpinnings, it still drives with the presence of a true, rugged SUV, a feeling that gives you confidence that it can handle adventures and do real work. A trailer rating of up to 5,000 pounds helps with that sense.
In Platinum trim, shown here, the Explorer offers many of the trappings one would normally expect from a luxury-brand SUV, including quilted leather seats that can massage your back.
Given its utilitarian, truck-based roots, today’s Explorer has grown surprisingly civilized. It’s got a wonderfully soft, smooth ride on the highway and has a long list of available technologies to pamper you, including:
— Front and rear cameras with washer nozzles to keep them clean.
— Sensors and electronics that help you pull in and out of parking spots.
— Special USB plugs that Ford says can charge devices twice as fast as conventional ones.
— A rear liftgate that opens automatically when you kick your leg below the center of the rear bumper.
— Active grille shutters that open at low speeds to cool the engine and close at highway speeds to reduce drag.
As a whole, the Explorer does a good job combining the car-like advantages of a crossover with the truck-like capability of an SUV. That’s a refreshing formula at a time when most crossovers have given up any hope of meaningful towing or off-roading.
The fact that it can give you a luxury ride without making you look too pretentious is just a nice bonus.
At a Glance
What was tested?
2016 Ford Explorer Platinum 4WD ($52,970). Options: Premium paint ($595), second row bucket seats ($695), second row console ($150). Price as tested (including $945 destination charge): $55,355
Wheelbase: 112.8 in.
Length: 198.3 in.
Width: 78.9 in.
Height: 70 in.
Engine: 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 (365 hp, 350 lb.-ft.)
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
EPA Mileage: 16 city, 22 highway
RATINGS
Style: 8
Performance: 9
Price: 9
Handling: 6
Ride: 9
Comfort: 9
Quality: 7
Overall: 8
Video Review:
2016 Ford Explorer
bit.ly/16explorer
Why buy it?
It does a good job blending old-school SUV capability with new-school crossover refinement. With the Platinum trim, it lets you ride in comfort without having to carry the expense and social baggage of a luxury-brand vehicle.