The redesigned Ford Explorer is a hit. They can barely build enough, despite the poor reviews it has received almost across the board. Why the disconnect between the buying publics’ perceptions and those of the critics?

This thought occupied my mind frequently during a week spent driving a Limited model recently. Several months before that, I had delivered one almost 400 miles across the Rockies to a client in southwestern Colorado. These two exposures to the Explorer have left me with an understanding of both the draw of this latest version of Ford’s once best-selling SUV for consumers and why so many reviewers don’t like it.

The attraction mainly comes from the Explorer’s looks. This is one fine design, combining elements both contemporary and classic in a well-proportioned mix that speaks to a large swath of buyers. Inside, it has an attractive layout as well, and is chock full of cool new features and systems. But spend much time inside and the veneer starts to wane.

To start with, the utilization of space inside is poor; a comparatively short wheelbase means the second row of seats lack legroom. The front seats, though offering decent enough comfort for an average-sized person, also seem unusually small for the width of the cockpit, meaning lots of wasted space between you and the armrest, and a lack of support for larger people.

More egregious to me was the overall cheapness of the Explorer’s interior. The seats on my top of the line Limited only used leather where absolutely necessary; many panels were vinyl. While most manufacturers do this—covering the back or sides of their chairs in synthetic materials—they don’t make it nearly as obvious, as they use grains and textures that closely match the cow hide. Not the Explorer’s. And I’ve never seen any of them do what Ford did, namely making some of the panels on the seats’ top surfaces vinyl as well.

That pervasive, cynical cheapness pervades this expensive vehicle’s innards; metal trim that isn’t, vacuum-formed fake stitching on the doors that’s strait out of the 70s or 80s, and overall use of hard, scratch-prone surfaces in a vehicle in this price class are unacceptable when compared to not only Asian competitors, but even domestics like Jeep and Dodge, whose Durango’s perceived quality puts the Explorer on the proverbial trailer.

A lot of the criticism of the Explorer has to do with upper models’ My Ford Touch infotainment system. Its displays are very pretty; they make other brands’ look positively last century. But they are prone to glitches—even to system crashes. Twice on my cross-state journey, just as I had started to really bond with them, I had the infotainment system completely lost contact with my iPod. Normally not a big deal, but in the Ford it took several minutes for it to re-sync and reload data before the music resumed. Others have reported the dreaded black “screen of death” where nothing works without shutting off the vehicle and rebooting.
Ford has worked hard to address these issues, and is releasing a new version that is supposed to be less glitchy and more intuitive in layout. This, they hope, will help them climb back up the JD Power and Consumer Reports rankings.

The way the Explorer goes down the road has also received its share of criticism. The problem really is one of weight. This “new” crossover is based on an older Volvo platform, and while Ford has done a lot of work to make it feel contemporary, the result is a very heavy crossover that loves a drink. With motivation coming from a contemporary 3.5-liter V6 and 6-speed automatic, you’d think it would do well at the pump. But all that mass (hundreds of pounds more than competitors) means all 290 ponies and the less impressive 255lb-ft of torque need to be accessed on a regular basis. The result is mid-to-high teens fuel economy, even on highway runs, according to the Explorer’s fuel computer—nowhere near the EPA ratings of 17/23. And that’s with one person onboard. Acceleration could also be described as deliberate. A Toyota Highlander would leave it for dead, and eek out another 2-4mpg in the process. At least the Explorer’s powerplant is refined and smooth, and quite, even when pushed.

The Explorer’s dynamics were to my liking, with decent body control on twisty mountain passes, a firm but passable ride, good brakes and even okay electric power steering—certainly better than the Toyota’s. But the Ford’s not close to the class leading Mazda CX-9, a five year old design. Various magazines’ have found it trails most competitors in standard handling tests as well.

As the owner of two Explorers over the years, I would say that I understand the historic strengths and weaknesses of the model, and it seems Ford is intent on continuing to build a vehicle that is just barely good enough to get the job done, yet so attractively designed and astutely marketed that people will continue to snap it up at a fast pace despite its inherent mediocrity.

EPA ratings 17/23

Price as tested: $44,665

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