Instrumented Test
arrow
A quicker way of getting to soccer practice, but not around a racetrack.
With the introduction of the Explorer Sport, Ford’s stable of sleeper family trucksters has doubled to two. The sportiest iteration of the blue oval’s biggest three-row crossover shares its 365-hp powertrain with the company’s other hot-rod three-row crossover, the lower-slung Flex EcoBoost, as well as the Taurus SHO sedan. We really like the Flex EcoBoost, which reminds us of a late ’60s-era Country Squire big-inch V-8 wagon digitally remastered for the 21st century; it’s not overtly sporty, but strikes a nice balance between being fun to drive and comfortable. The Explorer follows a similar path, delivering a more relaxed brand of sportiness.
Like the Flex EcoBoost, the Explorer Sport was designed to go after seven-passenger crossover shoppers who want more oomph for their daily slogs. Until now, this buyer had only Dodge’s manly, V-8–powered Durango R/T to consider as a souped-up seven-seat alternative. The Sport is the only Explorer model to get Ford’s twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine—non-Sport Explorers are available with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbo four or a naturally aspirated V-6. There are also Sport-exclusive stiffer springs and damping, quicker steering, uprated brakes, additional chassis bracing, as well as meaty, standard 20-inch tires. (Summer rubber is available, although our tester rode on Hankook Optima 255/50 all-seasons.) All-wheel drive is standard, as is a six-speed automatic that can be manually shifted via steering-wheel-mounted paddles. The Explorer’s body is butched up with a black-painted grille and trim, darkly tinted headlight and taillight bezels, and Taurus SHO–like aluminum wheels with black-painted inserts.
Even though this author didn’t use the Explorer Sport as Ford’s intended buyers might—he wheeled the big crossover to Chicago and back for a long weekend, alone, mostly at a brisk clip, and didn’t attend a single youth soccer match—the experience behind the wheel (and at the test track) confirmed that the Sport is no Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 challenger, and that isn’t really a bad thing. While certainly zestier to drive than a regular Explorer, the Sport—like the Durango R/T—is really more of a mild makeover with a hot engine than it is a blood-sizzling super-SUV.
Despite boasting a more comprehensive list of go-faster upgrades than the Flex EcoBoost, the basic Explorer’s good traits (roominess, quiet cabin, and comfortable ride) still dominate here. We didn’t shovel a bushel of children and their detritus into this Explorer, but they’ll fit easily. Plus, when properly equipped, the Sport is rated to tow up to 5000 pounds. The Sport even maintains what feels like 90 percent of the regular Explorer’s cushy ride comfort, in spite of its giant wheels. In our testing, the Explorer Sport bolted from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.9 seconds and clawed around the skidpad at 0.84 g—not bad stuff from a 4947-pound beefcake. Those numbers trail those of the much-lighter Taurus SHO by just 0.7 second and 0.02 g, and the fire-breathing Grand Cherokee SRT8 by a mere 0.9 second and 0.03 g—particularly surprising considering the Sport’s unpretentious and well-mannered character around-town. Oh, and as for the Grand Cherokee’s platform-mate, the Durango R/T, the Ford kicks its butt in the stoplight drags—the all-wheel-drive iteration of the Dodge hit 60 mph in a lazy 7.4 seconds.
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED: $46,640 (base price: $41,545)
ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum and block and heads, direct fuel injection
Displacement: 213 cu in, 3496 cc
Power: 365 hp @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 350 lb-ft @ 3500 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 112.6 in
Length: 197.1 in
Width: 78.9 in Height: 71.0 in
Curb weight: 4947 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 5.9 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 15.3 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 25.0 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: N/A*
Top gear, 30–50 mph: N/A*
Top gear, 50–70 mph: N/A*
Standing ¼-mile: 14.5 sec @ 97 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 122 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 177 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.84 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway: 16/22 mpg
C/D observed: 18 mpg
* A software error precluded the recording of reliable rolling-start and top-gear acceleration data.
Continued…