MizzouMan_2000
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 14, 2012
- Messages
- 136
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Peoria, IL
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2013 Explorer XLT! :D
After watching and drooling for a year, I finally pulled the trigger on a new 2013 4WD XLT last Tuesday. On Wednesday we took it on a 6 hour road trip to see family for Thanksgiving and then got home today. In all we put about 800 miles on it already. On the way down there I started with nearly a full tank and averaged about 21.3 MPG.. that's with driving 70 MPH in Illinois (about 3.5 hrs) and 75 MPH in MO (about 2.5 hrs).
On the way back I started with about 1/4 tank, stopped after about an hour to top it off in MO (where the gas is about $0.30 cheaper than IL). Then I was again averaging about 21-ish, but was some in-town with a lot of highway. I reset the computer and headed the rest of the way home. From Perryville, MO to Peoria, IL I averaged 22.4 and was driving around 70MPH the entire time (except around St. Louis where speed limit drops to as low as 60, but I do 5 over).
Overall I'm pleased with the ride and pleased with the mileage I got on a new engine.
Most complaints revolve around (gasp) MFT... Mine has the latest update that added the outside air temp back to the main front U.I.
Complaints:
1. Starts out somewhat snappy, but quickly bogs down the more you use it. It actually locked up entirely before we left town on Tuesday. I pulled over, shut the car down and restarted. It still appeared locked up when I took off and was about to go by the dealership (which was on the way out of town), but it reset itself before I had to do that. I was playing with the connectivity earlier today in the parking lot waiting for my wife. It got so slow, I had to turn it off, wait and turn it back on.
2. I wish the lane-change blinker was configurable. I don't like the 3-and done approach. I wish it was between 6 and 9 blinks. I like to let it blink 2-3 times before I begin changing lanes, then blink as I'm changing. I wouldn't want some hot-headed cop to pull me over for failure to use a signal... so I think 3 is way too few.
3. I can't figure out why I can't use the "DUN" option for Bluetooth network connectivity to my phone so that the MFT can act as a hotspot.
4. I tried to connect MFT to my home network. There were a few problems with this.
4a. Can't find the MAC address. I have MAC filtering on my router. I eventually figured it out by unlocking my router and letting it connect, then seeing which devices were connected.
4b. I had to use an unlocked 'guest' network from my router because when I tried to use my primary network (which has security), MFT would not let me input letters for my WPA security pass phrase. When I enter that screen to enter the pass phrase, it goes straight to a number key pad. When I push the button for alphabetic entry, the keys are all disabled... which leads to the next problem I noticed.
4c. When I go from the alpha keyboard to the numeric keyboard, the number keys are now disabled. They were originally enabled.
5. Pressing the back arrow at some settings screens doesn't take you exactly back up the path from which you came. It ends up taking you back to the main phone U.I.
6. The stereo seems to have a huge jump in volume just in one 1 click. there's no in-between. I end up using the Speed Comp. Volume setting to 'fine-tune' the volume.
7. If I want to go from Sirius ch. 9 to ch. 8, I can't just bump down. I either have to dial it in directly, say it or set the preset, then bump the preset from the switch in the steering wheel...
8. Too slow to respond to voice commands . Sometimes 7-10 seconds before I get acknowledgement.
I think those are the main observations from our first road trip. Over all I like it and am glad I got it, although MFT does dampen the enthusiasm a bit. I was hoping it was more 'refined' than it is.
On the way back I started with about 1/4 tank, stopped after about an hour to top it off in MO (where the gas is about $0.30 cheaper than IL). Then I was again averaging about 21-ish, but was some in-town with a lot of highway. I reset the computer and headed the rest of the way home. From Perryville, MO to Peoria, IL I averaged 22.4 and was driving around 70MPH the entire time (except around St. Louis where speed limit drops to as low as 60, but I do 5 over).
Overall I'm pleased with the ride and pleased with the mileage I got on a new engine.
Most complaints revolve around (gasp) MFT... Mine has the latest update that added the outside air temp back to the main front U.I.
Complaints:
1. Starts out somewhat snappy, but quickly bogs down the more you use it. It actually locked up entirely before we left town on Tuesday. I pulled over, shut the car down and restarted. It still appeared locked up when I took off and was about to go by the dealership (which was on the way out of town), but it reset itself before I had to do that. I was playing with the connectivity earlier today in the parking lot waiting for my wife. It got so slow, I had to turn it off, wait and turn it back on.
2. I wish the lane-change blinker was configurable. I don't like the 3-and done approach. I wish it was between 6 and 9 blinks. I like to let it blink 2-3 times before I begin changing lanes, then blink as I'm changing. I wouldn't want some hot-headed cop to pull me over for failure to use a signal... so I think 3 is way too few.
3. I can't figure out why I can't use the "DUN" option for Bluetooth network connectivity to my phone so that the MFT can act as a hotspot.
4. I tried to connect MFT to my home network. There were a few problems with this.
4a. Can't find the MAC address. I have MAC filtering on my router. I eventually figured it out by unlocking my router and letting it connect, then seeing which devices were connected.
4b. I had to use an unlocked 'guest' network from my router because when I tried to use my primary network (which has security), MFT would not let me input letters for my WPA security pass phrase. When I enter that screen to enter the pass phrase, it goes straight to a number key pad. When I push the button for alphabetic entry, the keys are all disabled... which leads to the next problem I noticed.
4c. When I go from the alpha keyboard to the numeric keyboard, the number keys are now disabled. They were originally enabled.
5. Pressing the back arrow at some settings screens doesn't take you exactly back up the path from which you came. It ends up taking you back to the main phone U.I.
6. The stereo seems to have a huge jump in volume just in one 1 click. there's no in-between. I end up using the Speed Comp. Volume setting to 'fine-tune' the volume.
7. If I want to go from Sirius ch. 9 to ch. 8, I can't just bump down. I either have to dial it in directly, say it or set the preset, then bump the preset from the switch in the steering wheel...
8. Too slow to respond to voice commands . Sometimes 7-10 seconds before I get acknowledgement.
I think those are the main observations from our first road trip. Over all I like it and am glad I got it, although MFT does dampen the enthusiasm a bit. I was hoping it was more 'refined' than it is.
