OK, So What Do You DISLIKE About The 5th Gen?

[peterk9]

Yeah, I'd love the ability to select "tilt down" on one or both mirrors when backing. So helpful avoiding curb rash. Had that feature on a Caddy STS. Really helpful.

Have been using these for about 50 years. Better than BLIS as well. When put on both mirrors they allow you to see the rear wheels as well. Cost was around $5 for both.

Peter

 

[tinner]

They work great on my pick-up especially when pulling a trailer.Glad to see Peter you also have had a mild winter, everything looks so green.

 

[Jvallejo22]

2015 ruby red ford Explorer Sport
- headlights are weak (fixed it this week by adding HID. Huge difference! Took a drive to NY and back and boy was it really bright!)
- interior light also weak (installed led lights on this. Huge difference and brings in a premium look to the car which I love)

The navigation on it isn't too bad but doesn't compare to Google. On my way back from NY, ford map kept trying to take me the longer way which I kept avoiding. Instead I followed my Google. Maps and got home an hour sooner!! Definitely a huge let down there but besides that, the navigation visual (take a left turn etc) pretty nice. Just wish ford strikes a deal with Google to add their map. It's leaps and bounds ahead of any map period!

Besides that, the touch climate control is good but can be annoying when driving.. Obviously we all tend to press the touch without looking and at times I end up pressing something else.

-sirius radio is so slow! To load, to browse, etc. I mean come on! It's 2015 and it still takes too long...

Besides that, I love the car. Plenty of torque, HP. It honestly doesn't need a tune up. I was flying by everyone on the highway effortlessly. Seats are so comfy and the stereo quality is solid.

 

[Halwg]

Yeah, I'd love the ability to select "tilt down" on one or both mirrors when backing. So helpful avoiding curb rash. Had that feature on a Caddy STS. Really helpful.

I had automatic tilting mirrors on a Nissan and they were really annoying. Put it in reverse and the mirrors would tilt whether I wanted them to or not. A select switch might be a good idea, allowing you to select one or both of the mirrors.

Also, I have not found an OEM navigation that is as good as either my Garmin or my smart phone. They are very expensive and upgrading is expensive. Until the manufacturers give free, automatic updates, and bring the cost down to what I pay for a top of the line Garmin, I'll simply pass on them.

 

[slh7d]

TL;DR, so if it was mentioned before, oh well.

It makes no sense to my why bluetooth music details are displayed on the main screen but not on the dash/console screen. Seems like it could be an easy fix/update.

Would be nice if the remote start was two-way and a had bit more range.

Default headlight bulbs suck (about to order some 9011's)

 

[JerryC]

I'm almost afraid to start a list, it could get ugly.

2015 Explorer Sport, 5,000 miles.

Annoying;
Odd wind noises at speed, thrumming and deep bass notes that put pressure on my ear drums. Strange, never would have expected that. Maybe it's loose trim.

High step over to get into the front seats. Why?

No comfortable place to rest your arm and steer. Time lapse would have me look like I'm swimming as I constantly switch arms as my shoulders tire out.

You have to manually lower the headrest before using the power flip for the second row seats.

Bad;
Visibility is not good. High window sills, blunt nose with rounded corners, big blind spots because the rear wiper only clears a small portion of the back window.

No HID headlights.

Gas tank too small, needs ~25 gallon tank IMO.

Stink after a full throttle run. Yes 2015 and it is still there...

It gets ugly here;
The capacitive touch buttons below the touch screen are too sensitive and you have to look at them to know what you are touching. You have to take your eye off the road. Around town doing 30, no problemo. Doing 75, at night surrounded by big rigs and wind pushing you around, no bueno.

Sync+NAV, just sucks. Slow, complicated and just plain infuriating. Maddening if you resort to using the screen because Sync thinks you said "preset four" instead of "Christmas Store". We pulled over and I used my phone to find an address for a POI that NAV couldn't find by name. Surprise after 40 minutes it couldn't get us to that address either, we gave up. My wife went from telling me to calm down to screaming at the car.

Navigation, absolutely the worst nav tool I have ever used. Can't find POI's, and when it did it took us 20 miles away to an empty lot. The neat on screen displays of the lanes to follow for on and off ramps were right about 50% of the time and frequently didn't match the voice instructions. It is frustratingly slow to use as it crawls through menu after menu. Low bidder, eh Ford?

Sync + Nav will likely be the reason my next vehicle will not be a Ford. After 36 years of only Fords, this may be the last new Ford I buy. Next trip, my 5 year old Garmin (with lifetime updates for a one time fee of $100) will be on the dash.

I'm glad I waited a day after my trip to type this up as yesterday I was really uspet...

It's a really nice vehicle that feels like the engineers ran out of time/budget. It feels unfinished and not worthy of a $50K sticker price. If it had not been so awesome in the rain and on the ice and snow I'd be looking for a way out the lease now.

 

[peterk9]

Wind noise could be due to the cowl. That seems to have replaced the 'A' pillar noise on the earlier models and those with the issue have had it fixed.
Whether they are touch sensitive or buttons (on the 2016), you still have to look for the. I mostly use voice commands and seldom use the touch pads.
The new models to come will most certainly have SYNC3 and perhaps better Nav. My Nav had no problems in the previous 2011 Ex. nor in my MKT.

Peter

 

[Halwg]

It's a really nice vehicle that feels like the engineers ran out of time/budget. It feels unfinished and not worthy of a $50K sticker price. If it had not been so awesome in the rain and on the ice and snow I'd be looking for a way out the lease now.

I have called it putting lipstick on a pig. It's a fair to middling $30,000 vehicle. That's what I paid for my fairly plain XLT. I don't have all that Ford Touch crap that every one complains about. I run a Garmin GPS that works just great. For what I need, which is a basic SUV, it does pretty well. However, I would have been very annoyed if I paid $50,000 and was given a vehicle this unrefined.

Visibility is not good coming from the previous generation Explorers where you had a commanding view of everything. Fit and finish is not that great, as well. A lot of the panels just don't match up exactly. Not off by much, but not the fit you would expect from a $50,000 vehicle. Since mine is leased, unless there is something that is affecting the operation, or is unsafe, I just ignore it and go on, because I know I'll be replacing it shortly.

 

[TTSport15]

My issues with my 15 gas tank n/g
No where to put your left foot when driving there is sum wierd hump there
seats take 4ever to heat up ny winter is brutal to me there useless...by the time they get warm im usuall at my destination
Freezing cold air seems to always be in the gap between thigh and drivers door that seems to never go away
Moister is always in the inside door frame
No rear captain seats passengers arms have to dangle dead to their sides extremly annoying even to watch
No psi gauge on dash when I need to air down to take on the beach still need my pressure gauge
No boost gauge option "really" this is a Sport right?
I noticed my paint on the door looks like it needs another coat
Rear window dosent open
Headlights are useless
Hankook tires have the worst rating a tire can have
Radio is useless just when you want to pump up a good tune it is maxed out volume
No pillar handle to hold onto
3600 miles on it and drivers seat already looks like a 60k mile car ..I'll probably be sitting on a milk crate @ 30k
Rear hvac system always sounds like it's blowing i'm ready to stuff rags in the registers to quiet them down...
Front spoiler keeps wanting to fall off im ready to super glue it on...
Drivers side windshield wiper squeeks no matter how many i switch

 

[NEWPORTNJ]

I have a 2014 ltd had 2011 explorer ltd love them both 2011 had some issues all taken care of by dealer and issues where expected being a new redesign but all and all i love it cant wait for lease to be over so i can get the platinum explorer 2017 in 2016. All cars have issues bmw, jaguar, rover, rolls-royce etc......

 

[Truckguy7]

2015 xlt

We just got our new one on Friday and so far so good. Nice quiet
ride, and great seats, appearance package.

Don't like the headlights, very dim, have new 9011 bulbs on order.

Another thing, is the annoying Ford chime when you open the door,
can you disable this ? My son has it in his pickup same issue with
him.

 

[peterk9]

Not sure why you would get 'chimes' by just opening the door unless you leave your keys in the ignition. No one else has reported this. Exactly when does this happen? Opening from outside or inside?
BTW, congratulations on your new ride.

Peter

 

[Truckguy7]

Not sure why you would get 'chimes' by just opening the door unless you leave your keys in the ignition. No one else has reported this. Exactly when does this happen? Opening from outside or inside?
BTW, congratulations on your new ride.

Peter

It is the open door chime with the key left in the ignition.

Very annoying, I'd like to disable it.

 

[peterk9]

Not sure if you can disable it easily or not. That chime may also be tied into other reminders. Of course the easiest solution is to remove the key. Not sure if the chime will stop if the key is just partially removed. I have the keyless system so I can't test it.

Peter

 

[OKCXLT]

Still HATE the too-small gas tank.

Seriously, who approved that?

 

[Halwg]

Still HATE the too-small gas tank.

Seriously, who approved that?

It's another way to keep down weight and increase gas mileage. So, the Federal Government approved it.

Some days I have to fill up 2 - 3 times depending on my trips. It doesn't work well when you are in a caravan and the rest of the folks have from 24 to 36 gallon tanks and you have to stop and refill.

 

[tmg19103]

I guess the tank is all relative to what you have had before. Similar to my present Escape.

My present Saab, which gets about 20/28mpg city/highway (real life - not advertised) goes about 10% less miles on a tank. My previous GMC Jimmy 20% less, so I'm not complaining.

 

[TTSport15]

Still HATE the too-small gas tank.

Seriously, who approved that?

probably the same fool who said no to the rear captain seats and no boost gauge...:thumbdwn:

 

[pup5581]

The headlights in the sport are horrible...not sure why ford didn't put HIDs in their top of the line model.

 

[peterk9]

probably the same fool who said no to the rear captain seats and no boost gauge...:thumbdwn:

I assume you are referring to the 3rd row since buckets are available for the 2nd row. Are the 3rd row seats not actually bucket seats anyway? The 40 part of a bench is actually a bucket seat and if memory serves me correctly, are the individual 3rd row seats not the same as it?

Peter