2016 Limited or Sport

[peterk9]

I promise you will wish you had the Sport..... the 3.6 naturally aspirated feels like you're trying to get a battleship moving from a stop. I got rid of my 2013 Limited for a 2016 Sport because every time I drove it I cussed it out for being such a fat hog. Couldn't get in and out of heavy traffic very well without the HP of the Sport. Now.... my wife and I just giggle EVERY time we drive it.

I had the 3.5 N/A in my 2011 Limited and felt it was just fine. Never had any issues with it. I guess a lot has to do with your driving style. I now have the 3.5 EB and must admit that it does move the vehicle along much quicker.

Peter

 

[tmg19103]

I had the 3.5 N/A in my 2011 Limited and felt it was just fine. Never had any issues with it. I guess a lot has to do with your driving style. I now have the 3.5 EB and must admit that it does move the vehicle along much quicker.

Peter

For a heavy enough vehicle, the NA is just fine with one or two passengers. You start to load it up or tow and notice a difference. I generally have a light load, so no complaints.

While it's all personal taste, I personally don't see a major benefit in high HP for a SUV/CUV for fun, spirited driving compared to my sports sedan with beefed up HP and sport tuned suspension. No comparison in the handling/corning arena, and that's where you have fun with more HP.

Now, the new Range Rove SVR may get me to reconsider if I wanted to blow that kind of money. Designed with the track in mind.

https://youtu.be/yCXWe-dZgas

 

[curt1007]

Get a used one

I can start a new thread if needed but I had another question. Is there a better way to search dealer inventory than www.ford.com ? I know the dealers can but I am not confident that my dealer checks regularly since I have already ordered one. If I can find something in stock they will likely dealer trade for it and then sell the Limited I already ordered.

My big dilemma is that our 2013 Town and Country was totaled about 3 weeks ago. I ordered the 2016 Limited two weeks ago and no VIN so far. We probably would have waited for a Platinum but we have a vacation scheduled on 10-17 that cannot be rescheduled and we already have a lot of money wrapped up into the trip. Any ideas in helping me find something near central Indiana would be great. Michigan and Kentucky are ok too but we are trying to avoid Ohio and Illinois because of the front license plate.


This is what we ordered.

2016 Limited Explorer
3.5
4wd
7 Passenger
Ruby Red
Ebony Perforated
301a Package
Tow Package
Sunroof

If it was me, I would look for a used one to buy, drive it to Florida, or wherever you are going. Then sell it after getting home. That way you will not put those miles on the new one. Plus it's not good for a new engine to put a long steady drive on it before it has been broken in.
Just my thoughts.

 

[Forddealz]

And the big question is how is 16 XP Sport compete with something like BMW X5 X35I SAV with the straight I6 Inline twin turbo engine. not going to even mention highlanders, pilots or Q5. On paper, 16 Explorer Sport is 5.8 vs X5 6.1 or 6.2. Torque is also favoring Explorer Sport. I test drove 16 Ford Explorer Sport but wow, it definitely feels underrated compared to similar car brands and their engines. Ford twin turbo engine beating a German straight 6 cylinder engine who have most probably invented turbos is probably far fetched, but when test driving Ford Explorer 16 sport, it sure can be fast.

 

[Zarilia]

And the big question is how is 16 XP Sport compete with something like BMW X5 X35I SAV with the straight I6 Inline twin turbo engine. not going to even mention highlanders, pilots or Q5. On paper, 16 Explorer Sport is 5.8 vs X5 6.1 or 6.2. Torque is also favoring Explorer Sport. I test drove 16 Ford Explorer Sport but wow, it definitely feels underrated compared to similar car brands and their engines. Ford twin turbo engine beating a German straight 6 cylinder engine who have most probably invented turbos is probably far fetched, but when test driving Ford Explorer 16 sport, it sure can be fast.

I traded my 2013 M3 for my Explorer.. Moved up by Reno and the M3 is not snow friendly lol
I drove the X5.. And just didn't like how it drove to be honest.. Even with just the NA V6.. The Explorer Limited 4wd is an awesome choice

 

[WJGreer]

And the big question is how is 16 XP Sport compete with something like BMW X5 X35I SAV with the straight I6 Inline twin turbo engine. not going to even mention highlanders, pilots or Q5. On paper, 16 Explorer Sport is 5.8 vs X5 6.1 or 6.2. Torque is also favoring Explorer Sport. I test drove 16 Ford Explorer Sport but wow, it definitely feels underrated compared to similar car brands and their engines. Ford twin turbo engine beating a German straight 6 cylinder engine who have most probably invented turbos is probably far fetched, but when test driving Ford Explorer 16 sport, it sure can be fast.

The X5 will handle better than the Sport, they're close enough in a straight line as to make no matter. The X5 has nicer interior materials. It's also about $20K more at MSRP, similarly equipped.

 

[613GT500]

The X5 will handle better than the Sport, they're close enough in a straight line as to make no matter. The X5 has nicer interior materials. It's also about $20K more at MSRP, similarly equipped.

I had the opposite experience with the X5, as body rolls were much more apparent than the Sport.

 

[WJGreer]

I had the opposite experience with the X5, as body rolls were much more apparent than the Sport.

Actually I left out some important info - an E53 or E70 X5 with the sport suspension handled better. An F15 with the $4500 Dynamic Handling Package (DHP) would also - but those are almost impossible to find in the wild.

In the current F15 generation, standard suspension X5s are nothing special. DHP is a very expensive, high technology option that in effect enables a standard suspension car to feel _sort of_ like a sport suspension car. A mechanical sport suspension is only available on an M-Sport X5, and incompatible with the 3rd row seat option.

I had an E53, liked it a whole lot. Then an E60 5 series that may go down as one of my favorite cars ever. Now I have an F10 5 series, which is a quiet luxo-cruiser. Current generation BMWs might not be worth the premium at this point. At least not if you want the kind of car I want.