2021 Explorer Hidden Gems

[Aeronautic1]

I am approaching 5000 miles on my 2021 Explorer XLT with factory tow. What I am interested in are any hidden gems in the new generation Explorer.

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.
Is this along the lines of what you are looking for? Neat things you have found out

Peter

 

[joney]

Lots of tech! But I'm wondering when Ford will get in on this feature in the future - car that actually flies! Then the wings fold up like a 'transformer'!

 

[I bleed Ford Blue]

I have a 21 ST with the premium tech package, and just last week I discovered the intelligent cruise control. It basically takes adaptive cruise to the next level. It uses the info provided from speed sign recognition and can adjust your speed based on that info. If you turn it on it will adjust your speed up or down to the posted speed limit, and you can tailor it to your liking such as +/-5 mph or more. I tried +15 mph and it worked. Don't know how far you can go but it will allow +15.

Say you set it for +5, while your on a side street with the speed limit of 25 mph it automatically go to 30mph, when you turn onto a street with a 35 mph it will go to 40, etc. You can also adjust up or down with the steering wheel controls just like normal cruise, but if you exceed your setpoint, it will constantly flash the cruise/ speed sign on the dash until you get back to or below your setpoint.

It comes in handy if you travel on roads that have multiple speed limit changes. But if you travel where there is a constant speed limit it is not needed.

 

[peterk9]

I have a 21 ST with the premium tech package, and just last week I discovered the intelligent cruise control. It basically takes adaptive cruise to the next level. It uses the info provided from speed sign recognition and can adjust your speed based on that info. If you turn it on it will adjust your speed up or down to the posted speed limit, and you can tailor it to your liking such as +/-5 mph or more. I tried +15 mph and it worked. Don't know how far you can go but it will allow +15.

Say you set it for +5, while your on a side street with the speed limit of 25 mph it automatically go to 30mph, when you turn onto a street with a 35 mph it will go to 40, etc. You can also adjust up or down with the steering wheel controls just like normal cruise, but if you exceed your setpoint, it will constantly flash the cruise/ speed sign on the dash until you get back to or below your setpoint.

It comes in handy if you travel on roads that have multiple speed limit changes. But if you travel where there is a constant speed limit it is not needed.

I guess you haven't read that far into the Manual yet.
also, as per the Manual;
Note: You cannot set the tolerance more
than 20 mph (30 km/h) above or below the
recognized speed.
I use the feature practically every time I drive. The only issue I have with it is that it gets up to an increased speed limit more abruptly than I would if diving with it OFF. It also doesn't seem to recognize the signs that mention that the speed limit ahead is going to decrease resulting in a quick slowing upon reaching the new reduced limit.

Peter

 

[quickfix]

Lots of tech! But I'm wondering when Ford will get in on this feature in the future - car that actually flies! Then the wings fold up like a 'transformer'!

Yessir! I want one of those.
I haven't had an aircrew medical in a number of years. Maybe it's time to renew.

 

[peterk9]

Yessir! I want one of those.
I haven't had an aircrew medical in a number of years. Maybe it's time to renew.

Happy Canada Day!

 

[steveatthebeach]

Lots of tech! But I'm wondering when Ford will get in on this feature in the future - car that actually flies! Then the wings fold up like a 'transformer'!

Flashing rear lights for those maroons that like to follow too close would be great

 

[peterk9]

Flashing rear lights for those maroons that like to follow too close would be great

I think you meant Morons?

Peter

 

[Rick]

I think you meant Morons?

Peter

Or not...

 

[quickfix]

I think you meant Morons?

Peter

Not in this case. Instantly recognizable Rickyism (malapropism). I was always a big Bugs Bunny fan.

 

[HDJulie]

I guess you haven't read that far into the Manual yet.
also, as per the Manual;
Note: You cannot set the tolerance more
than 20 mph (30 km/h) above or below the
recognized speed.
I use the feature practically every time I drive. The only issue I have with it is that it gets up to an increased speed limit more abruptly than I would if diving with it OFF. It also doesn't seem to recognize the signs that mention that the speed limit ahead is going to decrease resulting in a quick slowing upon reaching the new reduced limit.

Peter

I was searching for a thread on the intelligent adaptive cruise control & this was the closest that I found. I wanted to verify that in the intelligent mode (reads speed signs), if it does not encounter another speed limit sign within 10 miles, it sets itself to what it *thinks* the speed limit is. Took me awhile to figure out why my car was suddenly decreasing speed. I travel I-40 between Little Rock & Memphis & the speed limit recently increased to 75 MPH. Whatever it is that the car uses for the speed limit still thinks it is 70 MPH. Waze & Google have the new speed limits but not the car.

 

[peterk9]

I've had that happen as well. I think it picks up the previous speed from the GPS signal.

Peter

 

[I bleed Ford Blue]

I was using mine today and it did not reduce speed until I actually passed the sign. I think it actually reads the signs, like the name implies "speed sign recognition"

 

[HDJulie]

I was using mine today and it did not reduce speed until I actually passed the sign. I think it actually reads the signs, like the name implies "speed sign recognition"

It does read the signs. But it needs a sign every 10 miles or it defaults to whatever it thinks the speed limit is, likely based on GPS. There are a few stretches on I-40 where there isn't a speed limit sign for probably 15 miles.

 

[peterk9]

I was using mine today and it did not reduce speed until I actually passed the sign. I think it actually reads the signs, like the name implies "speed sign recognition"

There are posts in the Lincoln forum as well about this and the consensus opinion was that it also integrates with the GPS.

Peter