Almost Ready to Buy a 2017 Limited

[clm65]

Hi everyone! I'm not quite an Explorer owner yet, but may be in the next few days. The lease on my wife's Pathfinder is about to expire and we will most likely replace it with an Explorer. We will purchase the vehicle and hope to keep it for quite a while. The "must haves" are heated and cooled seats, the front camera, and 2nd row buckets. Leading color at this point is Ruby Red, with the camel interior. Most likely the Class III tow package too. Any suggestion for "must have" accessories or options? The one we are looking at has the 301A package. Any issues with what we have in mind? Anything we should be aware of? Thanks in advance!

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.
The feature I use a lot and don't see listed in either the 301A or 303A is the Adaptive Cruise Control. 2nd row buckets and the tow package are options that would have to be added. If you order the bucket seats ($695) do you also want to get the 2nd row console ($150)? It is much cheaper to order it with the vehicle than have it added afterwards. The Adaptive Cruise Control & Forward Collision Warning with Brake Support is $1150. Depending on where you live, I would skip the all weather floor mats and get either the Husky or WeatherTech liners. These are great for areas where you get Winter weather. They are also more expensive. There are threads on these and the Husky front liners have the better all round protection. If getting the Class III tow package you will also have to upgrade to the 3.5L V6 engine in order to tow 5000 lbs.. The 2.3L Ecoboost tops out at 3000 Lbs with the Class II package. Also keep in mind that FWD is the standard on the XLT and Limited. AWD is an option.

Peter

 

[clm65]

Welcome to the Forum.
The feature I use a lot and don't see listed in either the 301A or 303A is the Adaptive Cruise Control. 2nd row buckets and the tow package are options that would have to be added. If you order the bucket seats ($695) do you also want to get the 2nd row console ($150)? It is much cheaper to order it with the vehicle than have it added afterwards. The Adaptive Cruise Control & Forward Collision Warning with Brake Support is $1150. Depending on where you live, I would skip the all weather floor mats and get either the Husky or WeatherTech liners. These are great for areas where you get Winter weather. They are also more expensive. There are threads on these and the Husky front liners have the better all round protection. If getting the Class III tow package you will also have to upgrade to the 3.5L V6 engine in order to tow 5000 lbs.. The 2.3L Ecoboost tops out at 3000 Lbs with the Class II package. Also keep in mind that FWD is the standard on the XLT and Limited. AWD is an option.

Peter

Thanks Peter! We just got back from spending a few hours at the local dealer. We would definitely get the 2nd row buckets and most likely the tow package, and as you mentioned, the V6 engine by default (but see below). The adaptive cruise control sounds pretty cool, but the wife says she wouldn't use it, and most of her driving is around town anyway. So I doubt we will be getting that option. We live in Florida, so little chance of tracking snow into the car, but I have put WeatherTech liners in my F150 and her Pathfinder, so I plan to do the same with her new vehicle (or maybe the Husky liners). The dealer didn't have any vehicles with a 2nd row console, so I couldn't check that out. But we like the pass-through, so will probably skip that as well. And FWD is fine for us.

I guess the one area we need to decide on is the motor. I am more comfortable with the V6, but that is because I have no experience with an Eco Boost engine. Plus I have a hard time thinking about a 4 cylinder pushing a vehicle this size. I don't NEED a tow package, as I have an F150 for that, but there may be instances where we want to tow a kayak trailer w/4 kayaks. I'm sure the class II would work for that. How would that motor handle towing a light load? Or maybe we should skip the tow package all together and get the adaptive cruise option (I think the cost of the V6 and class III hitch might be close to the adaptive cruise option).

 

[peterk9]

I don't have an experience with the 2.3L Ecoboost but there are some threads on it.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/2-3l-ecoboost-or-na-3-5l.432221/
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/2-3-ecoboost.449751/
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...tion-and-development-of-2-3l-ecoboost.445183/
There may be some more that you can try and find using the 'Search' function in the upper right. FYI, I run regular 87 octane gas in my 3.5L Ecoboost.
You can view/download a PDF copy of the Owner's Manual from here if you want; https://owner.ford.com/tools/accoun...sults.html?make=Ford&model=Explorer&year=2017

Peter

 

[bdginmo]

I second the adaptive cruise control. It works really well. If you do road trips it is a must have. But since you'll be using it mostly for city driving you can probably pass. Though, like you said, if you already have the F150 for towing then maybe you don't need it on the explorer which frees up money to get ACC. I will say just recently I drove 200 miles on I-44 (which is heavily traffic'd in MO) and I never once touched the brake or accelerator. Yes, it works THAT well.

That little 4 cylinder generates 310 lb*ft of torque at 3000 rpm whereas the bigger NA V6 only generates 255 lb*ft at 4000 rpm. The difference in HP is only 280 vs. 290. Though, to be fair, I believe the EB engines are spec'd with 93 octane fuel.

The nice thing with the Limited is that it comes pretty loaded already.

 

[clm65]

I don't have an experience with the 2.3L Ecoboost but there are some threads on it.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/2-3l-ecoboost-or-na-3-5l.432221/
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/2-3-ecoboost.449751/
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...tion-and-development-of-2-3l-ecoboost.445183/
There may be some more that you can try and find using the 'Search' function in the upper right. FYI, I run regular 87 octane gas in my 3.5L Ecoboost.
You can view/download a PDF copy of the Owner's Manual from here if you want; https://owner.ford.com/tools/accoun...sults.html?make=Ford&model=Explorer&year=2017

Peter

Thanks for the links Peter. It is interesting how opinions vary. You get the same thing on the F150 forums regarding the 3.5EB versus the 5.0 V8. I haven't seen enough info to sway me from the 3.5, but I imagine I can't go wrong with either. I was surprised to see that the 2.3EB was an upcharge over the 3.5 (if I read that correctly). Now the 3.5 costs more, and I think there might even be an additional rebate for the 2.3.

 

[clm65]

I second the adaptive cruise control. It works really well. If you do road trips it is a must have. But since you'll be using it mostly for city driving you can probably pass. Though, like you said, if you already have the F150 for towing then maybe you don't need it on the explorer which frees up money to get ACC. I will say just recently I drove 200 miles on I-44 (which is heavily traffic'd in MO) and I never once touched the brake or accelerator. Yes, it works THAT well.

That little 4 cylinder generates 310 lb*ft of torque at 3000 rpm whereas the bigger NA V6 only generates 255 lb*ft at 4000 rpm. The difference in HP is only 280 vs. 290. Though, to be fair, I believe the EB engines are spec'd with 93 octane fuel.

The nice thing with the Limited is that it comes pretty loaded already.

Funny thing is I mentioned to my wife tonight that maybe we should consider the 2.3. She shook her head and said no way, she doesn't want a 4 cylinder. Then I suggested skipping the tow package and getting the ACC and frontal crash feature. She shook her head again and said she doesn't want either of those and would just turn them off. It will be her vehicle, so she can certainly make those decisions. I'm just the guy that pays for it.

 

[Lewisra]

I had a 2014 Limited with the V6 and now have a 2017 Limited with the 2.3 Eco. I really like the 2.3 much better. It is spec'd for 87, which I always run in it. You need to have the wife drive one with the 2.3, she'll be surprised.plus add a mile or 2 more per gallon.

 

[Macnerd]

I had a 2014 Limited with the V6 and now have a 2017 Limited with the 2.3 Eco. I really like the 2.3 much better. It is spec'd for 87, which I always run in it. You need to have the wife drive one with the 2.3, she'll be surprised.plus add a mile or 2 more per gallon.

Curious to hear what you like better about the 2.3? I just drove 900 miles, most down Route 95 in the US in my 3.5NA and was wishing I had the TT for lack of power on big hills and such.

 

[bdginmo]

I had a 2014 Limited with the V6 and now have a 2017 Limited with the 2.3 Eco. I really like the 2.3 much better. It is spec'd for 87, which I always run in it. You need to have the wife drive one with the 2.3, she'll be surprised.plus add a mile or 2 more per gallon.

Yes, you are correct. The EB engines are designed to run 87 octane fuel. In fact, I believe the MPG ratings are for 87 octane fuel. But, according to the 2017 Explorer brochure the advertised torque and HP ratings are with 93 octane fuel.

 

[clm65]

We went to the dealer tonight and test drove 2 Explorers. They weren't vehicles we are interested in buying, but one was a Limited with a 3.5 and the other was an XLT with a 2.3EB. We took the advice from this forum and decided to see for ourselves which felt better for us. To be honest, I went there expecting...actually even wanting...the 3.5 to come out as the obvious choice. But to our surprise, we were more impressed with the 2.3. I think I would be happy with either, but the wife is pushing for the better gas mileage. And since it performed so well in our short test drive, I have no reason to object to her choice. That means I will not get the Class III tow package. I probably won't get the Class II tow package either, even though it is an available option. We never used the trailer hitch on her Pathfinder, nor the one on her Murano before that. So I'm ok with skipping that, and we might add the moonroof option instead.

 

[cwescapexlt4x4]

Skip the moonroof ... I wish mine didn't have one as I have issues with mine closing sometimes and the shade screen is really nice BUT if you have the shade ... providing shade but the windows down it will flap like crazy and often afraid it will be damaged. Also, in regards to the capt chairs in the rear, the center console really adds a sense of security as there are no inside arm rests so it does give an odd sense without anything on your inside arm to rest on.

 

[peterk9]

............ That means I will not get the Class III tow package. I probably won't get the Class II tow package either, even though it is an available option. We never used the trailer hitch on her Pathfinder, nor the one on her Murano before that. So I'm ok with skipping that, and we might add the moonroof option instead.

Moonroof is a great option in my opinion. I wouldn't get a vehicle without it. It really 'opens up' the interior. Also my shade is 99% of the time in the retracted position.

Peter

 

[Sixonemale]

We went to the dealer tonight and test drove 2 Explorers. They weren't vehicles we are interested in buying, but one was a Limited with a 3.5 and the other was an XLT with a 2.3EB. We took the advice from this forum and decided to see for ourselves which felt better for us. To be honest, I went there expecting...actually even wanting...the 3.5 to come out as the obvious choice. But to our surprise, we were more impressed with the 2.3. I think I would be happy with either, but the wife is pushing for the better gas mileage. And since it performed so well in our short test drive, I have no reason to object to her choice. That means I will not get the Class III tow package. I probably won't get the Class II tow package either, even though it is an available option. We never used the trailer hitch on her Pathfinder, nor the one on her Murano before that. So I'm ok with skipping that, and we might add the moonroof option instead.

Understanding that your wife would like better gas mileage with the 2.3 L Eco Boost engine, it's a more complex engine with extra parts like turbos, etc. All it will take is one repair of turbo or a part of it's assembly and the ROI associated with gas mileage is gone. It's personal preference but I would rather own the simplest engine option possible.

 

[kmarnes]

I'm a huge fan of the moonroof as well (opens up the interior -- I have a black interior). The adaptive cruise control I feel is must have, even though I only use that on road trips and do the vast majority of my driving in the city (over 95%). But that feature also comes with forward collision warning -- which is an amazing, well implemented feature. Lights flash on your windshield, stereo mutes music/phone calls while beeping at you, and might pre-charge your brakes. It won't do anything until you touch your brakes, but if you do it in the right situation, it could hit the brakes harder when ever slightly touched -- depending on the math inside the collision system.

But going back to adaptive cruise control, it makes the rare road trips I make a total joy. Cruise control that is actually useful.

 

[613GT500]

Might as well just go up to the Platinum trim, with all of the extra options
At any case, to make a correction in regards to the 2.3L EB engine, it is a single "twin scroll" turbo; which is not the same as the 3.5L EB "twin turbo" engine.

 

[clm65]

I would love to get her a Platinum, but that is not in the cards right now. I was on the fence with the moonroof, as I had a few problems with the one on my F150. But she likes sunroofs and uses hers a lot, so I'll take a chance. Plus I will get the mechanical breakdown insurance through GEICO, so I will have an extended warranty for 7 years/100k miles. That will be good for the engine too. We will have to make a decision after that point. Now I am just trying to get her to pick a color. She can't make up her mind. Red is out now, and it is between Magnetic Metallic and Smoked Quartz. Tomorrow it may be something else...

 

[bdginmo]

You should price out the Ford ESP warranty. It might be cheaper than the GEICO warranty. It's also fully backed by Ford and is accepted at any Ford dealer without question. I got the 7yr/100k Ford ESP for my 2017 Explorer for $1300.

 

[kmarnes]

I ended up getting Smoked Quartz after seeing it in person.. website doesn't do that color justice.

 

[clm65]

You should price out the Ford ESP warranty. It might be cheaper than the GEICO warranty. It's also fully backed by Ford and is accepted at any Ford dealer without question. I got the 7yr/100k Ford ESP for my 2017 Explorer for $1300.

The GEICO MBI is like $36/6 months, give or take. The deductible is higher than the ESP (250 per incident), but it should be cheaper unless I need a lot of repairs. I had it on my F150, and had to make a few claims. I was happy with it.