sachem64
Member
- Joined
- July 18, 2014
- Messages
- 22
- Reaction score
- 1
- City, State
- Greater Boston Area/NH
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1997 Merc Mountaineer AWD
Hi Folks.
Am excited to say I'm also in line for a 2015 Explorer Sport.
My dealer tossing me the keys & suggesting I go take a nice little test drive in early May (a Sport 2014 they had just gotten in - sold in 24 hours) really relieved my concerns about the power to weight ratio & sport suspension. The 3.5L Eco makes it feel feather light on straight or turn acceleration and the suspension has just enough compliance that I don't think I'll feel anything but comfortable commuting our crappy highways around Boston or towing my bassboat down double-track roads in NH. It carves and launches nicer than I could have hoped and it's a plush upgrade to my low mileage loaded 5.0 Mountaineer that needs more wrenching than I have time for....well the 3.5L it will drink gas about as fast as the 5.0 but that's the price of fun & utility. Like many others I keep trying to convince myself I'll slow down for a little better pump economy...sure.
Wish I got the order in a little earlier as it was the $$$ repair of the 10 year old daily driver Taurus AC compressor that got me motivated to pull the trigger on the order.....another $1K too late (ouch).
What ordered:
Ordered the last Saturday of June (3 weeks ago):
2015 Explorer Sport, Tuxedo Black ext. - my 1st black car/truck.
Standard:
I was happy to see tow pkg. & heated steering added as std. to 2015 Sports and it was part of why I passed on a 2014 in the late spring. I hate driving with gloves and the cold makes my hands hurt so heated steering seems quite civil (I swear I've been saying that since ordering my 89 Mustang daily driver in 89). Tow package I would have opted for so having it inherent just like my Mountaineer did was going the right direction.
Options:
401A was a no brainer for me.
Other:
I value added with the radar feedback cruise control. The Sport has a powerful motor, an attractive grill, & it's an expensive enough ride. Knuckleheads, seemingly always in a Prius or a white van, like to slam on brakes in our left most lanes causing sudden compacting of rush hour traffic (rush hours plural)...So I convinced myself that I'll leverage this to supplement my reaction times just like BLISS is an extra set of eyes (especially on new vehicles with poorer window area & unobstructed visibility compared to earlier designs). As a technologist I really like seeing independent systems that overlap other or traditional safety systems. I also am passing middle age and also still like to enjoy the faster lanes (wink) so I'll take the help for those reasons too. X-plan pricing eased the pain a little of adding such options.
Also:
Added power dual moon roof (fan of the moon).
I didn't go for 2nd row buckets (single & the nephews & guests wont care).
Added some roof rack crossbars....rear bumper skuff plate option....seriously such a short option list for the 2015 Sport...that's not a complaint but the biggest related gripe - still no HID option for the Sport. <sigh> Really Ford? With a peppy dual turbo power plant an 2 tons of metal & glass why would I ever want to have the advantage of better lighting or related choices right? LOL....ok, ok well I'm a Elec Engineer so I guess I'll add from the aftermarket what Ford didn't bother to offer even though they have it for other trims (foolish - money left on the table). I
'll add:
4300K HIDs driven by 30W ballasts.....not sure about fogs etc. Will comb the forum for various opinions on a specific vendor source for HIDs & gotchas (like delay relays etc)
Already reached out to Crystal as I just got my VIN & would love to get ra status & then regular updates.
As T.Petty said the waiting is the hardest part.
Will share pics & enthusiasm when it's delivered.
Cheers (TGIF),
Bill
Am excited to say I'm also in line for a 2015 Explorer Sport.
My dealer tossing me the keys & suggesting I go take a nice little test drive in early May (a Sport 2014 they had just gotten in - sold in 24 hours) really relieved my concerns about the power to weight ratio & sport suspension. The 3.5L Eco makes it feel feather light on straight or turn acceleration and the suspension has just enough compliance that I don't think I'll feel anything but comfortable commuting our crappy highways around Boston or towing my bassboat down double-track roads in NH. It carves and launches nicer than I could have hoped and it's a plush upgrade to my low mileage loaded 5.0 Mountaineer that needs more wrenching than I have time for....well the 3.5L it will drink gas about as fast as the 5.0 but that's the price of fun & utility. Like many others I keep trying to convince myself I'll slow down for a little better pump economy...sure.
Wish I got the order in a little earlier as it was the $$$ repair of the 10 year old daily driver Taurus AC compressor that got me motivated to pull the trigger on the order.....another $1K too late (ouch).
What ordered:
Ordered the last Saturday of June (3 weeks ago):
2015 Explorer Sport, Tuxedo Black ext. - my 1st black car/truck.
Standard:
I was happy to see tow pkg. & heated steering added as std. to 2015 Sports and it was part of why I passed on a 2014 in the late spring. I hate driving with gloves and the cold makes my hands hurt so heated steering seems quite civil (I swear I've been saying that since ordering my 89 Mustang daily driver in 89). Tow package I would have opted for so having it inherent just like my Mountaineer did was going the right direction.
Options:
401A was a no brainer for me.
Other:
I value added with the radar feedback cruise control. The Sport has a powerful motor, an attractive grill, & it's an expensive enough ride. Knuckleheads, seemingly always in a Prius or a white van, like to slam on brakes in our left most lanes causing sudden compacting of rush hour traffic (rush hours plural)...So I convinced myself that I'll leverage this to supplement my reaction times just like BLISS is an extra set of eyes (especially on new vehicles with poorer window area & unobstructed visibility compared to earlier designs). As a technologist I really like seeing independent systems that overlap other or traditional safety systems. I also am passing middle age and also still like to enjoy the faster lanes (wink) so I'll take the help for those reasons too. X-plan pricing eased the pain a little of adding such options.
Also:
Added power dual moon roof (fan of the moon).
I didn't go for 2nd row buckets (single & the nephews & guests wont care).
Added some roof rack crossbars....rear bumper skuff plate option....seriously such a short option list for the 2015 Sport...that's not a complaint but the biggest related gripe - still no HID option for the Sport. <sigh> Really Ford? With a peppy dual turbo power plant an 2 tons of metal & glass why would I ever want to have the advantage of better lighting or related choices right? LOL....ok, ok well I'm a Elec Engineer so I guess I'll add from the aftermarket what Ford didn't bother to offer even though they have it for other trims (foolish - money left on the table). I
'll add:
4300K HIDs driven by 30W ballasts.....not sure about fogs etc. Will comb the forum for various opinions on a specific vendor source for HIDs & gotchas (like delay relays etc)
Already reached out to Crystal as I just got my VIN & would love to get ra status & then regular updates.
As T.Petty said the waiting is the hardest part.
Will share pics & enthusiasm when it's delivered.
Cheers (TGIF),
Bill
