First Impressions

[bdginmo]

Alright, we've had our 2017 Ford Explorer Platinum for 2 weeks now so I thought I'd post my first impressions. Before I do I want to mention that we currently also own a 2015 Ford Fusion Energi and a 2012 Ford Escape Hybrid. Overall we are very pleased with the purchase and would recommend the vehicle to friends.

Pros

1. The adaptive cruise control is awesome. I tried it out recently and was pleased with it's performance in terms of how well it paced the vehicle in front and with its ability to aggressively brake as needed.

2. We like the massaging seats. We won't be using it frequently except on long road trips, but it's nice knowing it's there.

3. We use the power folding mirrors all the time. We park it in the garage and it helps getting it in and out.

4. The power from the 3.5L EcoBoost is phenomenal. This is the first turbocharged engine we've owned. I think my wife even secretly likes it.

5. The auto high beams actually work pretty well. For now we'll leave the feature on unless it gets too annoying. We do live in a metro area where high beams are almost never needed.

6. Although we'll rarely use it it is nice knowing the towing package is included in case we want to rent a UHaul or whatever.

7. SYNC 3 is awesome. I love the pinch-to-zoom feature in the maps. My wife's Pandora app on here Android phone integrates nicely. We tried out Android Auto and having the ability to use Google Maps on the screen is definitely a plus. Actually, I can't say enough good things about SYNC 3.

8. Our son is a big fan of the heated 2nd row seats.

9. Having multiple USB ports and a 110v/150w outlet is very useful.

10. The Sony sound system is great.

11. We got a good deal on the Ford ESP for 7yr/100,000mi from Flood Ford so this will provide peace of mind in case any of those expensive items fail.

Neutral

1. I could take or leave the park assist. I tried the perpendicular park and it nailed the slot dead center, but I'm just not sure how much it'll get used.

2. The lane keeping system is a step in the right direction, but I feel like it should proactively maintain lane positioning instead of activating when you start veering off. Overall though we'll probably be keeping it turned on as it is somewhat useful.

Cons

1. The collision warming is great and all, but I feel like it should be more active. I realize there is a fine line with the liability Ford is willing to except, but even if it just did a half brake press under extreme conditions that would be more useful. I realize this is tough as there is a balance between avoiding an eminent crash and braking on a false alarm (which itself could increase the odds of an accident).

2. Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like the foot activated liftgate starts closing the liftgate immediately after a foot swipe. You have to move out of the way quick. Shouldn't it chime for 3 seconds or so before moving?

3. When the 3rd row seats are stowed they rattle a lot.

4. It would be nice to have more than 150w to work with on the 110v outlet.

Concerns

1. I do have some concern over the long term reliability of the 3.5L EcoBoost...mostly pertaining to the potential for carbon buildup on the intake valves or the turbos going out. I knew about it before we bought the vehicle so clearly it wasn't that big of a deal for us. Does the engine have to be pulled out to replace the cyclinder heads or turbos?

 

[jonnoriega]

Alright, we've had our 2017 Ford Explorer Platinum for 2 weeks now so I thought I'd post my first impressions. Before I do I want to mention that we currently also own a 2015 Ford Fusion Energi and a 2012 Ford Escape Hybrid. Overall we are very pleased with the purchase and would recommend the vehicle to friends.

Pros

1. The adaptive cruise control is awesome. I tried it out recently and was pleased with it's performance in terms of how well it paced the vehicle in front and with its ability to aggressively brake as needed.

2. We like the massaging seats. We won't be using it frequently except on long road trips, but it's nice knowing it's there.

3. We use the power folding mirrors all the time. We park it in the garage and it helps getting it in and out.

4. The power from the 3.5L EcoBoost is phenomenal. This is the first turbocharged engine we've owned. I think my wife even secretly likes it.

5. The auto high beams actually work pretty well. For now we'll leave the feature on unless it gets too annoying. We do live in a metro area where high beams are almost never needed.

6. Although we'll rarely use it it is nice knowing the towing package is included in case we want to rent a UHaul or whatever.

7. SYNC 3 is awesome. I love the pinch-to-zoom feature in the maps. My wife's Pandora app on here Android phone integrates nicely. We tried out Android Auto and having the ability to use Google Maps on the screen is definitely a plus. Actually, I can't say enough good things about SYNC 3.

8. Our son is a big fan of the heated 2nd row seats.

9. Having multiple USB ports and a 110v/150w outlet is very useful.

10. The Sony sound system is great.

11. We got a good deal on the Ford ESP for 7yr/100,000mi from Flood Ford so this will provide peace of mind in case any of those expensive items fail.

Neutral

1. I could take or leave the park assist. I tried the perpendicular park and it nailed the slot dead center, but I'm just not sure how much it'll get used.

2. The lane keeping system is a step in the right direction, but I feel like it should proactively maintain lane positioning instead of activating when you start veering off. Overall though we'll probably be keeping it turned on as it is somewhat useful.

Cons

1. The collision warming is great and all, but I feel like it should be more active. I realize there is a fine line with the liability Ford is willing to except, but even if it just did a half brake press under extreme conditions that would be more useful. I realize this is tough as there is a balance between avoiding an eminent crash and braking on a false alarm (which itself could increase the odds of an accident).

2. Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like the foot activated liftgate starts closing the liftgate immediately after a foot swipe. You have to move out of the way quick. Shouldn't it chime for 3 seconds or so before moving?

3. When the 3rd row seats are stowed they rattle a lot.

4. It would be nice to have more than 150w to work with on the 110v outlet.

Concerns

1. I do have some concern over the long term reliability of the 3.5L EcoBoost...mostly pertaining to the potential for carbon buildup on the intake valves or the turbos going out. I knew about it before we bought the vehicle so clearly it wasn't that big of a deal for us. Does the engine have to be pulled out to replace the cyclinder heads or turbos?

I have a 2016 Platinum. I can relate to almost every one of your points except for the sync 3. I have sync 2 am okay with it.

As for the rattling of the back seats when stowed, I don't hear rattling at all but I'm a sales rep and use my car for work and lots of travel (9 states) and have samples in the back.

As for the massage seats, I use mine all the time and it helps A LOT. Great for those 8 - 10 hour hauls.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[bbwb]

I too agree with your comments and have to add some more from our '17 XLT. Overall very happy with the purchase except below are some grumblings:

• The seats could be larger, feels short on the front to back.
• Don't care for the distance from seating position to door and sill height...can be a pain to get a parking ticket or making a transaction at the bank. I am 6'-2" and it is tough for me let alone my wife.
• I get the instrument display how I like it (display the trip with tach and water temp) and all is well until I use the paddle shifter. The round tach is displayed and will remain that way until I manually go through the motions to reset.
• Wish the doors would have another seal at the very bottom of the door. When I go through a car wash with underbody rinse, it shoots all of the road crap up to the inside metal part of the door and the sills of the body.
• The mating call of the Ford to Ford proximity sensors is always a surprise.
• Wish the gas tank was larger...constant trips to the station to keep the winter half tank rule in effect.

Very minor complaints, as the Exp has about 2400 miles on it so far. Very smooth and quiet running.

bbwb

 

[jonnoriega]

I too agree with your comments and have to add some more from our '17 XLT. Overall very happy with the purchase except below are some grumblings:

• The seats could be larger, feels short on the front to back.
• Don't care for the distance from seating position to door and sill height...can be a pain to get a parking ticket or making a transaction at the bank. I am 6'-2" and it is tough for me let alone my wife.
• I get the instrument display how I like it (display the trip with tach and water temp) and all is well until I use the paddle shifter. The round tach is displayed and will remain that way until I manually go through the motions to reset.
• Wish the doors would have another seal at the very bottom of the door. When I go through a car wash with underbody rinse, it shoots all of the road crap up to the inside metal part of the door and the sills of the body.
• The mating call of the Ford to Ford proximity sensors is always a surprise.
• Wish the gas tank was larger...constant trips to the station to keep the winter half tank rule in effect.

Very minor complaints, as the Exp has about 2400 miles on it so far. Very smooth and quiet running.

bbwb

Totally agree with the gas tank. I fill up quite often. I get about 315 miles out of a full tank when I'm driving on the highway. I also have a K&N CAI installed. I know a lot of people think it doesn't make a difference, but I feel it when I punch it from 65MPH to 95MPH when passing cars.

I put on 3500 miles the last two weeks and I've been averaging 18.5 MPG. Not too shabby but wish for a bigger tank. That's what I miss about having a Tahoe LTZ

 

[613GT500]

2016 Sport owner here and the 3.5L Ecoboost is what keeps me smiling.

 

[peterk9]

...........

Cons

2. Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems like the foot activated liftgate starts closing the liftgate immediately after a foot swipe. You have to move out of the way quick. Shouldn't it chime for 3 seconds or so before moving?

3. When the 3rd row seats are stowed they rattle a lot.

............

The liftgate on mine does pause ever so slightly and there are 3 chimes. I actually had to repeat the function a few times since the chimes are very faint and seem to be coming from the front of the cabin. I believe the fact that it closes as quick as it does means the operator has to get used to stepping back quickly in order to avoid contact. I have the height set on mine so it doesn't full open but I still am able to step back in time without any issue. If I'm not mistaken, the liftgate has never paused on my previous 2 vehicles. They start to close as the chimes are sounding.
The 3rd row seats in mine are always folded and there is no rattle what-so-ever. The interior is exceptionally quiet.

Peter

 

[blwnsmoke]

Your seats should not rattle. Take it back at your convenience. I hope you got 1st day rental with your ESP. This is one of the shady things Flood Ford does with their ESPs. Ford automatically includes it with their ESPS but flood removes the option to make it look like the ESP is cheaper then others and makes you "add" it on as an option that is standard.

 

[bdginmo]

Your seats should not rattle. Take it back at your convenience. I hope you got 1st day rental with your ESP. This is one of the shady things Flood Ford does with their ESPs. Ford automatically includes it with their ESPS but flood removes the option to make it look like the ESP is cheaper then others and makes you "add" it on as an option that is standard.

Thanks. I'll see if I can pinpoint exactly what the rattle is first. I did not get the 1st day rental via Flood Ford, but I knew I wasn't getting it when I completed the transaction. We don't need it since my wife and I own 3 vehicles.

 

[Macnerd]

My third row rattles like hell when it's folded too, so I leave it up all the time which is annoying when you need to quickly put something in the back.

As far as the reliability of the 3.5TT engine, we've started seeing 2011 F-150's with well over 200,000 miles on them running beautifully if maintained correctly with very few minor issues (spark plugs). They really have worked the kinks out of them and if you change the oil early and maintain it how a turbo motor should be maintained you'll have plenty of miles of enjoyment.

Keep us updated on the car! Enjoy it in good health.

 

[Halwg]

Most car companies that make 3 row SUVs or crossovers should really consider offering the model with just 2 rows of seats. A lot of folks NEVER use the 3rd row, and most are so cramped who would you put back there? I feel the 3rd row seats in my 2016, as were the 3rd row in my 2014, are useless. My older Explorers, 2004 - 2010 only had 2 rows and that's all i need. We also own a Murano and bought it because it's a decent sized 2-row crossover.

Having the 3rd row, and having cup holders, etc. on both sides, greatly diminishes cargo room. For as large as the Explorer is, I can't put golf clubs in the back sideways. I can in the Murano, which is a much smaller vehicle. Golf clubs have to fit on an angle in the Explorer and it's tough to get 4 sets in. Not so with the Murano.

 

[Sixonemale]

My third row rattles like hell when it's folded too, so I leave it up all the time which is annoying when you need to quickly put something in the back.

I recall when I bought my Explorer it had a third row rattle. I pulled or tilted the second row seats forward and I think I lifted up the third row seats from the tailgate area and then from the second row seat door I was able secure a bracket or clamp of the floor that was not secured or clamped like it should have been and the rattle went away. No tools needed, it's obvious when you see it and wiggle it.

As far as the reliability of the 3.5TT engine, we've started seeing 2011 F-150's with well over 200,000 miles on them running beautifully if maintained correctly with very few minor issues (spark plugs). They really have worked the kinks out of them and if you change the oil early and maintain it how a turbo motor should be maintained you'll have plenty of miles of enjoyment.

The jury is still out for me, since they came out in 2011 and it's now 2017, that's only six years for someone to drive 200,000 miles on these engines, which means an owner would have to drive about 33,000 miles per year. I believe we will know a lot more about the reliability of turbos and water pumps within the next few years.