Iconic silver ST

[themishmosh]

So I only waited 2 weeks for my iconic Silver ST mainly because I saw that the dealer was receiving one with moonroof, tech package and street performance pkg that I would have ordered--so I jumped on it. Paid $100 over dealer's invoice which I thought was a good deal since this was one of the dealer's first few Explorers. Build date on window sticker says 6/25/19. Car arrived to the dealer 7/19/19.

This was my first Ford and so far am very impressed. Dealer wasted no time in calling me while the vehicle was still on the truck to say it arrived. They got it ready for me to take home a few hours later. My trade in and all paperwork was extremely quick. They even transferred my plates to the new vehicle including processing the paperwork with the BMV.

Coming from smaller cars, I initially was disappointed with the ride and handling. In just a little over 24 hrs, I have come to the realization that for such a large vehicle it is fun to drive and has good performance. I knew that the front plate holder was ordered and took that off once home since Ohio no longer requires one. Now I just need to plug up the three 1/4" holes where the plastic rivets secured the holder to the bumper. The good thing is that the holes were drilled clean and the paint around them was intact.

Car came with 51 miles on the ODO. Not sure why so many but someone here reported 45 miles so that's not appreciably different. I looked at the exterior carefully and no defects were noted. I think it looks better in person than in pics. Once home, I noticed a few (5-6) pieces of broken auto glass mainly on the carpet of the 2nd row. I immediately thought about the moonroof but that and all glass on the car was intact. Have no idea where the glass came from.

Initial likes:
sport mode - fast shifts, responsive throttle
large tablet display
360* camera
Sound system - not great but good enough
exterior looks

Initial dislikes:
need to select sport mode every time - no default mode selectable?
Brake and throttle pedal seem too far back towards the seat. Wish they were more forward like the 3rd/dead pedal. If I move the seat back, the steering wheel is now too far away, even fully extended.
Sport seats? Not really. Minimal side bolsters. High perch. Limited adjustability. Acceptable comfort so far though.
Lot of cheap plastics for a $60k car.
Wish you could shift with the drive dial (forward/backward) like cars with a gear stick. Trying to use the paddle shifters on a curve can be awkward.

 

[cpainter3]

Congrats on the ST! Same color as mine.
Yes, drive mode defaults to Normal with every start. Just make it a habit to turn the mode knob 3 clicks clockwise when you need it. I think the default Normal or Eco will keep me away from a speeding ticket - for a little while at least.

 

[jtoman]

So I only waited 2 weeks for my iconic Silver ST mainly because I saw that the dealer was receiving one with moonroof, tech package and street performance pkg that I would have ordered--so I jumped on it. Paid $100 over dealer's invoice which I thought was a good deal since this was one of the dealer's first few Explorers. Build date on window sticker says 6/25/19. Car arrived to the dealer 7/19/19.

This was my first Ford and so far am very impressed. Dealer wasted no time in calling me while the vehicle was still on the truck to say it arrived. They got it ready for me to take home a few hours later. My trade in and all paperwork was extremely quick. They even transferred my plates to the new vehicle including processing the paperwork with the BMV.

Coming from smaller cars, I initially was disappointed with the ride and handling. In just a little over 24 hrs, I have come to the realization that for such a large vehicle it is fun to drive and has good performance. I knew that the front plate holder was ordered and took that off once home since Ohio no longer requires one. Now I just need to plug up the three 1/4" holes where the plastic rivets secured the holder to the bumper. The good thing is that the holes were drilled clean and the paint around them was intact.

Car came with 51 miles on the ODO. Not sure why so many but someone here reported 45 miles so that's not appreciably different. I looked at the exterior carefully and no defects were noted. I think it looks better in person than in pics. Once home, I noticed a few (5-6) pieces of broken auto glass mainly on the carpet of the 2nd row. I immediately thought about the moonroof but that and all glass on the car was intact. Have no idea where the glass came from.

Initial likes:
sport mode - fast shifts, responsive throttle
large tablet display
360* camera
Sound system - not great but good enough
exterior looks

Initial dislikes:
need to select sport mode every time - no default mode selectable?
Brake and throttle pedal seem too far back towards the seat. Wish they were more forward like the 3rd/dead pedal. If I move the seat back, the steering wheel is now too far away, even fully extended.
Sport seats? Not really. Minimal side bolsters. High perch. Limited adjustability. Acceptable comfort so far though.
Lot of cheap plastics for a $60k car.
Wish you could shift with the drive dial (forward/backward) like cars with a gear stick. Trying to use the paddle shifters on a curve can be awkward.

 

[jtoman]

Mine was also built on 6/26, delivery expected 7/29. Got to drive an ST yesterday and Loved the power! Agreed $60k and so much plastic! Air Conditioner will do well in Texas

 

[peterk9]

.....................................................Brake and throttle pedal seem too far back towards the seat. Wish they were more forward like the 3rd/dead pedal. If I move the seat back, the steering wheel is now too far away, even fully extended.

Looks like Ford did away with the adjustable pedals on the 2020 Explorer.

Peter

 

[themishmosh]

So i found out where the broken pieces of glass is from. At some point the passenger rear window was broken and replaced. It was a poorly done job as the right b pillar trim is bowed out and loose. there is also rubber surround that is torn. I discovered this when i went to lower the sunscreen which was up from the dealer. it would not lower. when i went to raise it, pieces of glass started flying out. calling the dealer tomorrow....

 

[Forddealz]

So i found out where the broken pieces of glass is from. At some point the passenger rear window was broken and replaced. It was a poorly done job as the right b pillar trim is bowed out and loose. there is also rubber surround that is torn. I discovered this when i went to lower the sunscreen which was up from the dealer. it would not lower. when i went to raise it, pieces of glass started flying out. calling the dealer tomorrow....

It's ok, you have 1 week to identify any problems and dealer should fix it.

 

[themishmosh]

So brought the car in for the Service Dept to look at. They in turn had their autobody division look at it as well. They deny that any window was broken and replaced at the dealership or they would have gotten it. Makes me question how this car could have passed factory inspection.

 

[Exit32]

Could have been vandalism after the vehicle passed factory inspection, then the transport company arranged repair before your dealer received it.

 

[blwnsmoke]

This is probably why there was 51 miles on it. Was probably driven for repair. If the dealer did it, there would be a warranty claim in OASIS for reimbursement from Ford so it would be easily traceable.

 

[themishmosh]

some pics

 

[peterk9]

Take it back to the dealer now along with a list of deficiencies and tell them you want everything fixed. As mentioned you have 1 week.
From the Warranty Guide;
"CHECK YOUR VEHICLE We try to check vehicles carefully at the assembly plant and the dealership, and we usually correct any damage to paint, sheet metal, upholstery, or other appearance items. But occasionally something may slip past us, and a customer may find that a vehicle was damaged before he or she took delivery. If you see any damage when you receive your vehicle, notify your dealership within one week."

Peter

 

[themishmosh]

Took off the "explorer" lettering of the hood and the "ST" off the back for a cleaner look.

 

[blwnsmoke]

I've debated on the ST logo but I definitely prefer the black "Explorer" on the hood.

 

[peterk9]

Took off the "explorer" lettering of the hood and the "ST" off the back for a cleaner look.

Did you happen to notice if the ST badge on the grille can be removed?

Peter

 

[themishmosh]

Did you happen to notice if the ST badge on the grille can be removed?

Peter

Yes it can...but just like the Ford oval, there is a specially sized flat mounting surface for it. I think it would odd to remove it.

 

[peterk9]

Yes it can...but just like the Ford oval, there is a specially sized flat mounting surface for it. I think it would odd to remove it.

Okay, thanks. Was just interested as there was a member looking for the black grille to install on his 2020 but it isn't an ST.

Peter

 

[themishmosh]

I will say that the tech on this car is amazing!

CARPLAY: I very much enjoy using Carplay although only the top half of the tablet display is the carplay display...not the entire screen. This is a shame because the stock navigation shows maps full screen. Still, the tablet complements, not only mirrors, my phone. Using Waze, it will show the turn-by-turns coming up on my phone while the tablet shows the map. Music streaming from my phone is way better than what I had with my BMW, whether using a carplay app or ones on the phone that do not have a carplay app. I could be listening to FM and when I go to an app to stream music, it will automatically do it without having to select my iphone as a source.

SPORT MODE: I like the graphics, particularly that the gear is displayed prominently. Manual shifting, which I do probably 95% of the time, is really nice. As I said before, I just which there was a center column selector for up/down shifting in addition to the paddle shifters. Shifts are fast and firm. Throttle mapping however is probably a little too aggressive. I often find myself accelerating when I want to be cruising.

Intelligent cruise control: A pleasure to use! Can't wait for our trip down to NC in August! You can set a given speed above legal limit and it will read speed signs and adjust accordingly! Not only that, it has some autopilot features where it will steer to maintain center of the lane. This really works amazing. You can turn it off if you don't want it. Similarly, lane keep assist will shake the steering wheel when you start to cross the line (feels like out-of-lane rumble strips) and I really like the assist that gives steering a nudge back to the lane. The blindspot lights in the side mirrors--I wish were brighter. In daylight it is hard to see that they are on or not.

Next thing to try: The parallel parking or perpendicular parking assist. Seems really neat when needed. I tried perpendicular parking assist to scan a spot but apparently it won't do it if no other cars are parked adjacent to your spot.

360 degree camera: really great for parking. Nice to know how much to pull up and whether you are centered in a parking spot. I have also used the front and rear camera views to see who close I am to obstacles. Really amazing new tech!

Next mods: Would like to hardwire my Escort radar and a dash cam. Will try running line from fuse box to left A-pillar. Not sure if the Escort will function properly with all the tech used in this car though--no point to it if it constantly alarms. Anyone know in these modern cars?

 

[themishmosh]

Here's a newly discovered bleb. A raised area on the back. Paint is totally uniform so assume it was there before car was painted. Not something I am worried about but have not seen finish issues on my other cars.

 

[Exit32]

What is that? Did someone at the factory drool seam sealer on an exterior surface of your Explorer?