Motor Trend 2012 Eco Boost Explorer review

[TIO M]

I hear ya, I would atleast get the tow package for just in case, I mean for like camping trips or tailgate parties to put a grill on it..its way better than aftermarket and well thought out package actually. Can you even get it 4WD with the Eco engine?

 

[182RG]

its way better than aftermarket

Disagree. If all you want is the hitch for a bike rack, or grill, aftermarket is fine...for less than $200.

Can you even get it 4WD with the Eco engine?

No.

 

[TIO M]

Disagree. If all you want is the hitch for a bike rack, or grill, aftermarket is fine...for less than $200.



No.

To each his own...

But keep in mind it comes with the larger radiator, wiring intergrated, no need to have your tail lamp tapped. It is intergrated high under the bumper and it has a cover to protect it from the weather elements. For those who add an after market it sits under the bumper and it rusts, plain and simple. Atleast with the OEM cover it shields it and cleans up the back without that square looking female opening under the bumper. Just saying....for the extra $300 I'd get it. Why nickle dime if he already is ponying up the $995 for the Eco-Pusst engine option.

 

[Filipino_X_Owner]

I'm not sure if I even had the option to add the tow package on my Eco order.

 

[182RG]

But keep in mind it comes with the larger radiator, wiring intergrated, no need to have your tail lamp tapped. It is intergrated high under the bumper and it has a cover to protect it from the weather elements. For those who add an after market it sits under the bumper and it rusts, plain and simple. Atleast with the OEM cover it shields it and cleans up the back without that square looking female opening under the bumper. Just saying....for the extra $300 I'd get it. Why nickle dime if he already is ponying up the $995 for the Eco-Pusst engine option.

Because tow package isn't available with the Eco. Put the beer down, and think about it for a sec....

 

[sdmcwilliams]

I want to ask you this? Do you plan on towing and do you need 4WD at all? I would say if you feel like you would ever need to tow a boat or haul a trailer with a car on it I'd say stay with the V6...

To me personally I couldn't do the Eco-Pusst Engine its not a proper Eco-Boost engine for this hefty hefty vehicle. If you plan on road tripping alot and going up and down moutains I'd say do the V6, I commend you for thinking about fuel economy but I'm doing really good on the highway with the V6 with 4WD. I get 28mpgs on leveled straight roads which are a plenty in Dallas and Texas alone.

I'm moving soon back to Texas hopefully by early next year and I'll be towing my boat from Miami...so thank god I have the V6 effortless towing and braking with this machine.

I have owned two 2WD F-150's since 1998 and I never towed one thing. Not even a trailer. I live in Orlando. That means no mountains, no hills and no snow. If I am going to the mountains I will be flying and renting a car. I have never needed 4WD for anything other than occasionally at work. We have 4WD vehicles to borrow so I am all set.

 

[sdmcwilliams]

sdmcwilliams, thanks for the post. I just ordered an Eco yesterday and am on the fence still. When you go to pass, do you feel any sluggishness? I didn't feel it on my test drives, but I wanted to hear from an actual owner. I think you're the first Eco owner to post in this forum.

I do not feel any sluggishness when passing. So far it does everything as strong and quickly as my F-150 did. It is not quite as fast as my wife's Odyssey but I think I will live. It also has a lot less torque steer than her Odyssey.

 

[TIO M]

Because tow package isn't available with the Eco. Put the beer down, and think about it for a sec....

Ahhh that explains it....see thats my problem I can't put it down!

 

[VinceL]

I'm not sure if I even had the option to add the tow package on my Eco order.

You are correct in thinking that you didn't. The tow package is not available with the ecoboost.

 

[maddog7757]

My Limited with 4C EcoBoost should be delivered in two weeks. I'm REALLY wondering if I made a mistake on the smaller engine but 90% of miles are in town, wife miles. May tow small trailer for mulch so no problem there. Will repost when I receive.

 

[Carzzi]

I bought my 2012 base-trim Ecoboost brand new, last weekend. So far I'm very pleased. The weekend I got it, we drove from the suburbs to the downtown area (during SXSW... lots of stop and go) and we also did some in-Austin hilly terrain driving (Mt. Bonnell for those who are familiar with Austin).

The car was loaded with up to four adults (~650 lbs total )and three small children (~100 lb total). Approximately 250 miles were traveled that weekend. Speeds traveled on open roads were with the flow of traffic (ranging from stop and go 20% of the time, to 65~80 mph for the rest).

I had reset the trip/mpg when I first got the car Friday evening. At the end of the weekend, my average was 21 mpg per the on-board computer. Climbing mild grades, while staying with traffic, without kickdown from sixth between 65 and 75 mph was a big contributor to gas mileage. The turbo's boost helped me maintain speed in top gear without it feeling underpowered. I generally used good judgment (if I should say so myself) in throttle application and coasting -- smooth (yet brisk) acceleration, looking ahead for traffic slowdowns to minimize heavy braking on my part.

Going uphill, I felt no want in accelerative prowess, even fully loaded. I wasn't expecting V8-level tip-in and urge, but I was satisfied. I did a couple of full throttle test run from 35-75 mph (purely in the name of science), mild uphill grade, fully loaded with aforementioned passengers: and I wasn't disappointed. Turbo lag wasn't perceptible. Best of all, because the engine is well-balanced and quiet and the shifts were seamless, there was no elicitation of consternation from my passengers.

All in all, I'm very satisfied with the car. Its mission will not include towing, and will mostly be used to haul our family (2 small kids) and luggage for school hauls and the occasional intercity trip. As the engine breaks in, I expect mileage to improve, but already I'm quite impressed with its low consumption. A couple of friends, whose driving profiles generally match mine, barely break 16mpg in their V6 Mazda CX9's (one has a FWD, the other, AWD).

 

[metallicpea]

In my case, one of the main reasons I purchased my Explorer was for the 4 cyl. This car, for me, is a people mover and I live in the flat midwest and never tow anything. I live in a fairly snowy section near lake Michigan, and 4WD is really not necessary as long as you have good tires. I have made it through the last 10 snowy winters in my rear wheel drive sedan without any danger. So for me, the 4 cyl made the car the best economy choice for a large family car.

As for it's performace, the 4 cyl never seems underpowered for it's duties. Around town the economy is very good. On the Highway, the economy is, so far, not as good as I had hoped, as the little engine works to push the giant at 75, but it never seems weak, and gets better mpg than it's competitors.

And as for the car as a whole, I am very pleased with the build quality and fit and finish of the car - especially the interior. And considering the value of all aspects, it was the clear winner when I purchased. The previous explorer would not have even made my short list when shopping. Again, for my use.

This is why there are so many cars out there. Everyone has different needs and wants. For me, until the 4cyl, 3rd row Explorer came, I had put off buying a large family car for several years, as the right thing just wasn't out there. YMMV

 

[3thumbs]

eco boost

My Explorer with eco boost will never tow anything and will make many road trips to Arizona each winter. We have lots of hills here in Colorado, and the eco boost stays in overdrive much better than our previous vehicle, a Buick Rendezvous. This Explorer isn't a race car by any means, but it is much better than a lot of cars I have driven. I don't agree with the under powered complaints at all. I think that most reviews about lack of power are by people who don't know what they are talking about. As far as gas mileage goes, it gets about 22 combined, and that is about 7 mpg better than the Rendezvous.

 

[PJFW8]

My Explorer with eco boost will never tow anything and will make many road trips to Arizona each winter. We have lots of hills here in Colorado, and the eco boost stays in overdrive much better than our previous vehicle, a Buick Rendezvous. This Explorer isn't a race car by any means, but it is much better than a lot of cars I have driven. I don't agree with the under powered complaints at all. I think that most reviews about lack of power are by people who don't know what they are talking about. As far as gas mileage goes, it gets about 22 combined, and that is about 7 mpg better than the Rendezvous.

I've never owned an "over-powered" vehicle. More power is good! Having said that, my eco boost Explorer performs well in the western North Carolina mountains. It is great in daily driving. The flat torque curve helps. I got 26 plus on 2 recent 2,000 mile trips on regular gas. My '11 Edge (awd) got 23 during the same trip. The 2.0 should be fabulous in the lighter Escape. (I drove a 1.6 awd Escape and really liked the engine).

 

[sdmcwilliams]

Most people posting here have never driven one. I too never thought I would drive a 4 cylinder turbo. My two previous vehicles were F-150's with big V-8s. My EcoBoost was the 1st one delivered at my local dealership and my salesman and I were the only ones to drive it. I put a deposit on it and bought it the day it was delivered. I drove both Explorers and could not really tell a difference. I don't need 4WD and I never towed anything with either truck. For some people those two drawbacks would be deal killers. I also live in flat central Florida.

 

[maddog7757]

I received my 2013 4-cylinder Limited Explorer the first week of May and couldn't be happier. I did have concerns about power but have taken several road trips on hilly interstate terrain and saw no problems whatsoever. MPG hasn't been as good as expected but with less than 3000 miles, I don't believe the engine is broken in yet. Being my wife's vehicle, I'm embarrassed to say she has mastered the MyFordTouch system; I have not but as we say, 'When mama's happy, everyone is happy'.

 

[Gatortailale]

Here are my thoughts I posted in another thread.

Thoughts after 1150 miles

Ecoboost Engine: Grade A. First, let me say that after putting on 1150 miles; over 700 of them at highway speeds, it is my opinion that the 2.0 Ecoboost has sufficient power to move this big 4400 lbs vehicle in an efficient manner. I went from the Wash. DC area up to Erie, PA area traveling I 270, I70, PA Turnpike, and I 79. There are about 4 good big long hills to climb. Let me say that I had no problem setting the cruise at 74 and walking right up the hill at about 2200 to 2400 rpm. In my '08 Escape Hybrid, that engine will crank up to about 3800 rpm to make the same climb in a much smaller car. (Note: passenger was just me @ 6'4" / 310 lbs and a few bags probably under 50). On one of the climbs, I had another driver cut in front of me, so I had to hit the brake. Upon resuming cruise, the engine jumped up to about 2900-3000 for a few seconds to regain the speed then made its shift and went back down to the 2200 range noted above. Car computer said I got 26.2 mpg on way up and 26.1 on way back to DC area with majority of speeds in the 74-77 range; although I did try to toss in a few miles on way up to Erie with some reduced speed to now and then to follow the 1000 mile break-in period as stated on owner manual.

On my next tank of gas after trip I put in Exxon premium (will have to see if it is 91 or 93 at my local pump). With 95% city driving on tank and lots of stop & go; I only got 18 on computer.

Current tank I put in Sunoco 93 and was at 23.6 after two round trips from DC-burbs to downtown DC with a mix of mostly city and a little highway. But weekend errands & some idle time have dropped me down to 21.5 with a half tank to go.

 

[metallicpea]

Just a quick follow up as I have now exceeded 10,000 miles on my 2.0 turbo.
I am still more than happy with the power. I have a sports car with 380 hp, so I do appreciate power, but for what this car does for me - people mover, road trip, etc. - this thing is great. I never feel like it is underpowered. I find this amazing for a 4400 lb car with a 2.0L engine. And to repeat from my earlier post, I do not tow or need 4wd.
As for fuel economy. I am always at about 22.5 combined. Just did a long road trip from midwest to South Carolina. I got 25 to 26 mpg on most sections on regular fuel. Fuel economy does meet the 28 mpg rating if I stay below the high 60s, but most of my hwy driving is between 74 and 78 mph, and the fuel economy drops above 65 mph.
In more general terms, I am extremely pleased with this car overall. Quality, value, comfort, functionality - it kills it for me in all catagories.

 

[Turquia Loco]

When MotorTrend starts paying for what auto they think I should buy, I will let them buy it... As for me, I could not be any happier with my Eco Expy.

 

[VinceL]

Most people posting here have never driven one. I too never thought I would drive a 4 cylinder turbo. My two previous vehicles were F-150's with big V-8s. My EcoBoost was the 1st one delivered at my local dealership and my salesman and I were the only ones to drive it. I put a deposit on it and bought it the day it was delivered. I drove both Explorers and could not really tell a difference. I don't need 4WD and I never towed anything with either truck. For some people those two drawbacks would be deal killers. I also live in flat central Florida.

We did test drive both, and felt the V6 was a better fit for us. We were coming from a very zippy Subaru Forester (turbo!) that spoiled us, and we were a little let down after driving the ecoboost. It would have been nice to get better mileage though...

Oh yeah, the writers at motortrend are a bunch of *****.