One month review ...

[astrorex]

I've had my explorer for almost a month now. For most, I've been extremely happy with it. Since most folks are waiting for theirs and they have very good idea on the specs and driving experiences, I thought I'd share some of the more of the comfort details. Things I love about it and some which I hope to see improved

- MyTouch/Sync - I got the vehicle mainly because of it and I REALLY LOVE IT! I love techy things, and this fits me really well. Even in higher end vehicles, I was unable to find something this advanced and I did test drive quite a few. It has its quirks , but overall it beats others hands down.

- The information on the LCD screens are phenomenal. Not only do they look extremely cool they show you almost everything. Door ajar, Brake on, headlight on, oil level reminder, light dimming, 4 wheel engagement, songs, temperature etc.

- Backup camera - I consider it an essential thing to have. The bigger screen is nicer, but you loose compared to rear view mirror mounted view since there you can see both the mirror and camera. Actually make it nimbler than my Rav4 to take out of a tight spot. Just wish there was one for front bumper too.

- Voice commands - Like the fact that you can use voice commands for almost anything including artist name, similar songs and even climate control - 'Climate tempearture 70'.

- Hill assist - It breaks for both uphill and downhill in reverse. Very helpful on slopes and glad its standard feature.

- Lights - I did not know I had automatic headlights until I RTFM. Speaking of lights, I prefer the way the dome lights come on when the vehicle stops and stay on for a while. Very helpful when parking in dark garages. Also it all integrates well, with the stereo continuing to play unti the doors are opened, the number pads lighting up on touch etc.

- Sound control - Ablility to set sound control based on speed, for all, for driver for rear passengers, allows you to have conversations upfront while folks behind are listening to radio.

- Playing songs and podcasts from USB stick is real nice! You can also browse songs from the steering wheel controls when the vehicle is not moving.

- Right pane shows instant fuel economy which is really addictive. You drive like a grandma to keep the bar above 20 mpg. I managed to get as much as 21 in city once.

- Both seats flip to allow passengers to get in, the 60 split is harder to flip but its easier for folks to get in.

Things that bug me:

- Hazard is still to touchy and comes on all the time. So is the CD eject button. The touch things are kinds hazy anyway. I had an issue where the AC was coming on every once a while and I was almost ready to take it to the dealer. Then I realized it was one of the car charger wires touching the max ac touch button that kept triggering it!

- MyTouch takes a while getting used to and it had to be restarted once or twice. Also, it sometimes shows invalid error messages when it starts up like oil low, traction control disabled etc. Restarting the car fixes it (pc style)

- Interior lights don't have on/off which is annoying since they come on when doors are opened and you have no clue if they will go off on their own.

- Manual lifegate does not appear to go all the way up. Might be a good thing if u have a low garage height.

 

[crayola554]

I now have 500 miles on my new Xplorer. I agree that the backup camera is a cool feature and I think the Blis is also a great tool to have. I have found myself feeling like I'm sitting way too low in the vehicle to see out the side or the rear, so this awesome little feature is a must!

I have a problem with the hazard button, too. It's just in the wrong place, my fingers get in the way.

I also have not been able to program or find the place to program showing of songs from a CD. I'm assuming the little CD icon on the upper right of the screen should show the CD cover and the song playing should also be on the screen. Any ideas on how to get this done?

 

[NEWPORTNJ]

Cd issue ! If your cd are not of newer age they dont have the digital to show on screen. And even newer cd sometime dont show its up to the company printing the to put that feature onto the cd's. So all thing need to catch up with the tech. Nothing wrong with the cd player its the cd it self!!

 

[edge929]

I have about 350 miles on mine in 2 weeks (weekend road trip). I work as a programmer so the MFT was also a big deal for me. I'm still learning everything but so far I haven't hit the hazard or eject button once in all my idling/playing with MFT. I should note it's the depressed versions unlike the early model builds from December. Zero problems with MFT so far.

Having driven much smaller vehicles in the past, I can easily say this is the largest vehicle I've ever driven on a regular basis. I was worried about the visibility and high belt-line of the 2011 Explorer but was glad to see this isn't a big issue with the rear back-up camera, setting my seat up higher (I'm 5'10") (crayloa554 you know you can raise the seat right?) and the backup warning/beeping system is really handy in my work parking garage (some idiot with a dually Ram, crew cab, extended bed parked horribly behind me on the other side making my backing out a nice adventure yesterday).

I'm glad I didn't pay extra for the BLIS system seeing how the stock mirrors already have the top corner convex to specifically monitor your blind spot. I tested this during my road trip last weekend when I saw a Corolla (small car) creep up on me in the passing lane. He was going slow enough for me to see him in the big/main mirror and then suddenly he vanished...... he was in my blind spot and showed in the convex secondary mirror only, very nice Ford.

I like that the XLT (and I assume base model) gets a small, but usable cubby hole in the cargo area where the Limited's subwoofer would go. Allows me to store jumper cables (not for me, for others), a couple towels, a flashlight, a leatherman and few other small tools.

Based on pictures I thought there would be some storage room underneath the 3rd row seats when they were folded flat but they do indeed take up all that space. You might be able to get a thin object like a magazine under there but don't count on much. This was one feature I loved on the Pilot, the good-sized storage area under the 3rd row seats (picture).

 

[Edgieguy]

Might sound silly, but where is the spare? Underneath the car?

 

[JDraper]

Spare is behind and under the 3rd row seat

 

[RLWSNOOK]

I have about 350 miles on mine in 2 weeks (weekend road trip). I work as a programmer so the MFT was also a big deal for me. I'm still learning everything but so far I haven't hit the hazard or eject button once in all my idling/playing with MFT. I should note it's the depressed versions unlike the early model builds from December. Zero problems with MFT so far.

Having driven much smaller vehicles in the past, I can easily say this is the largest vehicle I've ever driven on a regular basis. I was worried about the visibility and high belt-line of the 2011 Explorer but was glad to see this isn't a big issue with the rear back-up camera, setting my seat up higher (I'm 5'10") (crayloa554 you know you can raise the seat right?) and the backup warning/beeping system is really handy in my work parking garage (some idiot with a dually Ram, crew cab, extended bed parked horribly behind me on the other side making my backing out a nice adventure yesterday).

I'm glad I didn't pay extra for the BLIS system seeing how the stock mirrors already have the top corner convex to specifically monitor your blind spot. I tested this during my road trip last weekend when I saw a Corolla (small car) creep up on me in the passing lane. He was going slow enough for me to see him in the big/main mirror and then suddenly he vanished...... he was in my blind spot and showed in the convex secondary mirror only, very nice Ford.

I like that the XLT (and I assume base model) gets a small, but usable cubby hole in the cargo area where the Limited's subwoofer would go. Allows me to store jumper cables (not for me, for others), a couple towels, a flashlight, a leatherman and few other small tools.

Based on pictures I thought there would be some storage room underneath the 3rd row seats when they were folded flat but they do indeed take up all that space. You might be able to get a thin object like a magazine under there but don't count on much. This was one feature I loved on the Pilot, the good-sized storage area under the 3rd row seats (picture).

When you fold the 3rd row down... is there space to store anything where your foot room would be for the 3rd row passengers? I know it is not designed for this. But I was wondering if you could store something under there.

If you fold the 3rd row down flat and then lift up the 2nd row seat as if trying to get into the 3rd row, is there a gap where you could put something down there.

 

[cbx1047]

I too have activated the hazard lights when I did not want them on. bad location

 

[tmsoko]

Yes- you can stash items under the front panel of the load floor when the 3R seat is stored. You access this by tumbling the 2R seat out of the way.

There is also some room in the 3R seat storage well when the seat is stored. can fit a shoes or similar. Try it out.

Do not store anything (even floor mats) directly under the 3R seat when storing the seats. This will bind the latch slightly. When you go to pull up on the pull cup, you will notice. Way around this is to push down slightly on the seat when pulling latch with other hand.

Visibility with the front can be a challenge - esspecially driving up a very tight parking garage - just need to take a deep breath than hope you are clearing everything! High hood vehicles would be nice to have a front camera. I even expereince same in my Adrenalin.

 

[jackey]

Very nice over view of your first month! I am still awaiting a build date for mine.

 

[lobuzz311]

I've had my explorer for almost a month now...

Thanks for the thorough writeup. You make some great points.

I will throw in my $.02, having owned my 2011 for about 5 weeks, putting roughly 2000 miles on it.

PROS:

- The car has comfort in spades. The seats are great; very snug & supportive. The ride is very nice, especially when you take the size of the vehicle into account. The responsiveness & handling is quite impressive for an SUV.

- The practicality of the vehicle is great. I sold my 2004 F-150 Super Crew to get the Ex, so I really needed something that would meet my expectations for space & practicality. With the folding seats making an (almost) flat surface, you can really get quite a lot into the back. I picked up a 3x2x5 foot filing cabinet with no issue at all. It's never going to be as practical as a truck, with a bed that can get bashed up, but it's still a very useful vehicle.

- The lighting. I love the lighting on this vehicle. One of the coolest features, I think, are the lights that illuminate the ground / side of the vehicle from under the outside mirrors. It's a very cool touch. Inside, there is a lot of lighting (one set for each row), which is great. The dash & instrument cluster lighting is also very nice looking & bright. (The LED taillights are also quite cool!)

- The tech. There is a lot of tech on this vehicle! A lot. I could see how it could be a bit overwhelming for less tech-savvy users, but as a total geek, I really like it. As has been mentioned, there is a lot of info that is presented to you, and it's organized quite well. I love the way the right instrument panel & main touchscreen can be used in coordination. I often show the music on the main panel, and have the scaled down nav in the smaller panel next to the speedo. When in an area that I don't know very well, where the lane selection on the nav is useful, I put music on the small screen & nav on the main screen. Very cool that you can choose what you want where.

- Visibility. I find that the visibility in this vehicle is quite good. I've driven many similarly sized SUVs that I've rented for work, and many times, I had to put the rear seats down completely to see anything out of the back. I usually keep the 3rd row seats down, but keep the 2nd row & headrests up. I don't have any issues seeing what I need to. On top of that, the blind spot mirrors integrated into the exterior mirrors & the back up camera make maneuvering the vehicle a non-issue.

- The replay feature on the satellite radio is really cool. Like a DVR for the music you've heard on that station. This may also work on FM, but I don't know.

CONS:

- I find the radio / nav unit to be a bit underpowered. It stalls & lags more than I would like it to. Whether you're selecting nav destinations or browsing sources, it just is slower than I would like. It's not a deal breaker, though, as you can definitely get used to it.

- With tall drivers / front passengers, the 2nd row seats are not quite as roomy as I would like them to be. I'm sure they set them further forward than they might have without a 3rd row, but still.

- My wife has issues with her bluetooth phone connecting. It's not consistent, but she has to turn off the BT on the stereo & then back on before it will connect to her phone. It may just be her phone, though, as mine has no problems. My phone is also set as the favorite, which may have something to do with it.


All in all, I am very happy with the Ex. The few little niggles I have do not diminish the experience.

 

[JDraper]

Lobuzz..I'd pretty much agree with you. I also traded in a F-150 Supercrew (2005) for my X. I love the seat comfort, but I wish that the heated seats also heated your lower back like they did in my SCrew. Utility space is great with the seats folded down and the backup camera does a great job at helping offset the slight tunnelvision out the back.

One of the things I like the most is how stable the drive system makes the truck feel in bad weather conditions. It's very smooth transitioning power around for traction and it's very sure footed. Far better than my F-150 was or any other Explorer I've owned/driven.

My biggest complaint about the vehicle is the nagging cell phone issues with the MFT. I'm pretty sure it's a software issue that Ford will get around to resolving...sooner or later.

 

[tmsoko]

Check your heated seats again. The cushions and backs are both heated.

 

[JDraper]

Check your heated seats again. The cushions and backs are both heated.

Didn't feel like it to me or my wife. Have to check into that...

 

[sm4astan]

I should note it's the depressed versions unlike the early model builds from December. Zero problems with MFT so far.

What do you mean by depressed version. Did they change something with MFT in later builds?

 

[edge929]

What do you mean by depressed version. Did they change something with MFT in later builds?

According to another member on here (scottmfc if I remember right) said his company got some of the first ones built (for Fleet) and he also got a 2011 Explorer for personal use later. The Fleet models had the hazard button (and possibly the CD eject button too) flush/level with the rest of the dash. His personal Explorer had them recessed. I'm not sure when they made the transition though.

@Draper - my heated seats also heat up the back, though not as fast/warm as the bottom part does, XLT 202A.

 

[JDraper]

I confirmed this morning that my lower back heat does in fact work, just not nearly as fast or as hot as it was in my F-150. F-150 got nice and toasty on the back whereas the Explorer makes it warm.