went for a ride

[tabezic]

well,

my uncle got 5th gen ex a few weeks ago and its.... well... a car...i went for a ride and its quiet as hell. its actualy kinda quick but the interior is amazing. it very nice. i wouldnt take it off roading but thats what a uni-body does. any other ????? andi will try to answer

 

[edge929]

You went for a ride a few weeks ago? So that would imply they should be showing up on dealer lots soon or is your uncle a special case (dealer, ford employee, etc)?

I ordered one early September and the dealer didn't have an exact time frame, estimating late November, early December. I live in the biggest city in the state and we have 4 Ford dealerships within a 50 mile radius. I ended up ordering from the 3rd biggest one, not sure if that matters.

Questions:
How does one get to the third row of seats? Does one of the 2nd row seats slide forward? All of them?
Are the third row seats removable?
Any impressions of MyFord Touch/Sync?
Uncle mention gas mileage so far?

Please and thanks.

I settled on the 2011 model instead of the 2010 because I have 1) never been off-roading and 2) never plan to go off-roading. I'm not hardcore like most on this forum. Just a poser

 

[IZwack]

i went for a ride and its quiet as hell.

I think that's true for all new vehicles (new bushings, shocks, etc..) - you have to wait a few years for the rattling to show up.

 

[Joe Dirt]

lol!

 

[willied]

I think that's true for all new vehicles (new bushings, shocks, etc..) - you have to wait a few years for the rattling to show up.

My Explorer is 5 years old and it doesn't rattle...

 

[tabezic]

edge929,

to answer all ur questions..

if i recall correctly the second row seats flip up like the past explorers.

the third row seats fold flat into the ground and the trunk is actualy quite spacious with the seats up or down.

the myford touch and sync are both options on the xlt and standard on the higher models.

and for gas milage.. thats what he was testing, so there isnt a definate answer for that yet.

any other questions... let me know!!!

 

[erinb]

OK, so not off-roading... but what about snow? I don't know if the plows leave massive snow mountains in front of driveways in Michigan like they do here, but I never had to shovel with an Explorer. I could turn on the 4x4 and (with about 5 feet between myself and the snow pile) just rev up and bash into the snow pile a couple of times until I knocked it down or made it through. Neck injuries are a drag... unless you have an Explorer

So, do you think the new one will be able to pull that off? (cuz if it can't, it's not worth it to me)

 

[edge929]

Maybe when my 2011 is 10+ years old I'll try "bashing" into miscellaneous snow drifts, iced-over or not. I mainly bought the Ex for the utility and driving in inclement weather here in Iowa (read: snow) so I'm curious to it's snow-mode performance as well.

It all comes down to traction. I think any engine available in the Ex will supply the necessary power, it's just a question of "can it sustain traction through said snow bank?" If the area of coverage of the entire snow bank pressing against the front bumper/undercarriage is more than the available traction, then it's a losing battle.

I still plan on shoveling or snow-blowing if it's 1 foot deep or higher

 

[Joe Dirt]

Easy answer- yes. If you can maintain traction, road clearance, and power, you can go through the same things you did before. The new Ex has 8.2 inches of ground clearance. The 2010 has 8.3 so you're fine there. More power, and traction will be fine, so you're golden for snow pushing.

 

[edge929]

Joe, why does the Ford website show "Minimum Running Ground Clearance" at 7.6 inches then? Where is 8.2 coming from? Ford Specs Link

I saw a youtube video (one of the Extreme Home Makeover videos) where the Ford rep said the 2010 had 8.2 and the 2011 is 8.3. I'm more inclined to believe you. Video Link

 

[Joe Dirt]

It's interesting- I'm finding specs all over from 7.6 to 8.3 now.

I see 8.2 for the '11 vs. 8.3 on the '10 HERE

The Ford site says 7.6

I think it comes from standard wheels vs. upgrades I think... I'll have to check with the Ford crew...

 

[erinb]

edge929 has me LOL

The way edge said it was hilarious, but not what I meant. The snow-plow always seems to drive by right as I'm getting ready to pull out, so it leaves a 2ft-3ft snow drift blocking my driveway from the street. (I'm 5ft, so 2ft is a mountain to me. lol) That's what I put the 4x4 on to plow over; Not a full size snowdrift! (5ft+) And I can't do this with my current vehicle. (PT cruiser ) I've got a lead on a 99 Explorer for less than $1k; sent them a message and hoping they'll sell me a keeper.

 

[2TimingTom]

With the proper tires, any vehicle can go just about anywhere.

The new interior does look awesome.

Slightly off-topic: Over Thanksgiving, I got the chance to drive my brother inlaw's new Equinox (I have a 2004 Saturn VUE, so the Equinox is practically the same thing). It has about 12,000 miles on it. The interior on the new Equinox is leaps and bounds beyond my VUE's- but it still had that "new car smell" and to be quite honest, it was strong and making me sorta sick. The fit and finish was exceptional on the Equinox. In the VUE, there is no illusion that this was an $18,000 SUV when new. And cruising at highway speeds in the Equinox on a smooth road is nearly silent- the VUE....... road noise is always present. And then there are subtle touches in the Equinox like the dim ambient lighting that seem to really class up the interior at night.

My point is- I don't think it's just the "new-ness" of the new vehicle. I think new vehicles really are just built better and have more insulation.

I may swing by a dealership when they start arriving just to check it out in person. But with 2 kids in pre-school..... I'll wait it out and let them depreciate a little before I consider purchasing myself.

 

[ranger7ltr]

How wide is the cargo area? Has anyone seen the 2011 Explorer commercial?

I don't usually off road but I use my Ex to carry building materials...Lots of lumber, sheets of osb, plywood, and drywall...While the height is not a real problem the width would need to be at least 48" for me to want to consider one...

Plus I do pull a trailer sometimes and I just saw a commercial for the new Ex and the little trailer it was pulling made me think its capacity of towing is a little suspect...What is the trailer capacity of this unit?

 

[Mishtar]

According to the Ford.com site it is 5000Lbs. Not sure if that is for only the 4x4 or the Front wheel drive as well.

 

[edge929]

YouTube video of the Explorer towing it's rated 5000 lbs (with the trailer tow package). Double axle trailer towing lots of dollar bills.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Ok, I LOL'd when the guy dropped the clipboard and ran...

Great video!

The way I see it- up to 5k is a good number. If you need to tow more, like a 28'+ salmon fishing boat you can most likely afford the gas for the Expedition...