What is up with Motor Trend?

[LincolnAviFan]

-The V6 is a dog, zero get up and go……shockingly underpowered for such a vehicle.

I never heard ANYBODY complaining about that before..

 

[JFUSION]

I never heard ANYBODY complaining about that before..

I thought I seen a 0-60 time of 7.5 seconds posted for the v6 Explorer , correct me if Im wrong. There a lot of sport compact cars out there running slower than that. It feels adequately powered IMO, I wasnt looking for a hemi-powered v8 SUV so I got more than I was expecting.

 

[JFUSION]

Ok……not sure why this has become a discussion about the country’s financial crisis and who took stimulus money. This should be about why this vehicle is getting such poor ratings from MT and other media outlets for that matter.

I can only tell you my story and thoughts on our two week old Ex limited with 302a. Let me preface my comments by stating that I wish I had listened to my gut on the way to the dealership when we leased this vehicle……and thank god we only leased it. I would not have allowed my wife to purchase this vehicle based on my research. I even told her on the way to the dealership that it was not too late to change her mind. But like so many persons that only act on heart and what their eyes see……she insisted on getting it.

So my two week observations support the disappointment reflected in the MT piece.

-The V6 is a dog, zero get up and go……shockingly underpowered for such a vehicle. And the ***** of it all is that I can’t hit 17 mpg in mixed use easy driving. Neither my wife and I are lead foots.

-The plastic pillar pieces are a disaster. How could they make such design mistake? I don’t care how careful one is with their vehicle….they will scratch….PERIOD!!!!

-Fit and finish…..the rear tailgate does not align properly. And as it has been well documented I’m far from the only one. The black plastic around the lower portion of the entire vehicle is a cheap out. Fortunately our Ex is black and hides it for the most part.

-Rain noise……are you kidding me Ford. Did you not test for this. Nor did you obviously correct the known problem from 2011 to 2012. it sounds like we’re getting pelted by thousands of tin cans during a rain storm.

-The interior is nice enough, however I would like to understand how the vehicle is so roomy that I can’t rest my arm on the window (I’m 6’3”) but my right knee gets pushed against the hard edge of the center consol causing a constant annoying discomfort. Should be a blast on our 3+ hour road trips to Disney World.

-It must also be worst in class leg room for the 2nd row passenger behind the driver with driver seat all the way back. To my surprise and dismay there is less room here then in the Mazda CX9 we sold to get the Ex.

-Safety……The one cool thing that works great. I truly dig the blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, cross path warning and all the other safety features…..BRAVO on this aspect Ford. Its one thing you got right and seems to work.

-“IVT”…….how on gods earth can there not be a TPMS status in the vehicle monitoring system? How can other less expensive and tech inferior vehicles from other car companies have this and not the Ex? This includes other info like oil pressure and temp, tranny temp, etc. etc. etc.

-“MFT”……so cool and yet so upsetting. I’m not going to rant further and get my blood pressure up but it went nuts on us less then 2 days after taking delivery and has been unstable ever since.

So listen, here’s the deal. My wife loves the car, this is what she wanted and she got it. She has convinced herself that the tin can, I mean rain noise is just fine and that the Bluetooth phone wind tunnel noise is completely normal. She also has me to pull the battery every couple days to reset MFT. I will do my best to put on a smile for her sake for the next three years until we can get rid of it. And just for the die hard “I bleed Ford Blue” guys out there……this is not my first Ford and may very well not be my last. My 2003 F-150 may be the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. But I can’t convince myself to love this thing I’m stuck with.

Sorry…….but MT pretty much got it right. In fact, I wish I listened and convinced my wife to get the Durango.

You definitely bought the wrong vehicle, try not to be too hard on your wife over the life of the lease as that could make for one rough relationship. I hope some of the rough points smooth out for you over time and it remains a reliable vehicle, time will tell. Good luck.

 

[njafish]

Not hard on my wife.....i'm hard on me, and my feelings for Ford. I can see where i come off as a bitter guy with buyers remorse. Disappointed is a better descriptive. The vehicle is nice......but not at all what the $46k price tag and tech promises suggest it to be.

 

[bluelion]

i will say that this weekend i had an epsiode with the navigation. it totally froze up on me then went black....all this happened on our way out to go outta town....the first time i actually needed the nav, it blacked out....i was UPSET. but then it started working a couple miles down the road.... then i had to deal with a pillar rattle the whole way.....although the only thing i've really experienced is the A pillar rattle, i would have to agree that a vehicle in this price range should not be having these minor issues (rattles,alignment,etc.)

on our roadtrip this weekend, i made the comment to my wife.... "the next vehicle i buy is going to be a high end vehicle (lexus,MB, BMW)...i'm tired of buying what i THINK is a nice car, only to be annoyed by interior rattles. "

i still love the styling of the explorer over anything else and i'm still willing and happy to overlook the minor stuff. AS LONG AS IT GETS FIXED.

 

[maerlim]

Sorry…….but MT pretty much got it right. In fact, I wish I listened and convinced my wife to get the Durango.

Out of curiosity, what does the Durango have over the Explorer? And don't compare the Hemi Durango to the Explorer. I mean V6 Durango vs V6 Explorer.

 

[fifthranger]

Ok……not sure why this has become a discussion about the country’s financial crisis and who took stimulus money. This should be about why this vehicle is getting such poor ratings from MT and other media outlets for that matter.

We got a little off track, sorrry, and I am not much into MT. I think they feature what they want, and sometimes they get disappointed in their findings that they over emphasize some bad points. You have the vehicle for three years, so take it to the dealer and politely tell them to fix the problems. It is unfortunate, but anything mass produced can have issues. Most owners seem to be experiencing s/w problems. Also, there is a consensus of never getting a vehicle the 1st year of production or redesign. I don't know if there is much else as far as solutions go since you seem to have done your homework.

 

[njafish]

Out of curiosity, what does the Durango have over the Explorer? And don't compare the Hemi Durango to the Explorer. I mean V6 Durango vs V6 Explorer.

relax everyone.....don't get your panties in a bunch cause i suggested i should have got the Durango. It's not like i wanted to get a $46k vehicle that has issues.....lots of issues.

And to answer your question.....apples to apples the Ex should do more and be more advanced then the Durango. one problem the Ex is failing to deliver. Just look at all the posts with one issue after another.

Take a look at this garbage http://www.autoobserver.com/2011/09/ford-reboots-myford-touch.html I found it on another thread. Now Ford is blaming us the user for it's MFT problems.

hey listen folks.....i want to like my Ex. i want all of you to like your Ex's too. problem is i'm not one to stick my head in the sand and pretend all is just dandy.

 

[jkintn]

I share much of the same feelings as bluelion and njafish. I dealt with some issues at delivery that were fully problems with the dealership. Ford refused to help me out with the situation but in the end it was really a dealership issue. That episode got me started on the wrong foot.

My love/hate relationship with the Explorer grew this past week while on a 1400 mile round trip. First - gas mileage. The trip was relatively flat and cruising between 72-75 mph. I have a 4WD and achieved 21.5 mpg on the way there and 20.4 mpg on the way back. Pretty disappointing. My father has a 2WD and achieved 25.5 mpg roundtrip. He was probably more in the 65-70 mph range though. I also got my first taste of the a-pillar rattle/windshield whistle noises. It drove me crazy listening to that on such a long drive. The sound would come and go (I think depending on crosswinds). I dread taking it to the dealer for further repair.

Nav is very slow at startup (much slower than my Honda) so you have to sit for 3-4 minutes after startup before driving off if you need the Nav.

The audio should only change sources when I tell it to change. I was using radio/Sirius and would occasionally plug iphone into USB to charge it. The radio would then start playing music from phone, not keep the source. I understand why that could occur but I prefer to carry one USB cable that can charge my phone and not an extra cigarette charger.

Overall, the vehicle drives great and would be extremely quiet if not for the windshield/a-pillar noises. I also don't like that the armrest isn't usable for the driver.

Interior storage sucks (console, cupholders, etc) for a vehicle of this size (Honda is much more ergonomic). I also agree that 2nd row leg room is small for this size vehicle.

Enough ranting...guess I'm stuck with it for a while.

 

[maerlim]

And to answer your question.....apples to apples the Ex should do more and be more advanced then the Durango. one problem the Ex is failing to deliver. Just look at all the posts with one issue after another.

Take a look at this garbage http://www.autoobserver.com/2011/09/ford-reboots-myford-touch.html I found it on another thread. Now Ford is blaming us the user for it's MFT problems.

Snipped a little. My panties aren't in a bunch. I haven't made my purchase yet and it was an honest question. On paper, and in my test drives, the Ex beat the Durango. But I'm not considering the Hemi Durango due to gas mileage. I don't need 0-60 time, I need a people mover and a go-to-work vehicle. I may even go for the Ecoboost.

And for that link, working in technology myself, I can see (to some extent) where Ford is coming from. Yeah MFT has some pretty glaring issues, but from what I've read on this forum and in that article, it looks like Ford is aware and they're working on it. I can't really ask any more than that.

If I'm missing something, please tell me.

 

[LincolnAviFan]

on our roadtrip this weekend, i made the comment to my wife.... "the next vehicle i buy is going to be a high end vehicle (lexus,MB, BMW)...

If you think that spending big $$ on those luxury-brands can be considered as some kind of "insurance" for quality-issues, I'm sorry I have to burst that bubble.

The most effective rule in that regards is "stay away from a car during its first two MYs". During that time, you are going to be the testing-slave for the manufacturer - and even worse, you have to pay for it.

BMW had their "MFT-issue" as well - they just called it "iDrive" and it happened on the introduction on a $100K-car - so I doubt these owners were much happier.

I really like the Explorer - and I think it will be a great vehicle when I'm going to purchase it - a MY2014.

 

[LincolnAviFan]

Interior storage sucks (console, cupholders, etc) for a vehicle of this size (Honda is much more ergonomic). I also agree that 2nd row leg room is small for this size vehicle.

Well, THAT is something you could have noticed before purchasing, right?

 

[njafish]

Snipped a little. My panties aren't in a bunch. I haven't made my purchase yet and it was an honest question. On paper, and in my test drives, the Ex beat the Durango. But I'm not considering the Hemi Durango due to gas mileage. I don't need 0-60 time, I need a people mover and a go-to-work vehicle. I may even go for the Ecoboost.

And for that link, working in technology myself, I can see (to some extent) where Ford is coming from. Yeah MFT has some pretty glaring issues, but from what I've read on this forum and in that article, it looks like Ford is aware and they're working on it. I can't really ask any more than that.

If I'm missing something, please tell me.

I'm just in a pissy mood i guess.....and the panties remark was for the masses. guess what, the Ex beat the D in our personal tests as well. I just didnt figure on having to reset MFT by pulling the battery cables every couple days. i could go on and on but that will serve no good.

with any luck most of our issues will disipate and i'll enjoy the truck.

 

[maerlim]

I'm just in a pissy mood i guess.....and the panties remark was for the masses. guess what, the Ex beat the D in our personal tests as well. I just didnt figure on having to reset MFT by pulling the battery cables every couple days. i could go on and on but that will serve no good.

with any luck most of our issues will disipate and i'll enjoy the truck.

Didn't Rebecca post a method for rebooting MFT by putting a SIRIUS voice command update program on a USB stick? This will let you reboot it without going through the process of pulling the battery.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2821415&postcount=18

 

[njafish]

our Ex was at the dealship last week and has all the updates. furthermore, all South Florida Ford dealerships share a Ford factory trained tech whose sole responsibility is to work on MFT issues. he roves from dealer to dealer on a daily basis and is considered a guru. he worked on our Ex and gave me his cell phone with instructions to never pull any fuses or update the vehicle myself.

he told me to call him when an issue arises and we would discuss what to do. he did however tell me that a battery reset was ok. No disrespect to Rebecca or any other online IVT rep but i'm going to listen to this guy.

what i am hoping for more then anything is that "the secret hush hush magical fix" is a reality and coming in january as promissed. at the end of the day all i want is for MFT to work and be stable......i can deal with the rest of the crap for 3 years.

 

[gdecamp]

njafish....you are right! Pulling the fuse is no way to correct anything unless you are stuck on the freeway somewhere with no other way to do it. Bring it back to the dealer, log in your problem so you have a history file just in case Ford does not step up to the plate and fix this for all of us! Lets all hope that Ford stops this "super secret" crapola and tells us what is going on.

 

[gman123]

For the price, this was the best quality SUV that I could find.
I did not want to exceed 35k.

If price were not an option, would have splurged for the Audi Q7 or BMW X5.
But none of the GMs' or Toyotas' had the bang for the buck that Ford offers.
Also, Mazda has left a really sour taste in my mouth...with the whole RX8 fiasco in 2003.

I also considered the Subaru Tribeca, but prefer the looks of the Explorer.

 

[jimjim15]

I haven't had any of the issues discussed in this thread.

1) My navigation boots up within about 6 or 7 seconds after the car starts. There's essentially no waiting.
2) I've had the Ex for about a month now, and I've had 1 crash ... even then it rebooted perfectly within about a minute. That's better than most computers I own. My cell phone crashes more often than that.
3) No rattle to report.
4) Navigation has gotten me exactly where I'm going the several dozen times I've used it. I've input the address through the touch-screen as well as verbally multiple times.
5) In fact, voice recognition has been great, and it recognizes basically everything I say on the first or second shot. At this point, any time I want to switch sources, I do it verbally. Any time I want to enter an address into the nav, I do it verbally. Any time I want to make a phone call, I do it verbally. It's as good for me as any other voice recognition software I've used, and I dictate a lot.
6) Once, I had an issue with the Nav thinking I was about 100 feet north of where I actually was a couple of times, but it self-corrected after less than a mile.

I come from an Acadia with navigation, second row captain's chairs, dvd entertainment system, etc. There are no words for how much better this vehicle is than my old Acadia.

 

[chimoman]

Capt Ahole FANBOY here,
Let me reiterate the fact that the only reason 99% of the people on here... are on here because the vehicle doesn't work properly. Yes MFT is a problem for some. Mine works like a charm. Haven't really had any problems with it at all. I have 3 buddies with the vehicle and they also have minimal problems. Go to the dealer and get it fixed. Do it right now. Document it. Send an email and get a response via email. That way you have an electronic copy of your complaints. GO to the dealer and have them input in the notes section all the problems you are having. I bug the **** out of my dealer when I have a problem. As you all know I'm annoying on here. Imagine how annoying I am in person and when I have a vested interest in something. Squeaky wheel gets the oil. Vehicles will have problems, there is no doubt about that. (Canadians will read that as NO dooobt abooot it.) I'm gonna take a video of my MY FORD TOUCH and show you what you can have when you get it fixed. Remember, most dealers are swindlers and will take your money or save money anyway they can. Don't take the first answer they give as gospel. I have had them say no everytime I have gone to see them. In the end and with some research they end up saying yes, apologizing and giving me free ****.

Cheers,

Capt Ahole FANBOY Chimoboy,

 

[gdecamp]

jimjim15...glad you have no issues!!! I didn't have a single problem for 3 months until the MFT took on a life of it's own now even my radio comes on when I shut the car OFF and everything powers down! That said the rest of the truck is pretty darn good....we really enjoy the ride. For the price we paid for the MFT, NAV, etc they should treat us better and tell us what is going on. Even my dealership said it is in Fords hands but they "heard" a fix might come in January. That is no way to treat your dealers or customers. The gal doing the appointments at the dealership said "everyone has the same issues" I didn't even have to tell her what was wrong....I know not everyone but I guess she is sick of hearing it too. I hope motor trend reads this forum the more press it gets the better!!

I hope you continue to have ZERO issues!!!!