Ford Explorer test drive since 2010 SUV
Test drive Ford Explorer: digital time
The new Ford Explorer has become a real revolution of the model. The SUV at once lost the V8 frame and engines, but added to controllability and seriously increased the arsenal of onboard electronics.
Back in the recent 90s, in the plots of films about the future, flying machines with automatic control flashed now and then and people walked. But in the yard 2013, from robots in apartments there are only self -propelled vacuum cleaners, and only planes can be seen on the runways.
Despite the fact that the expectations of the scriptwriters did not materialize and the cars were not taught to fly, they already go very quickly, and in reality, electronics can easily argue with the spaceships of those times.
Time and progress change everything. What took their cars in the 90s is no longer relevant, and the requirements of the modern driver are now completely different. Here in front of me is the fifth generation of the Ford Explorer crossover. Who has not heard this name? About twenty years ago, it meant the real legend of America. The frame design, powerful 6 and 8 cylinder engines, excellent cross-country ability-both police sheriffs and farmers of the eastern coast were dissected at the explorer.
Last but not least, the new design owes a stylish front and rear optics. Traditionally, for the American SUV, Ford has large rear view mirrors with an excellent review. The tire profile is sufficient so as not to be afraid to damage 18-inch discs.
Four generations and almost a 20-year story greatly changed the explorer, but kept his spirit and recognition. Until 2010, when Ford was forced to reconsider the values. Now the price is placed at the chapter, efficiency, comfort in the cabin and electronic lotions.
As a result, the common between the fourth and fifth generation Ford Explorer is only the name. Ford lost its frame structure and lowering gear, and mighty 8-cylinder engines disappeared from the table of technical characteristics. In exchange for new forms, the supporting body is offered, and in the Explorer base it is equipped with a front -wheel drive and a four -cylinder turbo engine. Only all-wheel drive machines with an atmospheric V6 with a volume of 3.5-liter and a six-speed automatic machine are brought to Russia.
The interior is good, the plastic is almost everywhere soft, the fitting of the parts is on top. You can find fault with a large clearance between the casing of the front doors and the front panel.
The radical change in design did not take the main thing: outside the Ford Explorer, as before, is respect. Seeing in the rear -view mirror a massive front end with a large radiator grille, stylish headlights and a high hood line, the passages immediately squint to the right. It is only a pity that with such a low front bumper skirt, it is better to modify off -road ambitions, because in geometry the American has a deuce. Of course, the bumper can withstand clashes with a low border or snowdrift, but you should not count on more.
The front seats are moderately soft with large adjustment ranges. Planting in Ford is in European, but the seats do not have enough side support. In the top, the seats are equipped with heating and ventilation.
I open the door. And when trying to step over the high threshold, I immediately stain my pants. Yes, additional steps here obviously will not hurt. If you do not pay attention to dubbing a speedometer marking in miles, now in the passage salon there is not a hint of Americanization. Before the eyes of European, a chubby steering wheel strewn with keys, and a semi-electronic panel of devices. Only a speedometer is analogue here, the remaining indicators are displayed on two colored screens united by the Myford Touch system with the central display at the head.
Not bad and landing. The front chair is lowered in light low, and the steering column is adjusted in two planes. The pillow of the front chair is long, the profile is good, but there is still not enough lateral support. But in the top configuration there are electroregulations in 10 directions, heating and ventilation.
The second row of seats can not be called cramped, but there is no great room here.
The spacious interior of the explorer - as a solid cabinet of the middle hand manager: the assembly is high -quality, the plastic is almost everywhere soft, there are wood inserts. But you will not find luxury here, and there were no flaws without flaws. Between the cladding of the front doors and the torpedo gap with the thickness of the little finger, and to turn on the turnover, you need to pull the steering wheel lever with such force, you will look off.
There are enough places behind, but no more. For passengers, a separate block of climate control and a couple of sockets is provided. There is an adjustment of inclination of the back, but in the longitudinal direction the rear sofa does not go. But on the gallery, by the standards of the third row, it is spacious. Compact passengers here will easily endure even a long road.
Even with raised seats of the third row, the volume of the Ford Explorer trunk is greater than that of the average golf-class hatchback. By the way, the gallery itself is one of the most spacious in the classroom. If you fold both the rear rows, then Explorer turns into a real truck.
The trunk is large. Even with the third row, its volume is 595 liters, which is more than the average golf-class hechtbek. If the rear seats are folded, then the volume of space grows to the impressive 1240 liters, and if you remove the second row, the Ford Explorer turns into a real truck that contains almost 2.3 cubic meters of cargo.
The dies on the central screen of the Multimedia system Myford Touch are small. To get into the seats or the desired radio station, you need to aim and be distracted from the road. The keys and joysticks on the steering wheel, on the contrary, are comfortable and understandable. The rear passengers have their own climate unit.
Basin V6 Cyclon families with a capacity of 294 liters. With. And the maximum torque of 346 nm cuts from the shoulder, giving out powerful acceleration. If you start from the place, drowning the gas pedal to the floor, Ford really pleases with remarkable dynamics. Somewhere after 100 km/h, on acceleration to which Explorer spends a little more than 9 seconds, hot ardor begins to subside, and every extra ten km/h is given to the SUV more complicated and more complicated.
The Ford Explorer highway is a real cruiser. For a car -oriented car, Ford Explorer is also very good.
The main culprit can be considered a six -speed machine, which is clearly configured for imposing style. Switching occurs smoothly, but when before overtaking you need to drop one, or even two, steps, the transmission is dumb. Theoretically, this problem can be solved by translating the box into a manual mode, but to use the manual speed of speeds located directly on the selector.
Around the arrow speedometer on the tidy of the explorer, as many as two LCDs, with which you can control almost all car systems, including climate control. This is not very superfluous especially because it is not convenient to use small touch control keys in the climate control. The washer of the Terran Management 4wd System is now responsible for off -road affairs.
For off-road traffic, the Terran Management 4WD System, which is similar to Terran Response, is now responsible for the off-road movement. Using a special washer, you choose one of the four modes (dirt/track, snow/grass, sand and track), and forward. No troubles with an independent locking of the coupling or turning on the lowering. Everything is automatically.
On a flat road, Ford Explorer rides, as befits a true American. Real cruiser! There is a small swing and tangible rolls in corners, but the level of comfort is at a height, and with the noise of Ford, everything is fine. Neither you are aerodynamic swirls from large burdocks of external mirrors, nor a hum from tires. In zero, the steering wheel is expectedly empty, but in the bend of the SUV, the SUV is pleasantly surprised by a good feedback and good, juicy effort.
The commission of off -road exploits is interfered with a low front bumper skirt. Now most customers are more important than brutal appearance and economy, and the characteristics of patency are fading into the background. Hence the rejection of the frame design and engines V8.
Already in the base of Limited, the car is equipped with everything you need, including the Myford Touch multimedia system on the Windows CE platform, perhaps the most contradictory system of the new explorer. Due to tiny badges, it is inconvenient to use the 8-inch screen, and it is simply impossible to get along the small sensory keys of the climate installation, without being distracted from the road. It is good at least that the temperature can be controlled using the menu called on the instrument panel.
But the functionality of Myford Touch is endowed with the full program. There is also the opportunity to create a Wi-Fi access point, and in the future there will be direct Internet access. Already now, in the American market, explorer's owners can lay a step -by -step route, learn about the weather, the results of sports competitions, or, for example, find the restaurant address. For us, Myford Touch is, first of all, an advanced gadget with a mass of unsupported functions and a rather controversial interface.
In Russia, Ford Explorer is available only with a 294-horsepower V6 engine and all-wheel drive. The initial price is 2,078,000 rubles.
In general, Ford Explorer turned out to be a good car with a successful design, good equipment and a high level of comfort with a good, albeit a little Americanized handling. As for the price, those 2,078,000 rubles that are asked for the basic Explorer are quite similar to the closest competitors of Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Ford Explorer V 3.5 AT characteristics
common data
Year of release 2010
Body SUV
Number of doors/places 5/7
Dynamics
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h, coek
Maximum speed, km/h
Dimensions and mass
Dimensions, mm 500620041803
Equipped car mass, kg 2130
Permissible weight, kg no data
Wheel base, mm 2860
Road clearance, mm 211
The volume of the trunk minimum/maximum, l 595/2285
Engine
The type of engine V-shaped
Power distributed injection
There is no data on the presence of a boost
The location of the engine is no data
Engine volume, cm3 3497
The number of valves is 4
Maximum power 294 hp at 6500 rpm
Maximum torque 346 Nm at 4000 rpm
Transmission
Type of transmission automatic transmission
Front drive with a seal. rear
Suspension
Front handle is independent, spring, such as mcpherson
The rear suspension is independent, spring, multi -link
Front brakes disk, ventilated
The rear brakes are disk
Tires, discs
Front tires 245/60R18
Rear tires 245/60r18
Front discs no data
Rear discs no data
Fuel, consumption
City fuel consumption/suburban/mixed, l 13.8/10.3/12.4
Type of fuel gasoline AI-92
Fuel tank capacity, l 85
Source: Carclub.ru
