There was once a time when the Ford Explorer wasn’t considered a very safe car – and this happened in the first decade of its lifetime. The reason, as is with any SUV, did include the higher center-of-gravity of the car making it prone to rollovers in case of a tire blast.
However, the problem lay with the Firestone tires which were prone to blasting, even in normal driving conditions. Years later, after the Ford-Firestone partnership went down the drain, the Explorer is still a viable nameplate. So this is what you need to know about the Ford Explorer 2020 model before you go out and buy it…
10 Not Much Dearer Than The 2019 Model
Sedans, sadly, seem to be on their way out. The SUV market is booming and it is booming big time. So not only is the Ford Explorer 2020 eagerly awaited; it may soon have more than 30 new competitors entering the fray. At a $33,760 entry price, the 2020 Ford Explorer does not come cheap, but it is only slightly pricier than the 2019 model. When you look at the features and the complete package it offers for the price, it is almost a bargain. With SUVs becoming more the norm and people trading in their lavish sedans for a bigger car – the Ford Explorer 2020 seems to be off on a good start.
9 Cargo Space Is A Plus
In how many SUVs, in the under $40,000 price range, can you fit in a 4-foot-wide plywood sheet in the cargo space? Well, the Ford Explorer 2020 is certainly one of the top contenders to this question. While the boot looks comfortable enough on a simple recce, the true cargo space behind the rear seats is 18.2 cubic feet.
Fold the third-row seats, and you get 47.9 cubic feet. Fold the second-row seats, and you have a whopping 87.8 cubic feet worth of space to stuff many things into – for transport or travel. When it comes to cargo space, the Ford Explorer 2020 is far ahead of its competitors.
8 It Rides On An All-New RWD Platform
The Ford Explorer 2020 has an all-new the rear-wheel-drive platform, one that it shares with the Lincoln Aviator. This saves Ford money and also helped give the Explorer that added cabin and cargo space. The six-inch wheelbase stretch was also made possible because of the rear-wheel-drive shift since this gives a lot of freedom to car designers. The visual appeal of the Ford Explorer 2020 is undeniable and it looks far more athletic than before. Overall, consumers would find the Ford Explorer 2020 to be quite an improvement over the 2019 model and the RWD platform is applaud worthy. And did we mention better-towing capacity?
7 The Family-Feeling Car
Unlike the Ford Pinto that tended to leave you with a “warm feeling” – a tagline hurriedly removed after Pintos began to explode; Ford Explorer 2020 is all about family. So everything in it is designed to look inviting and make everyone comfortable. Consider the carpeting – it’s vinyl on the other side – so in case you need to haul in some dirty kids, feel free to turn the carpet over.
Cup holders are also juice holders, and there is an iPad/tablet holder in the center. The second-row seats are powered, as is the liftgate. Plus there are four USB ports, three 12-volt outlets, and one 110-volt the outlet in the rear to keep everyone entertained in their own right and style.
6 The Ford Co-Pilot 360 Is Standard Interface
Ever since a few safety debacles from the 70s to the 90s, Ford has become as safety-minded as possible. Today, it tries to integrate every car it has, even the base models, with the best safety tech it can make. The Ford Explorer 2020 comes with the Ford CoPilot 360 safety suit as a standard fixture, starting from the base model itself. With a blind-spot monitor, cross-traffic alerts, lane assist, automatic high/low beam headlights, pedestrian alerts as well as automatic braking for forward-facing collisions – the Ford CoPilot 360 is as safe as they come. Plus there are the add-ons like adaptive cruise control, automatic rear braking systems as well as the Active Park Assist.
5 A Roomy Cabin Space
So sure, the driver and the shotgun passenger usually has enough space to fit in a small elephant in front when it comes to mid-size SUVs in the American market. That said, many roomy second-seat SUVs tend to leave just a rat’s ass space in the back – the much-dreaded third row.
For anyone eyeing the Ford Explorer 2020, there’s all the more reason to celebrate. It has the best in class headroom for passengers in the second row, as well as the third row. And the legroom isn’t all the bad either. So the third row does not have to be relegated to the midgets of the family – the taller ones can fit in rather comfortably too.
4 Remember the Towing Capacity?
The Ford Explorer 2020 can tow a hell of a lot more than its 2019 sibling. The 2019 Ford Explorer with a four-cylinder turbocharged power mill could tow a respectable 3,000 pounds. The Ford Explorer 2020’s 2.3-liter EcoBoost model took this towing capacity up to 5,000 pounds. That a massive improvement, and then some. Of course, go for the Ford Explorer 2020 Platinum trim and the towing capacity goes further up to 5,600 pounds. So that’s nearly double to what the 2019 Ford Explorer could tow. Massive improvement for a very little price hike.
3 Gadget Happy Paradise
Gone are the days when a family trip included everyone singing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” at the top of their lungs, and as off-key as possible. Today everyone is hooked to their gadgets, with headphones firmly atop their heads – lost to their own devices. Save for the driver, and the person sitting shotgun, mostly everyone in the car carries their electronic world with them.
Rather thoughtfully, Ford’s 4G modem can connect 10 devices, at a single time, to the Internet – with the Wi-Fi emitting a 50-foot radius signal. With everyone hooked to their poison, the driver can get the road trip on in blessed peace, especially if the Ford Explorer 2020 is loaded with kids.
2 Happiness For The Driver Too
Of course, the Ford Explorer 2020 tries to make everyone happy, so how can it forget the driver? The digital gauge cluster has preset displays that change with the driving mode. So if you are driving the Sport mode, the gauge gets bathed in red lighting but if it’s the Mud/Rut mode, you get to see the angle of the nose displayed in front of you. While the standard Ford Co-Pilot 360 keeps you safe and sound, choosing to get the Active Park Assist is also a good idea since it takes the headache off of you. All you need to do is slow down, and then hit the parking assist button. The assistant will look for a viable parking space and steer and pedal the Ford Explorer 2020 in whilst you look on bemusedly.
1 A Blast To Drive
The Ford Explorer 2020 ST trim gets a 3.3-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost engine – the same as seen and felt in the Lincoln Continental. It makes 415 ft-lb torque here, as well as a neat 400 horses. Now while the Ford Explorer 2020 is a mid-sized SUV perfect for a big family, floor the pedal and you’ll forget the third row in the back. The retuned exhaust gives one powerful growl, and the car jets forward with intense intent with the paddle shifters for the 10-speed automatic doing all the hard work needed. With all the room in the world, the Ford Explorer 2020 does not scrimp on power; making it one of the top contenders in the SUV car bazaar of 2020.