Motor Trend - USA (2020-01)

SUVOTY I Contenders

Vehicle Layout XLT Front-engine, RWD, 6-pass, 4-door SUV Limited (Hybrid) Front-engine, AWD, 6-pass, 4-door SUV ST Front-engine, AWD,

6-pass, 4-door SUV Engine/Transmission XLT 2.3L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/10-speed automatic Limited (Hybrid) 3.3L DOHC 24-valve V-6 plus

permanent magnet AC elec motor/10-speed automatic ST 3.0L twin-turbo DOHC 24-valve V-6/10-speed automatic Curb Weight (F/R Dist)

XLT 4,367 lb (50/50%) Limited (Hybrid) 5,189 lb (52/48%) ST 4,860 lb (51/49%) Wheelbase 119.1 in Length x Width x Height XLT, Limited (Hybrid)

198.8 x 78.9 x 69.9 in ST 199.3 x 78.9 x 70.2 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy XLT 160/120 kW-hr/100 miles Limited (Hybrid) 147/130 kW-hr/

miles ST 187/140 kW-hr/100 miles CO2 Emissions, Comb XLT 0.82 lb/mile Limited (Hybrid) 0.80 lb/mile ST 0.96 lb/mile

SPECS 2020 Ford Explorer XLT 2020 Ford Explorer Limited (Hybrid) 2020 Ford Explorer ST

Base Price/As Tested $37,770/$43,415 $55,570/$58,570 $55,835/$59,

Power (SAE net) 300 hp @ 5,500 rpm 285 hp @ 6,500 rpm + 44 hp @ 3,500 rpm (elec); 318 hp comb 400 hp @ 5,500 rpm

Torque (SAE net) 310 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm 260 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm + 221 lb-ft @ 500 rpm (elec); 322 lb-ft comb 415 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph 6.8 sec 7.7 sec 5.3 sec

Quarter Mile 15.3 sec @ 89.6 mph 15.7 sec @ 92.0 mph 13.9 sec @ 99.9 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph 121 ft 125 ft 114 ft

Lateral Acceleration 0.81 g (avg) 0.77 g (avg) 0.85 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight 27.7 sec @ 0.64 g (avg) 28.0 sec @ 0.63 g (avg) 26.4 sec @ 0.72 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb 21/28/24 mpg 23/26/25 mpg 18/24/20 mpg

T

he Explorer’s popularity with

Americans is a testament to

all the boxes it ticks, and the

latest evolution aims to further

fit the mold of what the modern

family needs. To ensure there’s

an Explorer for everybody, Ford

of fers a powerful four-cylinder, an

efficient hybrid, and a sporty ST.

“I love the way it drives,” Evans

said. “The turbo-four is torquey

and really gets things moving.”

The ST also had its fans. “It has

some nice zip and sharp steering,”

Priddle said, though all judges

complained about difficult brake

modulation.

The Hybrid is compelling, too.

The powertrain handoff between

gas and electricity is seamless,

and when both engine and motor

work together, the Explorer is

quick and feels powerful.

Although the Explorer brings

lots to the table in terms of

packaging, with adult-friendly

second rows and a preteen-sized

third row, we’re flummoxed by the

poor quality inside. The Explorer

feels built to a price far below its

sticker, with mismatched plastics

and, on the XLT and Limited

models, exposed wires just above

the phone shelf and beneath the

infotainment screen.

Ford’s pricing structure is

disappointing. Our base XLT

stickered for $43,415 as tested, a

price where competitors will sell

you near-loaded models. Our

Hybrid Limited and ST stickered

for $58,570 and $59,520, respec-

tively, and neither had the quality

to demand such a sky-high price.

Our advice? To Ford: Step up

your quality or lower your prices.

To consumers whose boxes are

otherwise ticked by the Explorer:

Don’t pay sticker. As for us, as

Cortina said, “Is this really what

we’ve been waiting for, Ford?”

Christian Seabaugh

PRO Fun to drive • Great hybrid • Fast ST trim

CON Awful interior quality • Awfully Expensive • Awful brakes on the ST

Ford Explorer

Vehicle Layout SE 1.5T Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV SE Hybrid AWD Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV Titanium AWD 2.0T

Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV Engine/Transmission SE 1.5T 1.5L turbo DOHC 12-valve I-3/8-speed automatic SE Hybrid AWD 2.5L

Atkinson-cycle DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus elec motors/cont variable auto Titanium AWD 2.0T 2.0L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/8-speed automatic

Curb Weight (F/R Dist) SE 1.5T 3,314 lb (59/41%) SE Hybrid AWD 3,773 lb (58/42%) Titanium AWD 2.0T 3,714 lb (58/42%) Wheelbase 106.7 in Length x

Width x Height 180.5 x 74.1 x 68.6 in Energy Consumption, City/Hwy SE 1.5T 125/102 kW-hr/100 miles SE Hybrid AWD Not yet rated Titanium AWD

2.0T 147/109 kW-hr/100 miles CO2 Emissions, Comb SE 1.5T 0.66 lb/mile SE Hybrid AWD Not yet rated lb/mile Titanium AWD 2.0T 0.75 lb/mile

SPECS 2020 Ford Escape SE 1.5T 2020 Ford Escape SE Hybrid AWD Titanium AWD 2.0T

Base Price/As Tested $28,190/$28,885 $30,850/$34,840 $37,780/$39,

Power (SAE net) 181 hp @ 6,000 rpm 163 hp @ 6,250 rpm + elec motor; 221 hp comb 250 hp @ 5,500 rpm

Torque (SAE net) 190 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm 155 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm + elec motor 280 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm

Accel, 0-60 mph 8.4 sec 8.7 sec 6.9 sec

Quarter Mile 16.6 sec @ 84.5 mph 16.7 sec @ 84.7 mph 15.3 sec @ 89.3 mph

Braking, 60-0 mph 128 ft 122 ft 123 ft

Lateral Acceleration 0.78 g (avg) 0.77 g (avg) 0.76 g (avg)

MT Figure Eight 28.2 sec @ 0.62 g (avg) 28.3 sec @ 0.60 g (avg) 27.7 sec @ 0.64 g (avg)

EPA City/Hwy/Comb 27/33/30 mpg (est) Not yet rated mpg 23/31/26 mpg (est)

A

fter an interminable wait,

Ford has graced us with

a new Escape. Once a

MotorTrend favorite, the Escape

bursts back into the compact

crossover class to battle the

Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.

What makes the Escape so

intriguing is the way it doesn’t try

to ape those two sales leaders’

strategies move for move.

Three and four are the most

important Escape numbers—only

three cylinders sit under the

hood of base models, and a

startling four engine options

are available across the entire

lineup, including two hybrids.

About the turbo-three Escape:

Don’t be afraid of it. Actually,

its 181 horsepower propel it

with more authority than you’d

expect. Given its buzzy nature at

low speeds, however, we wonder

how it’ll feel at 50,000 miles

instead of just 5,000.

The Escape earns back our

respect with its tossable feel. The

crossover moves with a lightness

that reminds us of fun Fords

we’ve favored in the past. The

heavier hybrid trades a little of

that playful nature for improved

fuel economy and a quieter drive.

The biggest issues are inside.

Even giving the benefit of the

doubt to the preproduction

models we drove, Ford should

have done a better job hiding the

harder plastics. We can’t expect

Lincoln interiors at Ford prices,

but other brands make this

compromise more effectively.

Respectable though not

class-leading is where the 2020

Escape’s journey ends. Even so,

the Escape will be compelling

to buyers who can overlook

its sprinkling of issues and are

OK with a crossover that can’t

match the class leader in interior

spaciousness. Zach Gale

PRO Hybrid variants • Light and tossable • Standard safety tech

CON Buzzy three-cylinder • Cheap interior • Start button placement

Ford Escape

ST

Titanium