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2011 Ford Explorer in Manchester

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The all-new Ford Explorer has been totally redesigned and re-engineered for the 2011 model year.  The dramatic changes start with the structure - the strongest, lightest one yet, thanks to high tech materials and advanced forming technology. To help you handle everything from rugged off-roading to snow-covered roadways, there's the available Intelligent 4WD System and available class-exclusive Terrain Management System. Explorer offers up to seven-passenger seating capacity and seats that fold down for cargo space on demand - up to 80.7 cubic feet of space. Suspension is all-independent and steering electrically assisted, the latter partially responsible for the latest electronic stability control. Ford claims the Audi Q7 and BMW X5 were the ride-and-handling benchmarks, a lofty claim given relative pricing. The new Explorer also gets the first inflatable seatbelts in the second row seats; these provide five times the contact area to lessen a body's strain when the belts are called upon in a collision. The 2011 Explorer is now a crossover, based on the same type of structure as many large Ford and Lincoln cars.  Antilock brakes, side curtain airbags and an electronic stability system with Ford's Roll Stability Control are standard. The stability system employs Ford's new Curve Control, which aims to cut speed should a driver head too fast into a corner. Loosely based on the Explorer America Concept revealed at the January 2008 Detroit auto show, the 2011 Explorer is now available.

Powering the 2011 Ford Explorer

The standard 3.5L TiVCT V6 engine in Explorer provides best-in-class three row mid-sized SUV highway mpg while delivering an impressive 290 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft of torque. That means you have the power for merging, accelerating and pulling a trailer. A turbocharged four-cylinder 2-liter EcoBoost engine is optional on front-wheel-drive models that rates about 235 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. While it makes as much torque as the 3.5 V6 (and outgoing 4.0 V6) the primary aim of the EcoBoost four-cylinder engine is fuel economy. Ford expects a 30 percent increase from the 2010 Explorer. Explorer features easy-to-use, shift-on-the-fly Intelligent 4WD System on the 2011 Explorer helps provide sure-footed traction. Intelligent 4WD is fully automatic, instantly delivering traction to the wheels with the most traction when wheelslip is detected. Working in concert with the 4WD System is the class-exclusive Terrain Management System, which allows you to easily shift on the fly into one of four settings to match the terrain you're driving in. Take your pick of Normal, Mud/Ruts, Sand or Grass/Gravel/Snow. The 4WD System also includes new Hill Descent Control, which makes tackling off-road downhills much easier. Just push a button, tap your brakes and Explorer will maintain a steady speed on its own, letting you concentrate on steering. On top of these features, the Intelligent 4WD System in Explorer weighs less than traditional 4WD systems.

New Ford Explorer Design

The 2011 Explorer looks a cross between traditional Explorer and contemporary Edge. The upcoming Explorer has a smaller window area than the previous version to imply strength through sheetmetal, and its enduring black rear pillar make the roof appear cantilevered. Ford's familiar styling touches abound, and LED tail lamps add flair. Thanks to advanced high-tech materials and assembly processes, the structure in the 2011 Explorer is both lightweight and strong. For starters, the A- and B-Pillars are constructed of high-strength boron steel for greatly increased roof crush strength. The front-end support structure features first-in-class technology, constructed using a lightweight composite, which matches the lateral stiffness of magnesium while reducing weight. Styled similarly to the new Edge, the Explorer measures a few inches longer but much wider up more than 5 inches than its predecessor. The effect makes for a squatter, more carlike stance. The headlights and taillights arch inward at the top, and the grille uses Ford's familiar three-bar design. It's gray on base models, silver on the XLT and body-colored on the Limited. Seventeen-inch steel wheels and black plastic side moldings are standard on base models. The XLT adds body-colored door handles, painted black mirrors and 18-inch alloy wheels. The Limited has body-colored mirrors and 20-inch alloys.

Inside the '11 Explorer

The Ford Explorer can carry up to seven passengers. The second row features a 60/40 split fold-flat bench, while the third row has a 50/50 split-folding seat with generous passenger space. Behind the third row, there is up to 21 cubic feet of cargo volume. For cargo space on demand, the second and third rows can fold flat for 80.7 cubic feet of cargo room.  The available class-exclusive PowerFold third-row 50/50 split-folding seat folds flat at the touch of a button. The Explorer's dashboard can come outfitted with touch-sensitive controls and LCD gauge screens. It's part of a MyFord Touch package that's optional on the XLT and standard on the Limited. MyFord Touch puts, among other things, an LCD screen on each side of the speedometer. Drivers can configure what information - from a virtual tachometer to music and navigation information - goes on those screens.

2011 Ford Explorer Lineup

The base model comes with cloth upholstery, a single CD player and power windows/locks, while the top model includes driver memory system, 12-speaker Sony audio system (with HD radio and iTunes tagging, 2 USB, SD card and RCA video inputs), rear camera with zoom and MyFordTouch connectivity. Options, which often include an upper-level trim, include navigation (with fastest, shortest, and most economical routing), power-folding third-row seats, heated/cooled front seats, blind-spot and cross-traffic warning, adaptive cruise control with collision-mitigation braking, and a dual-panel moonroof. Equipment levels and wheel diameter increase with trim, an Explorer XLT and the top of the line Limited.

Conclusions

Ford engineers have designed features for the 2011 Explorer that are incredibly innovative and smart. For example, there's the industry-first, Ford-exclusive inflatable rear safety belts that spread crash forces over more areas of the body compared to conventional safety belts. The available Ford-exclusive Collision Warning System with Brake Support scans traffic ahead of your vehicle to detect slower moving vehicles based on a preset distance. AdvanceTrac with roll stability control has been enhanced with the addition of Curve Control, helping provide even more control. There are even available rain-sensing wipers that automatically activate when precipitation is detected on the windshield. In the 2011 Explorer, smart features help provide you with peace of mind. For those looking for a stylish design, passenger room, cargo capacity, towing capability, state-of-the-art technology, and decent fuel efficiency, the 2011 Explorer offers it all in one package. Learn more about Ford new MyTouch technology, which comes standard on the 2011 Explorer.

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com.