A lot happened 35 years ago in 1990.
The Dow closed above 2,800 for the first time ever. Tim Berners-Lee created the internet. The Exxon Valdez dumped oil in Alaska. And Pretty Woman opened at the movies.
It was also the year Ford unwrapped its tall-riding Explorer and introduced those three little letters – SUV – to our vocabulary.
Designed to replace the much-maligned Bronco II, the boxy Explorer became an instant hit. To date, almost nine million have been sold, making it the best-selling sport utility vehicle ever.
In 2000 alone, Ford sold a staggering 445,000 Explorers. That’s a lot.
Thirty-five years on, and it’s still going strong, holding its own despite buyers having more choices of mid-size SUVs than cheeses at the Fresh Market deli.
Those three-row rivals include the likes of Kia’s Telluride, Toyota’s Grand Highlander, Mazda’s CX-90, Hyundai’s Palisade and Jeep’s Grand Cherokee L.
To keep the Ford high on the shopping list of buyers tempted by more dynamic rivals, the trusty Explorer has just had a mid-life makeover to cement its appeal.
Nothing too radical, mind. It gets a bold new grille, new sparkly LED headlights and taillights, and a more beefy lower front bumper design.
It also got a refreshed interior with some cool, new tech. Like its BlueCruise hands-free driving feature, and Disney-sounding Ford Digital Experience. This offers a new Google-based operating system with 5G connectivity, a built-in wi-fi hotspot and Alexa to answer all your queries.
Hey Alexa, how do I turn this thing on?
Ford also took a hatchet to the model range for 2025, culling it to just four models; the base Active priced from $41,380, the ST-Line from $46,190, the fancy Platinum from $53,695, and performance-focused ST at the top of the range from $55,835.
I’ve just spent the week in the company of that swanky Platinum model, with the so-called Ultimate Package. This adds a twin-panel panoramic roof, lovely leather seats, second-row captain’s chairs and dark-painted 21-inch alloys. Definitely pricey at just over $60,000.
But it came with one of the best engine/transmission packages in the business; Ford’s 3.0-liter Ecoboost twin-turbo V6 packing a punchy 400 horsepower, and coupled to a swift-shifting 10-speed automatic.
While the Platinum’s base engine is a 2.3-liter turbo four-cylinder with 300 horseys on tap, it’s the V6 you want, simply for the extra performance zip.
How much extra zip? Pedal to the metal, you’ll rush from standstill to 60 mph in right around five seconds, compared to six with the four-cylinder.
And this Usain Bolt sprinting is accompanied by a decidedly rorty exhaust note from the quad exhausts at the rear. Dial up ‘sport’ mode and the steering firms up and the shift points for the transmission change to boost low-end power.
In addition to the meaty power, the V6 offers an impressive 415 pound-feet of torque to slingshot you out of freeway on-ramps and give confidence when passing on a two-lane.
For a near-4,800-pound trucklette, it also feels surprisingly light on its feet through the twisties. Steering is precise and responsive, body lean is well-contained, and grip is plentiful.
Yes, the ride can get a little fidgety over lumps and bumps, but it’s never uncomfortable. Add a few warm bodies in the three rows of seats, and things smooth-out nicely.
And talking of seats, the Explorer’s enduring appeal is its family-sized accommodations. While that third row has decent kneeroom, its flaw however is that the seat cushion is too low to the floor for real comfort. No problem for short trips, but the kids will be whining after a few miles.
While this Platinum model has plenty of luxury accoutrements, like nicely-stitched perforated leather on the seats with quilted inserts, quirky cloth dashboard panels, and a thumping 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, to me it’s still no match for high-luxe rivals like the Telluride, Palisade and Cherokee L.
Yet this Built-in-Chicago family hauler is still very much in the game. Thirty-five years of being king of the hill makes sure of that.
