(Author’s Note: You are about to read the longest gestation article of mine to be found at CC. It was started last October and has been repeatedly updated; you shall soon understand why. JES)
It sometimes seems that being an unapologetic opportunist is viewed negatively by some. That’s too bad; opportunism allowed a four-wheel drive 2023 Ford Explorer XLT to be injected into my professional life last summer.
Last June I was sitting in this colorful Mexican restaurant in Cuba, Missouri, when an email arrived from the fleet manager. He presented an irresistible offer.
The offer was to exchange the 2018 Chevrolet Impala (with 74,000 miles) I had since new for a 2023 Explorer XLT. The Explorer would go to me and the Impala would go to the motor pool. He asked if I was good with this trade.
Well, yeah.
I took possession of said Explorer in late August and have put just over 5,000 6,500 8,200 miles on it. This is my take on it so far…
Ford sold 207,000 Explorers of all varieties for 2022, according to this. In 2018, the most recent year for such information, roughly 15% of the year’s Explorer production went to law enforcement. I mention this because the last Explorer I drove was a retired law enforcement unit at some specialized driver’s training I took in 2022.
This ties into another curiosity, but we shall come back to that.
This particular silver Explorer, in the next to bottom rung XLT trim, has zero options to accompany the standard equipment. That’s not a slam; the standard XLT package is terrific as it contains second row captain’s chairs, heated front seats, and all the electronic gimmickry one will actually use. Many seem to agree with this assessment as the XLT was the most popular Explorer trim for 2022.
Most interesting is the powertrain. Thrumming away under the hood of this Explorer is a turbocharged, 2.3 liter four-cylinder. This engine powers five of the eight trim levels for 2024.
I still get the fantods upon hearing “Ford 2.3”. 80,000 tortuous miles in a 1989 Mustang possessing that glacial nosebleed will facilitate such things. That miserable 2.3 is the engine that incited me to actively avoid four-cylinder engines for a quarter-century. Yes, I know it is not the same engine, as this current one is Mazda derived. Regardless, bad experiences linger.
Had that old 2.3 possessed a mere scintilla of the wherewithal of this 2.3, my personal automotive life may have had a significantly different trajectory. At 300 horsepower and 310 ft-lbs of torque, this newer 2.3 is certainly doing its part in making four-cylinder engines enjoyable for us torque loving, impatient types. Even the engine sound is oddly intriguing as it puts one in mind of a combination of a Ford 8N tractor and a Husqvarna chainsaw.
Turbo lag is a real thing with this Explorer but only from a standing start. Floor the accelerator, creep forward while saying “One Mississippi; two Mississi..”, then POW! It’s off like the proverbial scalded dog. On hilly and curvy terrain the throttle requires more modulation than any vehicle I’ve driven.
Yet there is more to the drivetrain than just the engine…
Sometime last summer, prior to receiving the Explorer, I shared a Friday afternoon at work with a new 3.3 liter V6 powered F-150. We spent 120 miles together on all types of roadways, doubling its odometer reading.
This F-150 provided my first taste of Ford’s ten-speed automatic, similar to what this Explorer has. In both the Explorer and that F-150, consistent low speeds, such as navigating parking lots, are accompanied by a lot of jerkiness. It is almost as if the thing can’t decide upon a gear and keeps taste-testing the various options. These two seem to spend more time shifting than actually being in gear. It’s not an endearing trait in either.
Admittedly the transmission is less indecisive at highway speeds. But both still have a propensity for excessive shifting.
Several times since being assigned the Explorer, I have stayed at a hotel due to work functions.
Each time, multiple other current generation Explorers were parked nearby. All were obviously law enforcement units.
Is the Explorer reputation working itself toward that of the Crown Victoria? Likely not, but I could not escape the connection.
Accessibility is great. I just turned 51 and my body is giving me occasional reminders of such. Not having to drop into a seat is nice. I understand why people prefer the taller driving position of an SUV.
Another perk is passenger room. I have three others in my immediate orbit at work and we periodically travel together for meetings and such. While the four of us fit into that Impala without issue, the interior accommodations of the Explorer are better for four adult males.
Since the widespread adoption of SUVs, I have repeatedly heard about all their storage room. When learning of the Explorer heading my direction, I boxed up all the paraphernalia I had in the Impala, leaving the box in the trunk. It was obviously taking up room but did not overwhelm the available floor space.
Upon receiving the Explorer, said box went into the cargo hold. With the third row seat folded down, this box consumes an inordinate amount of floor space. Items cannot go into the cargo area as thoughtlessly as they did the Impala.
I will freely concede there is room in the back of an SUV, but it is vertical room. Horizontal room is often more pertinent and the horizontal room in most SUVs, from my admittedly limited experience, ain’t all that.
However, this Explorer was purchased for being a work vehicle, intended to ferry me and others in all manner of weather without consuming copious amounts of fuel. According to the trip computer (as of 4,464.1 miles of usage), fuel economy was 26.7 mpg over the prior 4,004.3 miles. Reality is undoubtedly somewhat less, but still admirable for what this rig is. The EPA rates it at 27 mpg highway, 20 mpg in town, and 23 mpg combined.
The Explorer has some irrefutable attributes, such as a terrific seating position, ample power, and surprising fuel economy.
For my work purposes, this Explorer and its 4wd ability nicely fills the need. If I could change anything, it would be having fewer gears in the transmission. Oh, and I’d also change that black interior…it just makes the thing overly hot in warm weather.
UPDATE 1 (October 2023): Writing an article over the course of two many months does have advantages. As I update this, that Explorer is sitting at the dealer. Why? At 2,600 miles the mild thumping noise heard from the front suspension at low speeds became quite loud.
A strut had gone bad. Already. Further, I rode in the twin to this Explorer the other day. With half the mileage, that same thump could be heard. Ford, you really test a person’s patience at times.
UPDATE 2: Getting the Explorer back from the dealer, the thump is still present but much quieter. Perhaps the dealer only replaced one strut?
Further, with the weather having changed, I am periodically running the defroster along with heat. Instead of having air outlet choice located with the rest of the HVAC controls as any rational person would do, Ford opted to make the mix setting accessible only via the touchscreen, necessitating one to take their eyes off the road if making adjustments while traveling.
The proliferation of touchscreens is utter asininity, but maybe that’s my obstinance speaking. I suppose Ford hasn’t heard about distracted driving having garnered top honors for being the leading cause of crashes in many areas. Then again, distracted driving may be good for business.
UPDATE 3 (April 2024): Yes, the dealer did only replace one strut. At 6,500 miles, there was noise again and it’s back at the dealer. Further, the suspension was not aligned after the first, singular strut replacement, thus the tires are all chewed up. How ridiculous.
Regardless, getting this Explorer was an unanticipated perk. My career, at my current employer at least, is winding down. The Impala appeared to be the ride that would carry me through. This Explorer is a nice accompaniment until such time as I do transition my career.
I will admit that I have been curious about these. But the way you describe the powertrain, I am not sure it is for me. An engine/transmission combo that constantly makes you notice it is not a plus in my world. I recently had someone tell me that Ford’s 10-speed has become one of the more troubled transmissions on the market, but I have done no research and cannot say whether this is true. I would be interested in your take on the durability of that unit.
I can also agree that SUVs are highly overrated for their cargo capacities. Sedans are better for horizontal space and minivans are better for horizontal and vertical spaces. The modern SUV is like a tall and often wide version of the compact wagon from years past.
I can think of one other vehicle that might compare to a Crown Victoria, but I will be writing more about that one in the future.
I, too, have heard some anecdotal stories about a lack of durability with these ten speeds. Hopefully any issues have been corrected and I will avoid them. Then again, if making durable struts poses a challenge, think about how much more complicated a transmission is. Ugh.
The drivetrain has a weird way of fading into the background after a while. It’s hard to explain. However, the one phenomenon I have noticed (first with the mentioned F-150) is entrance ramps…nail the throttle at the beginning and it downshifts to 2nd gear. Then it keeps upshifting every 500 rpm and you’re in 10th by the end of the ramp.
I have a reply pending but just realized a tidbit I remember from a Ford Tech about driveability. He said that new Fords learn your driving habits and adjust to your style of inputs – acceleration, braking and maintains settings based on these.
If you are a second operator – used car purchaser or fleet user, the car does not adjust to your style and may need a reset of the learned behaviors. Otherwise you get jerky starts and downshifts.
His Youtube channel was Ford Boss and this was posted about 2 years ago.
Transmissions tuned for economy will do that, the 6 speed in my car is adaptive, nail the throttle up an on ramp it just keeps accelerating,@55mph its in 3rd with the second turbo kicking in, our speed limit arrives before the 4th gear up shift, or you can use sport mode and it just goes silly and the traction control warning light comes on, ten speeds? we aint got the roads or the speed limit for that,
Is this the same turbo 4 Ford plant in the Mondeo? Just curious as I often see an ecoboost Mondeo towing an even bigger caravan than I do and it doesnt seem to struggle.
You heard right. A friend with the same transmission in an Expedition had it go on him and he was without it for two months, because Ford could not keep up with demand for the parts to fix it. The dealer who did the repair had one technician who did nothing other than fixing these transmissions.
My Mazda CX-9 with a 2.5 liter turbo and a six-speed auto is smooth as silk by comparison. Four less gears but I don’t miss them, and I average about 24 MPG, which for a three-row CUV is not bad.
Career transition? Are you going to truck driving school like JPC, Jason? 😉
Thanks for the review! I miss these from Jim Klein as they were always very informative.
I have to agree that 10 speeds in a transmission are just too many gears. I even think that the 6 speeds in my Mazda CX-5 are too many, but that transmission only seems to be on the hunt for the perfect gear on curvy (and hilly) 30-45 MPH back roads. I find that shifting it manually in those situations to be much more pleasurable. The computer on top of my shoulders seems better suited to picking the correct gear than the one in the car!
As to space, I can see what you mean after having the CX-5 for a little over a year now. Put a few boxes in the business end, and you’ve eaten up all that horizontal space. While my Mustang is no ‘73 LTD, there does seem to be more space horizontally. Great observation.
The important thing is that my wife likes it, as she is its primary driver. Happy wife and all that…
Yes, the date for which I could retire with benefits is rapidly approaching. Really rapidly approaching. No plans yet.
What you describe on your CX-5 mimics this Explorer perfectly. At 35 to 50 mph, it needs to downshift and then it accelerates hard, you pick up too much speed…entirely too much throttle adjustment. Four speed automatics always seemed great for gearing (well, in most vehicles) and the six in our VW is great. I have concluded anything beyond six is gilding the lily and a lot of work and complexity for little to zero benefit.
A vehicle I never thought I’d see you in, as we seem to share the same pet peeves.
1) Lack of space efficiency of CUVs – my little sedan can hold just as much stuff inside.
2) Touchscreens – one thing for the audio system, but WTF for the climate controls.
3) The stench of a Ford 2.3 liter 4 cylinder – I’ve driven so many 4 cylinder 4 speed automatic cars, but only one would test my patience.
There was a component of personal safety involved with agreeing to such a swap. While I loved that Impala (and still do; seeing other people drive it makes me feel as if it’s being violated) it always seemed cursed. It had been hailed on, had concrete fall through the windshield, had an 18 wheeler back into it (while I was inside), and was a magnet for suicidal wildlife. And that’s just what I remember off-hand. I was concerned about what was in store for it..and me.
The “2.3” associated with the Explorer caused me tremendous pause. One version of this article was critiquing Ford for no longer having the 3.3 in the Explorer (which is how the inclusion of the F-150 came about) due to reasonably similar power outputs and rated fuel economy but it seems Ford has cancelled that engine for MY24. The Explorer would be better with a 3.3…less peaky and less harsh.
We were moving from Florida to Tennessee. We had come up to do some house searching and I was going to be here for about four weeks, so we rented a vehicle. The first one was a Dodge ram truck with a total of 3900 miles on it. When I got the truck, the front windshield was cracked from side to side the rear driver side tire tread, was down to the ware bars, and it ticked every time I started it. I was over that one called Avis and told him I needed something else. They put me into a brand new 2020 Explorer. I think that one had the six, and it must’ve been the upgraded trim because it had power tilt and telescope wheel. I was not overly impressed with the vehicle at all. As you’ve read in my other COAL’s Ford had fallen out of favor with our family way back in the 80s and early 90s. But it was a good chance to test drive a vehicle to see if it would make the cut. After driving that for two weeks and several thousand miles, I was happy to return it. Oh, don’t get me wrong. It was comfortable, had plenty of room, and seem to drive OK. It just wasn’t some thing that said I have to have this. It felt kind of unstable in Crosswinds, and just didn’t give me an overall feeling of being well screwed together. Thanks for the article.
Tough segment to compete in, everyone has an entry. Your Explorer seems to have a few distinct perks–unexpectedly powerful, reasonably efficient, good driving position–but there’s a strong sense of you really not liking the overall package.
The Explorer is on a longitudinal RWD platform in this generation, which is unique in the segment for what that’s worth. Tow rating really isn’t higher than several FWD competitors but perhaps it handles the load better.
Also unique is an ST trim which uses a 3-liter turbo V6 should you find it important for your family SUV to hit 60 in about 5 seconds. Could be fun. Probably won’t see 26mpg on the readout with that one, though.
“there’s a strong sense of you really not liking the overall package.”
A very fair statement. Perhaps the strut issue has overshadowed the experience as it took a over a week for repairs each time – and the dealer is practically next door to where I work.
A woman I work with, who was assigned the twin Explorer I referred to, as a higher trim Explorer as her personal vehicle. Her privately owned one has the turbo V6 you mention.
Jason, are you sure there is no button on the climate array for changing the airflow distribution? The pics I’ve seen show a small button on the black button array with an airflow direction pictogram, it should toggle between the four or so flow options.
“The proliferation of touchscreens is utter asininity, but maybe that’s my obstinance speaking.”
Jason: Rest assured, you are not being obstinate. Touchscreens in many applications have taken over functions much better served by knobs and buttons, at the cost of safety.
Great article, certainly heeding the frequent concerns with a Ford vehicle.
Having bought 5 new vehicles over 40+ years, I bought my first new domestic label vehicle ever in January – a Ford Maverick hybrid. Seemed to be a reasonable follow-up/replacement for my high mile 2013 Outback (although I’ll say if Subaru offered a hybrid Outback, my 15-month shopping expedition would have been extremely short). The pickup truck body with a hybrid option was the clincher, and the robust reputation of the Escape hybrid systems allowed me to venture out of my J-VIN prejudice. Currently at 4500 miles I’m thrilled with the ‘truck’ and the 50% increase in mpgs over the Outback’s 2.5.
That said, I also recognize that although I paid $33k for the Lariat trim level, it’s still Ford’s cheapest vehicle they currently market. Lipstick on a pig if you will. I find the build quality no worse than my other new cars, but time will tell as it ages. Color me cautiously optimistic.
Interesting Jason, I don’t know any civilians who drive this vehicle, although I do see them in police livery.
I’m thinking maybe folks who have zero idea about how a vehicle operates are not bothered by the shiftshiftshiftshift of a modern automatic. It just drives me nuts to think about all clutch cycles, and how the transmission will crap out shortly after the warranty is up.
You didn’t mention the critical performance metric of harp hauling, is it good with a harp or does the van exclusively perform that task?
Since reading your comment earlier, I have been out and about (currently in Cape Girardeau at my momma’s house; ironically, sitting in her basement as I type this) and I saw three at one intersection about an hour ago. All were high trimmed examples. I went to big box store earlier and when walking out a twin to my work unit was parked next to me. CC Effect in full force, no doubt.
I would be interested to know how this does hauling a harp, although my doing so might not be real popular. My wife will never ride in this Explorer since it’s a work vehicle.
The 8- (or was it 7-?) speed automatic in my former VW Passat didn’t hunt a lot. I think companies are tuning for max fuel economy over sanity in the cabin. The Passat was not so aggressively tuned, and the automatic was overall nice to live with.
Concur on the Passat. My ’14 has a six-speed and it’s ideal. Sometimes improvements aren’t necessarily a good thing.
Well, I don’t want to jinx things but at just over 50k miles, the 10 speed on our 2020 Transit is working as well as it did new, which is VERY well. Maybe my standards are low, but to me, shifting is flawless, usually unnoticed except for a slight change in rpm, and between the ratios, the programming, and the excellent power from the 3.5 EcoBoost V6 (twin turbo direct injection) it always feels like it’s in the right gear. But we do have an occasionally very noisy driver’s side suspension, maybe a bad strut … it feels like it’s topping out with a loud bang on big bumps, or a constant succession of bangs on unpaved washboard. Though 50k is pretty good for OEM shocks and a lot of off-pavement use. All in all, the van has never been back to the dealership for anything. Which I can’t say for any other new car I’ve owned except my ‘82 Civic and the ‘04 Subaru Forester, including several Toyota’s, two VW’s, and my Louisville-built Ford Ranger. Very well made by UAW workers in KC Missouri.
It’s amazing how seeming commonalities between vehicles can behave so differently, isn’t it?
The KC plant is pumping out Transits and F-150s. I’d love to take a tour of the plant.
You are the only person I know that owns this generation of Explorer. Well, besides Officer Friendly down at the P.D. which seems to have a lock on much of the production I guess. I do see a number of them with various corporate logos on the doors too but pretty much zero in driveways as private vehicles, sort of a weird shift from one of the most popular vehicles in the U.S. I’ve not driven one of this generation but I recall everyone (well, ok, mainly Ford fans) predicting Ford was going to wipe the floor with this thing as everyone wants RWD in their crossover. In the end, private buyers don’t seem to care (or even know?) based on my anecdotal sightings.
One does wonder what the fuel economy would be like with a 6-speed, although maybe something has changed, the 10-speed in the Expedition with the 3.5 turbo engine that I drove didn’t seem to shift AT ALL noticeably with only the display showing the actual shifts as I recall. Perhaps something is wrong or Ford is straining to eke out another .01% in economy with a different tune or perhaps it’s just that you maybe slather more lotion on your rear end than I do and as such your sensitivity and feel in that region is much more discerning.
Anyway, I guess you went from the accident curse to perhaps the repair and maintenance curse, I don’t know which is worse…but I’m hoping there’s at least one more company vehicle in your future, they are always interesting to read about so don’t pull that pin too quickly!
There don’t seem to be too many privately owned Explorers, but that is also anecdotal. Like I mentioned to DougD, a coworker has a very high trimmed one. She dumped her Acura MDX for it as the Acura’s transmission was about to eat itself again.
What is interesting is this is a retail unit plucked off the dealer’s lot. Meant for Joe and Jane Public, but they were too slow on the uptake. There’s no telling how much they would notice the quirks I do / have.
Ford has been the recall king in the past few years; 58 in 2023. The issue with the struts is pathetic.
Regarding cargo/trunk space: maybe it’s an optical illusion, because the Impala’s trunk length (50.5″) is only a hair longer than the Explorer’s cargo area (48″). And of course the Impala is also a bit longer overall.
We are slowly shopping for a new vehicle and Ford simply isn’t on the consideration list. The strut issue isn’t helping their cause with me.
Just on repairs to SUVs a mate of mine has a plug in Mitsubishi SUV in 190,000 kms it has eaten a wheel bearing which was considered unusual, having struts replaced under warranty isnt a good sign of how Ford specced your car
Hi Jason.
Thanks for write up. I had the same car as a loaner for several months while my 21 F150 sat awaiting parts that never came in. My experience mimicked yours except for the thump/strut issue. The car was comfortable and with a Uhaul trailer I made it work in place of my truck for almost 4000 miles.
I am a fan of the ecoboost having had 4 of them now. My 17 F150 had a 2.7 that was flawless for 120,000 miles and I only traded it to get 4WD and a nicer interior. The replacement 2021 had a bad oil pan seal discovered at the first oil change. A covid-era production defect and a nightmare for me until they bought it back. I rolled the dice on a 22 and it’s performed like the first one. Good gas mileage if you drive patiently or performance when you need it.
My wife has a 2019 Mustang with the same 2.3 engine as the Explorer. It’s also been flawless but I am aware of issues in older ones. The head gasket on the 2.3 and smaller ecoboosts had a capillary groove to allow coolant to pass between the cylinders and would fail.. It was a weak point and corrected in subsequent models. I believe that most
of these were high performance or street racing related on the smaller ones.
So despite my 1 lemon buy-back I’m still a bit of a fan. They are a great design if they can just maintain quality control. I keep a close eye on both of them.
It seems pretty ridiculous for an engine to have a bad oil pan seal that can’t be rectified before the vehicle actually gets bought back under lemon laws. How can that possibly be more cost effective for the manufacturer than either fixing it or worst case replacing the entire engine with another one that they build in the millions every year?
Good on you for not accepting it, hopefully the car didn’t just get auctioned off to another (unwitting) buyer to then deal with it, now pissing off two Ford owners instead of just one very forgiving one…
What often amazes me regarding recalls or parts that don’t come in is that often those exact same parts are still being churned out and used in the factory to keep building new cars. I recall my then-new ’95 Jetta was recalled for a replacement of the spare tire jack. It was on “back-order” and would be months with the warning not to use the one the car was shipped with, yet VW had no problem building thousands more Jettas and sending them to dealers to sell, all with a new jack inside the trunk. Recall parts should be made to take priority, lose a few days of production and magically someone will find a way to run a weekend shift or two to produce the needed extra parts.
We have had an Explorer since last year. It has the six. She adores it.
Very interesting – though I admit I’m a bit sad to see the Impala leap out of your fleet.
One of the (many) reasons I’m not exciting about buying a new car is the transmission issue. I don’t like the repeated gear-hunting and (like DougD) mentions above, I’m worried that these zillion-gear transmissions will crap out just after the warranty is up.
The strut issue, and the sub-par dealer care, is pathetic.
In some ways, the Explorer is becoming like the new Crown Victoria. I often take a double-take when I see one in the rearview mirror to make sure it’s not a cop. One thing I’ve noticed is that most fleet Explorers don’t have a roof rack, but most civilian models do – of course yours is the exception to that rule.
I’m with you on my disdain for black interiors. In my opinion, they’re hot, depressing-looking, and show every speck of dust.
Thanks for the review – maybe you’ll get to experience a few thousand trouble-free miles now.
1700 miles after the last repair and all is well for now. Time will tell, I suppose. Overall it’s not a bad vehicle but some of the seemingly minor issues (ie, struts) haven’t been minor.
It would be interesting to know what percentage of these end up in some type of fleet whether built expressly for that or ending up there via other means, such as this one.
Mazda still has the 6 speed.automatic. Zero complaints in my book.
Mazda still has the 6 speed automatic. Zero complaints in my book.
For what it’s worth, out here in California there seem to be quite a few non-fleet Explorers running around our area. Certainly more than the equivalent GM crossovers or Expeditions. A few years ago I met a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) ranger who had been temporarily assigned a 4wd Explorer, the previous FWD-based platform, fitted with BFG KO2 tires. He hated it, and soon managed to get his work truck trim Silverado back. His complaints were functional – ground clearance and hauling tools.
One of my neighbors across the road has a black Explorer from this generation, which marks the return of a rear-wheel-drive layout for the first time since the 2010 model year.
YES, there are quite a few of these & the previous-gen models on the road as police vehicles along with Dodge Durangos and Chevrolet Tahoes. For quite a while it seemed like the Crown Victoria was always the car to look out for when watching for the cops; not so much now. Boy have times changed!
On the subject of change, I am now the owner of a 2016 Ford Transit Connect and also have my very first smartphone (a Google Pixel 8), both acquired earlier this month. LONG STORY:
Back at the end of February, I hit a deer with my 2011 Ranger–the 2nd time with it now & 4th total including with my ’96 Aerostar–and messed up my headlights in the process, so I had to drive my ’05 Chevy Astro to work until the repairs could get done. On March 11th, the Astro started up & ran fine like normal…until I got about 2 miles from my house when the engine shut off without any warning & couldn’t be restarted…IN THE DARK! After a $111 tow to Herlong Chevrolet & managing to at least get the Ranger’s headlights in working condition later that morning so I could drive at night, I had to wait nearly 2 months for a full diagnosis on what went wrong with the Astro: apparently an electrical short happened under the hood & messed up the Engine Control Module (ECM) in the process. A new ECM was installed but the van still wouldn’t start. Boosting off the battery didn’t yield any success either, leading to the possibility that a LOT more got messed up than just the ECM. In addition, the dashboard display would no longer show which position the gear selector was in (P-R-N-D-3-2-1) and the clock display from the stereo system literally flashed “ERROR” when I tried to boost off the battery. ANOTHER lingering but unrelated problem was a small leak from the power steering pump that while may not have gotten worse, it wouldn’t get better either unless it got worked on.
The total repair cost estimate came out to roughly $1500–on a 19-year-old van with 286,241 miles on it! I knew when I bought the thing 5 years ago with 260k that it would likely need SOME repairs done to it over time, but after the braking system, power lock actuators, vacuum/transmission leaks, power mirror switch, A/C condenser, distributor cap & rotor, wiring harnesses for the lights, stripped lug nuts, AND (not too long ago) the multi-function switch on the steering column, I just about felt like enough was enough & didn’t want to take any more chances with it. With me being 30 now and having MUCH more money than I did 10 or even FIVE years ago, it was time for a truly new (but not BRAND new) vacation/holiday van: NO MORE project vehicles!
I found & bought my new van on May 10th at Maxwellton Motors in Greenwood, SC with under 90k miles for only $15,000 AND with a clean CARFAX record–a pretty hard deal to beat if you ask me! Oddly enough, it’s a white XLT like my ’96 Aerostar was. It’s also one of the rarer ones out there too–a short-wheelbase 5-passenger model with the 1.6L EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine and an option that was later offered only on the cargo van & XL Wagon: the fold-flat front passenger seat to allow for potentially more cargo space. When configured the right way even the shorter vans still have ample room for passengers & cargo! The EcoBoost & 6-speed automatic are a good match as well–power is sufficient and steady driving almost guarantees 30 mpg or better. My only problem so far is a leak in the windshield washer reservoir that I didn’t discover until trying to refill it after realizing it was empty. Everything else is great though and the Astro has now gone to the junkyard in the sky; it did well enough for its age & condition but it was finally time to move on to a truly modern ride that would still be unique from what most people in my community drive (pickups & SUVs) & can be trusted for long highway trips without worrying about any more unpleasant surprises.
I still have my Ranger as my work vehicle & don’t plan on giving it up any time soon. It still gets good mileage & hasn’t needed nearly as much work done to it as the Aerostar & Astro have. I hope I have similar luck with the Transit Connect.
As for my phone, I went to the Verizon store on May 17th to have the Astro’s Hum device reprogrammed for the Transit Connect & learned that Verizon was offering to actually PAY select customers to upgrade to the latest smartphones for a limited time–and I could still keep my existing plan from my flip-phone (an Orbic Journey V). After years of trying to always stick with the way things “used to be”, I’ve truly entered the modern age of transportation & communication under the notion that the day would have come for me to do it sooner or later anyway. I still have an undeniable soft spot for classic stuff (especially cars–that’s what this site is all about!), but I can’t live fully in the past forever either, and I think this month was when I finally grasped that philosophy at its core. 🙂
”I just about felt like enough was enough” : surprising that you were not tempted by a Sienna even at a high price. I like the functional design of the Transit Connect and your Tourneo , but its manufacture in Valencia Spain scares me a little. Can you describe its reliability? Thks . Btw the third-generation Tourneo Connect 2021 for the European market is a rebadged VW Caddy. Please note : ”Ford recalled 2013–2015 Transit Connect with 1.6 EcoBoost engines because of a risk of engine fires caused by a “lack of coolant circulation”.
The Sienna was a tempting option with its now-standard hybrid powertrain, but the nearest Toyota dealer is in the middle of Columbia (South Carolina’s capital), and traffic there is almost always a nightmare in the middle of the day. My family–immediate & extended–has sworn almost exclusively by Ford since before I was born, and I have to drive no more than 20 miles to the nearest Ford dealer: Cromley’s in Saluda. The reason I gravitated toward the Astro was because that was the only comparable vehicle to the Aerostar at the time that I could realistically find & afford after I had to let go of my ’96 XLT; I don’t like making monthly payments on something I plan on keeping for the long haul. The closest equivalent to the Astro now is the Mercedes-Benz Metris (the US-market V-Class), but that thing would be even MORE expensive to do any work on if something went wrong in it.
ANOTHER factor in my final decision was the fact that not once have I ever had to actually USE the 3rd-row seat in either of my previous vans, although I made EXCELLENT use of the cargo space behind the still-necessary 2nd-row seat when it was removed! I made note of the EcoBoost recall when reading about the Transit Connect on Wikipedia–mine is a 2016 model so I assume Ford must have fixed the issues with the engine (in that model anyway) by then. The only recall notice on the CARFAX record was for the windshield but that was taken care of 2 years ago. As I noted earlier the only existing problem that I know of is the washer fluid leak, but the rest of the van still feels well-built and doesn’t act like it’s going to fall apart or break down any minute; time will tell for long-term reliability. I talked with the dealer about it though and after a good test-drive I have a pretty good feeling that it’s going to be around for quite a while.
For what it’s worth, I just happen to be someone who has an interest in anything that’s simple & functional (reliable) like my Ranger but still distinctive from the norm, and all things considered (including price & location) I think the Transit Connect was my best choice. Thanks for your opinion & concern.
I understand your aversion for a dealership that is too far away, very good point.
For horizontal space it’s true that sedan cars are the champions .Too bad that their modern hathcback versions which always share the same wheelbase always have the rear overhang truncated . Example: Honda Civic. Only GM ‘X’ platform (Oldsmobile Omega, Pontiac Ventura, Buick Apollo, Chevrolet Nova) shared the same overall length between the two-door 3-volume and the 3-door HB from 1973. Of course vertical volume of the HB of these cars was particularly atrocious. Just being happy to find an HB version these days is a start and the cause of this rarity lies in three letters: s u & v .
Thanks for an excellent article. The Explorer was certainly on my shortlist last car-purchase time, but I decided to go with a minivan instead. Sounds like we dodged a bullet.