Highline Test Drives
A Star White Metallic Tri-Coat Ford Explorer with black exterior trim commands enough respect on its own in the congested Scottsdale traffic. Other motorists take a second look in their mirror, then down at their speed, then trade the cell phone in one hand for a quick 10 and 2 wheel grip. You’d have to be a real Ford nerd to see an Explorer ST on the street and recognize, “Oh, it’s the fast one.”. Quad tailpipes, premium-design wheels, and bright red calipers only come into focus after the proverbial “Was that a cop?”. Of course results will vary; Rapid Red Metallic Tinted Clear Coat or Vapor Blue Metallic are two color suggestions for those who want to keep an even lower profile. Put your foot to the floor in the Explorer ST however, and passers-by will know there is something special about this Ford Explorer.
The Explorer ST makes 400 hp and 415 lbs.-ft. of torque from its 3.0 liter Ecoboost twin-turbo V6 paired to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Our example was rear-wheel drive only, but all-wheel drive is an option and popular amongst Ford showrooms across the country. To say this SUV has a split personality would be an understatement, but the way these personalities present themselves is what makes this even more confusing. The first 2 miles of any journey while in Sport mode, the Explorer ST feels like it has 650 hp+ and a supercharged V8 under the hood. The SUV launches itself from a standstill, and if you even look at the gas pedal while turning right, the rear wheels spin up and lose traction. After a quick squirt through a yellow or to make a pass, the transmission will hold the gears as long as possible to keep the motor in peak boost while coasting for far too long. In our first spin around the block, two of us from the office thought maybe they had gone overboard with the performance, but not a minute later, while still in Sport mode, it all went away. Once your journey is about 5 minutes underway, the Explorer ST is a completely different vehicle. The same SUV that was breaking traction and snapping necks is all of a sudden two gears too high, won’t shift down, has noticeable turbo lag, and feels completely deflated.
Our team could not come up with an explanation for the difference in performance after just a couple of minutes and miles of driving; we even convinced ourselves maybe the window sticker was wrong, and Ford had given us an AWD version.
Luckily, with the cost premium over the lower-tiered Explorer models, the ST does not just receive a performance upgrade, but a cabin that feels sports car-inspired and expensive. Ford’s Onyx Activex interior trim, which most would call suede, brings the sporty ST ethos inside the vehicle. A couple of ST logos on the seats, steering wheel and puddle lights, Bang & Olufsen premium sound system, and the new 13.2” LCD infotainment touchscreen make the almost $60,000 price tag for a Ford Explorer palatable.
For the ultimate sports family hauler from Ford, the Explorer ST brought everything you’d expect from the sporty ST models of old, but with an upmarket, luxury interior for the family to enjoy. The Ford Onyx Activex suede-style interior may not mix well with smaller children and their overall stickiness; no, the ST is positioned to be the one after the one that brought the kids home from the hospital. While maximum performance is unpredictable, when it’s there, owners are rewarded with what feels like more horsepower and torque than the claimed figures. In rear-wheel drive trim, feeling the rear tires brake loose and leaving entry-level muscle cars at the lights, there is no mistaking you’re in the fast one, the Explorer ST.
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