2013 Ford Explorer

By Steve Kursar –

The 2013 Ford Explorer Sport delivers about as much fun as a full-size SUV/crossover is legally allowed to deliver. Yes, it looks to the untrained eye like a regular Explorer, but this baby has a lot going on under the sheet metal that makes a Clark Kent-looking vehicle perform like Superman.  Simply put, it’s a blast!

Back in 2009, Ford decided to add the Sport designation to their Fusion model by giving it a slightly bigger engine, a retuned suspension and much better tires. Except for the tires, the Fusion Sport was okay but nothing to really write home about.  But Ford was committed to adding the Sport designation to some other models, and last year, they added some serious muscle to their already popular Explorer.  Remember, this is the Explorer they redesigned and revealed back in 2010.

The base Explorer comes standard with the 290hp, 3.5 liter V6 normally-aspirated engine. Although that engine is pretty nice, it does feel a bit underpowered at times, until you get the revs up in the power band. You can opt for the 240hp, 2.0 liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine that is better suited to the Explorer. Although it does put out fewer horses than the base engine, the low end torque makes the SUV feel peppier.

The Sport version takes the Explorer to a whole new dimension. Take a look at the tires, and you’ll start to get a feel for what I’m talking about. The 20” tires, along with sport-tuned independent front and rear suspension, hug the road and give this crossover sports car handling. Bigger brakes provide better stopping power. But the real surprise is under the hood.  The Explorer Sport comes with the 290 hp, 3.5 EcoBoost V6 engine which totally transforms this Explorer. What the EcoBoost engines deliver is diesel engine-like low end torque which means that full power is available as soon as you step on the accelerator.  That’s the reason Ford sells so many cars equipped with EcoBoost engines.

The 2013 Ford Explorer Sport has a starting MSRP of $40,780, which may seem a little steep – that’s over ten grand more than the base Explorer – but sometimes fun has no price tag.  This may be the perfect mid-life crisis car if you still have kids in the house. Think of it, you drop the kids off at school, then roar off in search of adventure.  Oh, the places you’ll go…

Follow Steve Kursur at KursarOnCars.blogspot.com.