A proven classic- the Ford Explorer

THE AUTO PAGE

By John Heilig

• MODEL: 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum 4WD
• ENGINE: 3.5-liter Ecotec V6
• TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with SelectShift
• HORSEPOWER/TORQUE: 365 hp @ 5,500 rpm/350 lb.-ft. @ 3,500 rpm 
• WHEELBASE: 112.8 in. 
• LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT: 198.3 x 78.9 x 71.0 in. 
• TIRES: P255/50R20
• CARGO: 21.0/43.9/81.7 cu. ft. (3rd row seatbacks up/down/2nd row seatbacks folded)
• ECONOMY: 16 mpg city/22 mpg highway/16.3 mpg test
• FUEL TANK: 18.6 gal.
• CURB WEIGHT: 4,571 lbs.
• COMPETITIVE CLASS: Acura MDX, Dodge Durango, Jeep Grand Cherokee
• STICKER: $54,760 (includes $945 destination, $845 options (2nd row bucket seats and console)
• BOTTOM LINE: When it comes to standard SUVs, the Ford Explorer stands with the best of them. It is large and solid and offers great ride quality.

          When I started on this journey more than 32 years ago, the first vehicle I tested was a Ford Bronco II. This was what we would now call a mid-size SUV with two doors and a manual transmission.

          The successor to the Bronco II was the four-door Ford Explorer, introduced in 1991, and which has grown a bit over the years. I remember the first Explorers as being mid-sizeish and comfortable.

          The 2016 version of the Explorer (or the Exploder as it’s called internally because of its sales success) seems large, although there is also the Expedition, which is larger. However, with that size, comes a great ride and plenty of room to either carry people and all their luggage, or lots of cargo. And isn’t that what a SUV is supposed to do?

          We had an interesting week behind the wheel of the Explorer. As grandparents, our assignment was to drive to Penn State and pick up our granddaughter from gymnastics camp, then drive her home to Virginia so that her father wouldn’t have to make an 11-hour round trip. Simple enough. Unfortunately, I became sick before we even left State College and spent a couple of nights in the (great) hospital there. Subsequently, my wife had to drive the Explorer back and forth from the hotel with my granddaughter. 

          My wife usually doesn’t drive at night and this was in a strange vehicle where she was unaware of even how to start it (push button) or adjust the mirrors. But when she got acclimated, she did well. Fortunately, a daughter who was on vacation detoured on her way home and drove the Explorer home from Penn State. She also had trouble adjusting the mirrors. 

          Both women liked driving the Explorer, despite the size differential from their normal cars. My daughter commented that the brakes worked extremely well, which is something you want for a large vehicle. They tended on the tacky at times, but that’s better than the other extreme.

          I had a chance to be a passenger, first in the front seat and then in the second row. Both seats were comfortable individual buckets with good side support. I liked the “Platinum Edition” styling of the seats, with diamond-shaped pleating on the sides.

          In the rear there is plenty of legroom. I guessed this since my granddaughter didn’t complain during her short stint back there. The second row shoulder belts inflate in the case of a collision, acting like a small air bag. No, we didn’t test this out.

          Driving the Explorer is comfortable. It seems like a much larger vehicle, but that may also be a misconception of mine because I have been driving small and mid-size SUVs recently. The 3.5-liter Ecotec V6 seems more like a V8, and it delivers 365 horsepower. There was never any need for more power.

          Handling is very good. We drove the Explorer on our tight hill climb course and enjoyed the ride. There was no need to use paddle shifters (they weren’t there) or manually shift the gearbox. It just wouldn’t have been in keeping with the character of the vehicle. 

          Cargo capacity is great. With all the seats up, there is a deep well behind the third row. The third row seats power down into the well when you need more cargo. Fold the second row seats and you have an enormous cargo volume, nearly 82 cubic feet, with 12 tie-downs.

          For convenience there is a large, deep center console/arm rest. A large cubby at the base of the center stack has USB and SD plugs plus 12-volt power. At the rear of the center console there are 2 USB plugs plus a 110-volt outlet. Dual sunroofs add brightness for both front and second row passengers.

          I had a few complaints. The speedometer is way too confusing and almost impossible to read, with KPH inside the MPH outer ring. I’m sure there is a way to eliminate the KPH, but I couldn’t figure it out. A digital speedometer in the center of the instrument panel would have been ideal.  Again, this may have been possible, but I couldn’t figure it out. 

          There are  no assist handles, and, therefore, no large hanger hooks in the rear. There are small hanger hooks, but they were inadequate for the amount of clothes we had. There are assist handles on the front passenger A pillar and on both B pillars in the rear to ease entry and exit. 

          I can see the Explorer as a good vehicle for families who travel, as an alternative to a minivan, for example. In our unique situation, it was ideal and I was grateful for the size. 

(c) 2016 The Auto Page Syndicate

Ed Welburn, a design leader.

One of the people who has had a major impact on the look of General Motors vehicles is Ed Welburn. Bumper2Bumpertv has a look at his career at the automaker and gets his thoughts on what may be coming next.

The Nissan Leaf extends its shadow

For 2016 the Nissan Leaf has been re-engineered to give a drive more confidence in how far it can go between charges. Bumper2Bumpertv explains what is happening now and what we might be able to look forward to.

2017 Kia Sportage

THE AUTO PAGE

By John Heilig  

• MODEL: 2017 Kia Sportage SX FWD
• ENGINE: 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4
• TRANSMISSION: 6-speed Sportmatic automatic
• HORSEPOWER/TORQUE: 240hp @ 6,000 rpm/260 lb.-ft. @ 1,450-3,500 rpm
• WHEELBASE: 105.1 in.
• LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT: 176.4 x 73.0 x 64.8 in.
• TIRES: P245/45R19
• CARGO: 20.7/60.1 cu. ft. (2nd row seat backs up/down) 
• ECONOMY: 21 mpg city/26 mpg highway/18.8 mpg test 
• FUEL TANK: 16.4 gal.
• CURB WEIGHT: 3,666 lbs.
• COMPETITIVE CLASS: Jeep Cherokee, Buick Encore, Honda CR-V
• STICKER: $33,395 (includes $895 delivery)
• BOTTOM LINE: Despite what is probably the most wimpy horn in the industry, the new Kia Sportage is quiet, efficient and comfortable, with very good handling and practicality. 

            While similar in appearance to its brother, the Hyundai Tucson, the all-new Kia Sportage has dramatic styling and a stiff chassis that makes driving and riding it a pleasure. 

            Primary among the Sportage’s attributes is a quiet ride in nearly all circumstances. Our local roads are generally poorly surfaced, but that was no problem for the Sportage. Ride quality is good over almost all surfaces.

            Handling is also very good, thanks to a fully independent rear suspension and a front suspension has stiffer wheel bearings and bushings for more precise handling. We took our tester over a tight hill climb course, using the sequential manual feature of the 6-speed automatic transmission, and had a ball throwing the Sportage through the turns. There is little or no tendency to lean in corners at sensible speeds. Yes, I know it isn’t a sports car, but it was fun to drive sportingly anyway.

            The D-shaped wheel is comfortable and is loaded with switches for  audio, the information panel and cruise control. The switches are also clear, and once you figure out exactly where each switch is and how to use it, you can drive without taking your eyes off the road. 

            In addition, the Sportage is loaded with driver safety features. The blind spot monitor, for example, can detect vehicles as far as 230 feet behind for quick warnings. It’s a little testy when you flip the turn signal on even if you know there’s a vehicle there, but that’s better than not letting you know at all. Also, the Lane Departure Warning emits a loud beep whenever you stray from the straight and narrow. 

            Two of my favorite features are Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Front and Rear Parking Assist. RCTA alerts you to cars that may be coming at you as you are pulling out from a row of parked cars, like in a supermarket parking lot. FRPA lets you know that you are approaching an obstacle, like a parking lot cement barrier. I’m certain this saved a lot of underside dings.

            The Sportage is redesigned and the face is now one that I like. Surrounding the Kia grille are projection headlamps on each side. The headlamps are also positioned higher, sweeping back along the outer edges of the hood. Below the headlamps are four daytime running lights that give the Sportage a truck-like front fascia.

            Inside, the front seats are comfortable with decent side support. We took the Sportage on a long ride and were relaxed and comfortable at the end. The bench-like rear seats offer very good leg room. Visibility in the rear is very good. In addition, the panoramic sunroof extends to the rear seats, so passengers back there can not only look left to right, but can enjoy the view above as well.

            Behind the second row seats is a very good cargo area that doubles in capacity when the rear seat backs are folded flat. Not only are the seat backs easy to fold, there is no need to remove the head restraints to gain a flat floor. There is also storage in the rear footwells if needed. As a detail, the license plate mounting has been lowered, which results in a lower liftover height for the cargo area.

            Interior surfaces are all soft touch with a leather-like pattern. The instruments are clear round dials with an information panel between them that I kept at the digital speedometer setting. You have to work to get the other readings, so I suggest you do it while parked.

            The infotainment panel is clear and large, unlike the Tucson. On startup, the screen is split, with a map on the left and audio on the right. Touching the proper side can revert to a 100 percent view.

            The navigation was easy to program. We used POI (Point of Interest) to locate several destinations and I could almost do it while driving. 

            You can’t not be impressed by the all-new Kia Sportage. It has adequate power and very good handling and ride quality to go with a new body. It’s a shame the designers also didn’t have input for the horn, which is the most pathetic sound I have heard in years.

(c) The Auto Page Syndicate

           

Sienna by the Sea !!!

When making a beach trip with seven other adults and four children transportation can be critical. Bumper2Bumpertv put a Toyota Sienna to the test for a family visit to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Tesla X--marking its place in the auto world!!

THE AUTO PAGE
By John Heilig

• MODEL: Tesla Model X

               A few months ago I had the opportunity to drive the innovative Tesla Model S. I was thoroughly impressed by this all-electric luxury sedan, not only with its range (more than 240 miles) but also its technology all around. There was, and is, nothing else like it. When you compare the Tesla with the other full-time electric cars on the market - Chevrolet Bolt, Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 and i8 - it is so far ahead of them that it isn’t even a race. The Tesla is bigger, more comfortable, and has more range. Yes, it also costs more, but it’s only money.
              When Tesla contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in driving the Model X, Tesla’s newest model and a four-wheel drive version, I jumped at the chance. The occasion was to be at The Elegance at Hershey concours d’elegance at the Hotel Hershey. Since my ride in the Model S was around King of Prussia, Pennsylvania and crowded streets, I relished the chance to drive the Tesla on more interesting roads around Chocolate Town.
          While the underpinnings of the two Teslas are essentially the same, there are significant differences. For example, the S is a four/five passenger sedan. The X has room for as many as seven passengers with three rows of seating. The two buckets in the front are pretty much the same as in the S. The second row consists of two bucket seats and the third row is another pair of individual seats.
          A feature that has drawn a lot of interest in the automotive press is the Model X’s gull-wing doors. The front doors are conventional, but the gull wings are for entry to the second and third rows. What makes this entry convenient is that an entering passenger can actually stand while entering the car. No contortions are needed. Also, to open the doors, you push the door handle-like chrome piece and the door automatically does what it’s supposed to do.
           And if you’re trying to get into the third row, which is often a matter of being a contortionist, the second row seats power forward to the rear of the front seats providing easy access to the third row. For those who are interested, third row legroom is excellent.
Sitting in the driver’s seat, you face a digital dash and the huge iPad-like center panel that controls all the car’s functions. You can set this panel to indicate all the car’s features, like HVAC temperature, radio settings, etc. Or you can set it to a map that is actually useful. Our tester was set up so that it showed the roads and features around them in color as if it was photographed from above - a Google Earth view, sort of.
         The conventional instrument panel in front of the driver shows speed and distance to “empty,” or when you will run out of electric power. The center panel can also be programmed to show where the nearest supercharger and charger stations are.
I was impressed by the windshield that extends up and over the driver’s head to about the rear of the front seats. Tinting gets darker as the glass goes further back. If you need visors, they fold out neatly from above the front doors and rotate in front of you. They then unfold to offer a vanity mirror.
            Both Tesla versions have outstanding acceleration. Electric motors have almost instantaneous torque and they can jump from 0-60 mph in under four seconds without even trying. While this is impressive, it is also the kind of power that’s useful for passing slower vehicles. It can be scary for the passed vehicle, because of the driver doesn’t look in the mirrors, the Tesla is silent and you don’t hear it coming at you.
          The Tesla has a long wheelbase and it weighs more than 5,200 pounds. Handling is excellent, and the ride quality matches it. The Tesla corners very well. We drove over some beautiful country roads that seemed to be designed for the Tesla. And while we naturally had to drive slower, even the roads around the Hotel Hershey were fun to drive.
           Our Tesla representative told us that the Model X can tow 5,000 pounds. Can you imaging heading down the highway and seeing a Tesla toting a pop-up trailer?
Again, our rep said the base price of the Model X is in the neighborhood of $85,000. All kinds of option packages can jack that price to well over $100,000 if you so choose. For example, the Model S we tested has a base price of something like $58,000, yet the version we tested listed at $93,000.
        Among the options are various power versions. There’s a “normal” version, a middle version and the hot version. Personally, all are pretty hot as far and I’m concerned.

(c) 2016 The Auto Page Syndicate

These Germans have connections!!!