The 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum is aptly named. When it’s adventure you seek, you need an SUV that can carry everything you need, and get you where you’re going. The Ford Explorer does both.
Today, many of the 6-7 passenger vehicles are either minivans, or CUVs (crossovers) rather than true SUVs. While many have AWD options, you won’t find many with the ground clearance of an SUV. This is one of the things we really loved about the 2016 Ford Explorer. You get to sit up, off the ground, you have ground clearance for climbing over those rocks and out of ruts, and you get a more masculine body style than you’ll find it a lot of the CUVs on the market today.
Our family recently took a 2016 Ford Explorer on a 9-day road trip adventure. We spent over 42 hours on the road, covering hundreds of miles. We packed enough clothes, food, and camping gear for our family of 4 and set out to explore our state, one internationally named Texas city at a time!
2016 Ford Explorer: Class and Style + Functionality
My husband is a big fan of the Explorer’s exterior. I think it’s pretty classy, but it doesn’t stand out to me the way it does to him. I think it’s just a little beefier and looks more capable than some of its competitors and that makes it a stand-out as a family vehicle that both mom and dad will drive. Every time I see a white one I wonder if it’s a police… they just have that commanding look! And honestly, the red with blacked out wheels is pretty darned sexy!
It hauls, it tows, and it climbs.
We drive an older model Durango and use it like a pickup truck. With a class 3 trailer tow package (5, 000lb capacity!) and a 3.5L engine equipped with EcoBoost, I feel like this new Explorer could easily replace that, towing small flatbed trailers, hauling hay and chicken feed or soil for the garden, and taking us off-road to camp, thanks to its intelligent 4WD. I’d feel very confident using it as my every day vehicle.
Twice the Sunlight and All the Power
My kids are always impressed by double moonroofs and I have to say the Platinum edition Explorer has a nice one! It also comes standard with heated and cooled front seats, heated second row seats, a leather wrapped heated steering wheel, and intelligent access with push button start.
Some other features we loved were the multitude of charging ports located throughout the vehicle. When you’re traveling as a family and everyone has their own device, the Ford Explorer makes charging easy. I even used and charged my laptop while my husband was driving, thanks to the AC 100V port in the second row.
One thing I didn’t even know the 2016 Explorer had, so I didn’t get to try, is the foot activated lift gate! Wow, that would have come in handy as we were loading and unloading camping gear!
Power Seats – Oh My!
My single most favorite feature on the 2016 Ford Explorer… PowerFold Third Row Seating. It’s genius, y’all. With the push of a button, the seats fold into a configuration of your choice… just folded down, or stored in the floor for a flat extended cargo space. No more setting everything down on the ground while you fold seats and store seat belts to make room for your shopping haul. (Read: chicken feed.)
And, Plenty of Room for Passengers, Large and Small
Wether you’re a 6′ 2″ daddy driving the family all over the state, or you’re the 4 year old’s favorite stuffed animal, you’ll find a comfy place to ride in the 2016 Ford Explorer. The one we drove had the captains chairs in the second row, meaning the kids had their own console. They loved this! It held their baggies of snacks, all the tiny notebooks and pencils for coloring, and their cups. Plus it gave them that little bit of separation so they each felt like they had their own space on the long road trip. You can get a full second row with a middle seat, but we liked this configuration a lot!
More Pictures I didn’t Instagram…
