Originally Posted by
tseekins
Previous gen Explorers didn't have the full air bag canopy like this one has. The roof line had to be raised to accommodate the extra safety equipment. You raise the roof, you raise everything else proportionately so it looks right and that adds weight.
Right from the launch date the new Explorer should have come with your choice of 3.5L engines, only.
Thanks, Tim...plus the new Explorer is 10 inches longer and a few inches wider as I recall, so there are size reasons for it to have picked up some weight. It is startlingly large, actually. The 2 liter turbo makes a lot of sense in the Escape. I know Ford can't make 50 different engines, but a good size for the Explorer might have been something like a 3 liter V6 Ecoboost based on the original Duratec size.
Still, I really like the new Explorer, and if someone were to give me one (or sell me one at half price) with the 2 liter turbo, I would definitely drive and enjoy it. I focus more on fuel economy than performance in daily driver type cars these days. Actually a 2 liter turbo Edge would suit me very nicely as a daily driver.
Problem is that my next vehicle is gonna have to be a replacement for my E150, and I have no clue what that will be. Maybe the new 2014 Transit Connect, or a short version of the 2014 big Transit. We shall see what engines will go in those.... I think the TC is going to have the 2 liter turbo.
Thanks,
George