Here are my honest first impressions of the 2013 Explorer. Picked it up Fri. afternoon and took it on a short road trip the next morning. Went from Fort Pierce, Fl to Ft Lauderdale and back. Approximately 200 miles round trip, went down Rt 1, allot of stop and go city driving 35 to 50 mph and returned on interstate 95 at 70mph, averaged 23 mpg round trip.
The vehicle is a pleasure to drive, seats are very comfortable, I am 5'11" 230 lbs and fit very comfortably in the drivers compartment. Visibility is just as good as any suv, and all the gauges are easy to see. The 3.5 V6 has plenty of power, the vehicle rides very well, handles unbelievably well for a truck this size and is very quiet going down the road. There is plenty of room in the 2nd row, and the 3rd row is a little tight for adults but would be fine for two younger children. The My Ford Touch works great, but like many I was initially having some problem with the touch screen and buttons, but once I read my manual and realized you have to very lightly touch the screen or buttons instead of actually trying to push harder on them, I now can operate it just fine. The interior materials are very nice quality and the fit and finish is good. The exterior and color speak for themselves just look at the pics below. At this point I am once again a very satisfied Ford customer!