Jackson Hole,
Wyoming -- What better place to put America's best-selling, three-row
sport-utility vehicle through its paces than this spectacular Rocky Mountain
setting, with snow as far as the eye can see?
Early April in
and around Grand Teton National Park is known as the "mud season,"
because tons of snow annually melt off and turn the ground into a gooey mess
before much of the snowmelt makes its way to the Snake River. My 2019 Ford Explorer Limited 4WD proved to
be more than up to the task of handling these conditions, plus maneuvering
through snow-covered back roads and dealing with sub-freezing temperatures.
And inside the
vehicle, civilized luxury was everywhere.
Ford has taken
some shots for keeping its Explorer pretty much as is for nearly a decade -- a
serious makeover is expected next year -- but I was entirely pleased with the
Explorer's old-school charms here where the valley floor is at 6,500 feet.
At night, when
the early spring temperature plunges sharply in the early evening, you
appreciate the Explorer's quick-heating climate-control system, and heated
seats front and back. The Explorer's
dash controls are perfectly laid out, with plentiful options for comfort and
convenience. Lots of interior room is
welcome as well.
Another plus:
The generous cargo area in the back of the SUV easily swallowed our oversize
baggage stuffed with winter gear. In
short, this loaded Explorer had everything one expects for a vehicle that can
go in the $50,000 range.
That includes
the power plant. The tester's 3.5-liter V-6 rated at 290 horsepower was more than
adequate in all conditions.
Happily, the
4WD system made the tester a sure-footed wonder in the snow. The Explorer drove solid and straight even on
ice-under-snow road surfaces. Likewise,
it cut through muddy roads with barely a wiggle, although it pained me to coat
the exterior paint surface with mud from bumper to bumper ... an ever-present
situation in mountain country.
In truth, I
felt spoiled driving this Explorer amid the beautiful setting of the Grand
Teton range. I thought I should be
roughing it, but the Limited edition of the SUV was so refined that I felt like
a moneyed intruder in a world of well-worn pickups and snow-plowing
vehicles. Alas, I did not feel so bad as
to give up my Explorer, sticking with it for the entire week.
My only
struggles came with the rear door lockout system -- I never mastered it -- and
the rear climate control system, which took me some time to figure out. This might have been a result of my own tech-mastering
limitations, truth be told.
Bottom line:
Minor gripes were no big deal. The
Explorer was a welcome, positive presence in this big, beautiful country.
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