Ford's Explorer rolls on amid increasing competition

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- Stepping into a Ford Explorer sport-utility vehicle is a step into history.

Over 30 years, the Explorer -- despite various ups and downs in the early SUV era -- has been a monster seller for Ford.  And for many automakers, the Explorer was the template they started with to build their initial SUV offerings.

My Explorer ride for a week was the four-wheel-drive, King Ranch edition.  That translates to various western/old-school pickup touches, including distinctive King Ranch stitching inside the cockpit. You feel like a confident westerner just starting it up, and yes, it's reflected in the price -- $59,430 for my ride.

Positives?  Plenty.  Ford freshened the look of its various Explorers for the 2021 model year.  My Explorer looked sleek on 20-inch, 10-spoke aluminum wheels and wearing a twin-panel moonroof.

Interior space was good, but the third row seats might want to be reserved for kids or smaller adults.  The ride was comfortable and quiet.

Performance was exceptional, with a 3-liter EcoBoost V-6 rated at 400 horsepower handling the propulsion chores. The tester jumped enthusiastically from standing starts and was downright frisky in dusting off dicey freeway traffic.

Strong safety ratings were topped off with a max five-star overall score in federal government crash tests.

A long list of standard features was a plus, including some you might not expect in an Explorer ... ambient lighting for example.

So, what's not to like?  Well, some critics have treated the Explorer to brutally negative reviews.  Their biggest gripe appears to be that the Explorer is stuck in time, lacking the flash and dash of the competition.

I'm not sure I buy that argument so much as I admit that the competition has come roaring out of the gate with exceptional vehicles competing in the Explorer's segment.  Loaded competitors include the highly respected Kia Telluride and the head-turning Hyundai Palisade.

Should Ford be indicted for not responding quickly enough to these heavies?  Perhaps in some minds.  With the Explorer hanging around as long as it has, my guess is that Ford will continue to dress up the venerable vehicle to regain market share.

That would not be the first time Ford has gone down that path ... check out the history of the Mustang, for example.  As for now, the Explorer continues to roll on, with what I'd call competent, memorable history on its side.