2012 Ford Explorer User Reviews

Pros

Great look, great gas for an SUV

Cons

Hub Caps rather then alloy rims as stock.

Purchased As New

I love my Explorer. Great space, great ride. It's my best purchase yet. I get many compliments, my 3 year old daughter tells me each day, Daddy, I love your car. Anytime someone in a Range Rover pulls along side you at a signal light and pays you a compliment on your ride, you know it looks good. great Job Ford....read morehide

Pros

Good looking, great gas mileage, sits 7, parks itself

Cons

Sync hard to learn but works great

Purchased As New

Not like the old explorer, great in snow, looks good. Drives good with great power for a 6. Moon roof goes over front and back seats. Electric back seats open and closes itself. Good job FORD.

Pros

Excellent design. Good power. Maula shift option is very nice.

Cons

Sync system freezes up, has trouble with bluetooth and cell phones.

Purchased As Not Purchased

Overall I am happy with the car. It rides nice. So far it performs sub par in the snowy conditions. Feels sloopy on the road, not like an SUV should.
Fuel economy is overstated. I average 18-19 MPG even on highway driving.
Car has very good pickup and the manual shift feature is great.

Pros

Rides Well

Cons

The navigation system crashes

Purchased As New

Do not believe all of the good messages on this review board. The navigation system is not ready for production and Ford is not releasing a new version for many months. Do not be tricked into buying this car yet....until the new software is out.

Pros

Rides Well

Cons

Ford SYNC is terrible!

Purchased As New

Whoever is writing all of these glowing reviews must be getting paid by Ford. The onboard navigation crashes all the time, the phone does not connect to the car...Bluetooth quality is horrible (volume modulates terribly), the blinkers on the rear view mirrors already have condensation on the inside of them, meaing the seal is broke....The car has less than 4000 miles....read morehide

Pros

Versatility, size, 4WD system, technology, and the list goes on.

Cons

Sync and Navigation System Prone to Lag and Freezing Occasionally

Purchased As New

I don't understand people's negative comments about this vehicle, such as not enough leg room, seats are too high, etc.

For a 6'0, 200 LB male, There is TONS of room. I could put my seat up another 6 inches and still have plenty of leg and head room. I could go back another 6 inches and the 2nd row passengers would be completely comfortable. You can raise and lower the seat too, so the height is completely adjustable. The 3rd row seats are just fine as well, unless you are Andre the Giant.

The cargo space is excellent as well. I recently moved into a new home, and I was able to put chairs, dressers, end-tables, etc into it. I only had to fill up a small Uhaul half-way because I was able to fit so much stuff into the Explorer to make quick trips. I purchased the rubber/plastic tray liner for the cargo area and there is not one scratch or ding back there.

I live in the midwest where snow is the norm in the winter. This handles like a charm with the 4WD settings. In fact, I was trying to make it slip out taking corners, and it wasn't possible. The wheels adjust instantly and just keep you moving right along. Although I am not really into offroading, I would love to see what this can do in mud or sand.

The technology piece is great. The only complaint I have is that the Sync system occasionally freezes up, and I had to have it reinstalled at the dealer. It fixed most of the problems, but it still occasionally freezes and can be annoying. Ford says later updates will fix this, but I haven't seen it yet after 6 months or so of ownership. Beyond that, blue-tooth phone connectivity, touch screen everything, and just talking to your car to change your climate settings or navigation destination is insanely awesome!

My only other complaint is that you can't get some of the extra goodies, like HID/Xenon lights, unless you get the best model with the best package options. That takes the price range up from the low to mid $30's, easily to the mid $40's. I just went with the middle model and installed my own HID lamps. For those of us that don't need an expensive panoramic moonroof, maybe a standard moonroof should be an alternative.

As for gas, it's doing right around what I expected. The 4WD factory sticker estimates 19 combined, and I am right around 18.3 MPG. I spend most of my time off the interstate, so this is pretty good actually. It would be cool if the I-4 tubo model came in 4WD.

Overall, I can look past the small technology issues because at least Ford is trying to think outside the box with this one. I have not one bit of buyer's remorse, and enjoy driving this vehicle. For the people that are in the market for a new SUV, please try this out. Don't listen to the people giving this 1 star because they RENTED it, and are Ford haters to begin with. I never owned a Ford in my life, but I would definitely now consider sticking with the brand in the future. Once I test drove this, it made the Venza, 4-Runner, Equinox, Outlander, Murano, Edge and Terain just seem 2nd rate. I was originally considering an AWD Edge or Venza, and this just blew those away....read morehide

Pros

Its nice to look at.

Cons

Too many to list

Purchased As Not Purchased

I rented this vehicle for month and Ford should be ashamed to put out a product like this. The front wheel drive is horrible, there is no leg room for the driver or passenger. The second row seat has no leg room either. The third row seat is non useable. I drove this piece of crap in Florida and the ride was rough so I can just imagine what it would be in the north east. The vehicle is hard to get in and out of. The controls are hard to use and the blinkers are just plain stupid. I'm a life long ford user and I'm very disappointed. P.S the Ford Taurus is equally as bad....read morehide

Pros

I think Steve Jobs must have designed this SUV

Cons

Second row middle seat is uncomfortable for adults

Purchased As New

I have the Limited 4WD, loaded with every possible feature in a package called 302A. My original plan was to get a Lexus GX but someone convinced me to try the Explorer. I wasn't going to buy it because I grew up thinking that Fords are junk when compared to Toyota or Honda. I gave it a go anyway and I am shocked and happy that I purchased this vehicle.

This loaded version has unusual features that are better than the Lexus GX. Here are a few: Front and rear moonroofs, perfect integration with Ipod including album art ( although you need to download a program from Ford to clean your ipod--it's called sync my itunes), air conditioned seats, adaptive cruise control, unbelievable voice recognition that includes dialing the phone, picking an album off the ipod and setting navigation), crystal clear telephone sound, warnings about blind spots in the side view mirrors, beeping when the car could be hit by another vehicle while in reverse, customization of 4WD features (mud vs. sand vs. snow), very large touch screen, ability to customize a "MyKey" for teenagers so that the stereo won't be too loud or the car won't pass a certain speed, remote auto start, a warning light on the windshield with a beeping when you approach a car from behind very quickly ( I think this safety feature is for idiots who text or for drivers who are drowsy), auto parallel park feature (fun to show friends but I don't need it), the ability to pause sirius satellite and resume (sort of like a DVR), the very fun ambient lighting feature, airbags in the rear seat belts, google map integration from the home computer (directions are sent to your car's navigation system), live traffic speeds on the navigation screen, an operator assist feature, really great flat panel keyless entry pad on the front door (can leave the key inside car). In short, my brother's 75K lexus sedan doesn't have half this stuff.

The car rides very well--gets good mileage, takes 87 octane, is pretty quick, quiet up to 70 MPH, hugs the road and glosses over the bumps, with a nice turning ratio.

I don't buy American cars but this Explorer changed my mind. Plus, the experience with Ford is exceptional. They have a website with youtube videos explaining all the features (syncmyride.com), they will guarantee all services for 3 years for an extra fee so that you only pay for gas. They will also guarantee the tires, breaks, and windshield or paint chips for an extra fee.

It really feels like Apple made this SUV. Even little details are pleasant--the lift gate opens very quickly but closes at a slower speed (think about it).

I can't come up with a feature it doesn't have. The exterior and interior are elegant and the mytouch computer system is easy once you go to that website to learn it. If you find a smart phone overwhelming, don't get the mytouch computer. But once you use it, you'll wonder why all cars don't have it. I've read about computer freezes but they haven't happened to my 2012.

I wrote this long review because I was prejudiced against Ford and can not believe they can outperform Lexus. I hope that people in my generation who think American cars are inferior to Japanese cars will give Ford a chance. This thing rocks!...read morehide

Pros

good looking , good gas mileage

Cons

not yet

Purchased As New

ford make a good suv, roomy inside, smooth ride, look very nice inside . impress in gas average 21 mpg , on highway 25 mpg. best midsize suv on market.

Pros

Good looks, High quality, Great on gas!

Cons

None

Purchased As New

I have a 4wd limited, By far the best suv i have driven. Gmc accadia no comparison, dodge durango its a dodge. Toyota 4 runner cheap inside rides like your wobbling from side to side. Drive one for yourself!!