I’m VERY aware of the optics around sponsored posts in the era of the Mommy Blogger rant. So I’ll state up front- of the three Fords I’ve driven one was provided by Ford, one was provided by the Department of Energy, and one was provided by Allstate Insurance for reasons about to come clear.
So it’s been in interesting few months around Chez Deal in the car department. The peak of the excitement arrived at 11:42PM May 4th when Deal Dog went ballistic and woke us from a deep slumber. We quickly realized her outburst was merited as our Honda CR-V, which was parked in our driveway at bedtime, was now at a 45 degree angle 15 feet into our lawn with a pickup truck on top of it.
I had to chuckle as I saw the Ford Explorer at Enterprise- because less than a week earlier I had returned a Ford Explorer to Ford. So I’ve now had a month in two different models, the Sport and the Platinum, and a pretty good feel of what life is like with a Ford Explorer.
The week before the first Explorer arrived I had returned another Ford- a C-MAX plug-in Hybrid. The Department of Energy asked me to drive that around DC for a month in an (unrelated) program designed to show how plug-ins work in the real world.
I’m fairly certain Ford’s intention in handing me the keys to the Explorer Platinum for 10 days was a puff piece detailing how awesome it is- and it is pretty awesome. However, I have all of this other relevant info to bring to the table and I thought it would be fun to compare and contrast the features between the Platinum and the Sport and between the Explorer and the C-MAX- and then to give my verdict on both. Sorry, Ford!
I should also give my baseline- if I’m telling you something is better or worse you should know what I’m comparing it to. I’ve been a Honda girl since 1996 and we currently have an Accord and the (now critically injured) CR-V. With two kids it’s never occurred to me to get a larger SUV or a (gag!) minivan. Now with that out of the way…
Ford Explorer
She Buys Cars has a comprehensive review but I want to pull out a few features I really liked:
- Automatic rear seats: Need a trunk? No problem! Instead of yanking seats around you just hit a switch. This feature looked like a lifesaver if you traveled part time with a stroller. The trunk was decent sized with six seats but with four was cavernous- a sofa would fit in there.
- Idiot proof GPS: The GPS not only tells you where to go but shows you which lane in the SYNC panel. Very handy in new cities with spaghetti ramps.
- Comfortable ride: No doubt there- a 15 hour drive to Florida each was was a LOT easier on my back in the Explorer than it was in the Accord last year.
- Automatic trunk: Again a lifesaver with a stroller or groceries, instead of emptying your hands to open the lid you just wiggle your foot. Don’t believe me? Check it out in the video.
- Adaptive cruise control: This took me a bit to get to used to but once I did I loved it. It’s cruise control you set and forget- if you get into traffic it automatically slows down to a speed with an appropriate gap between cars and it speeds back up when the traffic clears. Genius! (Platinum only)
- Blind spot sensors: There’s a light on your side view mirrors that blinks when something is in your blind spot. Really useful. (Platinum only)
- Seat Warmers, Coolers, and Massagers: Seriously sweet. (Obviously Platinum only)
And a couple of things I didn’t:
- Well, the Platinum is $53,000. I’m sure it’s worth every penny and if you’re a $53,000 car person it’s definitely worth considering. I’m. Just. Not.
- The Explorer got 19 MPG for me. I know gas is cheap now, but under 20MPG on my drive to Florida and back seemed really low.
Ford C-MAX
The back seat of the C-MAX is plenty big for a BFF road trip.
My review of the C-MAX is strikingly different than the review I expected it to be before driving it. Frankly- I LOVED the C-MAX. I was planning to write a post about what it’s like to drive a plug-in hybrid like the Ford C-Max. But there’s no there there because it’s just like driving a regular car. I was expecting a putt putt wagon (and the regular battery hybrid Prius I drove Spring Break in Gran Canaria was one) but I really enjoyed this Ford.
It’s fitting that I compare it to a car I drove in Gran Canaria because “European” was my first thought upon driving the C-MAX. It was first produced over there and would probably rent as a full or mid size but over here next to Explorers and the like looks tiny.
It doesn’t feel tiny inside, though. Deal Kid is taller than me and said the back felt roomier than the Accord on a 4 hour drive to New York. I really thought the trunk would be an issue as the battery takes up 1/2 the space but was able to fit three full sized suitcases in there.
The best part, though, was how little effort the plug-in part took. I had an image of some type of converter or station in my head but the plug looks just like a gas pump and plugs into a regular outdoor outlet. I went days around town without using any gas at all and in a month (including a round trip drive to NY and one to the beach from DC) used 1.5 tanks of gas.
The C-MAX is also available with some of the features I liked most about the Explorer: the blind spot side mirrors, automatic rear doors, and simple GPS among a few.
Before I drove one I covered the Washington Car Show and really struggled with the idea that people would pay a 50% premium for a plug-in with gas at $2/gallon. The C-MAX plug-in goes for 32K (and I don’t think you’ll find many deals) compared to about 21K I paid for my Accord.I’m sure tax credits take that down quite a bit. But you know what? I wouldn’t pay more because the C-MAX is a plug in. I’d pay more because it’s a great car.
Let me explain- No, let me sum up
I started this post a 20 year Honda girl- and end it in the tank for Ford. I’m definitely not interested in the Explorer- just too big for us- but I’d consider the C-MAX in a heartbeat. I’m more curious about the Escape-and if our CR-V doesn’t come out of this alive it’s where we may land. Repair costs look comparable to the Hondas and the experience feels so much better than I expected. I wish I’d done this last year when we were car shopping as Ford wasn’t even on my radar then. It definitely will be next time.
I’d love to hear from any Ford owners out there- how has maintenance been for you? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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Wow…$53K for a Ford Explorer? That’s luxury car territory and I’m pretty sure you could get a Lexus RX at that price. Granted, the Ford might be a tad bigger, but I think the Lexus might bring some other compelling qualities to the table.
What was your observed MPG on the C-Max? I had considered the C-Max and Fusion plug-in hybrids when they were first introduced. However, a few months later, I believe the government made Ford revise their MPG ratings for both models because they were wildly over-optimistic. There were also some early reports about reliability issues and all things considered, I lost interest. That was a few years ago, so it sounds like maybe they have worked out the issues?
Hi Erik,
The difference between city and highway was so stark that I’m not exactly sure how to break it down. City it ranged from 88 to 999 (which I think meant infinity) Mpg as under 20 is 100 percent battery and it regenerates from braking. Highway was around 44 to 50 depending on traffic- more traffic meant higher mpg.
I’ve got an f150 ecoboost and average about 18 mpg (fairly heavy foot off the line). I’ve got 44,000 miles so far and have only changed the oil and the shitty bf Goodrich original tired to something that would last more than 30,000 miles. Thumbs up all around so far (knock on wood)!
Glad to hear. Thanks for sharing.
Know what assures this is a post from a “real person”? The gift left for you in the video on the back window.
Had to say farewell to our beloved ’06 Buick Rendezvous SUV last year with 160k easy maintenance miles.
Now I’m hauling the kiddo around in our “backup/play car” – a 2002 Monte Carlo SS. I purchased her in 2001 with 6 miles on the odometer. She now has 180k miles (a new trans at 65k miles, 3 sets of brakes, and more oil leaks than we care to mention.) talk about feeling like a ‘poser’ . . .
In the car market too. But I just can’t bring myself to put $30k into a vehicle! #firstworldproblems
LOL…taken from the Walmart parking lot. I’d seriously think about the Escape, which is in the low 20s. 25 is my mental limit.
As a very experienced Ford, Saab, Volvo and VW owner I think you might like the Escape or the Fusion much better. The Fusion is bigger and nicer than an Accord (depending on what model you get of course). The Escape is kinda Explorer like but smaller like your Honda SUV. I’m not sure of the Escape MPG but a Fusion will get 30+ mpg. We have two and get 33 and 32. Much better than the 13 mpg in our Ford F350 diesel pickup 🙂
I’m also wondering how you get Ford to let you test cars. I need to do that.
Hi Dan, Thanks for the insight about the fusion. Ive rented one and liked the car.
I have owned more Fords than any other vehicle. The last two cars since 2013 for my wife have been Hondas and they have been worlds better. I do not think she will ever go back and we are waiting for the all new ’17 CRV for her next car.
I drive many Fusions at work and they are okay, but not as good as the Honda Accord for me personally. In my Ford days I had many, many more problems than I have ever had with my Hondas. Coworker has now had two Fusions in a row and he has problems and visits to the shop pretty often. Nice car though, but reliability has only been so so.
The Escape had a ton of issues the first few years. Much of what I list below also affects the CMAX and the Focus and even the Fusion
2013 Escape has had 13 recalls. Many of the same listed below, along with improper door frames resulting in doors being hard to open or close and possibly just coming open. 1.6l engine overheating cylinder one and cracking the head, and the resulting oil leak. The leak was then linked vehicle fires. Engine compartment fuel lines chafing and leaking. There are several others
2014 Escape has had 9 recalls. Instrument cluster going blank, bad fuel pump needing replacing, air bag and seat belt board going bad resulting in non working seat belts. Fuel delivery module cracking resulting in low fuel pressure, bad wiiring harness resulting in stalling cars, sub standard seat welds resulting in failing seat backs. This is just a few of them.
2013 Fusion has only 8 recalls, but a massive 104 service TSBs to fix issues that they have not deemed worth of a recall!
2013 CRV – 1 recall, if you pull hard oh the shift lever (or kid stands on it) in sub freezing temps you can break it, resulting it it coming out of gear.
2014 CR-V – 0 Recalls.
2013 Accord – 1 recall. Fuel tank seal might not be good around neck. Possible cause of fire if not fixed.
2014 Accord – 1 recall. Connecting rod bolts might be improperly torqued.
I think the numbers speak for themselves. I like all cars and drive tons of them but for me Ford is not on my list of what I might own. Lots of people love them though so I’m glad there are options for everyone out there!
Thanks for sharing- very helpful. If you can use a smaller one, the 2017 H-RV from Honda was adorable- a baby C-RV.
That is what my wife owns now, just got back from a 2000 mile road trip in it. We had a ’13 CR-V before this and we think it is slightly too small for us so we’ll move back to the CR-V when the new one hits. The HR-V is a great little car though, maybe a couple small things I dislike but overall it has been great.
I was going to get one of the new Civics as they are amazing, but no Si model kept be form getting one, I ended up going a more luxury, non Honda, route for my ride.
The new CR-V and Accord will share the same base as the Civic, and it has been getting rave reviews. Hopefully means good things for the CR-V and Accord!
I have a 2013 Escape and a 2015 Explorer. Love both of them and have had zero issues. The Escape gets much better MPG being as it is a much smaller and lighter vehicle. I have an upgraded engine: a turbocharged 4-cylinder so I get the power of a V6 with the fuel economy of a 4 cylinder. There is a lot less room in the Escape, though, as it has no 3rd row. Previously I had a Honda and two Toyotas. I like the Fords better. They are definitely more luxurious on the inside. Superior interiors all around. The Explorer feels on par with a Lexus or Acura when I’m in it (I also have an Acura MDX) so the price tag seems warranted. Mine actually has more features than the Acura and I like it better.
I will say that Ford put some crap manufacurer tires on the Escape that barely made 30,000 miles so I had to replace those fairly quickly, which was annoying. But that has been my only complaint with buying Ford so far. The Explorer did not have the same issue.
Thanks for the detailed report, Leigh Ann. Helpful!