We purchased a 2021 Timberline. We have had a great ownership experience thus far. On road driving feels sporty in a way you wouldn't expect from a three row midsized. Sure there are more capable offroaders out there. But most owners will never get close to finding the limits of what the Timberline can do. Also the 4wd hardware is a little different from most decated offroaders. The Timberline takes a little time to learn and find how to extract the most that it will deliver. The right throttle inputs to get the torsen rear diff to lock in and the right 4wd settings for the traction control take a little practice to get right. Start easy try different things and learn what it likes and you may find that this explorer will take you farther than you are willing to dare. We have had some great trail time in ours and have been blown away how easy it makes everything look and feel including uphill climbs even with a tire more that 2 feet off the ground. Yes I know a wrangler and the higher off road packages on the 4runner will do the same. But we have found that this explorer doesn't ask you to give up much of anything for the average day to day on road driving that it was intended. We know that most Timberlines are never going off road. I think its a shame. So we are going to keep taking ours places that it should never go for those that will never try.
Would you take yours out on the beach like the obx or Wilmington n.c beaches? That's really all the off roading u would be doing plus am occasional snow situation on regular roads.
Sry for the long delay. Absolutely yes. Just keep in mind on soft surfaces like sand to adjust tire pressure. The 4wd system shouldn't have any issues with this. And the front skid plate can take more abuse than you would think for a stock piece of hardware. If you find deeper sandy ruts from other vehicles that may challenge the ground clearance you will have the piece of mind that your protected. We have much more rockey and hard packed soil and mud/ clay soil here. Miss judged some obstacles and have bottomed out hard on the skids and haven't taken any damage. We are also on our second timberline. Now a 23 model. Sadly my wife was in an accident. Was hit from behind and pushed into two other cars. The explorer held up very well with the severity of the impact and kept my wife safe.
That trail could be a good place to benchmark all off-road vehicles’ testing. You guys should bring all SUVs and crossovers there, and test at the same trail.
Get your hands on the Jeep Grand Cherokee L and Kia Telluride XPRO. Agreed with the above comment-this trail would great. I class all three of these as the newer "off road" ready 3 Rows for growing families
The phone slot is probably intended for phones with protective cases. Most people don't carry around a bare $800 smartphone without protection--I've learnt that lesson the hard way.
@@mandycarl2053 Actually I trade cryptocurrency on a platform, with assistance from their top crypto experts. *Sir* *Nicholas* *Merten* is my professional assistant, I have been trading with him for 8 months now... I've really made a lot from his strategies in trading and mining of cryptocurrencies.
Great review and may I say your daughter makes the greatest intelligent comments and is the happiest,sweetest, most cute little kid I’ve seen in ages👍😁
Great family review as always. I look forward to the second row with child seat access to third row for all the crossover reviews. Good info for growing families!
I have this same vehicle, I love the color and the overall appearance. That being said, I believe you nailed it with the Friday night pizza analogy. This vehicle was not my first choice but it is what I ended up settling on. I have taken it off-road and would highly recommend sticking with the trails and fire roads. In those areas it is quite cable but beyond that this is not a Jeep Trailhawk or a Toyota 4Runner. The rear bucket seats are a big plus with my teenagers and there is plenty of storage with the third row folded flat. We leave it that way and have a cargo mat over it and it is great for carrying our dogs or packing cargo for trips. I am disappointed with the fuel mileage, in fact my F150 FX4 gets better milage 21 mpg v 19 mpg. Also, I really wish this came with the 2.7L instead of the 2.3L. When it's loaded down and at higher elevations it feels under powered. Having said all that , it is a good vehicle for what it is. From an ATC guy - I enjoy your content Micah.
very smart having your daughter on door side, car manufactures should have some type of middle seat for childrens and infants, till this day i don't understand why parents put their small children on impact zone
I really like the way it looks. I wish the ST motor (which is available in the KR) was available in this version. For that reason I'd get the KR, the Platinum, or the ST.
The 2nd row seats, once the back is folded down, once you pull all the way up on the handle, they should tumble forward making it easy to get into the third row. Of course its expected that there is not a kid's seat on the chair at the time. I'm picking one up this year most likely as its been the plan for a while. I've been looking at all the videos and have previously tested an ST, which I loved, but this seems more practical for my daily life and camping. Also, daughter is 8 and is almost entirely done with boosters/child seats. So not a concern. Also with your slow shift comment, my current 2015 Ford Escape does that, but I always shift it to S, presumably sport, and that all goes away.
We went with a Chevy Traverse LT over the Explorer and Ascent b/c we thought it was a better value. The Traverse hardly ever gets mentioned, but I like the styling. The Chevy has seats that can tilt with car seats in them (Micah made that point, it's super useful). Highway mpg is fantastic but city mpg is a bit lackluster. So far after nearly 3 yrs we've had zero problems and it's done everything we need to with towing trailers (5000lb rating).
I had a 2020 traverse as a rental. It was a nice suv. I own a 2020 explorer xlt and I prefer the explorer. Bigger, more comfy, better mpg, and better pick up.
@@markcayce4082 the Traverse is quite a bit larger, including a longer wheelbase that I feel improves the ride quality quite a lot in the 2nd and 3rd rows.
My flying eyes sunglasses literally became flying sunglasses when I opened the window after landing and they got sucked out of the plane. With that said there was no damage to the lenses or frames!
I think the v6 hybrid is a welcome edition to the engine options. With a slew of 3 row suv options not many offer a hybrid except for Toyota. And the Toyota hybrid only gives a 4cylinder which I feel is not enough power. I’m currently waiting to see if Hyundai will release a palisade hybrid with a v6. If so I will gladly trade in my current palisade for that one.
With 4wd the hybrid only gets 23/26/24, compared to the 4wd 2.3's 20/27/23. Yeah you give up some power with the Highlander but you also get 35/35/35. That's nearly 50% better economy which is huge. It's easy to justify the Highlander hybrid. The Explorer hybrid, not so much.
The Ford Explorer used to be #1 in this category but problems with this vehicle have lowered its's dependability ratings. The Kia Telluride is a better choice.
The interior is where the Telluride beats the Explorer, and it's only in a few small things: The Telluride console is a wee bit longer and has the cupholders in it for the rear passengers-don't like the on-the-floor console thing. Also, USB points in the third row--which the Telluride has--would be welcome. I know that since the Explorer is rear-wheel drive now, that certain things are going to be different, but small things would really make this be a great choice again.
@@gabevillarreal96 Eh, I wouldn't say better--but perhaps in some combos, better styling. I sat in a Telluride at both Carmax and the auto show, and the styling textures were a bit nicer, but touching the material didn't yield anything spectacular. I haven't driven either the new Telluride or Explorer, but I feel the Explorer is more durable, whilst the Telluride has more of a minivan feel in a SUV.
@@lego4virgo I can respect that. I still prefer the telluride. I don't mistreat or abuse my interiors so I prefer them nicer to look at sit in and touch. In those respects forvmy money, the Telluride wins. Although I wouldn't buy either. I tend to keep my vehicles long term and don't trust kia after 100k miles and in the explorer, I don't trust turbos for longevity. My opinion.
@@gabevillarreal96 Well, the Telluride now was a few issues coming down the pike, and I can understand the turbo thing--though I had a '14 Escape SE doing fine up to 110K, then I rolled it. Got a reduced-price '20 Escape S AWD with the new 1.5 turbo 3cyl. Actually gets up and goes. I DO wish Ford would drop putting that 2.3L in the Explorer, and just stick with the turbo V6 units--these are heavy SUVs, not light cars.
@@lego4virgo Agree wholeheartedly! I'm glad you are ok. And yes you were probably pretty consistent with your maintenance on that escape therefore you were able to get to 110k trouble free. Goes to show the importance of regular maintenance. Plus not abusing the vehicle. Yes I feel the same about the 2.3 in the explorer. To me that's just a breakdown waiting to happen. Even more is the 2.7 turbo 4 cylinder in the Silverado! It's actually very quick but it sounds terrible and there js almost NO benefit in gas mileage because the turbos are constantly working to lug that 6000 lb vehicle around all the time. Who would ever want a 4 cylinder in a FULL SIZE TRUCK!?? NO WAY NOT ME!
Since 1980 (42 years ago for those who hate math) Ford Released the Touch KeyPad on Lincolns, High end T-Birds, and Top Cougar XR-7 Models. 42 years Same Technology. Who would of thought we were living in the future in 1980? And yes, I had it on my new 1980 XR-7. “Kiddo” is adorable missing her 🦷 “ 🥰
One of my favorite things about Fords are those keypads. I use it all the time so I don't have to carry my keys with me when running, biking, boating, etc.
Looks great inside and out and ford always makes reliable SUV’s. BUT I cannot get it out of my head that every time I see an explorer I see a COP car lol. Here in New Orleans all Police cars are Explorer.
One of the things I dont like about the timberline is Ford only gave you one option for interior. I dont like the color of the interior. I wish you could get all black.
If you want everyone to think you are a cop, buy an Explorer! haha It's like the Crown Vics of old, have to take a minute to look before you keep speeding:)
I was wondering that too. The launch was a disaster. I'd like to think Ford has got it together, but I've owned enough Fords to doubt that very much. They tend to not fix anything until the next refresh.
Good family review. Rumors say that FORD has a lot of quality issues w Explorer??? Have you heard anything regarding this.?? I wish they could make it with 2 rows. Love your family reviews @ their thoughts on vehicles. Great idea. Love the west coast scenery.
My wife and I bought a 21 explorer timberline just like the one in the video. No problems to report thus far. 6500 miles. Also have taken on some off road adventures that I never would have thought an explorer could do. We and everyone that has seen it in action has been impressed.
I am curious how the 12 speaker B&O system sounds in one of these. It's an upgrade option and wondering how decent it is versus the 14 the ST comes with.
my wife has the ST and my problem with the Explorer is build quality, it's absolutely horrible. when it's not broken I'm really happy with it and it works great for our little family, but when it's broken it's days upon days of it sitting at the dealer and being told Ford Engineering is looking it over.
Hey Ford!!! The Explorer Timberline is going in the right direction with off road capability!! BUT!! I would trade the explorer for the Ford Everest (that’s over in the European market) in a heartbeat!! Just saying… 🤷
I bought a brand new Explorer Timberline and have driven it for 2 months now. I love the power and how smooth it is, but it's not a quiet vehicle. It makes a kinda low frequency noise when I just start the engine and when it's running at about 1100-1200 rpm sometimes. The noise sounds like from the exhaust. The tire noise is also pretty loud when the road is bumpy. I took it back to Ford, but they couldn't find anything wrong. I'm not sure if it's an issue or it's normal as a Timberline. Any Explorer Timberline onwer has the same experience?
I don't dislike it, it just feels old as a new vehicle because they were benchmarking the Honda pilot (a relative of mine was on the design team of this explorer). They are in a competitive market where there's telluride and palisade that raised the bar significantly. Even the new Highlander has to do a lot to keep up with them. Ford just didn't do enough. As of this video, it seems to big significantly more claps for switching scenes than usual.
4 cylinder Explorers and 6 cylinder F-150s? I know they’re turbocharged but it makes me question the longevity of these engines/turbo systems. Back in the 90s people drove around Turbos that rarely made it past the 70K mile mark. It’s just too much weight for the engine to be hauling around. I wonder how much the technology has improved.
That slot in the center console would be great for my wallet. I never sit on my wallet. It hurts my back and also wears out a spot in my car seat and pants. When I get in my car I always put my wallet in the cup holder.
Ford needs to stop playing and give us the Everest as the next gen explorer. Offer it in two and three row options and you can ditch the Edge. Just call it the Explorer and Explorer XL. You can even introduce a Explorer Raptor
Hi. Random request alert. I just saw a vid about a house in Bel Air thats being demolished any time now because it was built without proper building codes. Any chance you could fly over it, if you're in the neighbourhood, to see whats happening? Its 901, Strada Vecchia Rd. (its on 'inside Mohamed Hadid's former Bel Air mega mansion' ) thanks 😊
It's not bad. But the quality is still lacking. The only offroading this will see is when people go on a dirt road to their friends house. For the price I'd rather get the Telluride.
The older Ford Explorer was WAY better. Nicer looking (Less Swoooopyy). Way more room in the third row. First row didn’t felt so claustro. More roomy. And the 3rd row had like power folding feature leading to three different configurations in the limited trim.
