Used 2013 Ford Explorer XLT 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A) Consumer Reviews
Used Explorer for sale
Safe, but going elsewhere for next family vehicle.
Iodoxy, University Park, PA, 09/11/2018
Ford Explorer XLT 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
4 of 6 people found this review helpful
I bought our '13 Ford Explorer XLT AWD used (36k miles) (leather, panoramic sunroof, sensors, etc.) after my wife's 2008 Pathfinder was totaled by someone running a red light while she turned. Being we have a large family, tight budget, and only a two-week window of rental with our insurance, I had to move fast on getting a new (used) vehicle. So safety was #1 in my mind, given my wife had a minor concussion and my son a broken wrist from what could have been a much, much worse accident. (The Pathfinder saved them from much worse). The interior of the Ford wastes space. You literally cannot use the outboard armrests while driving as you have to lean about 15 degrees outward to do so. Why not widen the interior to make use of this space. My thought is that they do this to make it pass the side impact testing better, but my GC, and other 'safe' vehicles have normal reaches to the side doors(?), which is strange. The 2nd row middle seat is useless. Thankfully, our kids are thin and two under 10 years old, so not a huge issue, but things are tight on long trips. The third row is comfortable for adults (once you get back there). The Ford system for getting back there is not intuitive, and the kids usually crawl over the seat backs rather than activating the full mechanism. Behind third row cargo is best in class, with room to stash flat objects under the third row. The SYNC system is TERRIBLE. The infotainment in my 14 GC is flawless, bluetooth connects immediately and the USB connect iPod is seamless. In the Ford, you have to push hard on the screen (a distraction when driving), when Bluetoothed to the phone, it will randomly start only playing the first 20 seconds of each song one day, then back to normal the next. You have to manually tell it to shuffle the attached iPod by going into the menu (the Jeep has a huge button on screen that says SHUFFLE). Awful interface for climate (you'll just use the buttons) and worse for rear climate control. Just awful. The side menus on the speedometer are nice on the left (mpg, trip, etc.) but the ones on the right are useless. They just show you what is active, but to change anything you need to look at the center screen and struggle with menus. Awful. Now reliability. We replaced the front tie rods at 66k. Now the struts are blown in the front. Again, comparing to my GC with almost the same miles and year, the suspension is like new and rides much better than the Explorer (even though it is more of an off-road vehicle. To be fair to the Ford, that may well be it. We live in pothole country with rough country roads. The Ford is more biased towards being a car, and may not be as good at wear and tear on these surfaces, where the Jeep is built for it. The Ford creaks and groans at random times, and just doesn't have good fit and finish when compared to the other cars, SUVs and Jeeps we've had. Let's take the sunroof. (Please, I have to compare it to the other vehicle we own, so bear with me...) On the Jeep GC, it knows where the sunroof is at all times. If you want to open the roof while it is currently in vent mode, you simply hit open and it first retracts the vent, then opens the roof. On the Ford, you have three separate buttons (not well labelled or intuitively placed) that you must close the vent yourself, before trying to open the roof. Overall, I call the Explorer and AVERAGE vehicle. It accelerates average, has average build quality, and will keep you safe. It could be a great car if Ford makes better use of the interior space (the vehicle is fat for what it is), updates SYNC (Ford has done this), goes to a bigger V-6 (so you don't have to jump to the turbo for some more passing/towing power), and really work on the build quality. The Ford has taken us on several long family trips, and keeps us safe through the winters and the deep snows. I'd recommend it if you can get one at a bargain price that has a clean mechanical history.
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No Leg Room
nolegroom45, Lusby, MD, 07/23/2013
Ford Explorer XLT 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
3 of 5 people found this review helpful
I purchased a 2013 Ford Explr XLT 2 weeks ago. After test driving the vehicle I did not notice the lack of leg room as I was too busy playing with the MyTouch and working the mirrors to even bother. On my way home after purchasing the vehicle, I had a cramp and went to stretch out my left (non driving) leg. It was met abruptly by the "dead petal". After I got home I tried many ways to reduce the "dead petal" but could not get it to work with my size. I am only 6'3" which is taller than average but I am no giant. I wouldn't recommend this vehicle to anyone who is taller than 6 feet. My mother's 2002 Explr has all the leg room in the world. Not sure why Ford made the new ones so small.
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Just OK as an SUV
mauwii, Fairfield, CT, 11/15/2014
Ford Explorer XLT 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
6 of 12 people found this review helpful
Moved from a Chevrolet Traverse to the new Explorer and quickly found it was not a good move. The car is just OK, the performance has far too much lag in it, acceleration is deceiving, the boot is awkward, the seats are difficult to fold down. The doors are flimsy and really light. The running lights are a pain in that they don't come on when you want them to. The electronics are slow to kick-in, slow to do what you want them to do. The controls are far too small on the steering wheel, if you are a man they are painful to use. The doors don't unlock when you exit, so you have to go inside to unlock the vehicle. The fuel tank is too small and the average mile/gallon just not good enough.
Dora
Rick , North Augusta, SC, 04/03/2022
Ford Explorer XLT 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Dora the Explorer, except for the fuel mileage, has fulfilled my expectations and really is a good looking ride.
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Review after 9 months of ownership
missfc, Anderson, IN, 01/09/2014
Ford Explorer XLT 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
2 of 5 people found this review helpful
My 1st Ford ever, I'm a 40 yr old woman, driving all my life. What I hate about the Explorer: the harsh ride on bumps when you're going over 20mph. It's a soft ride at very low speeds. Also the insulation is insufficient and you hear every pothole very loudly inside the cabin almost like a wheel fell off or something. I also HATE the rattling, squeaking, noises it makes from the dashboard and console area at only 8,000 miles. I only drive on roads, can't imagine how it will fall apart if I actually went off roading. Also, on a cold day, the ignition refused to turn on when leaving from a grocery store one day. Called roadside assistance. Car hates cold, makes weird noises till it warms up.