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2012 Ford Explorer Gets 28 MPG With EcoBoost Four-Cylinder

 
1,460 views Jul 28, 2011

2011 Ford Explorer

2011 Ford Explorer

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The phrases “fuel efficient” and “seven-passenger SUV” used to be mutually exclusive. Sure, many manufacturers build seven-seat models, but most return fuel economy below 25 mpg on the highway. Ford promised to do better with its 2.0-liter, four-cylinder EcoBoost engine option on the 2012 Ford Explorer, and that engine will deliver class-leading fuel economy, according to the company and the EPA.

The EPA rates the 2.0-liter EcoBoost Ford Explorer at 28 mpg highway, which beats the rival Honda Pilot and Jeep Grand Cherokee by 5 mpg, or better than 20 percent. Its closest rival, the Toyota Highlander, still gives up 3 mpg in highway fuel economy to the Explorer.

Buyers opting for the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine won’t be sacrificing horsepower, either. The EcoBoost-equipped Explorer is rated at 240 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque, and the torque peak occurs at just 3,300 rom. By comparison, Ford’s 3.5-liter V-6, the other Explorer engine option, delivers 50 more horsepower but gives up 15 lb-ft of torque to the EcoBoost engine.

If there’s a downside to the EcoBoost Explorer, it’s in towing capacity and available configurations. The 3.5-liter V-6 Explorer is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds, but the EcoBoost Explorer is rated for only 2,000 pounds. If you need all-wheel drive, you can’t get it with the EcoBoost engine, which comes on front-wheel-drive Explorers only.

Still, the EcoBoost engine is an attractive option for those who need seven-passenger seating and don’t use their vehicle for towing or back-country exploring. While 28 mpg highway isn’t exactly hybrid fuel economy, Ford deserves praise for doing what they can to promote fuel efficiency across the product line, including building SUVs like the EcoBoost Explorer and Escape Hybrid.

[Ford via The Car Connection]

 

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Comments (7)

  1. fb_100002318653544 avatar Chuck Hybridwatercar Posted: 7/28/2011 7:31pm PDT

    I'm sure that could be bumped up to 35 or 40 mpg. By installing a hybrid Hydrogen conversion. which can be installed even in hybrids. Anything that burns gas or diesel can have one! Only $1600
     
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  2. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 7/29/2011 4:05am PDT

    Oh dear, more junk science.
     
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  3. fb_572656407 avatar Frank Tsay Posted: 8/2/2011 2:45pm PDT

    Is this an advertisement? According to Consumer Reports, all claims by these so-called fuel-saving devices can not be justified. Actually, the tests show there is no difference with or without those devices.

    Just save your money for something else that is useful.
     
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  4. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 7/29/2011 4:10am PDT

    I am not sure what to make of this offering from Ford. Firstly, it is amazing that they can get 240 HP out of a 2.0 L engine.

    But I do wonder how many people need this Explorer versus the Escape. Considering that you can get 34 mpg city in the Escape Hybrid, and the Ford Explorer is less than 20, I am not sure how green the Explore is.
     
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  5. fb_1491948054 avatar Kurt Ernst Posted: 7/29/2011 5:12am PDT

    @John, the answer is "only slightly" greener than the Explorer V6. You're absolutely right about Americans needing an Escape versus an Explorer, but we've grown accustomed to buying what we want, not what we need. Most Americans associate safety with vehicle size, so the perception is larger vehicle = safer vehicle. I suppose that has to do with our appalling lack of driver training, but that's a soap-box topic for another day.
     
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  6. fb_1001015277 avatar John Briggs Posted: 7/29/2011 7:56pm PDT

    Kurt,
    People feel "safer" in an Explorer? They must have a very short memory. Exceedingly high death rates in Explorers was big news for years.
     
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  7. fb_1491948054 avatar Kurt Ernst Posted: 7/30/2011 5:52am PDT

    @John, people have short memories, and today's Explorer is nothing like the high center-of-gravity, short wheelbase, rollover prone Explorers of old. Regardless of the nameplate, big = safe to the average American driver.
     
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