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Most people agreed that 5% per year was far far too ambitious and not at all realistic from a technological viewpoint. The new proposed 1.5% is much more realistic. As you approach the bleeding edge you force automakers to do strange things and/or you run into all sorts of unintended consequences. We need improvements but we don't need to go overboard.

Ford put the 3.0 lion in F-150 because Tata paid Ford to get it EPA and CARB certified. So it was available for Ford to use for very little money. It didn't need to sell a lot to break even. And from a strategic standpoint, if you can offer a product with very little investment to blunt the competitors' advantage, you do it. Having a diesel option gives would be Ram or Chevy 1500 diesel buyer another reason to stick with Ford.

No disrespect to previous posters in this post, as this is mostly a cumulative observation, but if you don't like it or it is too expensive then find something else. Spend what you are comfortable spending. If you think you get better quality or value somewhere else, then buy something else. It's that simple. It gets tiring reading the same old complaints about the Explorer. I complained about the launch and Ford shooting themselves in the foot but you know what, I got over it. Pricing and options are what they are. We know Ford is going the anti-FCA/Nissan route, with margin NOT sales being the top goal. Now let's see if they can find the correct margin/sales balance. Time will tell.

Ford was already on board. GM was trying to play games initially but are on board now. We’re seeing the benefit of strong corporations, no way the government could do all this on their own.

I am incredibly pleased with this action. While I do believe it's important to protect the environment, I want to stay far away from the strict measures we see in places like Europe. I also believe that once electric cars and other new technologies prove viable and attractive on their own merit, people will naturally shift to those newer and more advanced products. I fully support the peoples right to buy alternative-fuel vehicles; I only ask they also respect others right to purchase a 700HP Hellcat Challenger Full Story

Honestly, they're probably just hedging their bets there. Siding with CA means you don't piss off CA, and if the Trump standards "win" (they have for now), Ford still wins. Siding with the lower standards would've pissed off CA (I recall reading articles where many CA governments stopped purchasing from companies not supporting their standards).

That all makes sense except Government setting standards pushes innovation. If not for President Bush signing off on the lightbulb/appliance standards we would still be using incandescent bulbs. Why risk investing in innovative technologies to increase fuel economy if your competitor is not, and thus able to undercut you now. The Focus transmission debacle is proof that not even Ford always looks at the long term effects of hitting the bottom line goals even if it the long run it is a bad decision. I suppose one could do increased government subsidies to the consumer to encourage adoption of new technology - but setting a standard to I believe places more of the decision making in the hands of auto companies, which is good. Ford officials have always said they can deal with the benchmarks as long as it is a level playing field for all competitors. Personally I think gutting the fuel standards is plain and simple pandering to the oil industry and it sets us back in the electrification of the fleet which i turns sets us back in the fight to minimize climate change.

So never.... hahahaha, OH I made myself sad

Yep, like the pull ahead part of a certain signing bonus that in reality was a partial, early payment of money we had already earned as profit sharing. But it looked like a big signing bonus....

Excellent summary. For some reason I can't find these options in the Ford Build & Price, but the order guide and the price list states it.

Haha, I’m among those helping produce it; I’m a reactor operator.

Michelin Primacy A/S self seal tire option, size P255/55R20 is offered on Limited and Platinum versions of 2020 Explorer. $195 option for Limited (gas 2WD and 4WD) Standard on Limited Hybrid 4WD Standard on Platinum 4WD Other Explorer trims with P255/55R20 tires use the conventional version of Michelin Primacy A/S. Here is some more info about Michelin's Self Seal technology. https://www.michelinman.com/michelin-selfseal-technology.html

not exactly. My wife looked deeper into it because she's more skeptical than I am about where this money is magically coming from. Think of it as a pull ahead to your 2021 tax refund.

Yup. And if this social distancing and closed business's and stores and factories continues into May and June (all summer?) .......................we wont be hearing "recession " anymore in the news but we will hear of an economic Depression. If hospitals can function during this crisis with masks and gloves and hand sanitizers why can't an auto company or any business? There will be a lot of risks of course but the doctors and nurses are already taking those risks for our sake. This is a paradigm shift We either accept the risk and go back to work or we can curl up into a fetal position and watch the economy continue its own death spiral. Remember the old saying "Just be happy you got a Job?" Yes..................anyone that still has a job in September this year will be very happy indeed.

You can look tire info up on Tire Rack website as they indicate what is the original equipment.

I'll pitch in one *major* disappointment, also specific to XLT trim and that is the price difference between 200A and 202A series. According to the order guide, going from 200A to 202A gives you 8-way power-adjustable passenger seat, ActiveX in lieu of cloth seats, LED fog lamps with silver-painted skid plates, and remote start, and more importantly, the unlocking to purchase further options like Co-Pilot 360 Assist Plus and/or panoramic moonroof. What I am astonished is the $4,140 MSRP premium to step up from 200A to 202A for just those 4 upgrades. Our friends in Canada only pay an additional $1,500 (and that's in Canadian dollars) which sounds a lot more reasonable. I know all these options and higher trims in general are the profit-makers, but Ford can do a much more subtle job or at least increase the number of features to somewhat hide the rip-off. If I were to buy, I'm sticking with 200A and get the Comfort Package with Heated Steering, yeahh. Also, don't you find bit funny that 2nd row bench seats used to be standard and you would pay extra for the bucket seats for the previous-gen and now it's the other way around?

Because gasoline evaporates at the same rate in bikes as it does in cars- maybe faster due to the tank being in the sun all the time. Evaporative emissions are a HUGE problem for anything that burns gasoline. Add to that, bikes have VERY dirty tailpipes even when carbs are tuned right. Pass a bike, follow a bike... you can smell them even the open air. I believe Mythbusters even did a show on this.

Right on point rperez817 sir. You won't find any fuel economy numbers for 7.3L V8 because commercial vehicles 'don't count'. You can be rest assured we will see plenty of 53-foot trailers on the highway for the foreseeable future which are the blood cells of this country carrying just about everything.

The 7.3L engine shown above isn't impacted by CAFE related fuel economy regulations, as it's only used in commercial vehicles (class 2-7 trucks with GVWR over 8,500 lbs).

FCA has also deferred certain programs until this is over. If Adam Jonas (Morgan Stanley) is to be believed, GM (and Ford) could be burning through one billion dollars/week. Of course there's going to be adjustments to their spending plans.

If that's your logic, why do you need an Explorer? Couldn't you get by with an Edge?

I agree with your first sentence. The people running those concerts, etc., can't work from home like some people can, however. But any who, not trying to derail this thread... Took my Navigator out for about an hour drive yesterday. Felt good to get out for a little while. Unfortunately, my anosmia condition is only back to about 50% so I can't enjoy the new car VOC smell quite as much as I'd like lol. Edit: Schools can work from home we are now learning. This may change things forever.

Careful....someome around here will accuse you of saying you know more than the experts.

Hope you're talking about Tesla owners and not us... I like having gasoline!

Luckily my wife and I both work from home 4 days a week normally, so this is just BAU for us.

Working. People like having electricity; bastards.

Thanks for the offer but we have enough inventory to last a while thanks to COVID-19 and CT's directive allowing online sales only!

Ice, Looks like we've got some XLT/200A/4WD w/Comfort package in my area (60185), grab a hauler and come get them. We'll have lunch (6' apart though,,,,) HRG

Absolutely, considering the Comfort Package includes a Heated Steering Wheel and Heated 1st & 2nd Row Seats. The Market Sales Mix the Comfort Package option for our area is 50% according to Ford which is low based on our sales history for the option and the calls we get from other dealerships looking for XLT units with the option. I've attached pricing examples for the XLT's with #200A vs. #202A for comparison pricing. Preview Order 2004 - K8D - XLT 4WD_Redacted.pdf Preview Order 2027 - K8D - XLT 4WD_Redacted.pdf

Our store would take every XLT with the #200A and Comfort Package we could get. Problem is getting units scheduled with the Comfort Package which has become a commodity issue due to demand.

All is not lost with the Explorer, contrary to what many post here. The vehicle is good, and it looks good if it’s style appeals to you. Its performance is good, and listen to the stereo for yourself to be the judge. With that said, there are a few material changes and adjustments that should be made and I think the pricing needs to be evaluated and the options do need to be packaged better. It’s a highly competitive market, and I think there is room within there profit margin goals to make adjustments and not rely on incentives.

Thankfully it's a Michelin Primacy A/S. I know they're putting self-sealant technology on that too, but I don't know if all 20" Michelins are getting it or not. It could be possible that it's for AWD only or some other categorization.

The low-entry stepover center console is one of my least favorite features of our Explorer. I think it looks cheap and I would rather it not be there. If it was stylized or trimmed to look better perhaps I wouldn’t mind. Unfortunately it can’t be removed because it leaves a hole in the carpet.

What does the two note sound like? What's the possibility of being able to retro that into a 2014 Limited?

Well that's just cancelled for 2020.

Or they underpriced the 200A for advertising purposes. It’s only projected at 25% of XLT sales. No question they’re shooting for premium pricing. Just have to wait and see how it works.

The B&O system may not be much, if any, improvement. I remember that Savage Geese analyzed the high end 14 speaker B&O system in Explorer Platinum. He found it delivered some of the worst sound quality of any OE car audio systems he's ever tested. The thread linked below has the Savage Geese video review. Go to 6:02 in the video for the audio system analysis.

I've wanted to get out and ride my bike more than I have but the weather hasn't been a cooperative as I had hoped. It was gorgeous yesterday except for the 40+ mph wind gusts. My legs aren't ready for that yet In the meantime I've just been spending time with my kids and trying to make sure I don't get this thing since my wife is pregnant with number 3.

Looks like Ford is ready to produce GE Healthcare/Airon designed ventilators at its Rawsonville, Michigan plant in 3 weeks. An official from the White House commended Ford and GE Healthcare on its effort. Press release. https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2020/03/30/ford-to-produce-50-000-ventilators-in-michigan-in-next-100-days.html

Goodcarbadcar.net is one source, but since Ford doesn't separate the fleet vs. retail sales, I'm not sure if it available to public..

Citation please. The Q4 numbers, which are the last quarter released, do not support your claim. HRG

High fever...have you been tested? Hope you are well soon. Self isolation here. Lost taste and smell last Tuesday, so being cautious. It started coming back 2 days ago. Maybe 50% right now. May take the Nav out for a spin later on.

You don’t have to work for Ford - just listen to Hackett. They’re no longer interested in volume with little to no profit. That means some vehicles will no longer be bargains relatively speaking. If they can sell enough at higher prices they’ll continue. If it doesn’t work they’ll lower the prices. It’s all classic supply and demand.

Well said TobyTime sir. Quality and feature set for 2020 Explorer is horribly lacking for the prices Ford's asking (before rebates and other price discounts). Motor Trend in its SUV of the Year 2020 competition said this. And you are correct, Ford does have a glut of Explorers and other vehicles. Last month Ford had the highest "days inventory" number of any automaker in the U.S. at over 90.

akirby, I'm curious why you are phrasing your question this way? Why would anyone pick $50K with a $7K rebate, when the result is $3K higher? Even those who are only interested in the monthly payment will see that the $40K/no rebate is the smarter choice. Help me understand your logic. HRG

Nope. Not true. They want all the customers they can get while maintaining a 8-10% overall net profit margin. Thats why they aren’t importing Focus or Fusion. Not worth it. Taurus - not worth it. Small rebates are fine since some like you expect something. But large rebates indicate overpricing and/or too much supply. Sounds like you just want to think you got a discount which is why I asked whether you’d rather pay $40k with no rebate or $50K minus a $7k rebate.

Overpriced now relative to the prior years/versions I've purchased. I love my Fords and I'm quite loyal. I've also owned 4 Fusions during that same timeframe and now also have a 2020 Edge ST. (We are a 2 car family). Ford wants every single customer they can get, just like every car company out there. I've just never been presented with such poor incentives to be a continuing loyal customer on this front. It's frustrating. I buy the cars we're most comfortable in, regardless of rebate, but up to this point we haven't had any issues getting both. The rebates help, and for me it's not about vehicle price per se, it's about the bottom line monthly payment and how well a vehicle leases. TT

Just build a new Excursion already on the F250 platform using the Expedition Max body....with a butch new grill, offering the new 7.3 gasser and the 6.7 diesel. Leaf spring rear solid axle. It'll be smaller than the new Suburban by a few inches so it'll fit in the garage. Maybe call it the Expedition HD Max?

Pretty sure looking back that I had CV, at least had every symptom, back in January. Now, this past week, the only possible symptoms I have had besides mild cold symptoms last Monday was loss of taste and smell for 5 days. Slowly coming back now since Saturday. I have been isolating in my house for a week. If you took my comments you quoted as my saying I am an authority on what should or should not be done, well, that's on you. I'll admit I was bit frustrated being right in the midst of the loss of smell and taste. I'd like to think* we could all get back to normal sooner than later. I was merely trying to express that. To answer you, though. Yes, I and many other people, do think it has been blown out of proportion. Didn't see all this when H1N1 broke out 11 years ago. But, I don't claim to more than than the experts. The media, ha, that's a good one. Are you saying you believe the dishonest media we have? Well, Professor, tell me more...

Thank you DonnyHacker sir. I agree with akirby that it looks like a good deal. Definitely one of the better kept 1st gen Explorer Sport Trac I've seen. I'm down the road in Fort Worth. As with any used vehicle, be sure to do a through pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic if you're interested in moving forward with this deal.