metroplex

How about compared with the 16-19 Explorer low beams?

The Explorer forum had a lot of complaints about the brakes. Someone said if they vary the level of brake pedal pressure when starting/shifting, it wouldn't cause the issue (light pressure). If they applied heavy pressure when starting/shifting, it would cause the problem. These issues make me hesitant to buy the 2021 Explorer ST...

2019 Fusion (LEDs are same for ENergi Titanium and Sport): https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/ford/fusion-4-door-sedan/2019#headlights 2016-2019 Explorer: https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/ford/explorer-4-door-suv/2018#headlights 2013-2019 Taurus (SHO HID's): https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/Ford/taurus-4-door-sedan/2019#headlights Then the 2020 Explorer headlights (scroll down for the XLT/ST): https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/Ford/explorer-4-door-suv/2020#headlights

My Fusion Sport should have the same LEDs as your Energi Titanium. They're what I'd consider OK but they have a hard time illuminating far enough on the road especially in the dark with rain, ice, slush, and water-logged potholes. My 2014 SHO had factory HIDs that I always thought were garbage but couldn't fathom how HIDs could be so bad... until I pulled up the IIHS data for the SHO and sho'nuff, the headlights are garbage. I have no problems driving in the dark with my 18 Explorer LED headlights, and I do a lot of driving in the dark especially in bad weather. However, I'm not very confident with the Fusion headlight LEDs in bad weather conditions. The Fusion LED DRL/turn signals are nifty like you described. I've also had ice build up on my LED headlight lenses because they don't emit heat/IR at the lens like HIDs and halogens. Thanks to FMVSS, the US doesn't have a requirement for headlight washers like UNECE.

Aside from: engine oil pan leaks, sunroof glass flying off, 2 busted tires (1 bent rim) from potholes, driver/passenger door modules needing an update for the windows rolling down, driver's tweeter needing a good smack every morning to make it work, it's been a great car. The fitment is very good, only minor panel alignment issues. The doors close very very smoothly, smoothest I've had in any Ford. The electronic shocks and active noise cancellation make for a very quiet ride. The LED headlights need more light output though, and the LED foglights are worthless.

How do you like the Edge ST? I've been eyeing them as a next vehicle, but I did the math and even with that 2.7 fully tuned, the weight is too close to an Explorer and won't produce as much power as the Explorer ST's 3.0 with a tune. It'd be somewhat close. Yes the aluminum hoods on the 11-19 Explorers are prone to corrosion. There's a bunch of bubbling and aluminum oxide on the leading edge of my hood. The rear brakes are dragging so badly that my garage is filled with the smell of burning metal and the rear rotors/calipers are changing colors due to the heat. Apparently both are known issues with the 11-19 Explorers but I also live in Michigan with the extensive use of road salt during the winter.

I have the 401A on my Fusion Sport but the tail lights are still the SE style. it was just something Ford did by using the SE tail lights on the Sport (cost savings??). There have been some ingenious Sport owners that retrofitted the Titanium/Mondeo trunk lights and did some changes in FORScan. I hear the 2019-up Fords now come with LED puddle lights, and I was curious if the Ford versions would retrofit. Everyone seems to make them now (even Dorman). I am planning to turn in my Explorer at the end of the lease because the hood is already rusting and the rear brakes are rusted so badly that they drag. My garage gets filled with the smell of burning metal but i'm sure others might want to install those LED turn signal bulbs!

I agree! My 2017 Fusion Sport has the SE tail light config, so the trunk doesn't have the full set of lights that your Titanium would have. Ford does some weird stuff with LED choices... like how the Focus had LED license plate lights but the SHO, Fusion Sport, and other much more expensive Fords have incandescent plate lights. I put in white LED backup lights on the Fusion Sport and 2018 Explorer, so the backup camera has more illumination in the dark.

LED turn signals generally require another part for the signal to sync properly. So it is cheaper/easier to just use incandescents. If you watch the documentary a Faster Horse, the chief cost cutter has to shave pennies off each item to ensure everything stays in cost. An extra $5-$10 relay to make LEDs work is going to add a lot to the cost. Also consider this, these newer LED tail lights and LED headlights cost $500-$1000 EACH to replace. So those are already adding a lot to the cost of the vehicle.

Unfortunately just because they are LED doesn't mean they are good. IIHS is now testing headlight performance on a lot of newer vehicles. My 2017 Ford Fusion Sport has LED low and high beams, my 2018 Explorer XLT has LED low / H7 high, and the 2020 Explorer has LED low/high, and F-150 Lariat w/ 502A and higher trims have LEDs as well. 2020 Escape Titanium has LEDs as well. Out of these, the Escape Titanium has the most lighting performance for low and high beams. The Fusion Sport and Explorer are inadequate in many of the test criteria, and the F-150 isn't that great either. However the 2016-2019 Explorer low beams are very good. I can attest that the first day I drove off the lot with my 2018 XLT, the low beams lit up everything. I never felt the need for more lighting, and my 2018 does not have fog lights (the LED foglights are worthless on my Fusion Sport). So using the Fusion Sport and 2018 Explorer IIHS data as baselines, I'd say the 2020 Explorer and F-150 LED headlights aren't going to be as good as the 16-19 LED low beams. But the 2020 Escape Titanium should have really good LED light output.

Interesting! We've done 3 cross-country trips and usually stay at the speed limit or slightly over, so about 70 mph up to 80-85 mph depending on the speed limit. How much would the MPGs drop on the F-150 at those speeds? My 2018 Explorer XLT (3.5 N/A) gets really good mpg at 45-50 mph (like 30+ mpg) but as soon as I get on the freeway doing 70 mph, it drops a lot!

I was curious if anyone has done pure highway driving (e.g. cross-country road trips) with their F-150 4WD's and the various engines? The 36 gal fuel tank option is making them look very attractive to me. My girlfriend and I are big into road trip vacations and her 2015 Malibu with the 2.0L GTDI LTG engine gets 32 mpg highway and has a 18 gal tank so we can easily squeeze out nearly 500 miles between fill-ups. My leases for the 2018 Explorer XLT AWD and 2017 Fusion Sport are coming up, and I was thinking of buying a F-150 SCAB or SCREW 4WD, but wanted to know if the 2.7, 3.5 and 5.0 get considerably different MPGs in pure highway driving? Car and Driver said the 2018-up Traverse had a 25 mpg EPA rating for highway but they actually observed 27 mpg. With a 22 gal tank, that makes the Traverse a vehicle I'd consider if the F-150s are not getting anywhere close to their EPA highway ratings.

I rotated my tires every 5k-6k miles and check tire pressure on a monthly basis, etc... At 20k miles, the PTU oil was sludge with a huge bulb of metal shavings attached to the filler plug, with a lot of metal shavings mixed in with the black thick oil. It may be "ok", but it resembled gear oil out of a rear differential that saw 100k+ miles.

I know gear lube turns black and has that nasty odor (resembles onions to me) but usually after 100k+ miles on a rear differential. But the gear lube that came out of my PTU at 20k miles looked worse with a lot of metal filings and particles in the gear lube, completely black in color and extremely thick compared to fresh 75W-140. The smell was about the same for gear oil.

Kev-Mo: How does the Lubegard and Amsoil fare in the Ford PTU's? I've been trying to find after action reports of those who have changed the PTU oil with something like Amsoil or Redline to find out how those oils lasted after 20k miles. I also used some Lubegard Gear supplement with Redline 75W-140 in my PTU.