Scenic Route Review: 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum

Durango, CO — It’s fitting that we were dispatched to Durango to sample the all-new 2016 Ford Explorer (not the new Dodge Durango—nice try), more specifically, the Platinum version; after all, Platinum is a precious metal that needs to me mined, from similar facilities that surround us here in the American Rockies. As we’d find out over the next couple of days, “Platinum” has other applications, as well.

Scenic Route Review: 2016 Ford Explorer Platinum

First, though, the all-new Explorer.

The “Platinum” moniker has been used on Ford products before; namely, the F-150 pickup as recently as 2015. It’s also been used by one of Ford’s competitors, but we’ll forget that, for the moment.

With the ’16 Explorer, it means a whole whack of luxurious new additions, including the standard fitment of the line-up’s most powerful EcoBoost motor (a 365 horsepower, 350 lb.-ft. twin-turbo V6), tech updates (except for one glaring omission—more on that in a minute) and a bunch of stuff that just generally makes the Explorer easier to live with.

Outside, defining features include standard 20-inch wheels, new colours including the sparkly “Blue Jeans” paint you see here, new grille and headlights and some less cartoony taillight lenses, too. It still maintains the profile of the Explorer (when you’ve been a top-seller for 25 years, you don’t want to change too much), but there are some modern touches here which work well. If you select the Sport model, the chrome grille you see here gets replaced by a blacked-out number, and there are some unique, brighter colours, too.

Inside, however, is where you’ll see the biggest differences. For starters, there was much hullabaloo during the presentation surrounding the fact that the Blue Oval emblem on the steering wheel, well, isn’t blue at all; in fact, it’s silver (“Platinum”, I guess), which marks the first time we’ve seen a non-blue Blue Oval anywhere on a factory Ford.

It’s a big deal, I guess, because Ford is using the inclusion of that silvery emblem as kind of a microcosm of what the Explorer Platinum is all about. A better indicator, perhaps, is the fact that every material you see is made from what it looks like it’s supposed to be made from. That brushed aluminum on the dash? Real Aluminum. The supple—very supple—leather on the seats? True cowhide. What about the wood? Yep, you guessed it: real, real, real. These are all firsts for the Explorer; even the cushy Eddie Bauer and Limited versions of yesteryear couldn’t make those claims. The other non-Platinum specific stuff is pretty good, too; the gauges aren’t fully digital, but they do feature a digital component (the needles aren’t actually needles at all; they’re digital images), which is in-keeping with the digitization we’re seeing all over the industry today.

Not as in-keeping with the competition, however, is the MyFord Touch with Microsoft Sync infotainment system. Yes, a new version was recently released, but no Explorer is going to get it for now; it looks like it’s going to be a slow roll out, so maybe vehicles produced in the 2^nd half of 2016 will see SYNC3. Which, as I’ve experienced, is a pretty good system.

For now, however, we’re left with the small, muddy graphics of the old version, along with the somewhat laggy touchscreen. The quadrant system works (touch the upper left for navi, the lower left for music, etc.); just wish it was a little quicker.

What we did like, however, was the Platinum’s all-new, 500-Watt Sony sound system.

Using similar technology to what’s actually used in Sony’s home stereo products, the Explorer’s system is one of ultra-clear, ultra-high-fidelity audio that even makes satellite radio sound pretty good. Apparently, Ford sent musicians and sound experts across the world to listen to music in some of the world’s most revered concert halls, and bring back recordings of how music sounds in those types of environments. Then, the lessons learned were applied to the Platinum’s system, so the sound emitted sounds that much closer to what it would sound like there. Now, I’ve never been to the famous concert halls in Vienna, Amsterdam or Berlin to listen to The Marriage of Figaro or what have you, but all I know is that this system is darn good; audiophiles unite.

Of course, this being a Scenic Route Road Test, the slow info system and pristine audio take a bit of a back seat, as the roads we were driving on were nothing short of fantastic.

We started out journey in the tiny Colorado resort town of Durango, more specifically in a ski resort called—no joke—Purgatory. The bold mountain facers and sharp peaks of the Rockies here are undoubtedly spectacular, but—Purgatory? Really? There’s even a sports shop called Purgatory Sports; what are those? Sports that are pretty good, but not great? (I have to credit a facebook friend of mine for that gem).

We didn’t spend much time there, however; we set off early in the bright Colorado sun for our first stop of the day in the very different setting of Pagosa Springs, CO about 60 miles away.

Now, Pagosa Springs is really something that has to be seen to be believed. The quintessential expression of the classic one-stoplight American town, it basically consists of a single main drag, on which you can find all sorts of classic American kitsch; antique stores (classic issues of MAD Magazine, just $45! Toy cars, just $150! Formica rotary phones, just $259!), a movie theatre straight out of a 1930s Film Noir (but one that does play first run movies) and an ice cream store here, and greasy spoon diner there.

Next up was our lunch stop: a big red building called the Box Car Cafe in Chama, NM. It’s so named for the fact that it sits directly across from historic Chama’s main economic driving force: its narrow-gauge railyard. It’s operational, too; visitors can actually take rides on trains powered by a classic steam engine from when the Denver and Rio Grande Railroads were things, way back in the early 1880s.

The Café itself is essentially a big mess hall in layout, but all sorts of classic art and adverts decorate the walls, really driving home the feeling that you’re grabbing a quick bite between train rides back in the railroad’s heyday. The menu consists of New Mexican cuisine, which is a lot like Mexican cuisine (lots of cheese, lots of sauce, lots of spice) just with modifications to the various sauces; take the chili sauces—made in house—for example: “red” chili means it’s cooked with beef, “green”, with pork. And, in that classic American way, the portion is enough to feed not only yourself, but possibly your family, too.

As we leave the mountains of Colorado for the deserts of New Mexico, it’s important to remember that while the horizon may not soar as high as it did there, Mother Nature had some great surprises in store for us in New Mexico, too.

Take, for example, the Echo Amphitheatre. Essentially am enormous rock face in the shape of a theatre, it provides amazing echoes. A colleague commented on the fact that you don’t want to carry too many secret meetings here; even the slightest whisper gets picked up and magnified, so you’re not going to get anything by anybody.

Perhaps just as amazing is the way the erosion can so clearly be seen, here; you can see the marble-smooth chutes where water used to flow, and you can see the different surface colours, acting as do rings on a giant Redwood tree, to determine the rock’s age. It looks artificial, but I assure you that it is far from it. Fantastic.

From there, we headed for Abiquiu Lake, and while it may look like it belongs in the natural wonders sphere, that would be incorrect. In fact, the lake is a man-made reservoir, created by the damming of the Rio Chama. Maintained by the army Corps of Engineers, the lake is not solely for drinking water; unlike other reservoirs, it can be used for boating and swimming as well.

You don’t need a boat or swim trunks to enjoy the view, though; the water, probably thanks to the reddish rocks surrounding it, maintains a pristine blue hue when seen on a sunny day—as we did, and as most will, considering the climate—providing photo ops perfect for a computer screensaver. Or, for our purposes, a backdrop to showcase a new luxury SUV from Ford.

Where our steed seems even more in-place was at our final destination in Albuquerque, NM; it’s the state’s biggest city, with the urban sprawl to match and, when you think about it, that’s pretty much where the Explorer Platinum will be spending most of its time.

However, if you’d prefer to look at the city/truck relationship from a slightly more artistic, or pop-cultural standpoint, then know that Albuquerque is also where a lot of Breaking Bad was filmed, and darned if a luxury SUV with “Platinum” on its trunk doesn’t fit well in this context. That school you see below? You guessed it; that’s Rio Rancho High School, which provides the fascia for Bad’s J.P. Wynne High, workplace (for a time, anyway) of Walter White.

Through the entire journey, the Explorer Platinum worked pretty much as advertised. It’s incredibly quiet, it rides like a dream and the comfortable seats and ambiance make for a nice, relaxing and even refreshing ride.

There are a few areas of concern, however; my drive partner was especially critical of the power delivery not being robust enough. I don’t know if I’d agree fully with that, but there were a few occasions where I would’ve appreciated just a little more thrust—blame it not on the engine, but more the manner in which it interacts with the six-speed automatic transmission. It is, after all, the same transmission we saw in the previous-gen car; perhaps it’s time for Ford to consider looking at something a little more contemporary, perhaps with more ratios or even a dual-clutch set-up.

Of course, any power issues we had were at higher speeds; for most applications—you know, running to the mall, to hockey practice or to school—the power on offer is good enough. So, with that out of the way, you get to sit back and enjoy 25 years of SUV experience, plus all the luxurious benefits the Platinum edition adds.