2021 Ford Explorer Enthusiast ST – More For Less
The 2021 Ford Explorer Enthusiast ST has the same 3.0-liter, 400 horsepower EcoBoost engine, with 415 lb-ft of torque, just like the Explorer ST. What it also has is a lower starting price, $49,995.
The Explorer Enthusiast ST has leather seats, a digital dash cluster, and a heated sports-style steering wheel. ST logos on the seats and the steering wheel are included at no extra cost, along with chrome exhaust tips, 20-inch wheels, and sideview mirrors with ST lamps. Ford ‘who’s my’ Co-Pilot360 technology provides blind spot information, cross-traffic alerts, and a keep-it-in-your lane nanny. Flush tech goodness, you get hill start assist, auto headlamps that’ll still blind oncoming traffic, and emergency braking that detects pedestrians even before they decide to cross the street.
Then there’s forward collision warning, and post-impact braking. Post-impact braking senses when to hit the binders hard. Rear-ended on I-880 in the Bay Area years ago, I had room in front of me to allow my car to roll forward. It wasn’t until I was about to hit the car in front of me that I applied the brakes. Why forward collision warning, versus a rearward warning that another car is about to hit you? Wouldn’t it be better if it judged the approaching speed of another vehicle and the distance between yours and theirs?
Ford has two more models, the Platinum with the same engine and rear-wheel-drive, and a Platinum Hybrid. The Platinum RWD is a bargain if you don’t need 4WD, although Ford didn’t give us this price. They did say the full hybrid-electric Platinum Hybrid starts at $53,085.
All three new models, the Enthusiast ST, Platinum RWD, and Platinum Hybrid, can be ordered now. Why wait until deliveries begin this summer?
[Image: Ford]
With a father who owned a dealership, I literally grew up in the business. After college, I worked for GM, Nissan and Mazda, writing articles for automotive enthusiast magazines as a side gig. I discovered you could make a living selling ad space at Four Wheeler magazine, before I moved on to selling TV for the National Hot Rod Association. After that, I started Roadhouse, a marketing, advertising and PR firm dedicated to the automotive, outdoor/apparel, and entertainment industries. Through the years, I continued writing, shooting, and editing. It keep things interesting.
More by Jason R. Sakurai
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It’s a shame that, instead of addressing the major quality issues that continue to plague the absolute garbage vehicles that come out of Chicago, Ford slightly decontents a Explorer Sanitary Towel and sells it as some sort of amazing value that’s still over $50k. This company is a ship without a rudder. For $50-$55k you can get far more capable and reliable vehicles. Heck for LESS you can get far higher quality and far more reliable vehicles with more options to boot (Telluride/Palisade).
These things aren't supposed to be "fun", they re just "Funner." What i mean by that, is they re funner then whatever else you were going to buy. Such as a sienna, pilot, or acadia. Hell yeah id take the twin turbos and sport suspension tuning over the alternatives. If i was looking for "funner."