Motoring: Adventure awaits in Ford's Explorer Sport

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: FORD

It is a common conception that once you have a big family, you either say goodbye to your fun car, or save up to have a second car, which can be of the type you can enjoy on days you can actually find some time to yourself.

If you have a family, you already know that finding some “me” time is near impossible.

What you would ideally need is a car that will not only fit your family, but will also be fun to drive on a daily basis.

What you need, then, is a Ford Explorer Sport.

I tested the regular, more mainstream version of the latest Explorer some time ago, and found it to be quite good. However, what it offered in practicality and all-weather capability, it lacked in the all-important entertainment department.

What it needed, Ford gave it. Under the hood of the Explorer Sport you will find the same 3.5- litre, EcoBoost (twin-turbo charged), V6 motor that breathes under the hood of the Ford Taurus SHO performance sedan. That means you get 365 hp and 350lb/ft of torque, which gets delivered to the wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Since the Explorer Sport is a bit heavier than a Taurus SHO, it is not as quick, but a zero to 96 km/h time of 6.2 seconds for a seven-seater SUV is still very impressive. How fast will it go flat-out? I'm too afraid to ask, because the way this behemoth lunges forward, it feels like it will never stop accelerating. Trust me, you'll lose your nerve before it reaches it top speed.

Now, making a car go fast in a straight line is no big deal — America has been the master of that for decades. But making a big, heavy vehicle go fast through corners is not normal, but this Explorer Sport does a very commendable job of that. It is not at home through tight, slow speed corners, but through fast sweeping bends, it just grips and grips.

Thanks to its speed and its stability, the Explorer Sport is ideal for covering distances in. I say this before I even get to its interior. It is not only spacious, but very well equipped (my tester even had active cruise control, a must-have for long journeys, if you ask me), plus it is very quiet. Trust me, this vehicle will relax you as you drive, and since I drive a lot, I appreciated this quality about it.

As you can imagine, I would recommend this vehicle to anyone buying a seven-seater SUV, though it is pricey: the base price for the Explorer Sport is $48,299. It's not cheap to buy, nor is it cheap to run; in my week, I averaged 13.6 litres/100km, which when you consider it prefers drinking premium fuel, will add up.

But if you can afford to buy one and run it, the joy you will get from this vehicle will certainly bring a smile to your face, and the kids will probably enjoy it too... though I'm not sure how your significant other will feel about your speed antics. As always, obey the law and drive safely.