Page 37 - Motor Trend (May 2020)

COVER STORY

LAYOUT, FORD EXPLORER

69.9”

66.9” 66.9” 119.1”
78.9” 198.8”

Contrary to the Mazda, the Traverse
2020 Ford Explorer
has a capacious third row, fitting adults
HEADROOM, F/M/R 40.7/40.5/38.9 in and still leaving enough room for cargo.
LEGROOM, F/M/R 43.0/39.0/32.2 in Although we admired its infotainment
SHOULDER ROOM, F/M/R 61.8/61.9/54.6 in system, we also noticed its uninspiring
CARGO VOLUME BEHIND 87.8/47.9/18.2 cu ft interior design and subpar material
F/M/R quality. “Chevy really needs to work on
CURB WEIGHT; DIST, F/R 4,367 lb; 50/50% the tactile feel of its switchgear,” Seabaugh
GROUND CLEARANCE 7.9 in said. “All the knobs and levers feel so
APPROACH/DEPART ANGLE 20.1/22.0 deg chintzy, like they’re going to crumble The Explorer’s gear selector frees up space.
in my fingers.” Rechtin said the stereo
TURNING CIRCLE 38.7 ft
sounded like “someone threw an iPhone wood trim is unconvincing, and the hard
TOWING CAPACITY 5,300 lb
into a trash can.” At least the A/C blows an plastics in the second and third rows are
Sadly, the Mazda CX-9 does not share Arctic blast right away. appalling. VW may have focused too much
the Ascent’s roominess or ease of ingress/ European cars aren’t usually known on developing a spacious interior and
egress. Getting into the third row is a for being the most spacious, but the Atlas forgotten about making an attractive one.
struggle, and your hair will get messed up is the exception. “Its third-row seating The midcycle refresh the Pilot received
when you try to fit yourself through the is excellent, even with the second-row a couple of years ago brought an updated
narrow passage. If you make it through, seats fully back,” Rechtin said. “Ingress infotainment system with modern
you’ll find yourself cramped. Our CX-9 and egress are easy given the large rear graphics and smart features like Cabin-
was equipped with a center console for door cut. Plus, enormous cargo space.” Talk, which allows the driver to talk to
second-row passengers, but we found it The Atlas offers the most legroom for their kids through the speakers (or head-
useless and unnecessary. We also despise third-row passengers. On the tech front, phones if they’re connected to the rear
the infotainment system—the rotary its infotainment system was easy to use, entertainment system). But design-wise,
knob interface is infuriating, and you its digital cluster looks sharp, and its the Honda’s black-on-black interior looks
can’t control the touchscreen when the optional Fender stereo is crisp. But that’s dated and boring, especially when you
SUV is moving. where the good news ends. The faux compare it to the Subaru or the Korean

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