My hope was to find some snow for testing the 2013 Ford Explorer Sport AWD when I drove it to Rocky Mountain National Park on Thursday afternoon last week.
Only patches of snow here and there were on the ground at the U.S. 34 entrance to the park above Estes Park.
“Drive the 9 miles up to Bear Lake,” said a ranger at the check-in station, “and you’ll find all the snow you want; in fact, it is snowing there now.”
She was so right. By the time we got to 9,500-foot Bear Lake parking area, we found 26 inches of depth, 19-degree temperatures and the snow was blowing.
Not only was the Explorer’s all-wheel-drive grip put to use on snowy and icy paved roads, but also on a stretch of loose gravel, where widening and resurfacing of the road and construction of retaining walls were underway.
The Explorer Sport for ’13 has been fitted with stiffer springs and shocks, 20-inch wheels with wide tires and larger front brake rotors; the result is vastly improved body control. The snow mode for the big SUV’s terrain management system limited torque to the wheels to minimize slipping.
Curve control technology includes braking of inside wheels to add stability in cornering; this was noticeable when I approached a curve too fast on descending the graveled stretch, and braking was necessary to maintain control. My passengers, Jan and her mother, Ruth Davis, appreciated the quick recovery.
The stiffened suspension and improved body control are at the expense of ride smoothness; it can be a bit harsher on rough roads than as the Ford Explorer Limited I drove a couple years ago.
Powering the Sport’s all-wheel-drive setup is the same 3.5-lter EcoBoost V-6 used in the Ford Taurus SHO performance sedan. The twin-turbo engine develops 365 horsepower and 350 lbs.-ft. or torque, and is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters at the steering wheel. Strong midrange torque propels the 4,700-pound vehicle to impressive performance. Its EPA fuel-mileage estimate is 16/22; I averaged 19.5 mpg in a variety of driving situations. Two years ago, I averaged 20.3 with a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 in the Explorer Limited.
The ’13 Explorer has three rows of seats; a six-passenger with the Sport’s second-row bucket seats. Its cabin is relatively quiet, and is dressed up with stitched, perforated leather seats.
Middle row seats slide fore and aft to aid knee space for the third row, for which seating space is tight for all but kids. The second-row seats flip-fold forward for access up into the third row. And the third-row seats will flip-fold rearward to create a flat load floor at the rear cargo area, served by a power liftgate. The second row is equipped with inflatable seat belts, which deploy in milliseconds in a crash to “reduce head, neck and chest injuries,” Ford said.
Among other amenities in the Explorer Sport’s sticker price of $47,390 are voice-activated navigation, Sony audio with 12 speakers, remote and push-button start, Sync and MyFordTouch technology, hill descent/offroad mode, speed control, dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic headlamps and LED taillights.
Our stop at the Bear Lake parking area was the same afternoon that hiker Troy Green of San Antonio went missing in the area. His body was discovered nearby on Tuesday.
Half-sized Evoque is full-sized in fun
A full-length sunroof brightens the luxurious interior of the 2013 Range Rover Evoque.
I have referred to the compact SUV as the “half-sized, half-priced Range Rover.” That’s an exaggeration, of course, for the Evoque sizes up to the standard Range Rover like this: 172 inches to 196 in overall length, 3,700 pounds to 5,700 in curb weight and $50,000 to $90,000 in sticker price.
I tested the new Evoque when it was introduced in October 2011, then two months later picked it as my truck/SUV of the year.
It’s a fun drive, with good handling and a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The ride is somewhat choppy from its short wheelbase, and this time around I felt an occasional surge in acceleration preceding the initial thrust of the turbo.
It was in my possession during a cold week in January and I made use of the heated steering wheel, one of numerous amenities on the little SUV.
Its sticker price of $50,225 also included navigation, rearview and sideview cameras, surround sound with 17 speakers, adaptive xenon headlights, heated front seats/windshield/washer jets, 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels, hill-descent control, seven airbags, dual-zone automatic climate control.
Its 240-horsepower, 2-liter engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, with a dial shifter and terrain settings on the center console.
Overall fuel mileage average was 20.4; the earlier test in late 2011 averaged 23.8 mpg.
Rear vision is poor from the sharp slant of the roof and small windows at the back. Sliding tie-downs add capability to the large cargo area.
Saturday Drive can also be viewed online at DenverPost.com/budwells. Bud Wells can be reached via e-mail at bwells@denverpost.com.
