Initial Reaction upon driving and owning the Ford Explorer Platinum

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When I first stepped into my 2017 Explorer Platinum, the experience was nothing short of surreal. After months of research, the car I’d been dreaming of was finally mine.

My initial impressions while driving it:

  1. Smooth steering: The steering wheel turns effortlessly, a welcome change from the stiffness and heaviness of my Xterra.
  2. Quiet interior: The cabin offers a serene and peaceful environment.
  3. Impressive acceleration: The power and responsiveness exceeded my expectations.
  4. Abundance of technology: With features like self-parking, collision warning, Android Auto, and cameras galore, there’s plenty to explore and enjoy.
  5. Spaciousness: The roomy interior has me looking forward to road trips with friends, whether it’s a lakeside getaway or a late-night diner run.

However, there were a few drawbacks:

  1. Limited visibility: I miss the wider side mirrors of my Xterra, and the rearview mirror provides a smaller view, likely due to the wider C-pillar.
  2. Lower MPG: City driving consumes a significant amount of gas, with my current average at 13-15 mpg. I’ll update later with my findings on highway driving.

Pre-owned Issues:

Given the current seller’s market, negotiating a better deal was challenging. Despite some minor cosmetic imperfections, I decided to move forward with the purchase.

The previous owner seemed to have had a pet with sharp claws, as evidenced by the center armrest console scratches. Other exterior imperfections include:

  1. Scratched center console lid
  2. Missing leather patch on the passenger door
  3. Scratched seat on the passenger side
  4. Claw imprints on the dashboard
  5. Bubbling on the front hood
  6. Cracked blinker light on the side mirror
  7. Claw scratches on the rubber trim outside the window

Scratched center armrest 

Missing leather patch on passenger door

Scratched leather seat

Imprints on leather dash left by dog’s nail

Bubbling / rust on hood

Cracked blinker light on side mirror

In my upcoming blog posts, I’ll share tutorials on how to address and repair the majority of these issues. So, stay tuned for those!

 

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