It's not actually targeting off-road guys. This is targeting dads who have to drive a dirt road sometimes and want to take their kids camping at a marked campsite in a state park every summer.
I do serious off roading and not as a hobby. I work in remote job sites, logging trails, mid, etc in Upstate NY. We receive some of the higher snowfalls in the country, I bought this to use and it does fantastic. You can off road in just about anything, you don’t need a $90,000 SUV but this is built right. I drive this down a 1 mile rutted out, swampy, logging road every day and I don’t use 4x4, I just keep it in 2wd. The skid plate slides over massive boulders embedded in the mud, I’ve never been close to being stuck. Who knows who this is marketed to but it’s built the right way for real, rugged, use.
I have the expedition by the way, not the explorer which is why my cost with tax was around $90k. I just found out that the expedition is way better, mine has a twin turbo v6, 440hp. It has the same setup as the ford raptor.
Going into snow with non snow rated tires and basically stopping in deep snow then saying the system is inadequate 🤔, that's appropriate for Bronco sasquash equipment , and driving choosing deep snow after you've spun wheels digging yourself deep in snow , smh , driver error . I've seen your reviews in past, good , but on this one blame the driver decision making not car this time
Update on our Timberline. We went on a trail ride with a local overland group in the mountains of South Pittsburgh, Tennessee. I was confident in the 4wd system but was worried a little about ground clearance. Not only was I impressed but the entire group and other riders on the trail were as well. It was common to hear others joking that recovery gear would be needed because they thought that the Timberline will never make it over or through an obstacle. While a few others on the other hand, needed recovery. But never the Timberline. The skid plates did a great job protecting the underside while the 4wd, traction control, and torsen rear diff were able to allow us to climb rocky, off camber, uphill obstacles with as much a 2 feet of tire lift. Worth mentioning, the rear diff responds more aggressively with a quick throttle tip-in. The more torque that is applied the tighter the diff locks. No trail damage to report; however, a good cleaning may reveal some pinstripes.
My friends laughed exactly the same about my Maverick and they ended up saying it was a pretty capable little truck! I went offroading in my Maxerick with FX4 and it performed amazingly good!
8.7" vs 9.6" for the 4Runner. I went elk hunting a couple of years ago and we drove on old logging roads. My guide had an F250 FX4. I drove an F150 FX4 but told him I had a Subaru Forrester at home. He looked at me like I was funny: "Why did you rent an F150? The Subaru can handle anything." This from a guy who is in back country a ton. What the guides do is move carefully and act judiciously about how they get from a to b, especially since they are out of phone reception. "Serious off-roaders" come up with great gear, but they intentionally choose almost impossible paths, and have fun doing so, but logical people can usually choose better paths. Remember, many folks off roading are just getting somewhere for work, where they live, or to hunt or explore.
The key to snow driving is maintaining momentum and keeping wheel spin to a minimum. Low modes are horrible for snow, they are for grades and rock crawling. 4 auto modes with locking rear diffs like on F150 in snow sand mode is very good.
Own a 2021 Timberline same color 8,000 miles and love it. Just finished a full month on the road in MT, ID, OR, CA, NV in rain, slush, and snow. The guy driving in the video could use some help with off-road/snow driving this honestly can't be a serious video? Turn everything off in deep snow and use hands, feet, and momentum to get through - works great no problems driving in really poor conditions. It will spin and move around but is controllable and predictable. At a certain point systems won't help you need to keep it moving and drive through or find another way. Momentum is your friend. Any frozen snow bank will trap any rig. Again the driving in this video is so timid its impossible for the rig to get a fair shake. Nice video production quality and seems like a good dude just can't take this one seriously.
I love the Timberline, but the snow performance here and AWD system checking out is completely embarrassing. While watching this video, I was genuinely wondering how a Subaru Forester wilderness or Outback wilderness would’ve fared in the exact same spot. Not impressed at all! Forester wilderness is near the top of my list for a snow vehicle. I loved the video you did on that one!!
Once you stop in deep snow and snow is compressed underneath the car you get basically froze to that compressed snow. There is no way any car will get out easily from this situation.
i would write off that first snow test. Once he high-centered on the snow and stopped, he wasn't going anywhere without being towed out. Like the comment above, most vehicles would fail this test as well.
@@JakeDrives1 AWD system checks out it's a bummer for sure! But once you froze to that snow you need hard pull to get "unstuck/unfrozen/unglued" (not sure what is a right word), Driving off slowly won't be possible
LOL I think I want a Maverick even more after seeing this... Seriously very grateful to at last finally see a professional Timberline review although I am still sitting on the fence after seeing it.
I enjoy your reviews so much! Love the videography, slow motion, and in-depth nuances you get into. I'm not even a truck or SUV guy...prolly never will be...but what I do love is seeing vehicles used as they are intended. Seeing what the limits are. Love your channel...thanks for your hard work at producing these videos! cheers!
I also just wanted to add that you have singlehandedly set a new standard for offroad reviews! I don't know of another channel that does it quiet as well as you...regardless of budget. Enough fan boying now lol. Love your work looking forward to more! cheers
If you high center a vehicle on snow it’s helpful to stand on on the door sill and use your body weight to bounce the vehicle up and down to try and compact the snow under the car and get the wheels back on the ground
Ford just came out and said any dealer charging over MSRP will have their allocation pulled and they won’t get any! I guess they’ve had many complaints including myself when I tried to buy a mustang GT 500 and they want to 20,000 over sticker and I told him to shove it and walked out and reported them to Ford and I haven’t seen another one in there dealership since. But I did go back a day or two later and that GT 500 that was on the show room floor was gone the dealer told me it kind of a sar stic way that you snooze you lose I sold it 10 minutes after you left. Well he didn’t sell it to me he could stick it!.
When stuck, who floors it? That is the last thing you want to do. That creates a smooth hardened surface. Also, turn left - right to gain traction when trying to get "unstuck". Also, deflate the tires (you get more traction that way).
Not to be a jerk but the reason you got stuck was not the explorers fault. You stopped momentum in snow that you could hear was hitting the bottom of the car... what did you think was going to happen? You were obviously in a place where it was to deep for you, stopping means you get stuck. I get that you don't want to damage the test vehicle but at the same time you were already committed at that point.Also in the future try turning the front wheels more when stuck like this to get grip. The snow in front of you is already pushed down but if your tire is spinning as you turn towards the snow built up next to your tires you might get lucky and push enough under it to move you forward or backwards just a bit. I also didn't think it was really fair to compare this to the 4runner. These vehicles might be close to the same size but they are not the same class. One is an SUV and the other is a Crossover. You should have been comparing to a highlander. Didn't they make a TRD version of that at one point? The outback is a fair comparison (without a 3rd row) you should have laid into that more. I would like to see how the outback would do in the same snow. (obviously to late for that). Overheating awd systems happen. I have seen this a lot on the honda's. Not sure how long it took for that to happen but it seemed like you were stuck for a long time. Hopefully it did take quite a bit to overheat it. I really hope you give the timberline another shot. I would love to see it do some of the test hill and other things once the ice and snow melts. I have an older 2016 which is the fwd bias system and it is very capable for an awd crossover. I did add a 3" leveling kit and 31.5" tires which really brings up the ground clearance. Its not a truck or suv but it holds its own.
Awesome in depth review. Most people really never push new cars to the limit like this. I’ve never seen someone else have to break out the maxtrax. Also shows how the brake vectoring is pretty ineffective on this “offroad” edition explorer. But compared to other vehicles in the segment, maybe not so bad? More clearance, snow rated tires, locking diffs…just not in the scope of anything in this segment. Although the limited slip and rear bias did look pretty fun in the end.
This is when you realize that the Duelers' tend to be pretty useless in deep snow and you start yearning for the KM3 or a dedicated snow tire. The Timberline also needs a lot more ground clearance. Not sure what Ford was thinking, but the Trailhawk's from Jeep and Dodge are far more capable.
Ground clearance is obviously the undoing here. But I'd love to see you put the timberline through some more difficult terrain without really deep snow
It performed about as well as I expected. Thanks for testing it out. I've been curious how it would actually perform because the numbers never sounded that impressive
@@alb12345672 you have a real SUV. Not a rwd based minivan. Not sure why ford even bothered with this trim. All this years of owning Land Rover and this is the best we get…
@@foxtrot685 I agree. I added an android infotainment touchscreen and heated seats. Even though its older it has full digital climate control. At least also it is extremely reliable. The older OHV engine. Nothing in this class has 4 low anymore. Also have 4.10 gears. I want a new one but it hard to buy this soccer mom vehicle. The last good explorer was made in 2010.
"It's got cop shocks, cop tires, made before emission controls so it runs good on regular gas... what do ya say? Is it the new Blues Mobile or what?" "Fix the lighter..."
We own a temberline and love it. We have had ours off road on the and been impressed with how the 4wd has done in badly rutted out farm roads. However we are going to take it on some trails in Tennessee this weekend. Looking for about the most extreme trail a stock explorer has any business attempting. I will let you know how it goes. Also debating installing a 1.5 suspension lift. Just hate to change the fun sporty driving feel.
Don’t take it out. You want to lift an explorer?? Lol. Classic. Why did you buy the timberline. Should have bought a regular model without suburu grill. The dude in the video got stuck. Sad
What is your opinion compared to a 4Runner TRD? A person on another channel, not the channel owner, said the Timberline could more than compete with 4Runner TRD Pro. From what I am seeing, I doubt it.
@@paladin11C40 yeah not in the same boat. I guess the next thing is this exploder timberline awd vs Jeep Wrangler🤷🏿♂️🤷🏿♂️🤷🏿♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤦🏿🤦🏻🤦🏼🤦🏽. I find this car comparable to the Toyota Highlander or Kia telluride/ Hyundai palisade. Oh also the Nissan Pathfinder. I would totally advise against doing a 1.5 lift unless you are doing it right. I doubt they even make part for this exploder. I guess you could just slap on some blocks and pray the shop get it close to right measurements on alignment and camber. I would wait on the 4 runner. I see ads where 4 runners are now 45k with 40000 miles and the lower trd off road trim. This trim is worth about $25-28k maybe dealer would sale it before at $30-35k.
Timberline vs TRD 4runner... they will be cross shopped yes. As a true off road competitor? No. As great as ours has done they really don't do anything the same. It's hard to compare a solid rear axle with a locker disconnecting front sway bar and a low range transfercase not to mention crawl control and A-trac. As well as aftermarket support for the 4runner. We did find about the most extreme trail that a stock Timberline should attempt. And it impressed everyone who saw. Im not sure why in this video it had a hard time putting power to the left front tire. Not the case with ours. With the driver front tire more than 20 inches in the air the passenger front was able to pull and claw it's way up the obstacle. But you have to ask yourself what is your primary purpose for your purchase. For a daily driver that is going to see 95% on road driving like ours. Our money went to the Timberline. The sporty driving dynamic, good handling, Interior space, fuel economy and crash safety was the deciding factors for us. The minimum ground clearance on the non TRD-PRO is not much different. However the bumpers on all but limited trim 4runner are tucked up nice and high. The Timberline does have a lower set front end more like a limited 4runner but the Timberline is protected by the skid plate. If off-road is your main concern and things like the tried and true reliability and aftermarket support the 4runner for the win. We like a total driving experience. And we feel the Timberline does give up a little off-road capability but brings a smile to our face every time we get behind the wheel. We have decided that we are going to put a 1.5 suspension lift and some better slightly larger tires. It will then be able to take us anywhere we will ever want it to go while relying on the skid plates a little less. Most Timberlines will never see dirt. It's a shame. Also we do enjoy having and doing something a little different. We also have a lifted 2020 F250 on 37s and a side by side for the more difficult terrain. If you are shopping, drive both. But I always recommend buying what fits your needs best. Not what others think you should buy.
You took a car with non-snow tires into deep slushy snow. Then the tires spun. This was a lesson about types of snow and types of tires more than anything. As to the rest of the review, agreed.
Great video! My brother just bought a new overpriced Explorer with awd.. that night we got 7-9 inches of snow. He called me at 5am already stuck on his way to work. 🤣🤣🤣. We live in northwest Arkansas and don’t get snow very often. When we do I love it! I have a 17 grand Cherokee with Cooper discover at3 tires and get through the snow easily. I was able to pull him out. I gotta say it made my day that he got stuck!
I have a 2016 explorer with those tires and I do great in the deep snow. My AWD system is not the same since I have the FWD bias version before they made the switch. Not sure if that is the difference here.
Well, it looks great. You just can't beat a real, part-time 4WD with low-range and locking center differential. Traction control can only do so much - and the 4WD system disabling itself (I assume heat?) in your time of need is, frankly, as others have stated - embarrassing for Ford.
@@carllovullo6602 that one has a torque vectoring rear differential that can basically lock the rear wheels without using brake power. It also is significantly less heavy which also helps a lot in deep snow.
Most sophisticated 4WD will overheat when pushed to the limits. It’s to prevent damage to the components. Now how far the limits are is another thing 🤔
Cool vehicle, good review, but when you were stuck, you should have been working the steering wheel back and forth immediately, which would have helped you get unstuck, if not make further progress. Also never pull backward with recovery vehicle, always forward.
I'm not sure about all those Fords out there getting stuck. Should've got the 4Runner or Subaru Outback Wilderness to pull you out of that snow. Lol. I did enjoy the video though. Thanks for all the great reviews and content.
Hi Ryan. Thank you for producing and posting this video. Unfortunately, it is not your best work. You, the story and we get bogged down in the much too long deep snow scene. I’d like to see you do a proper review on this vehicle. One with the focus and exuberance you give the rest of your videos. Thank you.
I like Subaru's, I've owned two of them in the past. But it's very unlikely a Subaru would have gotten through that snow either. I didn't drive that road the same day he did, but I've driven it each of the last 4 weekends. The conditions are not easy. The crown of snow is hard and very dense. As soon as you start dragging the bottom of the vehicle, you will likely get stuck. Unless you have a new Wilderness model, (or a modified vehicle, which isn't really a fair comparison) then your Subaru has about the same ground clearance. Thus, a Subaru would likely have gotten stuck in the same spot. Note, things like a stock Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Tundra, and a Rivian have gotten stuck on the same road in the last couple of weeks, during which the snow conditions have been about the same.
@@andrewsnow7386 I'm not mad about it getting stuck, I'm mad about the AWD system being a total POS. The pace he drove in left him dependent on the AWD system.. The AWD system is not to be depended on as we later discovered. I'd blast that road without hesitation in a Forester Wilderness!!
@@JakeDrives1 I agree, the Wilderness models would probably do that, but the wilderness models are not really owned by "Subaru owners everywhere" yet. Most of the Subarus I commonly see in the woods around here, would have struggled. By coincidence, on January 30, I helped a guy recover his late model Crosstrek from the roughly same area (the next exit on I-90). It was being more stubborn to move than I expected, and then I noticed the rear wheels weren't driving. Looking at the dash, it had a few warning lights on. I don't know what was wrong, but likely the computer wasn't happy with something and thus wouldn't engage drive to the rear wheels. Note that the error in this video was "4WD system temporarily disabled". Likely this was do to an overheated clutch pack and the AWD probably would have worked again in 5 or 10 min. The Subaru I was helping had a problem that didn't seem very temporary. The problem was there when the car was cold, and it didn't go away when the car warmed up. Also, in videos such as the one linked below, Subaru's seem to cut back power quite a bit to protect the transmission. This can be problematic in some situations. Fortunately, tests I've seen on CZcams seem to show the Wilderness models have improved on this. I think it's hard to show the CVT AWD system used by Subaru over the last 10 or so years is significantly better than the AWD system used in this Explorer. czcams.com/video/IJVQNfNcAq4/video.html
I'm embarrassed for the Timberline in the snow...really? I know it's a clearance / lack of snow tire issue but...that's it? 34:25 Now that's what I'm talking about!
Ryan did a disservice to the Timberline, I mean the very first off road test was to plow in the packed snow and the tires did not help at all. All other tests it did fine. I see a lot comments about how a Subaru would have done better and how embarrassing was for Ford blah blah blah. You can also see on this very channel how a Ford Maverick outperforms a subaru “wilderness” and does that says a lot? I think the Timberline is very capable.
@@darylhill9400 which engine do you have and how often did you do the oil change? I think you are the first person I have seen with slightly less miles than mine. I have close to 240k on mine now lol. (2015 legacy)
I bought one but it had the sunroof. It caught fire after the 4th day of owning it. It threw a signal about steering assist fault service required the night before it caught fire. I got a new one just like the one that burnt that day. Only time will tell. I love the way it drives and it is a little stiff. But not bad at all.
The 2.7 ecoboost would have been the perfect engine for this Explorer .... both port and direct injection ..... the 2.3 and the 3.0 ecoboost engines are only direct injection!
Is driving it in to snow deeper than it's ground clearance a real test? I do appreciate the attempt at example of what it can do but let's be realistic.
Thank you Ford for not going with glossy black interior pieces especially on their off road version. I'm lost for words on why Jeep even on the trailhawk trim has all that gloss black. I just wish the infotainment bezels we're so massive. Makes the display look so small.
@@carlostavaresjr958 Totally agree. All Terrains on the explorer. With that said the tires on both my explorer and F150 straight out of the factory have been literally scary on slick roads. Not just slipping but a lot of sliding. Snow tires for next year!
I believe it's a 2.3L but what makes you think it's overstressed with that turbo? It appears there is a transmission or differential issue causing the AWD to overheat. That won't change with a bigger engine or a smaller turbo.
There is a trick for deep snow is that if you are stuck, try to turn steering wheels left and right to get more traction, it really helps. Good car btw, and thanks ford for giving it rear biased awd unlike audi which did the opposite on their A4, Q5 and A5. but just like most unibody crossovers, definitely needs some aftermarket modifications to take on harsh trails.
Too heavy, not enough ground clearance : same reason you don't bring a 4x4 pick-up off-road unless you have friends with you. Edit: Love my OB Wilderness when I see this lol
Man the wilderness was a good car but honestly the center console is what makes me not want to buy it. Granted I already own a previous generation legacy.
When you got stuck did you happen to note if you had gotten down to a layer of ice? Or did you create ice patches? Because once you got out of that spot it seemed to do fine. You talked about ground clearance for Subaru being over 9". Okay I guess 9.2 is over 9 inches but willing to bet the Forester Wilderness would've fared the same in that particular spot. OBW has 8.7 inches of ground clearance BTW. You seemed a little anti-Explorer Timberline toward the end. We know it's not a Jeep. Where most will use it (on the road) is the portion where you loved it. But still, this is the review I've been waiting for. Thanks for this.
@@random13627 I didn’t. I only wanted the Badlands because of the engine and the extra off-roady features. I’m glad I did, because the Facebook pages have a lot of people complaining about the 1.5L.
No the acadia at4. It has had the basketball orange interior since 2020. I'm sure other trucks may have it 1st not sure, but this sure as hell isn't new to see is my point.
Thats some pretty deep snow. Even my lifted truck with 35s and lockers gets stuck in similar situations unless I air down first. Once I air way down I can push snow with the diffs and stay on top of deep stuff
I’d love for you to re-review it when you can try the other off road settings. Snow is probably the least common off-roading people do so I’m curious how it handles other terrains
I love my Ford Explorer ST line. Co pilot 360 is awesome. I have the moon roof and I enjoy it in spring. Even with cool temperatures open the roof, crank the heat and turn on the heated seats/ steering wheel. It went off road in PEI and handled it magnificently.
I hope you can request to get this back in the warmer months to hit your trails and test track. Would love to see this on an "off road adventure" with your long term FX4 Maverick & guest host Karleena.
I would say that the explorer would have done better if you would have put the traction control in the snow and sand mode first before getting stuck. You had it in normal mode.
I think you planned on get it high centered 😉 I never had any problems with my Platinum in the snow but I also do get it into super deep snow and just floored it.
Yesterday drove up that same road in a stock Gladiator Rubicon with a buddy's modified Landcruiser. It was my first time driving off-road. The first half mile didn't have any snow on it. It was extremely fun but we needed the winch on the LC to get through some parts. At one point I gave too much gas and high centered the Gladiator exactly like the Explorer.
The guy on the video is obviously a Toyota fanatic, basing on his assumptions of the Explorer, truly put up so much bias opinions about Ford product. Nevertheless, people buy more Explorer than the 4 runner because of quality and value. End of story.
@@marcbarcelona4329 different vehicles, but I will agree 4Runner will be more reliable. Ryan doesn’t seem biased towards any brand. I thought he was leaning towards Subaru early on, but he just knows how to present everything in a nice way. Everything I watched from him has been unbiased and good testing.
Great review but that has certainly crossed the timberline off my list of trucks. I really like the look and the fact that it actually has a nice set of off road lights but seeing it struggle in snow like that is a deal killer. Several times you could see the tires grab the boards and immediately stop and send power to the other tire that had no traction. You should have had no issues pulling put of that mess with traction boards. Might have been a different store if all 4 tires had boards under them but that was honestly a poor showing. Ford really needs to put a mechanical locker in the rear of this thing and about tree more inches of ground clearance.
Ours has been doing great on smaller rocks and in firm sand on the beginner trails around Moab. Skid plates have been nice. A little more lift 1.5-2" would be nicer. Crawl camera turns off at 5 mph and as such, shouldn't look all the way up the road, it should zoom in on the closest 10-15 feet (wide angle makes the front camera view less useful for crawling)---that's my only complaint. We've done about 100 miles of dirt, sand, and rocks so far. Skids were only used a couple of times---mostly on the front when going a little too fast into a dip or hill.
I think the consistency of the snow was the biggest problem.Had it been fresh or powdery you could have gotten out much easier. The four runner would have gotten stuck in that too i suspect.
I’m really curious on how much of this was the AWD system vs the tires. It seems like it’s both in this situation since the AWD over heated. But that’s wild though.
The fact that the front driver’s side wheel twitched but never spinner shows that the traction management system isn’t all that great. Other cars would’ve shifted power better and likely would’ve been able to move and rock back out, even with the poor clearance.
This beautifully demonstrates how underwhelming the rather small increase in ground clearance for the "Timberline" label is. You need to go higher than that to be useful for snow...
Dont! 4.6 3v V8. 6speed. The 4x4 system and stability control on those is amazing. On road or off, especially in 4low off road. 214,000mi on mine. reliable. lifted, 33" tires. driven daily in the winter and off road during summer. waiting till next year for my bronco.
You used a D Ring that you slid into the trailer hitch. I can't find your Amazon link to buy it. Thank you for taking the time to make this video for us.
Great content as always! I'm surprised that no power was shifted to the driver side wheel when stuck in the snow?? Anyhow, seems like a great car overall, that diff in the back seems to do its job well.
Cheap interior, tiny, overworked, complicated turbo 4, and terrible AWD system. Yep, that's a Ford alright. It it wasn't for the fleet/po-po sales, they'd sell about 10k of these a year.
Amazing isn’t it just like the Jeep Renegade you put the Ford Explorer in low/rock crawl (let’s emphasize crawl) and then you give it the gas spinning the wheels at a high rate of speed and wonder why the 4wd system is unavailable/overheated .
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 it’s my second Subaru I got, never had problems with them , toyota are great vehicles to , 4 runner is way more expensive then a forester etc tho… what I said is that I wouldn’t get a jeep /ford , especially for long term, expensive garbages… I had a wrangler, fun vehicle but it’s trash .. to many problems with it/trash
@@outshyne666 gotcha. Lot of inconsistencies with Subaru. My company had a fleet of them in 2015. We had cvt failures, wheel hub failures, head gasket failures, and lots of oil consumption. We had to keep a case of oil on hand at all times. They’d burn 1 quart every 1500 miles. We had A fleet of Wranglers before that with the 3.8 Chrysler engines. They were bulletproof, but the electronics gremlins were terrible. Stupid things like the remote keyless entry would stop working. The Subarus cost us way more money than the Jeep’s. But the Subaru’s were way more comfortable.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 key is maintenance. The CVT oil is recommended to be changed around every 40k in Japan but the US dealers say 100k. These cars aren’t like Toyotas where you can run low on oil levels it would be fine. Also fleet cars are never cared for can’t just start a car and put in drive to zoom off.
@@v8_sami I couldn’t find a Subaru dealer within 200 miles of me that would change the cvt fluid. Subaru claims filled for life on the cvt and they won’t touch it. I begged and even demanded they change the cvt fluid only to be told no. It would void the warranty. I know filled for life is not true as no fluid is lifetime. However, we had cvt’s burning up and failing as early as 50k miles. Slipping and revving high and not accelerating as early as 30k miles. We took excellent care of our fleet as it was a lease. Dealer serviced at every recommended point and we still had tons of issues with our Foresters.
Huge fail for Ford... the Timberline trim is looks only, no real off road capability. Maybe better tires would've been helpful but for 50k that suv should've been able to get out of those few inches of snow.
Nice review, pity you got stuck. This is why snow tires exist. Why did you not drop the tire pressure? Not saying it would have worked, but it’s one more thing to try. Also jacking up the vehicle enough to slide the traction boards underneath. You’re lucky to have backup for a rescue. It’s an expensive piece of equipment to get stuck, you have to carry loads of gear if you’re going off the beaten path. Great review as always. Please do more of the lying down test in the long rigs.
It's not actually targeting off-road guys. This is targeting dads who have to drive a dirt road sometimes and want to take their kids camping at a marked campsite in a state park every summer.
Nailed it!
So basically targeted 95% of Jeep Wrangler buyers lol.
I 4x4 mine lol
I do serious off roading and not as a hobby. I work in remote job sites, logging trails, mid, etc in Upstate NY. We receive some of the higher snowfalls in the country, I bought this to use and it does fantastic. You can off road in just about anything, you don’t need a $90,000 SUV but this is built right.
I drive this down a 1 mile rutted out, swampy, logging road every day and I don’t use 4x4, I just keep it in 2wd. The skid plate slides over massive boulders embedded in the mud, I’ve never been close to being stuck.
Who knows who this is marketed to but it’s built the right way for real, rugged, use.
I have the expedition by the way, not the explorer which is why my cost with tax was around $90k. I just found out that the expedition is way better, mine has a twin turbo v6, 440hp. It has the same setup as the ford raptor.
Going into snow with non snow rated tires and basically stopping in deep snow then saying the system is inadequate 🤔, that's appropriate for Bronco sasquash equipment , and driving choosing deep snow after you've spun wheels digging yourself deep in snow , smh , driver error . I've seen your reviews in past, good , but on this one blame the driver decision making not car this time
Because all he had to do is turn the fuckin wheel Lisa 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Finally, a proper review of the Explorer Timberline.
Yes!. I cant believe that the review arrives
4 CYLINDER...BAHAHAHA
Update on our Timberline. We went on a trail ride with a local overland group in the mountains of South Pittsburgh, Tennessee. I was confident in the 4wd system but was worried a little about ground clearance. Not only was I impressed but the entire group and other riders on the trail were as well. It was common to hear others joking that recovery gear would be needed because they thought that the Timberline will never make it over or through an obstacle. While a few others on the other hand, needed recovery. But never the Timberline. The skid plates did a great job protecting the underside while the 4wd, traction control, and torsen rear diff were able to allow us to climb rocky, off camber, uphill obstacles with as much a 2 feet of tire lift. Worth mentioning, the rear diff responds more aggressively with a quick throttle tip-in. The more torque that is applied the tighter the diff locks. No trail damage to report; however, a good cleaning may reveal some pinstripes.
That sounds amazing. Do you have pictures?
And I wish to look at videos, it woulb be amasing! Shoot your rides!)
My friends laughed exactly the same about my Maverick and they ended up saying it was a pretty capable little truck! I went offroading in my Maxerick with FX4 and it performed amazingly good!
8.7" vs 9.6" for the 4Runner. I went elk hunting a couple of years ago and we drove on old logging roads. My guide had an F250 FX4. I drove an F150 FX4 but told him I had a Subaru Forrester at home. He looked at me like I was funny: "Why did you rent an F150? The Subaru can handle anything." This from a guy who is in back country a ton. What the guides do is move carefully and act judiciously about how they get from a to b, especially since they are out of phone reception. "Serious off-roaders" come up with great gear, but they intentionally choose almost impossible paths, and have fun doing so, but logical people can usually choose better paths. Remember, many folks off roading are just getting somewhere for work, where they live, or to hunt or explore.
Record your stuff man
The key to snow driving is maintaining momentum and keeping wheel spin to a minimum. Low modes are horrible for snow, they are for grades and rock crawling. 4 auto modes with locking rear diffs like on F150 in snow sand mode is very good.
Low gear does amazing in snow, I live up north in Canada.
10in clearance and snow tires is all you need. dont matter the make
This thing looks amazing for an explorer! The color with the accents are perfect. They nailed it with the design.
@RICARDO don’t have much experience driving in deep snow do you lol, The last thing you wanna do is go slow this guy‘s a freaking rookie.
Own a 2021 Timberline same color 8,000 miles and love it. Just finished a full month on the road in MT, ID, OR, CA, NV in rain, slush, and snow. The guy driving in the video could use some help with off-road/snow driving this honestly can't be a serious video? Turn everything off in deep snow and use hands, feet, and momentum to get through - works great no problems driving in really poor conditions. It will spin and move around but is controllable and predictable. At a certain point systems won't help you need to keep it moving and drive through or find another way. Momentum is your friend. Any frozen snow bank will trap any rig. Again the driving in this video is so timid its impossible for the rig to get a fair shake. Nice video production quality and seems like a good dude just can't take this one seriously.
I love the Timberline, but the snow performance here and AWD system checking out is completely embarrassing. While watching this video, I was genuinely wondering how a Subaru Forester wilderness or Outback wilderness would’ve fared in the exact same spot. Not impressed at all! Forester wilderness is near the top of my list for a snow vehicle. I loved the video you did on that one!!
I would say that the wilderness wouldn’t far any better. That area you needed more clearance and snow tires.
Once you stop in deep snow and snow is compressed underneath the car you get basically froze to that compressed snow. There is no way any car will get out easily from this situation.
i would write off that first snow test. Once he high-centered on the snow and stopped, he wasn't going anywhere without being towed out. Like the comment above, most vehicles would fail this test as well.
Yeah if a 4x4 F150 gets stuck, a Subaru isn’t going to do any better
@@JakeDrives1 AWD system checks out it's a bummer for sure! But once you froze to that snow you need hard pull to get "unstuck/unfrozen/unglued" (not sure what is a right word), Driving off slowly won't be possible
LOL I think I want a Maverick even more after seeing this... Seriously very grateful to at last finally see a professional Timberline review although I am still sitting on the fence after seeing it.
I enjoy your reviews so much! Love the videography, slow motion, and in-depth nuances you get into. I'm not even a truck or SUV guy...prolly never will be...but what I do love is seeing vehicles used as they are intended. Seeing what the limits are. Love your channel...thanks for your hard work at producing these videos! cheers!
Love mine, never going on anything but highway and occasional loose gravel so I could care less. looks great and does what I need it to do
Nice to see Nick getting more involved in the reviews 👍🏾
When the Explorer has gotten so soft that they have to make a trim level to make it worthy of the name again.
I also just wanted to add that you have singlehandedly set a new standard for offroad reviews! I don't know of another channel that does it quiet as well as you...regardless of budget. Enough fan boying now lol. Love your work looking forward to more! cheers
If you high center a vehicle on snow it’s helpful to stand on on the door sill and use your body weight to bounce the vehicle up and down to try and compact the snow under the car and get the wheels back on the ground
For a small fee of $10k over MSRP..
Ford just came out and said any dealer charging over MSRP will have their allocation pulled and they won’t get any! I guess they’ve had many complaints including myself when I tried to buy a mustang GT 500 and they want to 20,000 over sticker and I told him to shove it and walked out and reported them to Ford and I haven’t seen another one in there dealership since. But I did go back a day or two later and that GT 500 that was on the show room floor was gone the dealer told me it kind of a sar stic way that you snooze you lose I sold it 10 minutes after you left. Well he didn’t sell it to me he could stick it!.
We bought our Timberline for about 1500 below msrp. But so many dealers are getting greedy these days.
@@hellraiserx9490 good luck enforcing that. Old laws keep dealerships around.
Just got mine for $2000 under msrp last weekend.
Useless junk vehicle off-road.
I have had to explorers my first one was a Platinum and my second one was an ST and I highly recommend the explorer it’s an awesome vehicle.
Just got a 2022 on January and I really like it, fun to drive.
When stuck, who floors it? That is the last thing you want to do. That creates a smooth hardened surface. Also, turn left - right to gain traction when trying to get "unstuck". Also, deflate the tires (you get more traction that way).
Not to be a jerk but the reason you got stuck was not the explorers fault. You stopped momentum in snow that you could hear was hitting the bottom of the car... what did you think was going to happen? You were obviously in a place where it was to deep for you, stopping means you get stuck. I get that you don't want to damage the test vehicle but at the same time you were already committed at that point.Also in the future try turning the front wheels more when stuck like this to get grip. The snow in front of you is already pushed down but if your tire is spinning as you turn towards the snow built up next to your tires you might get lucky and push enough under it to move you forward or backwards just a bit.
I also didn't think it was really fair to compare this to the 4runner. These vehicles might be close to the same size but they are not the same class. One is an SUV and the other is a Crossover. You should have been comparing to a highlander. Didn't they make a TRD version of that at one point? The outback is a fair comparison (without a 3rd row) you should have laid into that more. I would like to see how the outback would do in the same snow. (obviously to late for that).
Overheating awd systems happen. I have seen this a lot on the honda's. Not sure how long it took for that to happen but it seemed like you were stuck for a long time. Hopefully it did take quite a bit to overheat it.
I really hope you give the timberline another shot. I would love to see it do some of the test hill and other things once the ice and snow melts. I have an older 2016 which is the fwd bias system and it is very capable for an awd crossover. I did add a 3" leveling kit and 31.5" tires which really brings up the ground clearance. Its not a truck or suv but it holds its own.
Well said
Absolutely love the Timberline. Ford did a great job !
Matt's offroad recovery has entered the chat.
Im so old I can remember when the explorer could actually explore
Thank you for the awesome review and actually putting it into a real world situation. More reviews like this is beneficial to car buyers.
Awesome in depth review. Most people really never push new cars to the limit like this. I’ve never seen someone else have to break out the maxtrax. Also shows how the brake vectoring is pretty ineffective on this “offroad” edition explorer. But compared to other vehicles in the segment, maybe not so bad? More clearance, snow rated tires, locking diffs…just not in the scope of anything in this segment. Although the limited slip and rear bias did look pretty fun in the end.
This is when you realize that the Duelers' tend to be pretty useless in deep snow and you start yearning for the KM3 or a dedicated snow tire. The Timberline also needs a lot more ground clearance. Not sure what Ford was thinking, but the Trailhawk's from Jeep and Dodge are far more capable.
Ground clearance is obviously the undoing here. But I'd love to see you put the timberline through some more difficult terrain without really deep snow
I have never understood why Ford eschews high ground clearance. This has the same ground clearance as the standard Subaru Forester.
@@jjc4577hey really need to do better if they want to start actually selling off road SUV’s
I think there’s more then just ground clearance to be questioned with this “off roader” 👎
It performed about as well as I expected. Thanks for testing it out. I've been curious how it would actually perform because the numbers never sounded that impressive
I was playing with my 96 ex w/Control trac yesterday in the snow, has limited slip, I think it is better than this :lol:. I have 4low.
@@alb12345672 you have a real SUV. Not a rwd based minivan. Not sure why ford even bothered with this trim. All this years of owning Land Rover and this is the best we get…
@@foxtrot685 I agree. I added an android infotainment touchscreen and heated seats. Even though its older it has full digital climate control. At least also it is extremely reliable. The older OHV engine. Nothing in this class has 4 low anymore. Also have 4.10 gears. I want a new one but it hard to buy this soccer mom vehicle. The last good explorer was made in 2010.
That was heavy soft corn snow. It is like slippery cement. Without proper tires and ground clearance being high centered would trap any rig.
"It's got cop shocks, cop tires, made before emission controls so it runs good on regular gas... what do ya say? Is it the new Blues Mobile or what?"
"Fix the lighter..."
We own a temberline and love it. We have had ours off road on the and been impressed with how the 4wd has done in badly rutted out farm roads. However we are going to take it on some trails in Tennessee this weekend. Looking for about the most extreme trail a stock explorer has any business attempting. I will let you know how it goes. Also debating installing a 1.5 suspension lift. Just hate to change the fun sporty driving feel.
Don’t take it out. You want to lift an explorer?? Lol. Classic. Why did you buy the timberline. Should have bought a regular model without suburu grill.
The dude in the video got stuck. Sad
What is your opinion compared to a 4Runner TRD? A person on another channel, not the channel owner, said the Timberline could more than compete with 4Runner TRD Pro. From what I am seeing, I doubt it.
@@paladin11C40 yeah not in the same boat. I guess the next thing is this exploder timberline awd vs Jeep Wrangler🤷🏿♂️🤷🏿♂️🤷🏿♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤦🏿🤦🏻🤦🏼🤦🏽.
I find this car comparable to the Toyota Highlander or Kia telluride/ Hyundai palisade. Oh also the Nissan Pathfinder.
I would totally advise against doing a 1.5 lift unless you are doing it right. I doubt they even make part for this exploder. I guess you could just slap on some blocks and pray the shop get it close to right measurements on alignment and camber.
I would wait on the 4 runner. I see ads where 4 runners are now 45k with 40000 miles and the lower trd off road trim. This trim is worth about $25-28k maybe dealer would sale it before at $30-35k.
@@jneptune1540 I am not buying either of them. I have my 2020 Ram Rebel and a 05 Grand Cherokee with Hemi and lifted
Timberline vs TRD 4runner... they will be cross shopped yes. As a true off road competitor? No. As great as ours has done they really don't do anything the same. It's hard to compare a solid rear axle with a locker disconnecting front sway bar and a low range transfercase not to mention crawl control and A-trac. As well as aftermarket support for the 4runner. We did find about the most extreme trail that a stock Timberline should attempt. And it impressed everyone who saw. Im not sure why in this video it had a hard time putting power to the left front tire. Not the case with ours. With the driver front tire more than 20 inches in the air the passenger front was able to pull and claw it's way up the obstacle. But you have to ask yourself what is your primary purpose for your purchase. For a daily driver that is going to see 95% on road driving like ours. Our money went to the Timberline. The sporty driving dynamic, good handling, Interior space, fuel economy and crash safety was the deciding factors for us. The minimum ground clearance on the non TRD-PRO is not much different. However the bumpers on all but limited trim 4runner are tucked up nice and high. The Timberline does have a lower set front end more like a limited 4runner but the Timberline is protected by the skid plate. If off-road is your main concern and things like the tried and true reliability and aftermarket support the 4runner for the win. We like a total driving experience. And we feel the Timberline does give up a little off-road capability but brings a smile to our face every time we get behind the wheel. We have decided that we are going to put a 1.5 suspension lift and some better slightly larger tires. It will then be able to take us anywhere we will ever want it to go while relying on the skid plates a little less. Most Timberlines will never see dirt. It's a shame. Also we do enjoy having and doing something a little different. We also have a lifted 2020 F250 on 37s and a side by side for the more difficult terrain. If you are shopping, drive both. But I always recommend buying what fits your needs best. Not what others think you should buy.
You took a car with non-snow tires into deep slushy snow. Then the tires spun. This was a lesson about types of snow and types of tires more than anything.
As to the rest of the review, agreed.
My 4runner with Bridgestone oem tires has never got stuck in snow and I live in Colorado.
@@Pabloperes675 never ever??
@@icecream_2987 never!
@@icecream_2987 I’ve only had it for 3 years.
Great video!
My brother just bought a new overpriced Explorer with awd.. that night we got 7-9 inches of snow. He called me at 5am already stuck on his way to work. 🤣🤣🤣. We live in northwest Arkansas and don’t get snow very often. When we do I love it! I have a 17 grand Cherokee with Cooper discover at3 tires and get through the snow easily. I was able to pull him out. I gotta say it made my day that he got stuck!
I have a 2016 explorer with those tires and I do great in the deep snow. My AWD system is not the same since I have the FWD bias version before they made the switch. Not sure if that is the difference here.
That’s what brothers are for!
After watching this, I'm thinking the 22' GC Hemi with Air Suspension and some meaty tires might be the one for me. This was embarrassing for Ford.
@@JakeDrives1 I mean the new lx from Lexus IS looking promising too.
Sounds like your brother just needs new tires and he's all set 🤷
Well, it looks great. You just can't beat a real, part-time 4WD with low-range and locking center differential. Traction control can only do so much - and the 4WD system disabling itself (I assume heat?) in your time of need is, frankly, as others have stated - embarrassing for Ford.
But Ford did a superb job with the Bronco Sport Badlands go figure
@@carllovullo6602 that one has a torque vectoring rear differential that can basically lock the rear wheels without using brake power. It also is significantly less heavy which also helps a lot in deep snow.
Most sophisticated 4WD will overheat when pushed to the limits. It’s to prevent damage to the components. Now how far the limits are is another thing 🤔
@@DrivenHard Yes you're right, but the PTU on the Bronco Sport Badlands and First Edition are liquid cooled
@@carllovullo6602 Sorry PTU? What does that refer too??
Cool vehicle, good review, but when you were stuck, you should have been working the steering wheel back and forth immediately, which would have helped you get unstuck, if not make further progress. Also never pull backward with recovery vehicle, always forward.
Maverick it doesn't matter
Ryan, I really like the ideas behind this Explorer but somehow its execution seems like less than the sum of its parts.
Would have been nice to see these offered with the 3.0 found in the higher trims.
I have been following you for about year and I have to say this review was the best of all. Thanks for the honest review 👍
I'm not sure about all those Fords out there getting stuck.
Should've got the 4Runner or Subaru Outback Wilderness to pull you out of that snow. Lol. I did enjoy the video though. Thanks for all the great reviews and content.
Lmao. The Outhouse Wilderness has a shitty cvt. It isn’t worth a damn to true off roaders. But the 4Runner would be amazing off road.
Hi Ryan. Thank you for producing and posting this video. Unfortunately, it is not your best work. You, the story and we get bogged down in the much too long deep snow scene. I’d like to see you do a proper review on this vehicle. One with the focus and exuberance you give the rest of your videos. Thank you.
I couldn't hear Ryan's commentary over the laughter of Subaru owners everywhere.
I like Subaru's, I've owned two of them in the past. But it's very unlikely a Subaru would have gotten through that snow either. I didn't drive that road the same day he did, but I've driven it each of the last 4 weekends. The conditions are not easy. The crown of snow is hard and very dense. As soon as you start dragging the bottom of the vehicle, you will likely get stuck. Unless you have a new Wilderness model, (or a modified vehicle, which isn't really a fair comparison) then your Subaru has about the same ground clearance. Thus, a Subaru would likely have gotten stuck in the same spot. Note, things like a stock Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Tundra, and a Rivian have gotten stuck on the same road in the last couple of weeks, during which the snow conditions have been about the same.
@@andrewsnow7386 I'm not mad about it getting stuck, I'm mad about the AWD system being a total POS. The pace he drove in left him dependent on the AWD system.. The AWD system is not to be depended on as we later discovered. I'd blast that road without hesitation in a Forester Wilderness!!
@@JakeDrives1 I agree, the Wilderness models would probably do that, but the wilderness models are not really owned by "Subaru owners everywhere" yet. Most of the Subarus I commonly see in the woods around here, would have struggled.
By coincidence, on January 30, I helped a guy recover his late model Crosstrek from the roughly same area (the next exit on I-90). It was being more stubborn to move than I expected, and then I noticed the rear wheels weren't driving. Looking at the dash, it had a few warning lights on. I don't know what was wrong, but likely the computer wasn't happy with something and thus wouldn't engage drive to the rear wheels. Note that the error in this video was "4WD system temporarily disabled". Likely this was do to an overheated clutch pack and the AWD probably would have worked again in 5 or 10 min. The Subaru I was helping had a problem that didn't seem very temporary. The problem was there when the car was cold, and it didn't go away when the car warmed up.
Also, in videos such as the one linked below, Subaru's seem to cut back power quite a bit to protect the transmission. This can be problematic in some situations. Fortunately, tests I've seen on CZcams seem to show the Wilderness models have improved on this.
I think it's hard to show the CVT AWD system used by Subaru over the last 10 or so years is significantly better than the AWD system used in this Explorer.
czcams.com/video/IJVQNfNcAq4/video.html
I'm embarrassed for the Timberline in the snow...really? I know it's a clearance / lack of snow tire issue but...that's it? 34:25 Now that's what I'm talking about!
Ryan did a disservice to the Timberline, I mean the very first off road test was to plow in the packed snow and the tires did not help at all. All other tests it did fine. I see a lot comments about how a Subaru would have done better and how embarrassing was for Ford blah blah blah. You can also see on this very channel how a Ford Maverick outperforms a subaru “wilderness” and does that says a lot? I think the Timberline is very capable.
Yeah I won’t trade in our Subaru Ascent after seeing this…
Why would you go from a Subaru to a sh*t Ford with a myriad of problems anyways!?!? Do you LIKE visiting repair shops?
@@michaelp.3485 lmao Subaru is not known for long term reliability. Subaru cvt’s and engines are known for failures early on.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 Mainly propaganda! my 15 outback has over 200,000 miles on the CVT and everything else and everything is great!
@@darylhill9400 which engine do you have and how often did you do the oil change? I think you are the first person I have seen with slightly less miles than mine. I have close to 240k on mine now lol. (2015 legacy)
@@v8_sami I have a 2.5, I change the oil Using Subaru Brand 0/ 20 Every 4 to 5000, Flush the CVT at 108 ,000
I bought one but it had the sunroof. It caught fire after the 4th day of owning it. It threw a signal about steering assist fault service required the night before it caught fire. I got a new one just like the one that burnt that day. Only time will tell. I love the way it drives and it is a little stiff. But not bad at all.
The 2.7 ecoboost would have been the perfect engine for this Explorer .... both port and direct injection ..... the 2.3 and the 3.0 ecoboost engines are only direct injection!
Inexpensive catchcan will fix that issue.
Nice to see and auto journalists working to get himself out of this compact snow.👍💪👏😎🇨🇦
Good snow rated tires probably would have made a big difference.
Also once you commit to driving into deep snow or something keep going don’t stop
Is driving it in to snow deeper than it's ground clearance a real test? I do appreciate the attempt at example of what it can do but let's be realistic.
Thank you Ford for not going with glossy black interior pieces especially on their off road version. I'm lost for words on why Jeep even on the trailhawk trim has all that gloss black. I just wish the infotainment bezels we're so massive. Makes the display look so small.
I have a 2021 explorer. Not this timberline version though. I can honestly say it sucks in the snow.
is yours 4WD?
@@amineel-mohri6044 yes
damn
What kind of tires? Tires make a difference. The Tiberline tires are not the best. I would do a more aggressive AT tire.
@@carlostavaresjr958 Totally agree. All Terrains on the explorer. With that said the tires on both my explorer and F150 straight out of the factory have been literally scary on slick roads. Not just slipping but a lot of sliding. Snow tires for next year!
That 2.5L engine is overstressed with that turbo
2.3L, and it was designed from the outset to be turbocharged, like all Ecoboost engines.
Ecoleak
I believe it's a 2.3L but what makes you think it's overstressed with that turbo? It appears there is a transmission or differential issue causing the AWD to overheat. That won't change with a bigger engine or a smaller turbo.
There is a trick for deep snow is that if you are stuck, try to turn steering wheels left and right to get more traction, it really helps.
Good car btw, and thanks ford for giving it rear biased awd unlike audi which did the opposite on their A4, Q5 and A5. but just like most unibody crossovers, definitely needs some aftermarket modifications to take on harsh trails.
We also did that, but the episode was already going long. 👍🏼
bro go left and right while trying to get out of there. tips from a great driver
You know what would be a great thing to see is this particular version of Explorer against the Jeep Grand Cherokee L with the off-road package
Too heavy, not enough ground clearance : same reason you don't bring a 4x4 pick-up off-road unless you have friends with you.
Edit: Love my OB Wilderness when I see this lol
Man the wilderness was a good car but honestly the center console is what makes me not want to buy it. Granted I already own a previous generation legacy.
@@v8_sami Check out the forester wilderness if you’re not a fan of the outback’s interior
When you got stuck did you happen to note if you had gotten down to a layer of ice? Or did you create ice patches? Because once you got out of that spot it seemed to do fine.
You talked about ground clearance for Subaru being over 9". Okay I guess 9.2 is over 9 inches but willing to bet the Forester Wilderness would've fared the same in that particular spot. OBW has 8.7 inches of ground clearance BTW.
You seemed a little anti-Explorer Timberline toward the end. We know it's not a Jeep. Where most will use it (on the road) is the portion where you loved it.
But still, this is the review I've been waiting for. Thanks for this.
You have a very pleasing character and nice way of talking
I’m not going to lie, I’ve been waiting for this.
I’m debating trading in my 21 Bronco Sport for this.
…and after watching, I won’t be trading away my BS BL.
you like your 21 sport? my gf plans on getting one but i don’t understand the differences between 21-22 build quality? small tweaks?
@@random13627 We love our BS. We have the Badlands that comes with the, larger, 2.0L ecoboost. It’s a beast and super capable.
@@samwolf8151 would you even look at the 3cyl one or naa
@@random13627 I didn’t.
I only wanted the Badlands because of the engine and the extra off-roady features.
I’m glad I did, because the Facebook pages have a lot of people complaining about the 1.5L.
“Advanced AWD system” doesn’t seem like it hahaha
Looks like they copied the orange exterior and interior trim elements from the Subaru Forester Sport model.
No the acadia at4.
It has had the basketball orange interior since 2020. I'm sure other trucks may have it 1st not sure, but this sure as hell isn't new to see is my point.
@dingonaut 2020 huh?
The Forester Sport came out in 2019.
@@Sirgromulus o snap. Well I don't know shit lol.
U win this round 😠
🤣🤣
@@dingonaut1794 LOL. Now everyone is coming out with some type of orange trim. I guess orange is the new "off road" color choice!
Idk about off-roading but my explorer gets me home safely during a bad snow storm
Thats some pretty deep snow. Even my lifted truck with 35s and lockers gets stuck in similar situations unless I air down first. Once I air way down I can push snow with the diffs and stay on top of deep stuff
Or you can just buy a Jeep!
@@PimpSolja49 I doubt a renegade would get far lol
the first time i saw one of these come into the shop for an oil change i thought it was the coolest shit i’d ever seen
I’d love for you to re-review it when you can try the other off road settings. Snow is probably the least common off-roading people do so I’m curious how it handles other terrains
Pretty common in western NY lol
I love my Ford Explorer ST line. Co pilot 360 is awesome. I have the moon roof and I enjoy it in spring. Even with cool temperatures open the roof, crank the heat and turn on the heated seats/ steering wheel. It went off road in PEI and handled it magnificently.
I hope you can request to get this back in the warmer months to hit your trails and test track. Would love to see this on an "off road adventure" with your long term FX4 Maverick & guest host Karleena.
I would say that the explorer would have done better if you would have put the traction control in the snow and sand mode first before getting stuck. You had it in normal mode.
I think you planned on get it high centered 😉 I never had any problems with my Platinum in the snow but I also do get it into super deep snow and just floored it.
Seems he was messing with the digital crap too much... put her in deep snow mode and let her fly.
@@Darbman62Agree, this guy cant drive for shit..
Yesterday drove up that same road in a stock Gladiator Rubicon with a buddy's modified Landcruiser. It was my first time driving off-road. The first half mile didn't have any snow on it. It was extremely fun but we needed the winch on the LC to get through some parts. At one point I gave too much gas and high centered the Gladiator exactly like the Explorer.
I'm bias but my old 2006 Acura MDX with a good set of snows has gotten me out of much worse this year. Gotta love VTM-4
Where is this dirt/gravel trail? I’m in the same area and need non-terrifying places to drive my Crosstrek Sport without getting stuck.
Front left Wheel not doing anything it seems when you were stuck. I would think it should brake the right wheel and transfer power. Real strange.
The guy on the video is obviously a Toyota fanatic, basing on his assumptions of the Explorer, truly put up so much bias opinions about Ford product. Nevertheless, people buy more Explorer than the 4 runner because of quality and value. End of story.
@@marcbarcelona4329 wait are you saying the Explorer is higher quality then the 4Runner??
@@marcbarcelona4329 different vehicles, but I will agree 4Runner will be more reliable. Ryan doesn’t seem biased towards any brand. I thought he was leaning towards Subaru early on, but he just knows how to present everything in a nice way. Everything I watched from him has been unbiased and good testing.
13.00 you could owb an Explorer with 400hp right now...
The only explorer available in the Netherlands has 457hp
Great review but that has certainly crossed the timberline off my list of trucks. I really like the look and the fact that it actually has a nice set of off road lights but seeing it struggle in snow like that is a deal killer. Several times you could see the tires grab the boards and immediately stop and send power to the other tire that had no traction.
You should have had no issues pulling put of that mess with traction boards. Might have been a different store if all 4 tires had boards under them but that was honestly a poor showing. Ford really needs to put a mechanical locker in the rear of this thing and about tree more inches of ground clearance.
this is mostly a tire issue...
“It has the looks” yeah of a police cruiser lol
Love the video
Please do an off-road review of the Timberline during the summer. I wanna see how this handles in more normal conditions.
P.S.: Maverick FTW!
😂 This is normal conditions. Granted.... I live in Alaska.
Ours has been doing great on smaller rocks and in firm sand on the beginner trails around Moab. Skid plates have been nice. A little more lift 1.5-2" would be nicer. Crawl camera turns off at 5 mph and as such, shouldn't look all the way up the road, it should zoom in on the closest 10-15 feet (wide angle makes the front camera view less useful for crawling)---that's my only complaint.
We've done about 100 miles of dirt, sand, and rocks so far. Skids were only used a couple of times---mostly on the front when going a little too fast into a dip or hill.
AWD not a 4x4
I think the consistency of the snow was the biggest problem.Had it been fresh or powdery you could have gotten out much easier. The four runner would have gotten stuck in that too i suspect.
I got stuck in Lake Tahoe in my lifted Tundra with snow rated tires. it was just to icy
That looks like Pacific Northwest snow. That isn't snow. It's wet and will suck you in. Anything can get stuck in that.
I hope you get the chance to get this thing out on the trails in the spring to see what it can do a give it a little offroad cred.
So do we. We’ll be requesting it again once the snow thaws
I’m really curious on how much of this was the AWD system vs the tires. It seems like it’s both in this situation since the AWD over heated. But that’s wild though.
It looks like the main issue is neither of those, but more so the ground clearance.
The fact that the front driver’s side wheel twitched but never spinner shows that the traction management system isn’t all that great. Other cars would’ve shifted power better and likely would’ve been able to move and rock back out, even with the poor clearance.
This beautifully demonstrates how underwhelming the rather small increase in ground clearance for the "Timberline" label is. You need to go higher than that to be useful for snow...
I don't think I'll be trading in my 2006 ford explorer 4.6 v8 for this anytime soon 😆
Keep it lol the value for those will increase soon enough when these start having problems in low miles lol
Dont! 4.6 3v V8. 6speed. The 4x4 system and stability control on those is amazing. On road or off, especially in 4low off road. 214,000mi on mine. reliable. lifted, 33" tires. driven daily in the winter and off road during summer. waiting till next year for my bronco.
You used a D Ring that you slid into the trailer hitch. I can't find your Amazon link to buy it. Thank you for taking the time to make this video for us.
The Grand Cherokee is more appealing to me, inside and out.
Seriously 2023 is sick value, 55K you pretty much get legit everything and can do almost anything.
Great content as always! I'm surprised that no power was shifted to the driver side wheel when stuck in the snow??
Anyhow, seems like a great car overall, that diff in the back seems to do its job well.
yea looks like there was no attempt at a breaking system at all
For snow Subaru has all the patents
i thought the same when i was watching, maybe a malfunction system?
I just watched a CZcamsr, Zeke Arzooyan, he lifted his Explorer 2" and added a winch. Incredible vehicle modification.
Cheap interior, tiny, overworked, complicated turbo 4, and terrible AWD system. Yep, that's a Ford alright. It it wasn't for the fleet/po-po sales, they'd sell about 10k of these a year.
Great car ; guy doing this review is the biggest dork.
Disappointed on how the Explorer handled the snow.
Amazing isn’t it just like the Jeep Renegade you put the Ford Explorer in low/rock crawl (let’s emphasize crawl) and then you give it the gas spinning the wheels at a high rate of speed and wonder why the 4wd system is unavailable/overheated .
Not worth the price imo… just get a Subaru instead:). Good video like always 👍
Lmao. Subaru? No thanks. I prefer reliability. 4Runner all day every day.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 it’s my second Subaru I got, never had problems with them , toyota are great vehicles to , 4 runner is way more expensive then a forester etc tho… what I said is that I wouldn’t get a jeep /ford , especially for long term, expensive garbages… I had a wrangler, fun vehicle but it’s trash .. to many problems with it/trash
@@outshyne666 gotcha. Lot of inconsistencies with Subaru. My company had a fleet of them in 2015. We had cvt failures, wheel hub failures, head gasket failures, and lots of oil consumption. We had to keep a case of oil on hand at all times. They’d burn 1 quart every 1500 miles. We had A fleet of Wranglers before that with the 3.8 Chrysler engines. They were bulletproof, but the electronics gremlins were terrible. Stupid things like the remote keyless entry would stop working. The Subarus cost us way more money than the Jeep’s. But the Subaru’s were way more comfortable.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 key is maintenance. The CVT oil is recommended to be changed around every 40k in Japan but the US dealers say 100k. These cars aren’t like Toyotas where you can run low on oil levels it would be fine. Also fleet cars are never cared for can’t just start a car and put in drive to zoom off.
@@v8_sami I couldn’t find a Subaru dealer within 200 miles of me that would change the cvt fluid. Subaru claims filled for life on the cvt and they won’t touch it. I begged and even demanded they change the cvt fluid only to be told no. It would void the warranty. I know filled for life is not true as no fluid is lifetime. However, we had cvt’s burning up and failing as early as 50k miles. Slipping and revving high and not accelerating as early as 30k miles. We took excellent care of our fleet as it was a lease. Dealer serviced at every recommended point and we still had tons of issues with our Foresters.
Great review. I appreciate how thoroughly you reviewed every feature and capability.
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say no, it does not have what you actually need to go off road….
Love how we used to drag race on that side road back in the day and you go there and do that 😂
Love the looks, but it seems like an off-road turd. No thanks.
Thanks for discussing the comfort. Most reviewers never tlak about suspension comfort.
Huge fail for Ford... the Timberline trim is looks only, no real off road capability. Maybe better tires would've been helpful but for 50k that suv should've been able to get out of those few inches of snow.
I love everything about this Explorer, and I highly recommend it for my wife.
300hp from a 4cyl? ya that's definitely gonna have issues
This is something Scotty Kilmer would say.
Nice review, pity you got stuck.
This is why snow tires exist.
Why did you not drop the tire pressure?
Not saying it would have worked, but it’s one more thing to try.
Also jacking up the vehicle enough to slide the traction boards underneath.
You’re lucky to have backup for a rescue.
It’s an expensive piece of equipment to get stuck, you have to carry loads of gear if you’re going off the beaten path.
Great review as always.
Please do more of the lying down test in the long rigs.