AUTO RED BOOK REVIEW: 2012 FORD EXPLORER ECOBOOST

On The Cover Review: 2012 Ford Explorer EcoBoost

Ford has been on a roll lately, introducing their twin-turbo EcoBoost technology throughout their product line. It always seems to offer the next smallest engine than you would expect, with more power than the engine that would normally be there. For example, if you expect a V8 to be the top offering in an F-150, the EcoBoost V6 costs more than the base V8 and has more power. Or if you’re looking for a V8 in the Ford Police Interceptor, you might be surprised when the cops run you down with their EcoBoost V6. And here now, we have the top-level Explorer; not with the V6 or V8 that you are accustom to, but a 237-hp EcoBoost four-cylinder under the hood. Red Book got a chance to test the four-cylinder Explorer recently, and came away mostly positive. For such a heavy vehicle, the 2.0-liter plant maximized its 250 pound-feet of torque, and didn’t feel terribly strained under most conditions. Still, we drove the lighter, smaller Edge with this same engine, and it the weight difference was appreciable. And although you can get the EcoBoost in all Explorer trim models, it is only available in two-wheel-drive. Normal logic says people won’t pay more for a smaller engine, but Ford is counting on their fuel-saving EcoBoost technology to buck the trend.