{"id":18400,"date":"2016-04-14T17:07:14","date_gmt":"2016-04-14T21:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=18400"},"modified":"2016-04-14T17:07:14","modified_gmt":"2016-04-14T21:07:14","slug":"range-rover-vs-explorer-platinum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2016\/04\/range-rover-vs-explorer-platinum","title":{"rendered":"Range Rover vs. Explorer Platinum"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"rr-exp_fr\"<\/p>\n

I \u201cget\u201d supercars. Six-figure, 600-horsepower cyborgs made from unobtanium and loaded with every weapon in the auto arsenal: Torque-vectoring all-wheel drive systems, Brembo brakes, dual-clutch transmissions. These sports cars can do aught-to-60 in the blink of an eye, push 200 mph and turn your neck into a noodle with apex-hugging g-loads.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019ve never understood $100,000 SUVs \u2014 until now. They are the light-truck equivalent of supercars. Call them \u201csuper utes.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been driving one for the last week. Priced at a stratospheric $106,325,\u00a0the Range Rover HSE Turbo-diesel-V6 (Td6)<\/a>\u00a0stuffs everything mankind \u2014 or at least Land Rover, the legendary British military vehicle maker \u2014 knows about SUVs into one, swaggering, 115-inch wheelbase package. Air suspension, longitudinal four-wheel-drive, two-speed transfer box, aluminum chassis, aluminum skin, hill-descent control, hill-start assist…<\/p>\n

(Catch breath)<\/em><\/p>\n

… self-parking, 360-degree park assist, auto windshield-wipers, auto high-beams, heated steering wheel, heated front windshield, Meridian stereo, individual backseat video, Grass\/Gravel\/Snow\/Mud\/Sand modes \u2014 or just put the big robot on AUTO and it\u2019ll detect the bloody terrain itself.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing else like it on the planet. Except, um, a $54,760\u00a0Ford Explorer Platinum<\/a>\u00a0which comes loaded with nearly the same Swiss Army\u2019s knife of features but with half the sticker shock.<\/p>\n

Half.<\/p>\n

Heated front and rear seats? Check. All-terrain modes? Check. Self-park, leather interior, moon roof, stereo, massage seats, wood-inlaid heated steering wheel? All check. In upgrading the Explorer for 2016, Ford obviously had the Range Rover HSE in its sights right to down to the same clam-shell hood and egg-crate grille.<\/p>\n

But this is no Rolex knock-off. The Explorer brings remarkable luxury to mainstream utes while only sacrificing hard-core performance values that customers never use. It\u2019s like a gorgeous, $55,000 200-mph supercar that understeers at the limit through Mid-Ohio Raceway\u2019s Turn One.<\/p>\n

With its leaner face, the Platinum bears an uncanny resemblance to the HSE. Paint them both dark blue like my testers, and the Explorer could do an excellent Rover impersonation.<\/p>\n

The stroll around the exterior of these rolling condos flatters both, even as differences emerge. With its longitudinal engine, the Range Rover HSE sports a hood the length of a cricket pitch, pushing the cabin rearward and giving it a hearse-like look. The transverse-engine Explorer, by contrast, looks more compact and is punctuated with its familiar, flying-buttress C-pillar.<\/p>\n

The interiors could have been on \u201cLifestyles of the Rich and Famous.\u201d Range Rover cut down a forest for more wood paneling than your average executive\u2019s corner office. It\u2019s so pretty I wanted to throw a tablecloth across it and order a meal with Mrs. Payne. Vase of flowers,\u00a0garcon<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Rover\u2019s perforated leather seats are more comfortable than the Ford\u2019s cowhide, but no more capable (multi-way, massaging, heated front and rear). Two-tone interior. Stitched dashboards. Consoles? Brits and Americans understand the best infotainment access is via touchscreen and knobs \u2014 not rotary dials and mouse pads (ahem, looking at you, BMW and Lexus). Like a tour of a celebrity\u2019s flat overlooking Central Park, Rover\u2019s details separate it from Explorer\u2019s mere executive digs. There are secret compartments under the armrest to hide important things that jewel thieves might miss. Beautifully trimmed, dual glove-boxes show up Explorer\u2019s more pedestrian, hard-plastic model.<\/p>\n

Turn on the Rover and a rotary shifter rises out of the console like a doomsday button. READY TO NUKE THE LANDSCAPE it seems to say.<\/p>\n

And this is where the Range Rover puts on its super-ute cape. With its sophisticated four-wheel drive, this thing can climb Rushmore.<\/p>\n

The Englishman rides noticeably higher in the saddle than the Detroiter because it\u2019s built to conquer nature. Flip our testers like turtles and they are dramatically different: Rover\u2019s underbelly is covered with rock-resistant armor. Enable the air suspension, and super ute will rise another two inches to leap tall boulders in a single bound. To crawl across a rocky landscape, Rover\u2019s Reactive Grounding Response allows air springs to inflate independently to adapt over hostile terrain.<\/p>\n

But with all that leather and wood inside \u2014 not to mention chrome-crusted body panels \u2014 would you ever want to go there? My duck-hunting pals laugh at the idea of Rovers in the Outback. Super utes are so beautifully tailored that the only field they\u2019ll ever see is a soccer field.<\/p>\n

And for such duty, the Explorer is more than capable. Indeed, the Ford makes soccer moms drool.<\/p>\n

Get past the front thrones, and Platinum has rear details Rover can\u2019t touch. Only the Ford comes with three-row seating \u2014 the third easily accessible with Ford\u2019s two-step, middle-seat fold. And with the touch of a button, row three can perform more tricks than a Westminster dog show champ: fold, stow, go. The Rover sports a pickup-like drop-gate for tailgate parties. Clever. But only Explorer offers a kick-open option so you can raise the hatch when your arms are full of game \u2014 er, groceries.<\/p>\n

The HSE\u2019s diesel engine is a beast with 254 horses and 443 pound-feet of torque that could pull Michael Moore out of quicksand. But unlike supercars, engines don\u2019t define super utes. Ford\u2019s twin-turbo, 3.5-liter six, for example \u2014 the same workhorse found in the Taurus SHO and F-150 \u2014 boasts a very competitive 365 horses and 350 pound-feet of torque.<\/p>\n

Where the Land Rover diesel excels is in fuel economy, pushing the 5,485-pound ute around for 25 mpg. The Ford turbo will manage just 18 mpg (I got 171\/2 with my size 15 lead foot).<\/p>\n

Once America gets through its collective freak-out over diesels, folks will remember they are the best way to move heavy vehicles. And with diesel prices in line with $2 gas these days, the fuel savings will earn back the engine\u2019s $1,500 premium.<\/p>\n

Speaking of premiums, the Rover doesn\u2019t have to go all the way to Moab to prove its expensive, all-aluminum chassis engineering. Over dirt roads, Explorer\u2019s bones are noticeably more brittle than the $106,000 Rover. Platinum may have similar sand and snow options, but super ute glides over rough terrain like it was born to it. Thanks to extensive cabin-quieting, Explorer\u2019s rattle disappears on asphalt.<\/p>\n

Stay away from Rolex knock-offs. But if a super ute is too rich for your blood, a half-price Platinum will do just fine, thank you very much.<\/p>\n

2016 Range Rover HSE Td6<\/p>\n

Front-engine, four-wheel drive, five-passenger SUV<\/p>\n

$72,445 base ($106,325 as tested)<\/p>\n

3.0-liter, turbocharged diesel V-6<\/p>\n

254 horsepower, 443 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

8-speed automatic<\/p>\n

0-60 mph, 7.3 seconds (Car & Driver); top speed, 130 mph<\/p>\n

5,485 pounds<\/p>\n

EPA 22 mpg city\/29 mpg highway\/25 combined<\/p>\n

Range Rover Report card<\/p>\n

Highs:\u00a0King of the Outback; elegant interior<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0Who goes to the Outback in a $100K SUV?; third-row seat, please<\/p>\n

Overall:\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n

2016 Ford Explorer Platinum<\/p>\n

Front-engine, four-wheel drive, seven-passenger SUV<\/p>\n

$52,970 base ($54,760 as tested)<\/p>\n

3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6<\/p>\n

365 horsepower, 350 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

6-speed automatic<\/p>\n

0-60 mph, 6.0 seconds (Car & Driver); 123 mph (governed)<\/p>\n

4,939 pounds<\/p>\n

EPA 16 mpg city \/ 22 mpg highway \/ 18 combined (manual as tested)<\/p>\n

Ford Report card<\/p>\n

Highs:\u00a0Bang for the buck; three-row flexibility<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0Plastic interior trim; tinny chassis over bumps<\/p>\n

Overall:\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I \u201cget\u201d supercars. Six-figure, 600-horsepower cyborgs made from unobtanium and loaded with every weapon in the auto arsenal: Torque-vectoring all-wheel drive systems, Brembo brakes, dual-clutch transmissions. These sports cars can do aught-to-60 in the blink of an eye, push 200 mph and turn your neck into a noodle with apex-hugging g-loads. But I\u2019ve never understood […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18400"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18400"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18401,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18400\/revisions\/18401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}