{"id":30177,"date":"2022-12-08T11:09:57","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T15:09:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=30177"},"modified":"2022-12-08T11:09:57","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T15:09:57","slug":"payne-hitching-a-sailboat-to-the-ford-explorer-suv-for-a-trip-north","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/payne-hitching-a-sailboat-to-the-ford-explorer-suv-for-a-trip-north","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Hitching a sailboat to the Ford Explorer SUV for a trip north"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charlevoix<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Pickups get all the headlines as vehicle workhorses. With ladder frames and rear beds, they can tow 10,000 pounds while hauling 2,500 pounds of payload and four workers the size of Detroit Lions middle linebackers. But what if you don\u2019t need all that utility all the time? What if you just need a part-time workhorse? What if you could get by with a simple SUV?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s remarkable what your good ol\u2019 Ford Explorer SUV can do.<\/p>\n

When my young sons started racing go-karts in the early 2000s, we didn\u2019t need a pickup to haul our wares. Racing on a budget, I would rent a U-Haul trailer on summer weekends, load it with our 100cc Birrel racing kart and spares \u2014 then hook it up to our midsize, three-row 2005 Chrysler Pacifica SUV (the original Pacifica was an SUV before being reborn as a minivan in in 2017). With a 3,500-pound towing capacity, brawny V-6 engine, roomy hatchback and second-row captain\u2019s chairs, Pacifica was plenty of workhorse for our needs.<\/p>\n

\"With<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

On weekdays, it was my wife\u2019s daily driver; on weekends it was the Payne Racing rig. Though we sold it when our kiddies flew the coop for college, the Chrysler was the best family car we owned \u2014 handsome, smooth, with enough muscle for the occasional U-Haul.<\/p>\n

So when a Charlevoix friend asked this fall if I would tow his sailboat from Ann Arbor, I jumped at the chance. Not because I wanted to test the latest macho pickup, but \u2014 with memories of my ol\u2019 Pacifica \u2014 because I wanted to see what a modern SUV could do.<\/p>\n

My tester, the latest 2022 Timberline trim of Ford\u2019s popular midsize, three-row Explorer, is a state-of-the-art version of our old Pacifica: handsome, smooth ride, utilitarian, muscular. It\u2019s even a shade of blue like my Pacifica.<\/p>\n

Even as government nannies have forced automakers to abandon V-6s for turbo-4s, Ford engineers have managed to make a brawnier 4-banger. Tipping the scales at 4,565 pounds, the Explorer Timberline puts 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque to its four wheels compared to the 4,720-pound Pacifica\u2019s 250 horses and 250 torque. The current-gen Explorer was also engineered to be rear-wheel-drive based, adding to its towing prowess.<\/p>\n

\"With<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

The result is increased efficiency\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0performance of 21 mpg and 5,300 pound towing capability versus Pacifica\u2019s 20 mpg and 3,500 pounds.<\/p>\n

And the new Explorer is every bit the looker of the old Pacifica. Its rear-driver proportions, long hood and sculpted shoulders still turn heads three years after its Detroit auto show introduction. You can see them coming a mile away with their signature horizonal LED eyebrows.<\/p>\n

Dressed in blue, my Timberline swaggered into Ann Arbor on a Saturday morning to pick up my cargo: an 18-foot fixed-keel Precision 185 sailboat strapped to a custom-made trailer to accommodate the boat\u2019s 3.5-foot draft. Total weight? About 1,500 pounds.<\/p>\n

\"Who<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

I hooked up the trailer (the boat was already secured with straps and the mast neatly laid stem-to-stern so that it did not interfere with the Explorer\u2019s hatch), crossed the chains, connected the lights and locked away the third wheel. Then I tackled the hard part: arranging luggage, a tennis bag, a Craftsman toolbox and multiple boat accessories (including an awkward spare wooden seat) in the rear cargo bay so that two people could still ride comfortably in the second row if necessary.<\/p>\n

I needed to lay down the \u201c40\u201d seat in the 60-40 split in order to accommodate the long center bulkhead, but otherwise the Explorer hatch swallowed boat accessories, luggage and all. I recommend having someone familiar with boats (I\u2019m a motorhead landlubber) \u2014 like my friend\u2019s neighbor \u2014 check over things like strap tension and tires before departure.<\/p>\n

I selected TOW\/HAUL on the Explorer and eased out of Ann Arbor\u2019s neighborhood streets. The Explorer towed the boat with ease. No swaying. No bouncing.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Timberline is fully armed with the latest safety assistance features like blindspot assist and adaptive cruise control. Ford calls its system CoPilot 360 Assist with lane-keep assist that mimics self-driving. When fully engaged, a green steering wheel appears on the dash. Entering U.S. 23 headed north, I turned on 360 Assist and used it for most of the four-hour trip at highway speeds of 75-80 mph. The SUV maintained its lane and kept its distance from vehicles.<\/p>\n

That consistency allowed me time to explore the SYNC5 infotainment system. It\u2019s one of the industry\u2019s best (an electronic light year from the Pacifica) and I easily found my preferred SIRIUS XM stations. SYNC5 also features wireless smartphone technology (Pacifica existed B.S. \u2014 Before Smartphones) and I was able to make calls and check in with Mrs. Payne on my long drive north.<\/p>\n

Towing a tall 1,500-pound rig was surprisingly easy, but the load did take its toll on fuel economy.<\/p>\n

Rated at 21 mpg, my steed drank gas at a rate of 9.9 mpg on my trip \u2014 getting only 45% of predicted range. Ouch. Range anxiety just like an electric vehicle. Except, there are gas stations everywhere.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

As it turned out, my two-stop fueling strategy was similar to what I used with EVs that I have driven north to Charlevoix \u2014 only much shorter. I filled up in Bay City and again in Gaylord with regular gas at $3.69 a gallon. Marathon fueling stations cater to truckers and trailers with big lots and lots of pump room, and I looked for them on my journey.<\/p>\n

The Explorer took just three minutes to fill to 200 miles of range. Equivalent mileage requires half an hour in an EV.<\/p>\n

The Explorer was smart. When I fired the Ford back up in TOW\/HAUL mode, a screen message told me the trailer was connected, followed by another message that Blind-spot Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert were deactivated due to the trailer.<\/p>\n

By my second fueling stop in Gaylord, Ford\u2019s computer had adapted to its hauling duties and predicted I would get just 167 miles on a tank of fuel as opposed to the usual 483 highway miles. Good to know. I arrived in Charlevoix four hours and 25 minutes after my departure with my package intact. After unloading the boat, I shoved the Explorer into SPORT mode and had some fun through the M-32 twisties on my way back home.<\/p>\n

When relieved of its towing duties, a mid-size SUV can feel pretty sporty. And it\u2019s lot easier to park around town than a pickup.<\/p>\n

Next week: 2022 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year<\/em><\/p>\n

2022 Ford Explorer Timberline<\/h2>\n

Vehicle type: Front engine, all-wheel-drive six-passenger\u00a0SUV<\/p>\n

Price: $47,540, including $1,295 destination fee ($48,035 as tested)<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 2.3-liter, turbocharged, inline-4 cylinder<\/p>\n

Power: 300 horsepower, 310 pound-feet torque<\/p>\n

Transmission: 10-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph, 6.0 seconds (Car and Driver); towing, 5,300 pounds<\/p>\n

Weight: 5,827 pounds (as tested)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA est. mpg 19 city\/22 highway\/21 combined<\/p>\n

Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n

Highs: Smooth towing; useful highway and infotainment tech for long hauls<\/p>\n

Lows: Bland interior compared to some rivals; miss the ol\u2019 V-6 roar<\/p>\n

Overall: 4\u00a0stars<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charlevoix\u00a0\u2014 Pickups get all the headlines as vehicle workhorses. With ladder frames and rear beds, they can tow 10,000 pounds while hauling 2,500 pounds of payload and four workers the size of Detroit Lions middle linebackers. But what if you don\u2019t need all that utility all the time? What if you just need a part-time […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30177"}],"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\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30177"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30177\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30178,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30177\/revisions\/30178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}