2022 Ford Explorer Platinum ST

It's like you didn't even read my post or the post I was responding to.

He was able to afford a durango hellcat.

Explorer St's are a dime a dozen. A loaded St is 58-59k and is going to be worth circa 40k after 3 years/30k miles (current market is not a good indicator but the amount of St's I see on a daily basis is staggering.)

Durango hellcats are one year limited production run vehicle, even at 95k the car is still going to be worth low to mid 80s after 3 years 30k miles.

It's quite possible that they even appreciate past 90k because the hellcat motor is gone after 2023, you will never get that out of an explorer St, it's all downhill in terms of value.

The 392 however will not hold its value like the hellcat and will be more in line with a 15-20k loss after 3 years.

Now with that being said the explorer is definitely the best bang for buck, a simple tune will push you to around 500 hp crank which is what the 392 is making stock, that coupled with the fact that the 392 is much heavier makes the St a killer.

The explorer will also handle the twisties better than the durango as well due to the way the suspension is set up, and the track focus aspect.

My dream for the explorer would be an rs version making 600 horsepower and having an even better track built suspension.

The explorer is a much better driving car but the hellcat motor is the pinnacle of american muscle and is almost too good to pass up.

It's like you only follow your own posts and nobody else's.

He was also talking about "resale" values, so obviously cost is also a concern.

Berating comments like yours that ST's are "a dime a dozen" are themselves a dime a dozen.

To even say that the number of ST's you see are "staggering" is staggering itself, as you don't seem to realize that when you own a vehicle you look for it more often and therefore "see" more of them.

Regarding the "handling of the twisties", credit must be given where credit is due. While the ST clearly does very well in that parameter, instrumented testing of the SRT showed it generated slightly higher lateral g's on the skidpad and was praised for its "uncanny poise and body control."

Lastly, an RS version could put an upgraded Explorer ST exactly where FORD doesn't want it. It's certainly not one of my dreams and I doubt that of many others.

It is extremely rare for me to see another ST around here.

Again I don't think you understand how resale values work. If he was looking at durango hellcats he could afford one, or at least that's how I would do it. Resale value has nothing to do with cost, the porsche 911's have a great resale value/awesome driving car and people buy them for a combination of both and cost is not even remotely a concern.

What will hold better? A one year limited production vehicle or a massively produced vehicle for multiple years.

You just keep making my point stronger and stronger, he did not buy the explorer st for a better resale value lol, it is the better overall car minus straight line performance and acceleration but it gets killed in resale, now the St is the more affordable option sure and definitely the better bang for buck but resale value will never match a one year limited production run for a legendary motor.

Yeah when you own a vehicle you look for it more that's right, but after owning two hellcats (on my 2nd now) I can count the number of times on my hand that I have seen another hellcat in multiple years on the street, I see St's daily.... it's a mass produced car.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fordau...st-represents-one-in-five-explorers-sold/amp/


They make about 200k explorers per year, do the math.

As far as the RS goes, I would place an order for an rs today, why doesn't ford want the the St to be where it is if there's an rs? If fca is producing the trackhawk and the durango then it would absolutely make sense to at least put together a concept.

Realistically however, ford has already sand bagged the St, pulling 75-100 hp off a tune shows how much room is left in the tank, it's a marketing thing we get it, they don't want to make more horsepower than the raptor, so the RS will probably never get made.

In my opinion Ford chose the middle ground with the St, performance oriented but not too powerful. I would love to see the St come stock at circa 500 hp for 61-63k fully optioned out, in that case you wouldn't need an RS, but since ford went the sandbag route that's why people would say an RS makes some sense.

The Srt's handle well yes, but actually having driven the durango hellcat and St on the street is a different story, the St feels more planted and effortless, being lighter here does wonders, the Hellcat is a straight up menace coming out of the turns, but a lot of body roll and feeling that weight in the front inspires less confidence. On a racetrack or figure 8 the durango is probably better but to me the St feels planted on the streets, we shall see how it goes on the track one of these days.

As for berating the St, you must never have learned how to critique a vehicle, almost every vehicle has flaws, do they outweigh the pro's? Absolutely not or I wouldn't have the vehicle, but it's imperative for you to understand your St isn't some rare commodity, it's quite common and that's just a fact, again 1 in every 5 explorers sold are St, I don't find anything wrong with a car being common at all, in this case it's indicative of how popular a vehicle is and how ford did a pretty decent job at designing the vehicle.

Now that I own one and are looking for them, I have seen a few.
But certainly not a "staggering" amount. Lol

I received most of the parts this week. Just waiting on FenFab charge pipe with TurboSmart BOV, SPD DPs and AWR diff brace. I may hold off on installing the Steeda strut tower brace in favor of the aFe. Will likely paint or powder coat all the visible parts going into the engine bay to match FenFabs Aztec Blue. May use that same blue as light accent color through out. I have also ordered some Velgen VF5s in 22x10.5 which should arrive next week. Tires in 315/35ZR22 are a whole different story. My tire guys can't seem to find anything anywhere across the US...

I'm still looking into a rear axle swap with the Timberline axle with Torsen LSD and either swapping the gearing or whole axle in the front with that from the ST as recommended by @TMac.

Hoping to get it all done in one go to avoid duplicate labor and will then tinker with a few things here and there...

Tire shortages are huge, I'm on a one month wait for michelin ps4s 305/35r/20. I hear Firestone has major shortages as well.

Have you received your order for the zfg tune? I didn't see you mention having received it yet but I could have missed it.

Also whipple Ic is a must, I know there are shortages on those as well, how are you doing on that front?

You're here as a friend, and you should be treated as such.

You chose a slightly different path than the rest of us on this forum, but that's okay. We look forward to seeing how your build works out.

Supply chain issues are the bain of my existence right now, both personal and professionally! I'm looking into the Lexani LX-Thirty as a "hold me over" tire until I'm able to get something better.

I actually haven't ordered that yet. I noticed people commenting on waiting to even get the tuner, so I figured I'd wait until they start shipping or until I've got everything else installed.

That came in this week as well, so I'm good on that front, thank you

Thank you, that is kind of you. I don't take these "punches to the mouth" as negative. I need them and they're saving me a lot of money! lol

LOL I tend to choose the road less traveled more often than I probably should. I want what I want, and it's not always realistic. I make it work when I can, and move on when I can't.

Thanks for the feedback. This is going to be a fun journey! I just hope my wallet survives...may need a bit to recoup after this first round.

@PlatinumST

Talk about tires, I wasn't all that happy about getting the 20" tires/rims instead of the optional 21" ones (local dealers were overcharging for ST's with the latter).

But when I went and checked out prices at the Tire Rack, I see the 20" tires run about $100 less each than the 21". So that's not bad!

The 22s seem to be even worse. I like that the 315/35 22 is roughly the same size as OE, thought considering I'm very likely replacing the axles/gears, that may be a moot point. The 315s still look super cool though lol

Should have fun with the whipple ic, yeah zfg is backed up fromn what I have heard so nothing wrong with waiting.

What is the ideal tire you are wanting to run on those 22s?

I'm not 100% sure. I've heard good things about Pirellis, Michelins and Continentals, which I believe are the only premium brands by buddy carries in the 315/35 22. Since I can't get any of them, I haven't invested the time to research them, though from what I've heard, it'll largely be a matter or personal opinion? I'm very open to hear what everyone else's experience and preferences are, though I'm guessing there is a thread somewhere discussing just that.

Man, that size is e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e !

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/Tire...rformance=ALL&width=315/&ratio=35&diameter=22

unfortunately, you're not wrong. But the look it adds is awesome!

Are you looking for all season or just a performance tire?

The michelin ps4s are a great tire, I have had great experiences with the continental dws06 as well.

Pirelli I am not a huge fan of, stock 305s on the hellcat are subpar, the stock Pirelli's on the St also leave some to be desired.

If you want the performance I would say the michelin is the best bet but for more of an all around tire the continental dws06 would be my choice.

I'm thinking closer to a performance tire, though one that still does well in the rain. I hear tuned Explorers can be a bit unruly in the rain. I plan to run a set of snow tires (perhaps studded) on a different set of wheels. Not sure if I'll keep the stock wheels or get a different set that has an offset around the +30 like the summer wheels/tires.

The Contis are run flats that weigh an extra 5lbs per tire. Run flats also tend to wear more quickly as well. May try for some Michelins, if I can find them...I may just settle for the first tire I can find in the 315/35 22 for now and replace them next year with a nicer set once I find what I want.

beat a hellcat from a 40 roll, was close he started catching me top end. Only mods he had was intake and muffler delete

What kind of hellcat? There are narrow bodies, durango's, charger's, challengers, etc etc

What mods are you running?