2021 ST, One of the best vehicles I have owned

[Cobraracing]

Fully loaded 2021 ST
First things to make it my own
Full interior detailing with ozone control (previous owner was a light smoker)
Dent removal of 4 dents
Full paint correction and ceramic coat
Oil spray (from Canada)
Next mods
Exhaust tips
Intercooler
Tuner with 87 and 94 octane tunes
Rear diff brace
cold plugs

 

[Gadgtfreek]

I've had 10 Fords before this 2025, and I only have 1k miles on it. It is for sure, other than my 2019 PP2 Mustang, one of my favorite cars ever. Plenty fast, and I haven't tuned (yet). Added a Thermal 2.5", sounds great. And the creature comforts and seats are a win. Looks nice too.

 

[2020FordRaptor]

Welcome! These are definetly great vehicles.

 

[theotherdave]

We have a 22 that looks almost exactly alike but without RoofRacks. Agree - this is the very best vehicle we've ever owned up to this point. I believe it is the "pinnacle" of advancement in gas-powered vehicles - before the big transition to gee-wiz electric stuff.

It has more options than anything else we've ever owned, and IT ALL WORKS without the slightest issue for 3 solid years. Massaging seats, actually workable adaptive cruise and lanekeeping. Great performance, window shades, kick-open tailgate, and functioning trailer towing awareness and management. Stupendously awesome comfort for LONG drives, smooth, wants to keep going straight on slippery snowy surfaces, multi-zone HVAC, good power provisioning via USB ports for devices, great sounding B&O stereo. GREAT looking vehicle. I could go on and on. I believe it's also the perfect size. It's as big as you can get without getting into the "really big" size where you have to be careful about garages, parking space sizes, etc. Perfect.

We also have a Mustang Mach-e Rally, and it's WAY faster, and the bolstering is AWESOME. The Mach-e basically hugs you while you drive it. It's unmatched as far as I've experienced with that kind of vehicle. And Blue Cruise is awesome also on long drives. Similarly the HandsFree option in my BMW iX Company Car. And a couple Tesla's I've driven.

But, as a platform BEFORE all this fancy-schmancy electric, partially-self-driving-insane-torque (etc etc) world, I believe the Explorer ST is the best vehicle anywhere. It's our reliable workhorse for hauling stuff, long trips, bad weather, you name it.

 

[theotherdave]

Here she is!

 

[theotherdave]

And Ford keeps trying and trying and TRYING to buy it back from me. No thanks.

If the new Explorer Tremor comes out with an actual luxury interior - not the cloth and plastic crap they had in the Timberline - as well as the Twin Turbo High Output 3.0, I'd maybe consider it. Much more likely if they brought back the Hybrid, or even the PHEV power train that was in the '21 Aviator. Otherwise, nope. "Little Blue" is part of the family - long term.

 

[bluesnake01]

Luckily for you, the new Tremor has a 3.0l TT option now. Similar interior as the ST just in different stitching colors and with LSD.

 

[Nascarbilly]

We have a 22 that looks almost exactly alike but without RoofRacks. Agree - this is the very best vehicle we've ever owned up to this point. I believe it is the "pinnacle" of advancement in gas-powered vehicles - before the big transition to gee-wiz electric stuff.

It has more options than anything else we've ever owned, and IT ALL WORKS without the slightest issue for 3 solid years. Massaging seats, actually workable adaptive cruise and lanekeeping. Great performance, window shades, kick-open tailgate, and functioning trailer towing awareness and management. Stupendously awesome comfort for LONG drives, smooth, wants to keep going straight on slippery snowy surfaces, multi-zone HVAC, good power provisioning via USB ports for devices, great sounding B&O stereo. GREAT looking vehicle. I could go on and on. I believe it's also the perfect size. It's as big as you can get without getting into the "really big" size where you have to be careful about garages, parking space sizes, etc. Perfect.

We also have a Mustang Mach-e Rally, and it's WAY faster, and the bolstering is AWESOME. The Mach-e basically hugs you while you drive it. It's unmatched as far as I've experienced with that kind of vehicle. And Blue Cruise is awesome also on long drives. Similarly the HandsFree option in my BMW iX Company Car. And a couple Tesla's I've driven.

But, as a platform BEFORE all this fancy-schmancy electric, partially-self-driving-insane-torque (etc etc) world, I believe the Explorer ST is the best vehicle anywhere. It's our reliable workhorse for hauling stuff, long trips, bad weather, you name it.

@theotherdave: Sounds like you have the exact ST that I thought I was buying when I got my 2025 Explorer ST this past January. Unfortunately, it was a "Job 2" build on December 5, 2024. I'm figuring FORD just needed to lighten up these dudes a little so that is why they unceremoniously removed (stripped) all those wonderful items!! LOL, LOL. For sure, if I had yours, I'd drive it till the wheels fell off.

BTW: Did yours come with the FAKE engine exhaust noises? Also, if you add a nicer exhaust system, can you actually hear/enjoy it inside when you already have all that added noise from the piped in crap?

 

[Gadgtfreek]

You can hear the Thermal 2.5" over the FENG.

 

[theotherdave]

BTW: Did yours come with the FAKE engine exhaust noises? Also, if you add a nicer exhaust system, can you actually hear/enjoy it inside when you already have all that added noise from the piped in crap?

Yes, It came with the fake noises. But haven't bothered to add anything. Once you have electric vehicles in the family, an ICE vehicle, even one as beefy and powerful as the Explorer ST is just ... slow... We rely on this thing to be a super comfortable, great looking hauler and long distance driver. And it can "sorta" haul ass when we need to get out of a sketchy situation. But the real performance magic is elsewhere.

 

[2020FordRaptor]

Yes, It came with the fake noises. But haven't bothered to add anything. Once you have electric vehicles in the family, an ICE vehicle, even one as beefy and powerful as the Explorer ST is just ... slow... We rely on this thing to be a super comfortable, great looking hauler and long distance driver. And it can "sorta" haul ass when we need to get out of a sketchy situation. But the real performance magic is elsewhere.

Cough, cough…tune…cough, cough.

 

[Nascarbilly]

Yes, It came with the fake noises. But haven't bothered to add anything. Once you have electric vehicles in the family, an ICE vehicle, even one as beefy and powerful as the Explorer ST is just ... slow... We rely on this thing to be a super comfortable, great looking hauler and long distance driver. And it can "sorta" haul ass when we need to get out of a sketchy situation. But the real performance magic is elsewhere.

@theotherdave: "But the real performance magic is elsewhere".[/QUOTE]
I definitely 100% agree!!! I have personally driven my Son's in-laws' Tesla Y a couple of times. Theirs is more of the entry level Tesla, nice but nothing fancy. I believe you, there is nothing out there in the "ICE" variety (Corvette, BMW, SHELBY, Porsche, Mercedes, you name it, and I haven't driven a Mustang Dark Horse yet) that can touch the torque and take off speed of the e-cars ZERO up to about 70mph, period!!!