ST Line?

[BlkGS]

Short version, wife's car, she doesn't care about power or anything. 2.3L better fuel economy, 8k cheaper, better looking interior, but no coold seats or massage seats (she doesn't care about those). ST pros, POWARRR, 300 extra pounds towing, a few nice bits like turn signals in the mirrors.

She'd be trading up out of a rogue, so the at line will be a rocket to her, and it gets the same fuel economy. There's something to be said for the smaller, cheaper engine should repairs ever need to happen, and should keep the 10r60 a little healthier.

Anyone have anything convincing for why we should get her the St over the St line?

 

[JohnSVT]

My brother had a 2.3L Explorer as a loaner for a month. The power was alright, but we both hated how the transmission acted in the explorer. In drive it would higher gears way too long and it seemed like we had to gun it to actually downshift. Sport would make it downshift faster but then you are dealing with it always wanting to "race" and holding lower gears.

I drove 4 ST's before getting my current one and the transmission seems ideal with the 3.0 for when to downshift in all 4. Seemed like a better pairing between engine and trans.

Maybe the loaner had an issue or something but that was annoying driving it.

 

[BlkGS]

It would make sense that the 2.3L would be tuned to hold higher gears more for fuel economy. My wife isn't the sort to kick down a gear to pass people, she's more the type to say "I can sit behind this person" or go around them maintaining her speed.

That said, before we bought her rogue we test drove an Ecoboost escape and she HATED it. She said it was totally gutless until you floored it, which WA sbecause it was gutless u til the turbo spooled. That was when I found out she greatly prefers displacement to turbo power. That was several years ago now, and I suspect the newer Ecoboost have less issues like this. But, she's spoiled by the cvt in the rogue, which while having many flaws, you can't fault it for almost always being in the right gear and having no hesitation when you want to move.

When I test drove the ST back when cars were available, it wasn't ever lacking in power. It did kick down and have that delay more than I'm used to, but I'm also used to v8s with less gears, typically in much smaller and lighter vehicles. So not exactly apples to apples.

 

[Cmaximst]

My wife is no speed daemon, but she loves driving our ST!! BTW, you don’t get an invite to the “ST driving experience” if you get the other models.

 

[Autoworker]

My wife is no speed daemon, but she loves driving our ST!! BTW, you don’t get an invite to the “ST driving experience” if you get the other models.

My wife has commented that she’s liked other vehicles we’ve owned, but she loves the ST.

 

[st8]

I had the 2.3L in my 17 explorer. It was decent, definitely nothing special. I don’t get much worse gas mileage in my 3.0 ST compared to my 6 speed 2.3L. The new 10 speed probably helps a little with gas mileage though.

but I will say my wife is nowhere near a car enthusiast, nor does she care about power in a car. But she loves driving my ST. She said she loves the torque and questioned why I didn’t get the ST earlier lol

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

Just get a real ST, you won't regret it. If cost is a concern, get a 2wd version, they're cheaper.

 

[Cmaximst]

Yup!

 

[BlkGS]

Just get a real ST, you won't regret it. If cost is a concern, get a 2wd version, they're cheaper.

AWD is a must, it will sometimes get used to pull our boat. Very rarely, but want the option open.

It's not a cost issue, more a "she won't care and extra 3mpg issue". That and the st line interior looks better to me with normal gauges, red stitching, and Alcantara inserts. That said, with the little guy, the Alcantara might be less preferable to just wiping up leather.

Our other options are expedition (wife thinks is too big) or grand cherokee L (no real reason against it, we both liked it, it tows more, super nice inside, great features, good power and efficiency, but the wife thinks that is also maybe too small. I don't think there exists something in the middle ground of big enough but small enough for her lol.

 

[st8]

Is the GCL not bigger than the ST? Definitely looks bigger. Could also just be all the straight lines that give that appearance.

If cost isn’t an issue, I would just go true ST. Especially for the occasional towing and I just think that extra power will prolong the life of the vehicle. I say that as vehicles continue to get more powerful, the 2.3l may seem a bit anemic in a few years. It’s by no means a bad engine at all though.

 

[BlkGS]

I think the GCL is a bit bigger. Honestly, it's tough to tell, when we looked at it it was getting dark out and it seemed to be about the same size, if a little lower to the ground (it had air suspension in park mode). Seeing them out on the road, they looks bigger. The wife thinks the explorer seems about the same size as her rogue, but has never said that about the GCL. I suppose I could look up some specs, but I'd guess GCL is slightly longer and taller, and about as wide.

Honestly, the only knock on the GCL I have is cost and trim structure. If you want a v8, you have to go overland, but you also can't get the blackout package. You can get a loaded limited blackout packed for like 56k but it's a 290hp v6, adequate, but explorer ST gives you 400hp for that price. A fully optioned overland brings the price closer to like 67k, which is spitting distance of a larger expedition. Admittedly, the GCL is suuuper nice inside, and I get the price difference to explorer. But it's gonna be the family car, so super nice means super destroyed.

I think I just need to have her drive them all. I'd just as soon get the ST in the off chance I have to inherit it and she gets something larger, but that's not something we've ever considered and I want a Frickin Hellcat lol.