Its second and third rows are among the most spacious and comfortable in the SUV business, including among behemoths such as the Chevrolet Suburban and the Ford Expedition. While the middle- and third-row passenger volumes of these two utes are identical, the Kia prioritizes legroom, which makes for a tangible difference. If you measure luxuriousness by anything other than size, there are $30K compact cars that are more upscale than this particular $46,810 Explorer.Įven when you score them by interior space alone, the Kia easily beats the 1.9-inch-longer Ford. It punches well above its weight and delivers a near-luxury experience despite a price that screams "value." In contrast, the Explorer is a somber study in penny-pinching cost savings and hard, black plastic. In interior style and quality, the Telluride doesn't just pummel the Ford. Here's a partial accounting of equipment found in the Kia that was conspicuously absent from the Ford: heated front and rear seats, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, driver's seat memory, a head-up display, front parking sensors, a sunroof, wireless phone charging, a bird's-eye 360-degree camera system, an integrated garage door opener, and second-row sunshades. If that sounds like an unfair comparison, consider that the Kia's as-tested price comes in just $100 higher than the Ford's, and yet the Telluride's list of features handily outnumbers and outclasses the Explorer's. The Inside Viewįord's XLT trim level serves as the entry point into the Explorer range, while the Telluride SX sits atop Kia's lineup. That all adds up to a calm and collected demeanor as the Telluride rolls down the road. Sound-level measurements in the Kia's cabin registered three decibels lower than the Ford's at a 70-mph cruise. ![]() ![]() Body roll is buttoned down during cornering, but it's not so taut that it elicits side-to-side head toss over uneven roads. Its front and rear ends move in sync through quick turns and over broken pavement. The Telluride delivers a marked improvement in both ride and handling compared to the Ford Explorer. In addition to the more refined engine, the Kia's eight-speed automatic transmission is better sorted than the Explorer's 10-speed, which shifts with longer and more pronounced torque interruptions. Pushed to its full potential, the Telluride hits 60 mph in an adequate 7.0 seconds. ![]() It's more polished, which is a good thing, since the unboosted engine needs more revs to move swiftly in traffic. Kia takes a more traditional powertrain approach than Ford, using a 291-hp V-6 with a relatively large 3.8-liter displacement. When the road turns rough, the Explorer is overwhelmed by its busy body motions. And yet, for being as soft and disconnected from the road as it is, the Explorer doesn't ride particularly well. It is capable of making the occasional, brief straight-line dash but falters when asked to change directions fluidly. The Explorer is no more athletic than a designated hitter. Okay, so the short scale length isn’t to everyone’s taste, but it’s an essential part of the Duo-Sonic recipe, and one that has a deep offset association all of its own.The switch from a transversely mounted engine to a longitudinally mounted one may be a boon to Ford's manufacturing flexibility, but it does nothing for customers in terms of packaging or dynamics. The 50s spirit is kept alive with three classic colour options for each model – Sienna Sunburst, Ice Blue Metallic and Crimson Red Transparent on the HS, and Seafoam Green, Desert Sand and Tidepool on the SS. The reborn Mexican-made Player Duo-Sonic comes in two flavours, SS and HS, with both featuring a master volume and tone and a three-way switch. ![]() Its latest guise is as a short-scale MIM offset guitar that’s ballsy, punchy, lightweight and compact enough for smaller players or beginners.ĭuo-Sonics and grunge will be forever associated, and as such it’s entirely appropriate that these new guitars offer a brash and snarly range of tones that are perfectly suited to Nirvana-style powerchords or more modern schools of noisenikery. Originally launched in the 50s as a student guitar, the Duo-Sonic has over the decades gone through several iterations without compromising on stripped-down simplicity.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |