Need your advice for a better ride than my Explorers

[sctom1]

Hello all, looking for advice from your experience. I have 2 Explorers and they are nice but looking for the best freeway cruiser that is also reliable and safe. My Explorers are a 2019 Limited 4wd and it is rather harsh and a 15 XLT that is rather smooth.
i will not be towing, no family packed in, no off roading and only a little hauling home from big box stores, so not the max version. I will have a 2nd smaller buggy for a daily beater around town, maybe keep one Explorer for that. No hd towing package as I read it has a stiffer ride. Is the CCD a good choice? Is eLSD something needed in snow? If I order one I hope to have it 7-8 years or more, so maybe the Platinum trim with the massaging seats? Are they comfy for a 10 hour + drive? I know this is all subjective, but opinions are valuable. If the waste gate and cam phaser problems have been resolved, this seems like a reliable vehicle. It is a bit bigger than I need, but it seems to retain it value better, so it must have many good things going for it.
Will the new Expy be a good choice?
Thanks!

 

[jastevenson]

Expy highway ride is pretty good. Ride on city streets is poor, in my opinion, on the base suspension. Would not recommend an Expy if ride is a top priority for you.

 

[dlcorbett]

If your looking for best ride for all types of road, crossover is the way to go. As far as fs suvs go, to get a better ride than an expy, the gms with air suspension and wagoneer with air suspension are your only choices(havent driven wagoneer without, wife and I prefer expy/nav ride to gms without air suspension). As far as expy goes, the base suspension can be a bit stiff at times, but I don't agree that it's not comfortable. Even at it's worse, it still rides better than the previous gen explorer of any trim and better than most all crossovers I driven at the time of release. For hwy and most road ways, ccd is your best bet. If you don't want the sway and rock ppl complain about, base limited is your friend. I also prefer the base in cities as it cushions hard edged bumps better. I primarily used mine as a hey bomber so If I get another expy, it will have ccd.

 

[sctom1]

Thanks to both of you. So the Limited is actually a better ride than the platinum with the upgraded massaging seats? The swaying is an issue with one I test drove on country roads. I see that CCD is an option on the Ltd, but that comes with 22” tires. OK if not those garbage Hankook Ventas (that I am ditching this week at only 22k miles for Michelin Latitude Tour on 19 Explorer Ltd). It will be a pavement princess and mostly highways. Also saves me about $6k+. Hmmmm. Will have to give that some though. Wish tire brand and model was also a choice.

 

[maxlim2022]

If your looking for best ride for all types of road, crossover is the way to go. As far as fs suvs go, to get a better ride than an expy, the gms with air suspension and wagoneer with air suspension are your only choices(havent driven wagoneer without, wife and I prefer expy/nav ride to gms without air suspension). As far as expy goes, the base suspension can be a bit stiff at times, but I don't agree that it's not comfortable. Even at it's worse, it still rides better than the previous gen explorer of any trim and better than most all crossovers I driven at the time of release. For hwy and most road ways, ccd is your best bet. If you don't want the sway and rock ppl complain about, base limited is your friend. I also prefer the base in cities as it cushions hard edged bumps better. I primarily used mine as a hey bomber so If I get another expy, it will have ccd.

dlcorbett, or any other member; is the swaying more or less with the CCD fitted Expys?

 

[dlcorbett]

The difference I can give; ccd is more luxurious but buoyant, base is more stable but also more harsh. from what I can recall, the truck I had would only rock when driving onto uneven surfaces, i.e. leaving a driveway, driving into a parking lot. However, on back roads, it always felt planted and solid.

 

[sjwhiteley]

If you aren’t towing, you obviously don’t need the tow package - however, it will increase the resale value, as and when that time comes. If you aren’t going up north seeing a lot of snow, the 4A does pretty well, depending on tires (I have the OEM Hankook, and they are barely ok, but am looking forward to getting rid of them).

 

[Anerbe]

Went from a ‘16 explorer limited to a ‘19 platinum. All aspects of the expo are more luxurious than the explorer.

Explorer was harsh on bumps / expansion joints, felt like the suspension was for an entry level passenger car. Engine had poor NVH (4cyl turbo), always underpowered when the car got to 40mph+.

Went for the platinum for the massaging seats over the navigator, as the bottom seat cushions on the Lincoln were too long for my shorter wife, giving her nerve pain down the leg.

Platinum is a great middle ground between good road connection and Lincoln luxury. Plat has the upgraded Nirvana leather, which is more matte, and is holding up much better to wear than the limited leather, which got shiny with some wear points after 30k miles.

 

[sctom1]

Thanks, all. I just ditched the lousy Hankooks on my 19 Ltd AWD for Michelin Latitude Tour HP and it is like driving a different car. Wow. A bit softer, but handling and steering noticeably better. Major improvement. Still thinking about the Expy Platinum. Another question, does the HD Tow package make the ride any harsher? The resale is a good point to get it, along with the eLSD.
Wish the Lincoln Aviator was reliable, that would be my 1st choice but reliability stinks, where the Expy is tried and true with a lower depreciation percentage.

 

[Anerbe]

Thanks, all. I just ditched the lousy Hankooks on my 19 Ltd AWD for Michelin Latitude Tour HP and it is like driving a different car. Wow. A bit softer, but handling and steering noticeably better. Major improvement. Still thinking about the Expy Platinum. Another question, does the HD Tow package make the ride any harsher? The resale is a good point to get it, along with the eLSD.
Wish the Lincoln Aviator was reliable, that would be my 1st choice but reliability stinks, where the Expy is tried and true with a lower depreciation percentage.

HD tow doesn’t make any harsher. Spending on what year you find, HD tow comes with the elsd. You get a bit better pep from a stop, and CCD smooths out the ride overall.

I do feel the shimmy from the suspension as some note from the CCD, but it seems to come from specific road conditions that are occasionally. Overall, not a big concern and most Road conditions it’s smoother and more luxurious than non.

 

[Dice Roll]

You want and imo need the 3.73s and the elsd is a boon no matter what. Tow package can be optioned separately now, but I see no reason to do without those upgrades given needs can change, even to the point of selling for a different xyz need in life. Tow pack will be huge on resell.

ccd has a great ride, if not a bit buick like. It took a bit for me to get used to the feel of the body floating off the frame feel. Best way I know to describe it. I find it great now, I do wish the sport setting allowed standard trans shifting and it could be defaulted. That takes the floatiness away, but the trans shifts all stupid for daily use. Fine on interstate since not much shifting.

hankooks are trash, you’ll ditch those soon enough though.

 

[dlcorbett]

Just throwing this out there. Year 22 expys ride on ccd is much improved over the pre 21s. It doesn't float as much, and though it's still very soft and buoyant, doesn't have as much sway. I think it's a bit better than the gms or wagoneer, at least on the highway as it balances isolation and control better than those do. I wasn't able to test an expy without the ccd, but I hear it's even firmer than the base setup in the pre 21s, which were already pushing the "too" firm line. Unfortunately, I forgone my next expy for a cx9. That vehicle rides very nice btw.

 

[maxlim2022]

Unfortunately, I forgone my next expy for a cx9. That vehicle rides very nice btw.

Interesting. We just traded our CX9 for a 2022 Expy with CCD. Indeed, the CX9 is a fine car - both interior fitting and driving fun without the associated price tag of some "luxury" brands of the same size and caliber. I did not drive any 2018 to 2021 prior to purchasing the Expy, just went on reviews and need for a full size vehicle but was not keen on GM or Jeep and got mine at a really good price. That said, the CDD is quite taut in the 22. I am surprised how little body lean it has for its size - both under braking and cornering. You do however feel bumps a little more than in the luxobarges lexus or Infiniti QX 80. From a driver perspective though, I love the taut handling. ALL in all, still a very comfortable drive and ride

 

[dlcorbett]

For the price, the cx9 feels like a euro luxury car how it balances its ride, handling, and quietness. And the build quality is insane, if a bit fragile. Already a door dent and chip in the windshield and not even 3k miles on her. The 22 expy I tested was a kr ranch max and I thought the ride was better than the cx9, with a rele good balance btw body control and compliance, but the build quality and body tightness was far inferior. My 18 expy ltd on base springs rode very close to the cx9, a tad firmer. On its best day, that expy was the smoothest car we've owned, on it's worse day, it was the roughest car, you never knew which you were getting day to day lol. The point you made about the the little imperfections maybe due to the 22in wheels, but that's what I felt about my dads escalade, and all new fs suvs for that matter. The wagoneer maybe the best of the Americans at the little stuff though. Ironically enough, We had an 18 armada, Idk how much different it is from the qx80, it was a floater but I thought I felt too much little things in that truck and way too much sway and bobbing(compared to my 18 expy). I havent driven the lexus(and new sequoia aren't at dealers yet) to compare but I want to.