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Ford Adventure Cars Guide

Select a Model (5 Available)
Ford Explorer

Year: Starting at $29,135 MPG 17-23 The Ford Explorer is a huge seller and a familiar sight on the roads of America. Long a traditional rear-wheel-drive SUV, the Explorer was completely remade for 2011 into a front-wheel-drive/all-wheel-drive crossover. It even comes with the option of a four-cylinder engine. That hasn’t changed its reputation as a go-anywhere utility vehicle, though. Teamed with all-wheel drive on V-6-powered models is Ford’s optional Terrain Management. This system lets you dial in the vehicle’s response to the surfaces on which you’re traveling, using pictograms for grass/gravel/snow, sand, mud/ruts, or normal. There’s also Hill Descent Control, which takes over the braking duties when you go downhill, so you can concentrate on steering. Other helpful features include adaptive cruise control, a blind-spot warning system, and parking assist. The Explorer Sport model gives you both more power and more style, with 350 horsepower from a twin-turbo V-6 engine, a set of twenty-inch wheels, and contrast stitching on the seats. As for fuel economy, you can get 28 mpg on the highway, but only if you forgo all-wheel drive and get the four-cylinder engine. With the V-6 and AWD, you’ll get 23 mpg on the highway, and the Explorer Sport tops out at 22 mpg highway. It’s not the most exciting product on the market, either to drive or to look at—but for those who want to haul stuff, carry up to seven people, and feel more like a rugged adventurer than a boring commuter, the Explorer is a popular choice. …
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Ford Escape

Year: Starting at $22,470 MPG 22-31 The Ford Escape, the top-selling vehicle in the hot small-crossover segment, is a worthy candidate in any year, but for 2013, it offers enticing safety features plus an attractive new design similar to that of other wedgy, small Fords such as the Fiesta and the Focus. It’s not only the appearance that is up to date; the 2013 Escape also has numerous top-flight safety features including roll stability control, integrated blind spot mirrors, side air curtains for the first and second rows, and an optional blind spot information system that displays alerts in the side mirrors if there’s another vehicle in the driver’s blind spot. Ford is most proud of the curve control system, which automatically slows down the Escape if it’s taking corners too quickly—a segment first, the automaker notes. At the other end of the spectrum, there’s torque vectoring control, which helps the driver accelerate smoothly through a turn. Looks like Ford has all the bases covered with this five-passenger crossover. Did we mention 33 mpg on the highway, if you opt for the smallest EcoBoost engine? You would still get 178 horsepower from that 1.6-liter four-cylinder, meaning the penalty you have to suffer for good fuel economy is getting smaller all the time. …
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Ford Expedition

Year: Starting at $40,605 MPG 13-18 Think of it as the Ford F-150 for those who don’t want a truck. The Ford Expedition is the most massive of Ford’s SUVs, able to tow up to 9,200 pounds, seat up to eight, carry up to 130 cubic feet of cargo with second- and third-row seats folded….about the only thing it can’t do is save you cash on fuel. The rear-wheel-drive Expedition gets 20 mpg on the highway, and the four-wheel-drive version tops out at 18 mpg. Its V-8 engine is flex-fuel capable, however. With a relatively smooth ride thanks to an independent rear suspension, you can relax and enjoy the heavy-duty trailer tow package and integrated trailer brake, should you be planning to use the Expedition for the tough jobs it is intended to handle. You’ll have big choices to make when you shop for an Expedition. It comes in rear- and four-wheel-drive versions, with regular and extended lengths, and in top-end Limited and King Ranch models, for a total of ten versions to choose from. Dual headrest-mounted DVD systems, twenty-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels, leather-trimmed heated and cooled seats, metallic running boards, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with wood inserts are among the luxuries found on various models of the Expedition. If you own this, one thing’s for sure—you’re thinking big. …
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Ford F-150

Year: Starting at $23,670 MPG 17-23 While the world frets about fuel economy, while sales of small cars increase exponentially, the Ford F-150 soldiers on, even though its best fuel economy number is 23 mpg on the highway. But fuel economy is not the main reason for the F-Series; utility is. Besides, every F-Series truck in the Ford lineup has a six-speed automatic transmission, a fuel saver. Ten kinds of F-150s are available, from the workaday XL to the edgy SVT Raptor to the ultra-gussied-up Harley-Davidson F-150 edition. The Raptor is a “performance truck” with a massive 411 horsepower and off-roading amenities including beadlock-capable wheels to keep the tires in place and heavy-duty skid plates to protect the chassis during heavy-duty driving. Seating inside the F-150s runs the gamut from basic on the XL to snakeskin-accented black leather on the Harley-Davidson edition. SuperCab and SuperCrew versions can bring the total passenger volume to six, while the standard F-150 seats three. Among the amenities are power telescoping and power folding trailer-tow side-view mirrors and a set of high-intensity discharge headlamps. An interesting touch is that climate and audio controls are “optimized” for use by those who may be encumbered by wearing heavy work gloves. The F-150 continues to sell so well because it continues to offer utility and practicality in a user-friendly package. …
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Ford Flex

Year: Starting at $30,885 MPG 18-25 A redesign for 2013 means the big Flex, while still as flat-topped and slab-sided as before, now has a softer front-end look that brings it more in line with the look of current Fords. The interior has also been redesigned with new instrument clusters. That could help the multipurpose vehicle—more attractive than a minivan, more carlike than an SUV—get some of the sales momentum it has been lacking. Despite its stance as an anti-minivan, the Flex is very family friendly. A new feature for 2013 is a set of inflatable rear seatbelts—belts with airbags inside, an industry first—that can deploy in 40 milliseconds, a boon to those carrying children or older people as passengers. There’s also a choice of second-row buckets or a bench that gives the Flex room for seven. In the excitement department, the Flex’s new V-6 engine makes 287 horsepower and highway mileage of 25 mpg. An optional EcoBoost V-6 turbo makes an invigorating 355 horsepower and gets 23 mpg on the highway. One of the best things about the Flex is how upscale you can make it: the Titanium appearance package has charcoal leather-trimmed seats with perforated gray leather inserts, a wrapped steering wheel with black bezels and a striking set of twenty-inch wheels. But watch out for the rising price as you add on the attractive extras. …
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