Ford Explorer Sport Hits Web, Starts At $40,720

When Ford announced that the first EcoBoost engine going into the new Explorer would be the 2.0 liter 4-banger, we were…disappointed. After all, we had visions of Ford’s much-beefier 3.5 liter EcoBoost powering the mommy-mobile, pushing it from mild to wild with a blip of the throttle. So we were excited when Ford announced the Explorer Sport model with the aforementioned 3.5 liter EcoBoost, which gives some real performance to this hefty SUV.

And now the Explorer Sport configurator has hit Ford’s website. Pricing starts at $40,720 before an $825 destination charge, which bumps the cost to $41,545. It isn’t cheap…but it comes with plenty of perks to recommend it.

Starting with the 3.5 liter EcoBoost, which in the Explorer Sport delivers at least 350 horsepower and a similar amount of torque. That’s a big bump from the stock V6, though it isn’t quite in the same league as say Jeep’s Grand Cherokee SRT-8. But with a sport-tuned suspension, leather seats, and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, the Explorer Sport certainly lives up to its name.

While the starting price is steep, Ford lets you raise the bar with options like a push-button start and voice activated navigation that adds over $4,100 to the MSRP. Adaptive cruise control adds another $1,150, a dual-moonroof with in-seat DVD players adds another $1,600 , and you’re already over the $50,000 mark. That’s a lot of money, and there are more powerful SUV options out there. Does the Ford Explorer Sport with EcoBoost have what it takes, or does it need a bit of a bump in power?