• News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
  • News
  • Guides
  • Reviews
  • Media
  • About
Sign up Now (For Free)

Sign up for our newsletter and receive the latest automotive news in your inbox!

Invalid email address
We promise not to spam you. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thanks for subscribing!
News
Read Now
  • All News
  • Automakers
  • Automobiles
  • Auto Shows
  • Business
  • EVs & Environment
  • Guides
  • Lawsuits/Legal
  • Regulatory
  • Ride-Sharing
  • Safety & Recalls
  • Technology
Recent
  • Biden Admin. Makes EV Credits Available to More Buyers
  • Week Ahead: Chicago … that Toddling Town
  • The Rearview Mirror: Tailfins Take Flight
  • TikTok Reveals the Hottest EVs in the Industry
  • Millions of Older Hyundai, Kia Owners May Face Trouble Getting Car Insurance
  • Bugatti Chiron Profilée Sets New Auction Sales Record
  • Another Delay for VinFast Customers
  • Ford Making Return to Formula One for 2026 Season
  • Ford CEO Farley “Frustrated” by $2 Billion Loss for 2022
  • Hyundai Ioniq 6 Achieves EPA-Estimated 361-Mile Range
Editor’s Choice
    Reviews
    Read Now
    • All Reviews
      • Feeder
    • Classic Cars
    • Concept Cars
    • Convertibles
    • Coupes
    • Crossovers/CUVs
    • Diesel
    • Hot hatches
    • Hybrids
    • Luxury Vehicles
    • Minivans
    • Muscle Cars
    • Pickups
    • Sedans
    • Sports Cars
    • Super Cars
    • SUVs
    Recent Reviews
    • A Week With: 2023 Lexus GX 460 Black Line
    • A Week With: 2023 BMW X1 xDrive28i
    • A Week With: 2023 Kia Niro EV
    • A Week With: 2023 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy
    • A Week With: 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R 4x4 Super Crew
    • A Week With: 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 AWD
    • A Week With: 2023 Land Rover Defender 110 V-8
    • First Drive: 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport
    • A Week With: 2023 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe
    • A Week With: 2023 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate
    Editor’s Choice
      Guides
      Car Warranty
      • Endurance Warranty Reviews
      • BMW Extended Warranty
      • Extended Warranty For Cars Over 100k Miles
      • Extended Car Warranty Cost
      • Subaru Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Reviews
      • CarShield Cost
      • Aftermarket Car Warranty
      • CARCHEX Warranty Reviews
      • Reputable Extended Car Warranty Companies
      • Used Car Warranty Companies
      • Best Car Warranty
      • Is CarShield A Scam?
      • Mercedes Extended Warranty
      • CarShield Plans
      Insurance
      • How To Identify A Car Insurance Company
      • Geico Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • How Far Back Does A Car Insurance Company Look
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance For Used Cars
      • State Farm Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
      • Mechanical Breakdown Insurance From Progressive
      • Dollar A Day Insurance
      • Auto Insurance For SSI Recipients
      • Car Insurance Rates After A Suspended License
      • Auto Insurance For Salvage Vehicles
      • Average Cost of Dodge Ram 1500 Car Insurance
      • Car Insurance Florida
      • Full Coverage Auto Insurance
      • GrubHub Insurance
      • Amazon Delivery Auto Insurance
      Shipping
      • Car Shipping Companies
      • uShip Reviews
      • Auto Shipping From California To Hawaii
      • Montway Auto Transport Reviews
      • Cheap Car Shipping
      • Easy Auto Ship Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Miami
      • Auto Shipping To Alaska
      • Car Shipping Cost
      • Auto Shipping Hawaii
      • Auto Shipping Puerto Rico
      • Sherpa Auto Transport Reviews
      • Auto Shipping Atlanta
      • Auto Shipping Boston
      • Auto Shipping. Chicago
      About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Terms of Use
      • Privacy Policy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
      • Sitemap
      TheDetroitBureau.com

      More than just “another” place to find news, reviews, spy shots, commentary, features, and guides about the auto industry. TheDetroitBureau doesn’t stop with the press releases or confuse a few lines of opinion with insightful, in-depth reporting.

      Contact Us

      Like what you see? Have some ideas for making The Detroit Bureau.com even better? Let us know, we’d love to hear your voice.

        Media
        Listen Now
        • Headlight News: All Episodes
        More from TheDetroitBureau
        • Guides
        • Latest News
        • Auto Reviews
        • Podcasts
        Headlight News

        TheDetroitBureau.com’s Headlight News offers a look at the past week’s top automotive news stories, as well as what’s coming up in the week ahead. Check out the week’s top story and our latest review…along with a dive into the past with this week in automotive history.

        home > news > Automakers > First Drive: 2020 Ford Explorer ST

        First Drive: 2020 Ford Explorer ST

        The next high-performance ute from Detroit.

        Joseph Szczesny
        Joseph Szczesny , Executive Editor
        June 20, 2019
        The 2020 Ford Explorer ST is the latest offering in the company's SUV line-up from the Special Technology team.

        With the prospect of declining sales on the horizon, carmakers are eager to find ways to distinguish their vehicles from the competition and to find a way to target potential buyers with specific tastes and wants.

        The 2020 Ford Explorer ST is an effort to do both. With the exception of specific exterior design cues such as the distinctive grille, quad-tip exhaust and 21-inch wheels, it has the bold lines, longer wheel base and silhouette of the 2020 Explorer that Ford is beginning to roll into dealerships now. It also has the extra inch of ground clearance.

        Reviews You Can Trust!

        The new Ford Explorer ST also comes with smart technology, a confident stance and an interior that’s marked with the craftsmanship that has helped Ford elevate its stance in the closely watched Initial Quality Survey from J.D. Power.

        But Ford engineers also added something extra to Explorer ST in form of a 3.0-liter, twin-turbo EcoBoost engine. It’s same engine that’s standard in the top-of-the line Platinum version of the Explorer but it has been tweaked by Ford’s Special Technology team to yield more power and more punch.

        (Ford investing $1B, adding 500 jobs to expand SUV production. Click Here for the story.)

        Behind the grille of the 2020 Explorer ST is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 putting out 400 horsepower.

        The numbers show the difference the power train in the Platinum version of the Explorer with its 10-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive, produce 365 horsepower and 380-foot pounds of torque. The new 3.0-liter Eco Boost powertrain in the Explorer ST, one the hand, produces 400 horsepower and 415 foot-pounds of torque.

        Moreover, the power is delivered effortlessly as the 10-speed transmission never seems to miss a beat even on hilly terrain or winding roads. In addition, there is a selector switch that allows the driver to choose the operating mode. The selections include an off-road mode but on pavement the sport mode seems to suit the vehicles characteristics.

        I found the Explorer ST’s driving dynamics quite impressive.

        On the winding road on the north bank of the Columbia River, felt nicely planted but quite capable of handling the undulating terrain and delivering confident ride on some times uneven pavement. The solid suspension and quick, but not too quick, steering response made the Explorer ST a lot of fun to drive through the stunning landscape of the Columbia River Gorge dividing Washington and Oregon.

        The Explorer has become a vehicle of choice for police departments around the U.S. and Ford engineers also have borrowed some of the things they’ve learned building police cars and applied them to the Explorer ST. The four-wheel disc brakes on the Explorer ST are the same as those used on the Explorers Ford equips as patrol cars and thus offer extra stopping power.

        On the Explorer ST, the brake calipers are painted red and have larger vented rotors.

        The Explorer ST gets an aggressive new look, including bright red brake calipers under black wheels.

        The interior of the Explorer ST, while not quite as luxurious as the more expensive Platinum Explorer, does have a comfortable interior with easy-to-reach controls and storage, including a center console. Naturally, even though has sportier driving dynamics, the space for passengers and cargo hasn’t been compromised in any way.

        (Click Here for our first drive in the 2020 Ford Explorer.)

        The Explorer ST, like other Explorers Ford is introducing this summer, also comes equipped with the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of driver assistance features, including automatic emergency braking with Pedestrian Detection, Blind Spot Information System, Lane-Keeping System, automatic high-beam for the LED headlamps and reverse backup camera, are standard, starting with the base model. Rain-sensing wind-shield wipers are also available.

        In addition, it also comes with a list of extra features including enhanced active park assist, which is easier to use, heated and cooled seats, folding mirrors, memory driver’s seat, mirrors and pedals and wireless charging, a 110-volt inverter outlet as well as special touches such as enhanced engine sound and a special steering wheel.

        A cargo management system and Ford Performance scuff plates also included in the ST.

        The changes to the Explorer ST and the addition of new features as standard equipment have raised by the price by more than $8,000, according to Ford. The MSRP for the 2020 Ford Explorer is $54,740 plus a $1,095, which means Ford is now competing for a select group of buyers, looking to buy a sportier vehicle right out of the showroom.

        But this audience could be growing a bit.

        Sport-utility vehicles, in general, have never been noted for their drivability. Sedans and coupes still have them beat in the ride-and-handling department. But the higher seating position, something pioneered by Ford with the original Explorer, is a joy those vehicles cannot match.

        (Ford unveiled its new Explorer Police Interceptor model. Click Here for the story.)

        The improvements and refinements to the Explorer ST show that some SUV’s are beginning to erase the performance edge enjoyed by sportier cars.

        How to Care for Your Car

        Cheap Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice

        Best Extended Car Warranty

        Editor's Choice
        Recently Published
        Biden drives Cadillac Lyriq at NAIAS 2022

        Biden Admin. Makes EV Credits Available to More Buyers

        Today
        ChevyCamaroZL1Welburn01.jpg

        Week Ahead: Chicago … that Toddling Town

        Today

        The Rearview Mirror: Tailfins Take Flight

        Feb. 04, 2023

        One response to “First Drive: 2020 Ford Explorer ST”

        1. JAE says:
          June 26, 2019 at 2:10 pm

          Ranger ST?!

          Reply

        Leave a Reply Cancel reply

        Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

        Share this article:
        © The Detroit Bureau 2023
        • Guides
        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms of Use
        • Affiliate Disclosure
        • Contact Us
        • Sitemap
        Follow Us: