Convince Me...

[zimmer0]

Current 2013 F150 owner but itching for something different. Not 100% with sticking with a pickup which led me down the road of something performance oriented. I've been researching the ST for quite some time and definitely am intrigued. The performance and drivability of it is not a concern, more of a functionality/space concern.

Here's my concern - i have 3 kids (currently 6mo, 3, & 5). They easily fit in my F150 for the minimal amount i have all 3 at one time - we have a Kia Carnival for road trips.
Anyone with 3 car seats that can expand on the ease/difficulty of getting into the 3rd row and if you would consider an ST again or stick with a full-size vehicle.

Another thing is interior comfort. Going from a full-size pickup to a midsize SUV could be a deal breaker when it comes to seating position. The ST is similar dimensionally as our Kia and long road trips definitely take a toll on the hips when I'm unable to adjust the seat as far back as needed. I'm 6'1", so not overly tall but have felt cramped in other mid-size SUV's before.

Looking forward to your comments and hope to be an ST owner soon.

 

[Polizi212]

While I no longer have little children to tote around, I do have 2 pretty big young men. As a 6'6" person myself I find the Explorer St to have good seats and I have had no issues with my comfort on long trips, my seat goes back as far as I need it and the adjustability has been more that enough for me. As a plus my 2 front seats have the Massage feature so that's a nice little item to add to the ride. My two boys are both over 6 feet tall and neither have complained about room in the back. I can sit in the 2nd row with plenty of leg room. (far more than any airline will give you). As for the 3rd row, well I have had no reason to climb back there. but I would say a 5 year old should be able to easily navigate their way back there.

 

[2020FordRaptor]

Current 2013 F150 owner but itching for something different. Not 100% with sticking with a pickup which led me down the road of something performance oriented. I've been researching the ST for quite some time and definitely am intrigued. The performance and drivability of it is not a concern, more of a functionality/space concern.

Here's my concern - i have 3 kids (currently 6mo, 3, & 5). They easily fit in my F150 for the minimal amount i have all 3 at one time - we have a Kia Carnival for road trips.
Anyone with 3 car seats that can expand on the ease/difficulty of getting into the 3rd row and if you would consider an ST again or stick with a full-size vehicle.

Another thing is interior comfort. Going from a full-size pickup to a midsize SUV could be a deal breaker when it comes to seating position. The ST is similar dimensionally as our Kia and long road trips definitely take a toll on the hips when I'm unable to adjust the seat as far back as needed. I'm 6'1", so not overly tall but have felt cramped in other mid-size SUV's before.

Looking forward to your comments and hope to be an ST owner soon.

First off, welcome to the forum. Now, as far as space, here's my take on it. First row space for the adults are really great. Front comfort is really good, and can be really comfortable for any person of height. Second-row is also similarly spacious. The 3rd-row is when it gets a little tight. For children, it's perfectly fine, but for adults, it's not very easy to get in-and-out. Not horrible, but definitely not easy. Once in the 3rd row, head-room is actually okay even in spite of the sloping roof-line, but because it is a mid-size 3-row SUV, the legroom is tight for taller people. Not necessarily the cars fault, just something to keep in mind.

 

[MikeyP]

I'm 6'0" and am extremely comfortable in the Explorer. I've also had it on some 5-hour road trips and had no comfort issues. The seats in my wife's Volvo XC90 are more comfortable, but these Explorer chairs are pretty good. As a 37-year-old geezer, my back will tell me if a car seat is bad within 30 minutes, and I've had no complaints in the Explorer. My 2023 Raptor is technically bigger inside so it seems more spacious/comfortable at first glance, but there's no issue with either. The Explorer is on the bigger end of mid-size SUVs, so you should be ok.

I can't weigh in on 3 car seats, as I have only 2, 3yo and 6yo. The 6 yo just sits with no booster or chair (he has since he turned 5) and my 3yo sits on a booster with an attached back. Mine has the 2nd row captain's chairs so people could make their way to the 3rd row when both were in car seats. 2nd row space is great so space for the seats is fine. 3rd row is small, like everything south of an Expedition Max or Suburban. But I've had 5'5" adults back there for long road trips with no complaints.

 

[BrooseDaMoose]

I had my two nephews in the 3rd row ( 5' 11" and 5' 9") for a day of traveling around Cape Cod and they were fine. The one 5' 11" nephew even said it was more comfortable than the back of his mom's Tahoe.

 

[cheetoduster]

I'm 6'6" and 350ish lbs, I fit OK in my explorer. One thing I wish was that the steering wheel extended further out so it was closer to me, maybe like another couple inches.

 

[PGas32]

As long as your 5 year old can buckle himself in, you'll be OK. I would put him in the 3rd row, infant on the passenger side second row, and 3 YO on the driver's side second row. The only time it'll get tight is when the smaller two are in the car and the older one needs to get out. I sit with my seat all the way back so there's not much room between the back of my seat and the 3 year old's feet, and no one is squeezing out on the passenger side with a rear-facing car seat there.

FWIW, we have 8, 6, 3, and a newborn and we're swapping the ST for a Yukon XL.