Two weeks ago, while I was sitting in the line of traffic waiting for the red light to change, I was rear-ended. A total of four vehicles were involved; our van became one of the ‘fillings in the sandwich.'
I felt quite a thump, and the seatbelt and head restraint both did their jobs. No airbags were deployed. My sunglasses landed on the floor, and my iPhone was whipped out of my shirt pocket. However, to the best of my knowledge, no one was hurt.
The police responded quickly and efficiently: three officers took charge to guide us out of the traffic into a parking lot, interview us and carry out the paperwork.
About an hour later, when I drove to the collision shop, I was informed that because of a gap between the hatch door and the body of the van, it was now undriveable because of the risk of carbon monoxide. They arranged for a rental vehicle, but I needed one larger than a sedan so the rental folks delivered the Ford Explorer the next day.
This large SUV had all the ‘bells and whistles.’ Now, while I never claim to be on the cusp of automotive technology (although, Dear Reader, I have been a loyal subscriber to “Consumer Reports” for close to 40 years!), many of these ‘goodies’ took me by surprise.
First, after a short demo with the rental guy, my training had to allow me to drive home.
He had shown a rear camera that was activated when I shifted into reverse gear, a warning light on right or left mirrors and beeper to indicate that a vehicle entered my ‘blind spot,’ and even ‘Sirius’ satellite radio was available.
To start the vehicle, you don't use the key; you keep a plastic remote in your pocket, which unlocks the doors when you touch the handle, and push the ‘Start’ button while applying the brake!
I remember about 60 years ago, when my uncle would start his pickup truck by pushing a button (only after generous pulls on the choke).
It drove beautifully, and fit into the garage, with about a foot to spare.
The big test would come, of course, when I tried to park this large vehicle. I did manage to ‘squeeze it in’ a regular parking spot, so I guess it was okay.
Later that evening, we went for a drive, and while we were in the parking lot as got darker, I asked myself: "How do I turn on the lights?” When I started the engine, the lights came on … automatically.
The next day, it began to rain while we were out for a ride, and the wipers came on … also, automatically. Had to use the manual switch to turn on the rear wipers, though.
There were a few other delightful surprises: as you may remember, I use a walker for balance and mobility, so I had to fold in and stow the walker in the trunk, learning to use the remote to lift and close the hatch door. The fuel consumption rate was only slightly higher than with the CR-V.
My wife had declined to drive it, because she was not able to see over the bonnet, even with a raised driver seat.
There was so much to learn, Dear Reader, that I decided early on to keep the owner's manual in my backpack, so I could refer to it each evening while I sat at home!
After about ten days, we both decided that it was to big a vehicle for us, and were looking forward to getting our CR-V back.
So, congratulations to Ford for making such a beautiful SUV, BUT I really can't believe that there are two series of Ford SUVs that are EVEN LARGER than the ‘Explorer!’
That reminds me of the song from the 1960s about a guy towing a trailer who arrives in a small town:
Give me 40 acres /
And I'll turn this rig around!
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