2016 Ford Explorer Sport for Sale in Orlando — $12,900 | Next Gear

The Explorer Sport isn't the family Explorer. It's the one Ford built when they decided to put a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 producing 365 horsepower into a three-row SUV and call it a family vehicle. Same price as the Limited. Completely different machine.

Two Explorers, Two Different Answers

We have both Explorer trims on the lot at $12,900. This 2016 Sport and a 2017 Limited. If you're reading this, you need to know which one is your car. The Limited is the luxury daily driver — leather, heated second-row seats, panoramic features, premium comfort. The Sport is the performance version. The distinction starts with the engine and runs through every system in the vehicle.

The EcoBoost 3.5L Twin-Turbo: What It Actually Is

The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 in the Explorer Sport is not a detuned version of the standard 3.5-liter Cyclone. It's an entirely different engine architecture — twin turbocharged, direct injection, 365 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. Ford put this engine in the F-150 EcoBoost and in the Taurus SHO. In those applications, people noticed. In an Explorer, it's an unexpected piece of engineering.

The EcoBoost V6 paired to the 6-speed SelectShift produces a pull that the naturally aspirated 3.5 simply does not have. 0-60 comes in just over 6 seconds for an SUV that seats seven and weighs over 4,500 pounds. The torque curve is flat from low RPM — meaning no waiting for the engine to build revs before you feel the power.

Towing capacity: 5,000 lbs on the Sport — and it gets there with more reserve than the naturally aspirated V6.

Sport-Specific Engineering

Ford didn't just drop a bigger engine into the Sport and call it done. The Sport trim gets unique suspension tuning — stiffer spring rates and a stiffer stabilizer bar than the standard Explorer. A Sport-specific steering rack — quicker ratio, more direct response. A front strut tower brace. Carbon fiber interior trim inserts. Perforated leather seats with red accent stitching. Dual exhaust tips with the corresponding exhaust note. A 12-speaker Sony audio system.

AWD is standard on the Sport — it's not available in FWD. This is the only configuration. The AWD system works in conjunction with Ford's Terrain Management System, with selectable modes for Normal, Snow, Sand, and Mud.

The Right Buyer for This Explorer

2016, 131,807 miles, $12,900. If you're a buyer who wants an SUV that can carry the family and still move when you need to — someone who values the driving experience, not just the cargo space — the Sport is the Explorer you want. At this price, there is no twin-turbo three-row SUV that competes with it.

Looking for the luxury daily driver instead? See the 2017 Explorer Limited at the same price — heated second-row seats, panoramic sunroof, all the comfort features, quieter engine personality.

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Want to hear the EcoBoost on a test drive? Send a message and I'll get you in. It's the kind of car that sells itself once you're behind the wheel.

Browse our full inventory or apply for financing. We work with all credit types — OAC.

Price listed is + tax, tag, title, and dealer fee per Florida F.S. 501.976. Estimated payments based on approved credit.

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About the author: Eduardo Nabut is the owner of Next Gear Remarketing, a licensed Florida independent dealer based in Orlando. With over 10 years in the local market, he specializes in finding clean used inventory at honest prices for Orlando families and buyers across Central Florida. Next Gear Remarketing is located at 5130 Old Winter Garden Rd, Orlando FL 32811. Call or text: (407) 434-1330.