2024 Ford Explorer Review

Is the Explorer worth driving? The answer, thankfully, is yes. This is due to its excellent turbo four engine and class-best 10 speed automatic transmission. Two premium rivals offer a little more, but they also cost much more. In short, the 2024 Ford Explorer has the best basic power for the money.

Explorer drivers command 300 horsepower, which is more than the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, Honda Pilot, and Toyota Highlander. It produces 310 lb-ft of torque, beating the Palisade, Pilot, and Telluride by 48 lb-ft.

While this is a smart powertrain to choose, driving enthusiasts may want more. The lineup supplies that with a twin-turbo V6. Explorer ST drivers command 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. You’ll find this engine on the luxurious King Ranch and Platinum trim levels, too. If you want to find out the Explorer price for a certain trim level, you can get solid answers with a quick quote. Rodeo, your Phoenix Ford dealer., is known for No Bull pricing.

Even when it’s just the basics, the driver cockpit has extensive infotainment capability with a small driver display and an 8-inch touchscreen. A power chair adds to the comfort level.

A step up, the 10.1-inch touchscreen is one of the most advanced on the market. This vertically placed display is backed by advanced voice recognition. A 6.5-inch driver display is a good partner, providing a bigger surface area for easier use.

Luxury trims have a full size 12.3-inch digital display behind the steering wheel. Plus, you can get a power-adjustable steering column to help you get comfortable. Power-heated seats are nice, but the power-ventilated function is especially welcome during hot Phoenix summers.

The Ford Explorer is packed with amenities that growing families will appreciate. The front row can be heated and ventilated. The second row can be heated for winter and assisted by sunshades during warm weather. Tri-zone climate controls spread the air conditioning all the way to the back row.

On some trims, ActiveX upholstery offers a leather-look with accents in red, silver or blue. In higher trims, leather upholstery is crafted for a distinct look. For instance, the King Ranch trim wears its special Del Rio leather style.

Adding some fun, there’s ambient lighting. This can be set up to reflect favorite color schemes. Children appreciate the gentle glow at night. Opening up the cabin, there’s a twin-panel glass roof. It offers entertainment as well as natural light.

People often point to a rivalry between the Toyota Highlander and Ford Explorer. The fact is the Ford 3 row SUV is much bigger inside. With 152.7 cubic feet of passenger space, the Explorer has almost 11 cubic feet of extra space. That’s a lot of extra wiggle room for busy kids and teens.

Compared to the Telluride or Palisade, it is short by about 3 cubes. However, the Kia and Hyundai 3 row SUVs cram 8 people into that space. Again, the Explorer has the edge.

The basic seating arrangement is for 7, although many people opt for the center captain’s chairs. This 6-seat arrangement allows for the second row seats to slide forward, adding more legroom for the third row.

Already the Explorer legroom is greater than the Telluride or Palisade. It is about 4 inches more than in the Highlander.

Many rides today claim utility, but don’t really cover all the important benchmarks. The Explorer is not only big, but tough. The tow rating is 5,300 or 5,600 pounds, surpassing most rivals.

Ready to meet the adventure benchmark, Explorers have standard terrain management, even on the rear wheel drive models. Four-wheel drive models gain more terrain modes. Explorer Timberline models are decked out in skid plates and equipped with advanced gear to handle off-roading.

As for cargo, the Explorer offers a power liftgate and power-folding third row seats. With both rows down, it has 87.8 cubic feet. Behind the middle row, it has 47.9 cubic feet. If every seat is filled, it still has 18.2 cubic feet of cargo space.

How adventurous is your current ride? You can get a good value using our trade-in-tool.

To be the best SUV for family use, safety must be top notch. In this case, the Explorer starts out strong with all of its safety gear tested and proven in independent crash tests. It has good scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Plus it offers an extensive set of crash prevention technologies.

• 5-Star NHTSA Rating

• IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus

• Ford CoPilot 360

Adaptive cruise control handles highway slow-and-go traffic. Meanwhile, CoPilot 360 works to keep the Explorer out of crash scenarios. These systems should give the family driver less stress.

There are cameras and sensors that watch for forward collision dangers, lane departures, blind spot threats, speed limit changes, and more. In addition, Ford includes an emergency autobrake that responds to forward collision dangers. There’s an available SOS button with automatic crash notification.

For parking, there are front and rear sensors with automatic braking responses. Plus you can get a 360-degree camera system or a complete automatic parking system.

Now that you know more, you need to see all of this cutting-edge technology in action. You are invited to schedule a test drive at Rodeo, your Phoenix Ford dealer.