Ford Explorer Versus the Competition

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2023 Ford Explorer versus the Competition

The New 2023 Explorer

With an instantly recognizable athletic stance, impressive towing capability and room for up to seven passengers, the 2023 Ford Explorer® SUV is designed to give you and your family the freedom to live life on your terms. The 2023 Ford Explorer® SUV helps you and yours live life to the fullest. Adapting to your needs, keeping you connected and providing the capability to experience the world on your own terms. 2023 Ford Explorer® models offer seating for up to six passengers when equipped with available second-row captain’s chairs and seating for up to seven when equipped with the second-row bench seat. Combined with 87.8 cu. ft. of cargo capacity behind the first row with the rear seats folded flat, 47.9 cu. ft. behind the second row with the third row folded and 18.2 cu. ft. behind the third-row seats, you can take everything from tents and coolers to sports equipment — along with everyone — on trips near or far. Available PowerFold® third-row seats make it easy to accommodate passengers and quickly fold down for more cargo room with the push of a button. Let the outdoors in with the twin-panel moonroof does more than just let light in. It offers an expansive view of the sky and lets you feel the warmth of the sun. Wherever you take your Ford Explorer® SUV, you’ll be backed by Ford Co-Pilot360™ Technology — advanced and purposeful tech to help keep you in command. Auto High-Beam Headlamps can sense poor lighting conditions and switch on to light your path ahead and automatically dim when they sense oncoming headlights. So, you can keep your focus — and both hands on the wheel. Set the mood with seven colors of available ambient lighting for the first and second rows. This lighting system adds to the immersive experience that comes with the available B&O® Sound System by Bang & Olufsen® with 12 speakers, include a subwoofer. The 2023 Ford Explorer® SUV lineup is powered by three unique and highly capable engines. No matter which one you choose, you’ll get impressive capability and towing to take on all that comes your way as you live life to the fullest. The 10-speed automatic transmission makes shifting gears a smoother, more efficient process, while helping to provide a wide power band for your performance and towing needs. Standard on all 2023 Explorer® models, side-wind stabilization is designed to help the driver keep the vehicle on its path when encountering high or gusty winds. The standard Terrain Management System, on 2WD and Intelligent 4WD Explorer® models, can help tackle any adventure. Up to seven Selectable Drive Modes include Normal, Trail, Deep Snow/Sand, Slippery, Sport, Tow/Haul and Eco Mode. T he 2023 Ford Explorer® SUV can tow up to 5,600 lbs.,* when equipped with the Class IV Trailer Tow Package. So, you can confidently take a boat, trailer or camper along on any trip. It has an available 360-Degree Camera with Split-View Display for a continuous view of everything around you — perfect for tight spaces and hooking up trailers.

Compare Ford Explorer to the Competition

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Make/Model	Ford Explorer	Chevrolet Traverse	GMC Acadia	Jeep Grand Cherokee-L	Volkswagen Atlas
Photo
Trims	Base, XLT, ST-Line, Timberline, Limited, ST, King Ranch®, Platinum	LS, LT, RS, Premier, High Country	SLE, SLT, AT4, Denali	Laredo, Altitude, Limited, Overland, Summit, Summit Reserve	SE, SE+SEL, SEL R-Line Black, SEL Premium R-Line
Color Options	9	8	9	15	8
Engine	3.0L EcoBoost® V6 Engine	3.6L V6	3.6L V6	3.6L Pentastar® V6	3.6L V6
Horsepower	400 HP	310 HP	310 HP	293 HP	276 HP
Torque	415 lb-ft	166 lb-ft	271 lI-ft	260 lb-ft	266 lb-ft
Transmission	10-Speed Automatic	9-Speed Automatic	9-Speed Automatic	8-Speed Automatic 850RE	8-speed Auto w/ Tiptronic
DriveTrain	FWD, HTRAC AWD (available)	FWD, AWD Avail.	FWD, AWD Avail.	Quadra-Drive® II Active 4x4 Avail.	FWD, AWD Avail.
Fuel Economy (Hwy/City/Comb.)	20 / 28 / 27	18/27/20	19/26/21	19/26/22	18/23/20
Fuel Tank Capacity	18.8 gal.	19.3 gal.	21.7 gal.	23 gal.	18.6 gal.
Towing Capacity	5,600 lbs. max*	5,000 lbs.max*	4,000 lbs max*	7,200 lbs. max*	5,000 lbs. max*
Cargo Capacity (all down, third row, all seats up)	87.8/47.9/18.2 cu.ft.	98.2/57.8/23 cu.ft.	79/41.7/12.8 cu.ft.	84.6/46.9/17.2 cu.ft.	96.8/55.5/20.6 cu.ft.
Interior Passenger Volume	152.7 cu.ft.	157.1 cu.ft.	143.8 cu.ft.	152 cu.ft.	154 cu.ft.
Seating	7	7 or 8	6 or 7	6 or 7	6 or 7
Wheelbase	119.1 in.	113.8 in.	112.50 in.	121.7in.	117.3 in.
Ground Clearance	7.9 in.	7.5 in.	7.2in.	10.9 in.	7.5in.
Infotainment	10.1-inch LCD Capacitive Portrait Touchscreen	8" diagonal Chevrolet Infotainment 3 System	8" diagonal GMC Infotainment System	Uconnect® 5 system with 10.1-inch touchscreen	8" Touchscreen
Sound System	B&O® Sound System by Bang & Olufsen®, 14 Speakers Including Subwoofer	Bose premium 10-speaker sound system	Bose premium 8-speaker sound system	19-Speaker Premium McIntosh® Audio System	12-speaker Fender Premium Audio System
Base Price	$36,760*	$35,915*	$38,195*	$43,530*	$35,150*

Make/Model	Ford Explorer	Hyundai Palisade	Kia Telluride	Nissan Pathfinder	Toyota Highlander	Subaru Ascent
Photo
Trims	Base, XLT, ST-Line, Timberline, Limited, ST, King Ranch®, Platinum	SE, SEL, XRT, Limited, Calligraphy	Work Truck, Custom, Custom Trail Boss, LT, RST, LT Trail Boss, LTZ, ZR2, High Country	S, SV, SL, Rock Creek, Platinum	Pro, LE, Elevation, SLT, AT4, Denali, AT4X, Denali Ultimate	Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Limited, Touring
Color Options	9	7	9	16	9	12
Engine	3.0L EcoBoost® V6	3.8L V6 GDI	3.8L V6 GDI	3.5-liter DOHC DIG V6	2.4L 4-cylinder turbo	2.4-liter DOHC turbocharged BOXER I-4
Horsepower	400 HP	291 HP	291 HP	284 HP	265 HP	260 HP
Torque	415 lb-ft	262 lb-ft	262 lb-ft	259 lb-ft	310 lb-ft	277 lb-ft
Transmission	10-Speed Automatic	8-speed automatic w/ SHIFTRONIC®	8-Speed Automatic	9-Speed Auto w/ CVTCS	Direct Shift-8AT 8-speed ECT	Lineartronic® CVT
DriveTrain	FWD, HTRAC AWD (available)	FWD, HTRAC AWD (available)	Active On-Demand AWD	FWD, 4WD (available)	FWD, AWD (available)	Symmetrical AWD
Fuel Economy (Hwy/City/Comb.)	20 / 28 / 27	19 / 27 / 22	20/26/23	20/27/23	22/29/25	20/26/22
Fuel Tank Capacity	17.9 gal.	18.8 gal.	18.8 gal.	18.5 gal.	17.9 gal.	19.3 gal.
Towing Capacity	5,600 lbs. max*	5,600 lbs. max*	5,600 lbs. max*	6,000 lbs. max*	5,000 lbs.*	2,000 lbs. max
Cargo Capacity (all seats up/ third row down/ all rear seats down)	87.8/47.9/18.2 cu.ft.	86.4/45.8/18 cu.ft.	87/46/21 cu.ft.	80.5/45/16.6 cu.ft.	84.3/48.4/16.0 cu.ft.	75.6/43.5 cu.ft.
Interior Passenger Volume	152.7 cu.ft.	155.3 cu.ft.	178.1 cu.ft,	139.5 cu.ft.	141.8 cu.ft	153.2 cu.ft.
Seating	7	7 or 8	7 or 8	7 or 8	7 or 8	7 or 8
Wheelbase	119.1 in.	114.2 in.	114.2 in.	114.2 in.	112.2 in.	113.8 inches
Ground Clearance	7.9 in.	8 in.	8 in.	7.1in.	8 in.	8.7 in.
Infotainment	10.1-inch LCD Capacitive Portrait Touchscreen	12.3-in Touchscreen	12.3-in Panoramic Touchscreen	NissanConnect® 9-in color touchscreen	12.3-in. Toyota Audio Multimedia Touchscreen	SUBARU STARLINK® 11.6-in Multimedia Plus
Sound System	B&O® Sound System by Bang & Olufsen®, 14 Speakers Including Subwoofer	Available Harman Kardon® premium audio with 12 speakers and QuantumLogic® Surround with Clari-Fi™ Music Restoration Technology	Available Harman Kardon® premium audio with 12 speakers and QuantumLogic® Surround with Clari-Fi™ Music Restoration Technology	Bose Premium Audio System With 13 speakers and Acoustic Waveguide Technology	11-Speaker JBL® * Premium Audio including subwoofer and amplifier	Available Harman Kardon® premium audio system
Base Price	$36,760*	$35,900*	$35,890*	$35,200*	$36,420*	$33,895*

Direct 1-to-1 Comparisons

Ford Explorer vs. Chevrolet Traverse

For performance, except for the base engine, all of the engines for the 2023 Ford Explorer have a higher horsepower output than the one for the 2023 Chevrolet Traverse.
The fully gas-powered Explorer has an estimated gas mileage of up to 24 combined mpg, while the Explorer Hybrid has a fuel economy of up to 27 combined mpg. In comparison, the Traverse has an estimated gas mileage of up to 21 combined mpg.
2023 Explorer has a maximum towing capacity of 5,600 pounds, compared to 5,000 pounds for the Traverse.
Unlike the Traverse, the Explorer has an off-road-focused model with the Timberline trim. Explorer offers a more advanced four-wheel drive system for effectively driving over challenging terrain when comparing to the All-Wheel Drive system of the Traverse.
Ford Explorer has higher ground clearance than the Chevy Traverse.
Advantage for safety goes to Ford Explorer that earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, which is the highest possible IIHS rating. However, the Traverse didn’t receive a safety award from IIHS.
Both the Explorer and the Traverse have a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty.

Ford F-150 vs. GMC Acadia

Ford Explorer versus Jeep Grand Cherokee

Ford Explorer vs. Jeep Grand Cherokee

Ford Explorer vs. Volkswagen Atlas

Ford Explorer vs. Hyundai Palisade

Ford Explorer vs. Kia Telluride

Ford Explorer vs. Nissan Pathfinder

Ford Explorer vs. Toyota Highlander

Ford Explorer vs. Subaru Ascent

*Some features are available on select models. See Dealer for Details.
*Prices and colors may vary by model. Not all Color Options are available on all vehicles.
*EPA ratings may vary by model and engine selection. Any MPG listed is based on model year EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary, depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions, battery pack age/condition (hybrid only) and other factors.
*MSRP excludes destination, taxes, title and registration fees. Starting at price refers to the base model, optional equipment not included. A more expensive model may be shown. Pricing and offers may change at any time without notification. To get full pricing details, see your dealer.

Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained on this site, absolute accuracy cannot be guaranteed. This site, and all information and materials appearing on it, are presented to the user "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. All vehicles are subject to prior sale. Price does not include applicable tax, title, and license charges. ‡Vehicles shown at different locations are not currently in our inventory (Not in Stock) but can be made available to you at our location within a reasonable date from the time of your request, not to exceed one week. MSRP may not represent the actual price at which vehicles are sold in this trade area.

Although every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained on this site, absolute accuracy cannot be guaranteed. This site, and all information and materials appearing on it, are presented to the user "as is" without warranty of any kind, either express or implied. All vehicles are subject to prior sale. Price does not include applicable tax, title, license, and $349.00 service fee. ‡Vehicles shown at different locations are not currently in our inventory (Not in Stock) but can be made available to you at our location within a reasonable date from the time of your request, not to exceed one week. MSRP may not represent the actual price at which vehicles are sold in this trade area.

Benna Ford