2025 Ford Explorer Reviews, Pricing & Specs

The last time Ford redesigned the Explorer, it switched the midsize SUV from a front-wheel-drive (FWD) to a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) platform. The decision gave the Explorer balanced proportions and a swept-back appearance as the “floating” roof and greenhouse tapered into the liftgate, resulting in a sleeker and less boxy design.

That continues with the refreshed 2025 Explorer. Ford restyled the front end, though, and the Explorer is better for it. It looks wider and more ruggedly handsome now, and less like a little kid who got caught stealing goodies from the candy jar. In back, new LED taillights bleed into the liftgate, connected by a strip of trim with the SUV’s name on it. A mixed bag of new wheel designs debut, too.

Interior updates dramatically improve the mood in the 2025 Explorer. From the base trim up, Ford’s family-size SUV looks and feels much nicer inside than before. The colours, materials, design, and displays are absolutely competitive in the segment now, eliminating a reason to pass on the Explorer for a different model.

Ford chops the available trim levels in Canada from six down to four. Those that remain include the new base trim called Active, plus the sporty ST-Line, the luxurious Platinum, and the performance-tuned ST. Prices range from $52,830 to $71,430, including the destination charge of $2,295.

During a Ford-sponsored driving event, we got a chance to sample all four versions of the 2025 Explorer. The one we spent the most time with on this first drive was an ST-Line with extra-cost blue paint, a Premium Package, and an ST-Line Street Pack. It carries a Canadian manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $64,280, including the destination charge.

Ford offers two engines for the 2025 Explorer, both branded EcoBoost. All but the ST have a turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine generating 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. A twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 cranking out 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque is standard on the Explorer ST and optional with Platinum trim.

All Explorers sold in Canada have a 10-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive (AWD). (Ford brands this system as four-wheel-drive (4WD), but it functions more similarly to what Canadians would classify as AWD.) Drivers can choose between several driving modes including Eco, Normal, Sport, Slippery, Trail, Tow/Haul, and Deep Snow/Sand.

Natural Resources Canada gives the 2025 Ford Explorer fuel economy ratings of 11.9 litres per 100 kilometres in the city, 8.7 on the highway, and 10.4 combined with the base 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine. When the Platinum is optioned with the V6, expect fuel consumption of 13.0 L/100 km city, 9.3 highway, and 11.3 combined. In the ST trim, the V6 averages 13.3 city, 9.6 highway, and 11.6 combined.

Thanks to its generous power ratings, the Explorer’s turbo four is all most people will need in this midsize SUV. It provides quick acceleration and the 10-speed automatic snaps off decisive shifts. Switch to Sport mode, and the standard powertrain feels more responsive while the steering weights up.

The extent of the ST-Line’s added performance capability is larger 20-inch wheels. Remember, this trim level is about the look, not the performance. But if you upgrade it with the reasonably priced ST-Line Street Package, you get the same 21-inch wheels and performance brakes that are standard on the Explorer ST.

Our test vehicle had that package, and we found the ride and handling delightful on two-lane winding back roads. The Explorer displayed enough firmness to restrict unwanted body motions and enough ride compliance to ensure comfort. We did not put the brakes to the test, so we cannot comment on their ability to withstand abuse. But the grip from the P275/45R21 Pirelli Scorpion Zero all-season tires was commendable.

Ford set up a short autocross and slalom exercise to showcase the Explorer ST’s performance chops. That version of the SUV has the twin-turbo V6 and the contents of the ST-Line Street Package plus a sport-tuned suspension. Unfortunately, the course was too short and tight to demonstrate much other than the SUV’s talent at scrubbing rubber off the edges of its pricey Pirellis.

Fortunately, a short drive in an Explorer Platinum equipped with the twin-turbo V6 showed us two things. First, that engine supplies fast acceleration. Second, it sounds better when revving. While the four-cylinder’s note is just this side of irritating, the V6 has a pleasant sound when accelerating.

As for our observed fuel consumption with the turbo V6, we’ll qualify our observed 12.3 L/100 km by saying most of our driving in the Platinum was on a highway while using the Explorer’s new BlueCruise hands-free driving assistance system.

We also took an Explorer Active on a muddy, wooded trail, and it handled the romp through the woods without any trouble. A typical car would not have been able to travel the slick two-track, but lots of other SUVs could.

And that underscores an important point: If you need an off-roader, buy an off-roader and not a Ford Explorer. There’s a Bronco sitting right next to it in the showroom. Get that.

The 2025 Explorer seats six people in its standard configuration. However, Ford offers a no-cost second-row bench seat option, bringing maximum passenger capacity to seven. That bench seat is also great for families of five who plan to fold the Explorer’s third-row seat and rarely use it.

Our ST-Line test vehicle had a heated steering wheel, heated power-adjustable front seats, and the optional Premium Package. Among other things, in Canada that upgrade adds ambient interior lighting, a front seats with a memory function, heated second-row seats, and a wireless charging pad.

The ST-Line’s front seats were comfortable. This trim level has black artificial leather upholstery with cloth inserts, and in the steamy summer weather, we liked the breathability of the fabric. Plus, the seats are large and supportive without feeling too firm or restrictive. Moving to the second row, the captain’s chairs are just as comfy as what Ford installs up front. Getting into the third row is a chore for adults, and the low, flat seat is uncomfortable. Based on our seat-of-the-pants assessment, the Explorer swaps the balanced look and driving dynamics inherent in a rear-drive platform for third-row comfort. Kids will be happy enough with the accommodations, but not grown-ups.

Storage space is good, and the new tray that juts out from the centre of the dashboard is particularly useful. It also houses the available wireless smartphone charger. Cargo space measures 461 litres behind the third-row seat, 1,302 litres behind the second-row seats, and a maximum of 2,429 litres. All three of those figures are competitive in the segment.

With the 2025 Explorer, Ford isn’t trying to out-do the competition regarding screen acreage or features the company’s customers say they rarely, if ever, use. So, you won’t find the company’s semi-autonomous parking assist technology in the latest Explorer. There isn’t a rear-seat entertainment system, either, because if your kids are like ours, they prefer their phones and ear buds anyway.

What you will find is a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and new 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system called Ford Digital Experience. The Explorer is the first Ford model equipped with the new technology, which the company will roll out to replace the existing Microsoft-powered Sync systems.

Ford Digital Experience equips the Explorer with Google Built-in, Amazon Alexa Built-in, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and apps for streaming music or video. A 5G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot is available, and web browser apps provide internet access on the display. You can also play video games using a Bluetooth controller. But seriously, are you gonna do that in your car or in the comfort of your living room through a big-screen TV?

What’s important to know is that Ford Digital Experience is super simple to use. The Google Maps implementation is terrific, and through Google Play you can download new apps to the system. Google Assistant quickly and correctly responded to our standard list of testing commands, though it did not switch to the SiriusXM Bob Marley station when we said we wanted to listen to reggae music. Instead, it suggested we launch one of the internet radio apps in the system, such as Spotify.

The 2025 Explorer also offers B&O sound systems by Bang & Olufsen. The ST-Line gets 10 speakers, while the Platinum and ST boast 14 speakers and 980 watts of power. We recommend that audiophiles upgrade, because the ST-Line’s 10-speaker setup was unimpressive by Bang & Olufsen standards. Still, that means it beats the quality you’ll find in some rivals.

Every version of the 2025 Explorer has Ford CoPilot 360 Assist+, which equips the SUV with all of the advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) you have come to expect in a modern vehicle. The “+” means the package contains adaptive cruise control with lane-centring assist technology in addition to common driver assistance and collision avoidance systems.

When you upgrade to ST-Line trim or higher, you get Ford CoPilot 360 2.0. That next-level enhancement pertains to a surround-view camera system. In addition, starting with the ST-Line, all Explorers feature BlueCruise, Ford’s hands-free highway driving system. A 90-day subscription to that feature is standard. Afterward, you can elect to subscribe.

In our ST-Line and Platinum test vehicles, we sampled BlueCruise on a typical highway, where it performed well. As is common with these types of systems, tighter curves required us to take control and heavier traffic across three or more lanes of travel made BlueCruise seem less sure of itself. Nevertheless, in this testing environment under partly cloudy weather conditions, the technology worked well, including the automated lane-change assist function.

However, Ford says this version of BlueCruise is also programmed to give drivers extra room when a large truck is in an adjacent lane, and we found the tech applied this behaviour inconsistently.

On one occasion, while waiting for BlueCruise to nudge the Explorer a little to the left to accommodate a semi to the right that was definitely drifting onto the white lane markers separating us, we momentarily thought we were going to have some explaining to do with Ford before the wandering truck driver tugged the rig right.

Likely due to the 2025 Explorer’s restyled front-end or some undisclosed safety changes Ford made under the SUV’s skin, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had not fully rated the 2025 Explorer as we published this review. The SUV earns five-star side-impact and four-star rollover resistance ratings. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the 2025 Explorer performs well on crash tests but loses marks for the headlights on Active, ST-Line, and ST trims, which it ranks as Marginal. The Platinum’s headlights get a Good rating.

When the current-generation Explorer went on sale half a decade ago, price increases combined with reduced third-row comfort made it seem as though Ford has tossed the concept of value to the wind. However, since then, competitors have also pushed their prices higher, so the refreshed 2025 Explorer no longer seems like an outlier in the $50,000 club. Unfortunately, the new Explorer is missing a few things.

First, there isn’t an electrified powertrain option for people who want to drive a more efficient SUV. The driving enthusiast in us loves the idea behind the Ford Explorer ST, but nothing beats a plug-in hybrid for the daily ferrying of children, running of errands, and commuting to work, much of which you can accomplish without burning a drop of gasoline.

Second, the Timberline trim level is gone, leaving people who want to appear like they go off-roading all the time without a ruggedly styled choice. Of course, with the Bronco four-door in Ford’s lineup, perhaps the automaker determined the Timberline wasn’t necessary. But that bucks a growing trend in the Explorer’s segment.

Third, the rearmost row of seats remains unpleasant for grown-ups. If you need a three-row SUV because you plan to carry more than four people on a regular basis, the Explorer still isn’t among the best choices for that task.

Regardless, with the 2025 Explorer, Ford fixes a few issues. It looks better on the outside, the interior is much nicer than it used to be, the technology takes a quantum leap forward, and the simplification across the lineup makes picking one easier (though more paint colours would be nice). Plus, it strikes us as a better value than before.

Note: Images show a US model.