2025 Ford Explorer review: Great tech, revised powertrain
We’ll go over the changes brought on by its refresh in this 2025 Ford Explorer review, but one thing remains the same: the Explorer is the three-row SUV of choice for people who would really rather drive a truck. If you long for brawny handling but need six or seven seats and really don’t want to drive a large SUV, the mid-size three-row Ford Explorer is probably the vehicle for you.
The Ford Explorer continues in its sixth generation for the 2025 model year as it receives a comprehensive update. Important changes include a new infotainment system, more soft touch interior surfaces, and upgrades to the base four-cylinder engine.
We reviewed the 2025 Ford Explorer during a day trip in the Halton Hills hosted by Ford Canada. Have questions about the 2025 Explorer? Ask the automotive experts in our Facebook community!
2025 Ford Explorer review: Pros and cons
2025 Ford Explorer pros:
- Truck-like drive feel (for those who want it)
- Upgrades to the base engine make it an excellent choice
- SYNC 4 was good, but the Ford Digital Experience is better
2025 Ford Explorer cons:
- Truck-like drive feel (for those who don’t want it)
- Third row space is tighter than average
- Not very car seat friendly
Size and exterior design
The 2025 Ford Explorer is a refresh of the current generation, but it’s not a complete redesign. As a result, the overall dimensions and most elements of the exterior are identical in the 2025 Explorer versus the 2024 model.
There are a handful of exterior updates: the grille is taller and wider, there’s a new trendy blacked-out light bar across the rear bearing the Explorer nameplate, and each trim sports new wheel designs. From the outside, though, the differences will take a sharp eye to spot.
Across its four Canadian trims, there are five colours available on the 2025 Ford Explorer. Carbonized Grey and Agate Black are no-cost tints. Star White, Rapid Red and Vapor Blue cost $600 to $800 extra.
Interior design
Like the exterior, the interior of the 2025 Ford Explorer is identical in dimensions to the rest of the sixth-generation models, which date back to 2020. However, Ford has made some important updates to the Explorer’s interior that makes a new 2025 model worth considering.
Soft touch materials feature much more prominently, so there are fewer hard plastics in places you’re likely to interact with. Some models also have a trendy fabric insert across the length of the dashboard. Two new interior colours are offered on the Platinum model, Mojave Dusk and Salt Crystal Grey. (Our test drive was in the ST and ST-Line trims with their standard black interiors, so we haven’t yet seen these new colours in person.)
Seat comfort
Our test drive in the 2025 Ford Explorer was a short road trip through Milton, Campbellville, and Cambridge, Ontario. The itinerary included a stop at Kelso Conservation Area for a quick off-road run through their trails. (These trails are not open to the public for vehicle use; Ford Canada prearranged this experience.) Through that time, we found the front seats comfortable and supportive with plenty of adjustability.
Heated and power-adjustable front seats and a heated steering wheel are standard on the 2025 Ford Explorer. On higher trims, ventilated front-row seats and heated second-row seats are included. The Platinum and ST trims come with a massaging function for the front-row seats that we did not have an opportunity to test.
The 2025 Ford Explorer continues to offer both six- and seven-seat configurations on every trim level. The second-row seats are spacious enough for adults. However, the third-row seats are tight and have a narrow access, making them best-suited to older children or pre-teens.
How many car seats fit in the 2025 Ford Explorer?
The 2025 Ford Explorer can fit four car seats comfortably, two in the second row and two in the third row, with a full set of LATCH anchors present for each. You can also mount a single car seat in the middle position of the second row. To do this, you’ll need to opt for the bench seat and use the two innermost LATCH connectors.
It is technically possible to fit three car seats across a second-row bench in the sixth-generation Ford Explorer. However, the middle seat will need to be belted in rather than anchored. Also, all three car seats will have to be narrower and designed for three-across use.
Note that the second-row outboard seats, both the bench and the captain’s chairs, pull the seatback forward when retracting. You’ll therefore need to remove any car seats from these positions when passengers need to access the third row.
How much cargo space is there in the 2025 Ford Explorer?
Behind the third-row seats in a 2025 Ford Explorer, you’ll find 461 litres of cargo capacity. With these seats folded, available with power folding on some trims, this increases to 1,302 litres. When both rear rows are out of the way, you’ll have a total of 2,431 litres of cargo space. These figures are average for the mid-size three-row SUV segment.
Infotainment and technology features
One of the most important changes to the 2025 Ford Explorer is its shift to the new Ford Digital Experience. The awkward portrait-oriented screen has been replaced with a much more user-friendly 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
SYNC 4 is also no more. Google Automotive, an Android-based operating system with built-in functions like Google Maps and Google Assistant, has taken its place. It interacts well with the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, allowing display of certain functions like navigation so they’re more readily available to the driver.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard equipment. The only important tech feature you’ll need to pay extra for is a wireless charging pad. Charging by wire won’t be an issue, though. One USB-A port and seven USB-C ports, including a set for each row, are also standard.
Under the driver assistance technology column, Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driving technology is available in the 2025 Ford Explorer, a first for the nameplate. It’s an extra-cost option available on most trims that lets you drive without keeping your hands on the wheel on enabled highways across North America, as long as you keep your eyes on the road.
How much power does the 2025 Ford Explorer have?
Two engines are available in the 2025 Ford Explorer, but only the base engine has seen updates. It’s a 2.3-litre turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder making 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. These figures are unchanged from 2024, but the engine and 10-speed automatic transmission in this powertrain have been tweaked to deliver more power at lower speeds.
The 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine, which is also paired with a 10-speed automatic and is good for 400 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque, is optional on the Platinum trim and standard on the more performance-oriented ST.
In Canada, all-wheel drive (AWD) is standard equipment. (Ford markets this system as four-wheel drive (4WD), but its function is closer to what most drivers would consider AWD.)
How does the 2025 Ford Explorer drive?
Back in 2020, Ford moved the Explorer from a front-wheel drive (FWD) to a rear-wheel drive (RWD) platform. This, along with its heavier steering feel and higher seating position, gives the Explorer a much more truck-like drive feel than many of its competitors in the mid-size SUV segment.
This is neither good nor bad. Some people want their three-row SUVs to feel brawny and substantial. Others prefer the more car-like drive feel in the Explorer’s competitors. Since Ford has built its reputation on trucks, it makes sense for the brand to extend that ethos into one of its most important non-pickup products.
Between the two engine options, most drivers will be happiest with the base four-cylinder engine, especially with the lower-speed improvements for 2025. The V6 is a very capable engine — particularly in the ST trim, which comes with performance enhancements that are serious business — but its higher power output makes the throttle tricky to modulate.
The brakes in the ST trim are also quite grabby. This is great if you want to drive hard, but it’s annoying in the grocery store parking lot. If you like the look of the ST trim but these characteristics don’t sound appealing to you, consider the ST-Line instead for its friendlier engine and similar appearance.
For 2025, every Ford Explorer now comes with 2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds) of standard towing capability. This would be a good reason to choose the V6 over the four-cylinder engine: you’ll appreciate having more power if you’ll approach this towing limit regularly.
What is the fuel economy of the 2025 Ford Explorer?
With the base 2.3-litre turbo four-cylinder engine, the 2025 Ford Explorer averages 11.9 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving, 8.7 on the highway, and 10.4 combined. These are respectable figures in a three-row mid-size SUV. With the V6, the 2025 Explorer burns 13.0 L/100 km city, 9.3 highway, and 11.3 combined (or 13.3/9.6/11.6 when using the paddle shifters equipped on the ST trim). Among similarly sized SUVs with V6 engines, these figures are on par with the segment.
How much is the 2025 Ford Explorer?
The Ford Explorer has a new trim line-up for 2025. The base trim is now called Active, and it’s followed by ST-Line, Platinum, and the fully performance-tuned ST. As of publication time, pricing in Canada for the 2025 Ford Explorer starts at $52,830 for the Active trim, including destination charges and dealer fees. The ST-Line starts at $58,830, while the Platinum starts at $62,930 and the ST tops the line-up at $71,430.
Is the 2025 Ford Explorer worth buying?
While it’s undergone some changes, the 2025 Ford Explorer will appeal most to the same people it always has. Its advanced technology and distinctively truck-like drive feel make it stand out to drivers who prioritize these features in three-row SUVs. If performance is what you’re after, the genuinely sporty ST trim is a relatively rare offering within the segment.
It’s worth investigating whether the Explorer’s interior space will work for your needs before buying, especially if you’ll need to use the third row or install multiple car seats. But if you’re looking to Ford for your SUV because you’d drive a Ford truck if you could, then you’ll find the Explorer delivers.
Which Ford Explorer is the best model? We feel most Canadians will select the ST-Line. It’s very practical and well-equipped for the price, and it’s an appealing way to get a sporty appearance without shelling out for the full-zoot ST.
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