Ford Explorer review

We watch American movies, are addicted to American social media platforms, and spend around £60 billion a year on American products. But like baseball and root beer, the Ford Explorer has always been one of those things our transatlantic cousins love that have never caught on in the UK. At least until now.

Yes, while the Explorer is Ford’s most popular SUV stateside, with more than eight million sold, its huge size and thirst have traditionally made it an irrelevance over here. However, the latest car to bear the name couldn’t be more different from Ford Explorers of old  – not least because it’s about half a metre shorter and swaps petrol engines for electric power.

In fact, it has more in common with modern VWs than the all-American Explorer ‘truck’ that Ford continues to sell in its home market, due to the fact that a lot of the latest model’s hidden parts are borrowed from the Volkswagen ID 4. This is thanks to a deal agreed a few years back that saw Ford secure VW’s electric car tech in exchange for sending commercial vehicle mechanicals the other way.

Has Ford managed to improve on the ID 4, though? And how does the Explorer compare with other electric family SUVs, such as the What Car? Award-winning Kia EV6, the recently reborn Renault Scenic and the big-selling Tesla Model Y?

The entry-level Ford Explorer has a relatively small 52kWh battery and an official range of 239 miles. It's quick enough, with a 0-62mph time of 8.7 seconds, but we think it's worth stepping up to the Extended Range RWD (rear-wheel drive) version.

That gets you a 77kWh battery and a much more useful official range of up to 374 miles between charges, or 354 miles on the bigger alloy wheels you get with range-topping Premium trim. That's farther than the equivalent VW ID 4 (339 miles) and similar to the Kia EV6 (361) and Renault Scenic (379).

The Explorer Extended Range RWD's electric motor delivers a healthy 282bhp to the rear wheels, making it quite a bit nippier than the Scenic (0-62mph takes 6.4 seconds), but you can have even more pace if you go for the Extended Range AWD – all-wheel-drive – version.

This has twin electric motors together producing 335bhp, and giving an official 0-62mph time of 5.3 seconds – quicker than the Ford Focus ST hot hatch. The price you pay for that pace (beyond the higher price) is that the official range drops to 329 miles, despite the slightly bigger (79kWh) battery.

Like most other electric cars, the Explorer has regenerative braking to put energy back into the battery as it decelerates. It’s less intrusive than the system in the Ford Mustang Mach-E and more consistent than the ID 4's, making it easier to slow the car.

If you select B mode for maximum regen, the Explorer slows so dramatically when you lift off the accelerator that you hardly need to touch the brake pedal at all – although it doesn't quite allow for one-pedal driving.

The Explorer is not available with adaptive suspension to let you adjust how firm the ride is, but it's much more forgiving over larger bumps and potholes than the Mustang Mach-E. The AWD version seems to cope a bit better than the RWD on the same size wheels, but it still bobbles around on uneven surfaces, so isn't as comfy as the Scenic.

Compensation for the slightly unsettled ride comes in the form of composed handling. The Explorer leans less through corners than many electric SUVs, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Scenic, and its steering responds in a fairly reassuring way.

The Explorer is also a quiet motorway cruiser that keeps wind noise and motor whine to a minimum, but you sometimes hear thunks from the suspension during town driving.

"The brake pedals in many electric VW’s are tricky to use because they give very little feedback and respond inconsistently. However, I was pleasantly surprised that the Explorer’s were much better than the related ID 4's." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

The first thing that catches your eye when you climb inside the Ford Explorer is the huge (14.6in) portrait-orientated infotainment touchscreen. This features something called Sync Move, which might sound like it’s linked to redecorating a bathroom, but actually means the screen can be adjusted vertically in a 30-degree arc. As a result, you can choose the angle that works best for you and potentially reduce glare.

It’s disappointing that there are no separate buttons or dials for the functions you use most often, but the climate controls are at least permanently on display at the bottom of the screen. What’s more, that screen is responsive to your prods and has crisp graphics.

What’s less impressive is that the icons for switching between menus are small and positioned closely together, which makes them fiddly and distracting to use when you're driving. Plus, most menus don’t have a back button, meaning you have to return to the home screen if you make a mistake.

Fortunately, the Explorer gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring as standard so you can bypass Ford’s own infotainment software. Meanwhile, key driving information – such as your speed, efficiency and remaining range – is shown on the 5.3in digital driver's display behind the steering wheel.

The unusually square wheel means your view of the display is not obstructed the way it is in the Ford Mustang Mach-E. On the minus side, the steering wheel's touch-sensitive buttons are very frustrating to use (as they are in the related VW ID 4).

The Explorer's driving seat is good for the most part, providing plenty of lower back and shoulder support, although the base is a little short. There's a wide range of adjustment, which is upgraded to electric adjustment on top-spec Premium trim, but the steering column could do with a greater range of reach adjustment.

There are some visibility issues, with the wide windscreen pillars sometimes getting in the way at junctions, and the shallow rear window and rearmost side windows limiting your over-the-shoulder view. Fortunately, front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera are on hand to help during low-speed manoeuvres. A 360-degree camera is available as part of an optional Driver Assist Pack.

The Explorer's interior has more visual wow factor than the ID 4’s and quality is more consistent front to back but the plastics used are mostly hard. It’s similar in that respect to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. The Renault Scenic interior is better overall.

"The Explorer's standard-fit seven-speaker stereo with sound bar is pretty good, but I think top-spec Premium trim’s 10-speaker B&O system will be a must-have for music lovers." – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Some electric SUVs have more front-seat leg and shoulder room than the Ford Explorer, but you won’t feel cramped behind the wheel, even if you're tall and broad.

In addition, two six-footers will be comfortable enough in the back, whether or not the panoramic glass roof that you get with Premium trim is fitted, but they won't have as much space to stretch out as they would in a Kia EV6 or Renault Scenic. On the up side, the Explorer – and its rivals – have a flat floor, so there’s plenty of room for everyone’s feet, even with three in the back.

The back seats in the Explorer fold down in a 60/40 split to allow you to create a bigger load bay, and there's a ski hatch in the middle so you can feed through long, narrow items. (The EV6 seats fold down in a more versatile 40/20/40 split.)

You also get a height-adjustable boot floor, and with all three seats folded down and the floor in its highest setting, you’re left with a flat extended load area. There's space for your charging cables under the adjustable floor.

With all five seats in use you get up to 470 litres of boot space. That's quite a lot less than the slightly longer VW ID 4 (543 litres) and the Renault Scenic (545 litres). Note that the Explorer and its direct rivals are not available with a third row of seats. If you need to fit in more passengers, see our best 7-seaters page.

The Explorer doesn't have a front boot as some electric cars do, but in-car storage is fantastic. There’s a 17-litre MegaConsole cubby between the front seats, with space for a laptop or three 1.5-litre bottles, plus a compartment below the infotainment screen. When you get out of the car, the screen locks in place to protect valuables in the "secret" compartment.

"Given that the Explorer’s boot is smaller than some rivals', I think it’s a shame it doesn’t have a luggage area under the bonnet, which you do get in the Kia EV6." – Steve Huntingford, Editor

The Ford Explorer costs from £37,785, which means it isn't eligible for the Government's EV grant. And while the Kia EV6 and VW ID 4 are also too expensive to qualify, it does make the Explorer look pricey next to the Renault Scenic, which does dip under the £37,000 cutoff in entry-level form. 

It’s also worth noting that the all-wheel-drive (AWD) Explorer is only available in the top trim – Premium – which gives it a price of £53,985 that's higher than those of the equivalent EV6 and ID 4 (there's no four-wheel-drive Scenic).

Still, all Explorers are well equipped. The entry-level Style trim comes with 19in alloy wheels, keyless entry, LED headlights with auto high beam, adaptive cruise control and dual-zone climate control.

Going for mid-spec Select trim adds loads more luxuries, including heated front seats, a massaging driver's seat, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry and start, and wireless phone-charging.

Meanwhile, upgrading to Premium trim adds ambient interior lighting, a powered tailgate, a panoramic glass sunroof, 20in alloy wheels (instead of 19s) and matrix LED headlights (which can remain on high beam without dazzling other drivers). You don't get an EV heat pump though – if you want one of those, you'll have to pay an extra £1050.

If you want the Explorer with the fastest charging speed, you'll need the Extended Range AWD, which can officially "refuel" at up to 185kW. The Extended Range RWD hits 135kW while the Standard Range RWD manages 145kW. In the real world, that means a 10-80% charge with a fast charger should take about 25 minutes.

When it was tested for safety by Euro NCAP, the Explorer scored the full five stars, which is good news, but nothing unusual among modern electric SUVs.

The Explorer is too new to have been included in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey but Ford finished 14th out of 31 brands, beating VW. Renault and Kia did better.

The Explorer’s warranty lasts for three years or 60,000 miles, which is a bit disappointing compared with the five-year, unlimited mileage warranty you get with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the Kia EV6. Ford covers the battery for eight years or 100,000 miles.

"I'm really impressed by how much equipment the Explorer gets as standard, but you might still want to add the optional heat pump, which makes heating the interior more efficient." – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

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