What the critics say

Car and Driver

America’s most popular three-row SUV has just gotten an overhaul, and “it was about time.” The “ponderous and unwieldy” previous Ford Explorer had been getting by with a patchwork platform since 2011, after all. The Explorer’s new unibody frame brings a weight reduction, more passenger room, and a whole lot more balance. “While it is far from playful,” the new Explorer “inspires confidence on a twisty road and has gone from being one of the worst-driving three-row SUVs to being one of the best.”

Automobile

The impressive base engine, a turbocharged 300-hp four-cylinder, “should have no problem shuttling families of six or seven across the Rockies.” A 365-hp V-6 and a hybrid are also available, but the modest fuel savings to be had with the hybrid—probably 25 mpg vs. 23—might not justify the extra cost. Given how vastly the Explorer has improved beneath its skin, “we just wish you could tell by looking at it.”

Autoblog.com

Inside, though, “the design is a real improvement,” even with materials quality that’s “acceptable, nothing more.” The third row seats only two and isn’t terribly comfortable. But such small disappointments are offset by this midsize SUV’s “unmatched capability and performance.” The new Explorer delivers “a fundamentally different driving experience than nearly every other family crossover.” ■