Ford Explorer Review 2024

Well, there’s no doubt the Ford Explorer has some strong points that make it worth considering, particularly if you love its clean, contemporary styling. It handles decently, offers punchy performance, an impressive electric range, plus it’s well equipped.

That all has to be weighed against its relatively high price. It’s expensive compared with its chief rival, the Renault Scenic, itself an exceptionally good all-rounder that’s also more comfortable and more practical than the Explorer.

That’s not all. The Explorer’s list price is so lofty you can also pick up cars in the next size bracket for similar — or even less money. Those include the Skoda Enyaq as well as other great alternatives, including the Kia EV6 and Tesla Model Y. And the Model Y, don’t forget, has a USP — access to Tesla’s excellent Supercharging network.

Sure, the Ford Explorer is worthy of being on your shopping list, but we’d stop short of saying it’s a must-have.

We haven’t tried the cheapest 52kWh Standard Range because it isn’t on sale yet — deliveries won’t begin until early 2025. Even so, having tried the 77kWh Extended Range RWD, we reckon that’s going to be the version most people buy.

Why? Because it has the best electric range of between 354-374 miles, depending on trim level, which competes well with the equivalent Renault Scenic Long Range (379 miles). Plus if you stick with the cheapest Select trim it keeps the price to a whisker under £46,000 — although that’s still a lot pricier than the equivalent Scenic.

Most obviously the Renault Scenic. It’s an all-electric SUV with similar dimensions on the outside. The Scenic is also available with a great electric range, but, as we’ve said, like-for-like it’s better value. And not only does it undercut the Explorer on price, it’s a better, more practical car overall, too. Other similarly sized electric SUVs you could consider include the Kia Niro Electric and Skoda Enyaq — and both start at well under £40,000.

If your budget goes further — to around £45,000 — then you should definitely look at cheaper versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model Y, but if you’re thinking of splashing out nearly £54,000 on a top-spec all-wheel-drive Explorer, hold your horses.

Before taking the plunge, have you considered you could be driving something of a similar price with a premium badge? You absolutely could, with the BMW iX1, the Genesis GV60 and the Volvo EX40, all kicking-off at around that price point.

Apart from sharing a few switches with VWs, you’d struggle to know the Explorer was based on a VW when sitting inside. Just like the exterior, the styling inside is all Ford, and all the better for it to be honest.

Where the ID.3 and ID.4 are serviceable but a bit bland, the Explorer looks rather swanky, although emphasis there is more on ‘looks’ as various of the interior plastics feel like they’re designed for a car that’s priced less expensively than this. If you appreciate squidgy, squeezable dashboard and door panel finishes, the Ford’s going to disappoint.

Still, it feels soundly assembled and top-spec Premium models feel lighter and airier thanks to their two-tone grey finish and the glazed roof.

We’d say it’s at least as well made inside as the Renault Scenic, but if you truly prize interior quality, and are happy to pay for it, there are plusher alternatives. Cars such as the Audi Q4 e-tron, BMW iX1 and Volvo EX40 to name a few.

Let’s start with the good bits. We like the quality and clarity of the infotainment screen — the definition is top drawer. The graphics look super smart and, happily, there’s enough processing power to run them effectively. Mostly, when you press an icon you don’t need to wait long for the response.

The screen is truly massive. It’s a 14.6in portrait-orientated screen with a trick — you can adjust the angle by up to 30 degrees to make it easier to reach and read. Positioning it more vertically also elevates it, making it easier to see in your peripheral vision and eliminating lots of annoying reflections.

Another positive is the feature count. As standard, all Explorers have in-built connected navigation, voice activation, wireless Apple CarPlay/ Android Auto, 15-watt wireless phone charging and multiple USB-C ports front and rear.

If you like your music, the entry-level Select trim has seven speakers and a soundbar across the top of two-thirds of the dashboard to enrich your listening pleasure. If you go for the Premium trim then you get a Bang & Olufsen ten-speaker system, also with a soundbar. Does it sound amazing? That would be stretching it, but it’s at its best when you’re streaming music straight from your phone rather than listening to the radio.

This moves us onto the negatives with the infotainment system. We mentioned above that Ford’s SYNC Move software is responsive, but the user experience is terrible. Bearing in mind the screen is big enough to give your local Odeon an inferiority complex, you have to wonder why the icons are so small. And by small, some of them are pinpricks of pixels you can barely see, let alone hope to hit accurately while driving. That includes the main menu button that sits demurely at the very top of the screen.

It’s not just the tiny icons. Some of the menus are quite hard to navigate, and because there’s often no back button, it can be challenging to get back to where you were. The navigation page demonstrates just how discombobulating things can be. As we’ve said, the screen’s huge, so there’s no reason to hide information away. But that’s what Ford’s done. We couldn’t find how to bring up useful info, like the time and distance to our destination. In the end, we had to ask someone from Ford to show us. It is available – just brilliantly, and completely unnecessarily, concealed.

We’re also not entirely convinced by the Apple CarPlay connection, which seemed wholly unresponsive at times, whether connected wirelessly or via a cable. This could be due to a phone software issue, of course, but at the time of testing the same device was used in other cars without issue.

Space up front is plentiful. So much so, it’s highly unlikely you’ll run out of head or legroom unless you’re called Goliath. It’s quite a broad interior, too, so sitting side-by-side with a passenger will leave neither party feeling pinched.

The Explorer’s also very comfortable in the rear. There’s masses of headroom back there and enough legroom — a six-footer to sit behind someone in the front seat who’s of similar stature. It helps that there’s lots of foot space under the front seats as well.

The space for the middle rear passenger is slightly more compromised, but you’ll get three adults abreast when needed and there’s a flat floor all the way across. What’s the issue then? Just that there are cars with more rear space if you need it. The Renault Scenic has more rear legroom, as do the larger Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Then there’s the Explorer’s boot. Again, it’s fine at 470 litres and will take a couple of reasonably big suitcases or a pushchair. It also has a height-adjustable boot floor, which, if you raise it up, takes away any load lip and provides a storage space for charging cables.

The Explorer’s issue is that the Scenic’s boot is noticeably bigger at 545 litres, while the Enyaq’s has 585 litres of luggage room. The Model Y has a humongous 971-litre rear trunk – and another 117 litres in its front boot as well.

Like other MEB platform-based cars, the Explorer doesn’t have a front boot, even on rear-wheel drive-only models.

If you need to carry long loads you can drop the 60/40 split rear seats, which lie relatively flat. There’s a ski hatch in the middle, so you can accommodate long, thin loads while still being able to carry a couple of rear passengers.

Where the Ford Explorer excels is interior storage space. There are cubbies and trays and deep caverns, in all adding up to 48 litres. That includes a decent sized glovebox and a 17-litre well under the front centre armrest that Ford calls the Megaconsole.

Not only is that big enough for a laptop, clever touches allow you to remove the cupholders if you’re not using them and swap them for a tray. And remember we mentioned you can adjust the angle of the infotainment screen? Well, when you slide it up this reveals a hidden cubby for your valuables. When you get out and lock the doors it locks the screen in place to fend off ne'er-do-wells — providing you’ve already returned it to its reclined position, of course.

The cheapest Ford Explorer is the 52kWh Standard Range RWD — 52kWh denoting the usable battery capacity. It comes with a 170hp motor driving the rear wheels. Ford hasn’t released its official 0-62mph time yet but expect that to be around nine seconds.

Next up is the 77kWh Extended Range RWD. It also has a single motor driving the rear wheels but producing 286hp. 0-62mph is done in just 6.4 seconds, which is quicker than the speediest Scenic and the entry-level Model Y.

Fastest Explorer is the 79kWh Extended Range AWD. It gets two motors — the additional one driving the front wheels — with combined power of 340hp. That’s enough to make it rapid off the line: 0-62mph takes just 5.3 seconds.

Top speed is electronically limited on all Explorers at 99mph for the Standard Range and 112mph for the Extended Range versions.

The 52kWh Standard Range Ford Explorer should manage 239 miles on a full charge, although that’s still a provisional figure. Equivalent Scenic is the Comfort Range, and with a slightly bigger 60kWh battery that’ll do up to 260 miles.

For the best battery range, you’ll need the 77kWh Extended Range RWD. Its Combined range figure is 374 miles, providing you stick with Select trim, which beats the Model Y Long Range by a healthy margin and almost matches the Scenic Long Range’s official 379 miles.

The 79kWh Extended Range AWD has the biggest battery of any Explorer but, with two motors gobbling up electricity, its official range is 329 miles.

A heat pump is optional and something we’d recommend. It’ll help maintain the battery’s range in both colder and hotter periods of the year, as well as making charging times more consistent.

As you’d expect from an electric car, the Ford Explorer’s eerily quiet most of the time, with barely any hum from the electric motor during everyday driving.

Even at 70mph wind and road noise are subdued and you only hear the suspension working away on really bumpy roads.

Refinement is one area where the Ford Explorer beats the Tesla Model Y hands down. 

Euro NCAP has awarded the Ford Explorer a maximum five stars for safety.

It comes with the usual gamut of safety assistance systems, including lane keeping aid, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, cross traffic alert and exit warning — that tells you if a cyclist is passing when you’re about to open the door. Automatic emergency braking is also standard, with its eyes looking for cars, bikes and pedestrians.

The Ford Explorer is too new for us to have any hope of giving you an accurate reliability rating. But we can tell you how Ford does as a brand, and it’s not great. It managed only 23rd out of 29 places in our most recent HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. Kia, Hyundai and Tesla finished a lot higher up the order, but Ford did better than Renault, which was last but one.

Ford’s Cologne factory where the Explorer’s made has been completely refitted for its new life as an EV plant, which could produce some niggles, as might any areas where Ford’s own software is operating through VW’s electronic hardware.

Time will tell, though, and generally speaking due to having fewer moving components, electric cars are more reliable than petrol and diesel ones as there are fewer elements to stop working.

The new Ford Explorer is in insurance groups 28 to 32 with the most affordable models also being the cheapest to insure.

Because the Ford Explorer is all-electric, there’s some great news. You know the dreaded VED (road tax)? You don’t have to pay it — at least until April 2025 when EV exemption ends.

That exemption ending also means that electric cars will be subjected to the premium rate tax for years two to five that’s payable on all cars that have a list price, including options, in excess of £40,000. Only one Explorer is priced below that level.

It may be expensive to buy, but at least the Ford Explorer’s two trims are very well kitted out. We’ve already mentioned some of the equipment that comes as standard on the entry-level Select trim, including wireless charging, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with wireless function, a 14.6in infotainment screen and 5.0in driver’s display.

It also comes with 19in alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED rear lights, a 12-way electric driver’s seat with memory settings, heated front seats with massage function, darkened rear privacy glass, selectable driving modes, adaptive cruise control with stop and start function, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, power-folding door mirrors, puddle lights, front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

Premium trim adds bigger 20in alloys, Matrix LED headlights which can stay on high beam without dazzling other road users, a powered tailgate, ambient interior lighting, a panoramic glass roof and a 10-speaker B&O sound system.