The Ford Explorer name dates back to 1991, and I know the ’90s may not sound like a long time ago, but we’re talking 33 years. [Oh God. —Ed.] That’s a long time these days. The Explorer has always been a stalwart in North America, seen across malls, car rental lots at the airport, and if you’re anything like me, one has probably pulled you over flashing certain red and blue lights. They are ubiquitous and have a pretty solid reputation, save for that whole Firestone thing back in—you guessed it—the ’90s.
The 2025 Ford Explorer sees a redesign for the coming year. Well, Ford calls it a redesign, but I’ll call it a refresh because it still shares a lot with the outgoing model. Still, it does receive a number of changes, including modernized exterior bits and a much-welcome interior update.
Most will appreciate the 2025 Explorer’s improved cabin materials and Ford’s new infotainment system. It’s displayed on a 13.2-inch screen, which luckily keeps at least a few physical buttons around. The new infotainment system can play videos, video games, and you can even teleconference using a growing list of apps—but of course, you need to be in Park for most of it to function. The interior is a great place to be; the outgoing Explorer didn’t have the best trimmings, but Ford did a pretty good job classing it up with quality materials with this update. I’m a big fan of the fabric covered Bang & Olufsen “sound bar” integrated into the dash, giving it a modern-chic aesthetic. The faux wood trim right below it is another story, looking and feeling rather cheap, but it gets a pass because it’s not something you regularly interact with.
Still, the rest of the cabin touch-points are top-notch. Ford even created more space for the front passengers by moving the dash a couple notches forward. New interior colour options keep things interesting, with the Platinum’s plum-coloured leather colour looking particularly tasty. The sportier ST gets—you guessed it—black and red trimmings, which work rather well despite the cliche.
Other tech upgrades to the 2025 Explorer include the addition of BlueCruise for the first time. Like other Ford models, it works extremely well. I found it the least annoying of the bunch, with smooth operation and appropriately timed but soft warnings when the system needs to disengage. I must say, I appreciate GM’s trick LEDs on the steering wheel with Super Cruise; it would be nice if Ford did something similar, but outside of that, BlueCruise left me completely satisfied. I’m glad they’ve implemented it on the Explorer.
There’s been some changes to the exterior, but unless you’re an Explorer aficionado, or you parked beside another one at the mall, I bet you’d be hard pressed to notice. The front grille is wider, with revised LED headlights and a restyled lower bumper that allows more air into the engine bay. The rear tailgate sees an update, too: it avoids adding the super popular and overdone connecting-light-bar, but meets the fad half way with a bar that trickles its way to the Ford logo. It works quite well. The ST trim, where I spent most of my time, is the one I prefer, with its black accents and ST badging throughout, plus some appropriately sporty 21-inch wheels. The Platinum isn’t too shabby, either, with more bright silver accents littered throughout the exterior along with wheels that better suit a luxury persona.
The V8 has been long-departed from the Explorer, in favour of boosted engines. There’s the revised 2.3-litre EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder in the base Explorer, still putting out 300 horsepower. The 3.0L EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 is still around, churning out a healthy 400 horsepower, but it’s standard on the ST and optional on the Platinum. There’s enough power to explore the world around you—sorry, I had to get at least one dad joke in—especially with the ST. Both engines are mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission that’s a carryover, but benefits from upgraded software. Unlike the F-150 I reviewed last year, the 10-speed here was seamless and I never thought about the transmission during my drive. That’s a good thing.
Four-hundred horsepower is rather healthy in this segment, with few mainstream SUVs offering that level of performance. It feels strong, especially since the 415 pound-feet of torque is available around 3,500 rpm. The suspension feels equally adept, with good road manners that balance comfort and handling just right for an SUV. The Explorer feels just sporty enough to inspire confidence, but without the often-accompanying penalty of poor ride quality.
In Canada, the Explorer is only available with all-wheel-drive, whereas U.S. buyers have a rear-wheel-drive version as the base. No complaints here; the AWD model is the one you want. We took the Explorer exploring—OK, sorry, I couldn’t help it—over some muddy terrain after a significant downpour. It climbed up slick rocks and chewed through mud without even blinking, which is more than I can say for other three-row SUVs. And even with the sporty, street-focused Explorer ST, which trades the “off-road” mode for a “light trail” mode, I was shocked at how well it rode over rocky trails. It doesn’t punish you, instead always rounding off the harshest of bumps. Ditto for street driving; the Explorer behaves admirably. wind noise is kept to a minimum and bumps don’t reverberate through the cabin too much, but I wasn’t a fan of the soundtrack. Either make it sound good, or shut it up. If you can live with that, the Explorer is an excellent long-distance cruiser.
The Explorer has always been one of the best-selling SUVs in North America for about as long as it has existed, and continues to sell well today. With this latest revision to the Explorer, there’s more of what people love without removing anything from its winning formula. It’s hard not to see this update as a win for Ford, or anyone else looking for a family hauler.
The 2025 Ford Explorer is already in dealers. Prices range from $52,830 for the base Active trim, up to $71,430 for the ST.
