In this line of work, I’m rarely surprised anymore, having driven just about everything. It doesn’t matter what it is, I can pretty accurately predict what any given vehicle will be like to drive, and could even draft a half-decent review after a short jaunt around the block and a quick walk-around. The 2025 Ford Explorer ST delightfully defied that—it came completely out of left field and floored me when I wasn’t ready to be impressed.
This current-generation Explorer had a rocky start when it first launched in 2020. It really demonstrates the power of expectation versus reality; being that it was a new, rear-drive-based platform, the new Explorer was expected to be a home run. It was a rare reversion to more legitimate hardware in an era where lacklustre hardware is being masked with software. But despite being built on a platform measurably better in every metric, the redesigned Explorer was held back by rampant quality control issues and unfortunate material and design decisions. What should’ve been the best Explorer ever was a disappointment.
What’s new for 2025?
This updated 2025 Explorer fixes that. Ford has always been very good at showing that they really do listen to feedback from both my and your side of the aisle, implementing what they learn as fast as a massive corporation can. The new Ranger very neatly addresses every pain point of the old one, the Bronco specifically targets every weakness of the Jeep Wrangler, the refreshed Maverick now pairs all-wheel-drive with the hybrid powertrain, and this refreshed Explorer irons out all the lackluster details that stopped this brilliant vehicle from shining.
First off, it’s much more handsome with it’s more squared-off front fascia. The build quality is also a huge improvement over the first Explorers to roll off Ford’s new Chicago assembly line a few years ago. It’s still not quite Toyota- or Mazda-perfect, with a few uneven gaps here and there, but you’d really have to look for them to track them down. I didn’t notice until my more discerning colleagues pointed them out, and we’ve seen worse from better.
What’s under the hood of the Explorer ST?
I didn’t really notice—and honestly, didn’t care—because this Explorer ST is brilliant to drive. While we had the Ranger Raptor last year, I wondered what it’d be like to see a version of this powertrain built towards on-road performance. A truck that was lower, stiffer, with the same raucous powertrain, ready to tackle the pavement jungle that is our reality sure seemed enticing. Lo and behold, the Explorer ST is almost exactly that.
It uses the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 as the Ranger Raptor, producing a marginally less 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque, routed through the same 10-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel-drive is standard on the Explorer ST, but most importantly, it shares the same brawny exhaust note as the Ranger Raptor, with a satisfying low-end whump around town and a baritone howl when you’re asking the world of it.
It’s quick, able to snap from zero to 100 km/h in a tick over five seconds—which used to be reserved for bona-fide sports cars. More than just being fast, the 2025 Ford Explorer ST feels fast. The 10-speed automatic is up-and-down at times depending on the Ford model; in this application, it feels impeccably calibrated, snapping off quick kick-downs and even sharper upshifts when you want to hustle in a hurry. It feels properly dialed-in and ready for anything, at any time.
Overall fuel use averaged 14.2 L/100 kilometres, which doesn’t sound great, but the Explorer ST had just about everything working against it. It was bitterly cold and snowy, so we used the remote start extensively. And while underway, we either sat in traffic or drove the Explorer like a Mustang. It’s not a bad number for a worst-case scenario in winter. I reset the trip computer on my last day with the Explorer ST before running errands, and averaged a more realistic 11.6 that day.
How does it drive?
More impressive than the powertrain is the Explorer ST’s chassis. It is fast, it feels fast, and it feels great while going fast, which is an achievement in this era of everything being so numb and insulated by digital safety nets. The first time I took this thing out to run an errand, I was immediately impressed and made the rare move of putting it in its sportiest of drive modes, turning off its traction control, and seeing what it could do. You’re never completely relieved of digital nannies, but it allows a lot of leeway for hooligan antics—and more importantly, the Explorer ST feels like it encourages said behaviour. The steering is a touch on the heavy side, feeling linear, communicative, organic, and responsive, but not overly eager. It’s backed up with very impressive balance for a big family hauler, naturally skewing towards mild understeer, but the Explorer ST can and will display a mild predilection for rear-end rotation if you really go for it.
And that’s with our tester wearing winter tires. The Explorer ST never feels like there are too many systems trying to be smart on your behalf. It just feels right, ready to have fun if you know what you’re doing, and subtly able to reign you in if you overcook it. It’s a genuinely well-sorted chassis that’s fun to play with and explore its limits—forgive the unintended pun. If life has gotten in your way and you find yourself being forced out of, say, a Mustang, you’ll be impressed at how little fun and attitude you give up for so much more practicality and comfort.
Inside the 2025 Ford Explorer
Beyond the nuts and bolts, the 2025 Explorer receives a lot more meaningful updates that greatly improve the experience of living with it. Ford reworked the dashboard and centre console with nicer materials and a more ergonomic layout, there’s more storage for knick-knacks, and your phone now lives in a wireless charging pod under the new 13.2-inch wide-format touchscreen display. The new Explorer the first of all Blue Ovals to run the new Ford Digital Experience software, which is essentially Android Automotive but reskinned to look like Sync, for more familiarity. It’s snappy, very easy to use, and comes with a slew of apps baked-in, like Waze and Spotify. Of course, it also has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for direct phone connectivity. It does a fantastic job of being familiar to existing Ford owners, while offering every capability you could ever ask for. It’s brilliant.
On capability, the 2025 Ford Explorer ST has just about every feature you could ever want, including but not limited to power, heated and cooled, and massaging front seats, heated rear seats, a panoramic sunroof, four-door keyless access, a power liftgate, power-folding third-row seating, a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a 360-degree camera system, and adaptive cruise control and lane tracing, among much more. BlueCruise, Ford’s hands-free driving assist, is optional here—it has been updated to be among the very best on the market. The Explorer ST may as well be a Lincoln wearing running shoes.
Should you consider the ST trim?
Beyond all that, it’s still an Explorer, one of the original “sport utility vehicles” as we know them. Not only does it do the dynamic stuff fabulously well and is not fitted with a robust suite of tech and driver assists, the Explorer ST is easy to live with and good at pretty much everything. I’m usually fussy and jaded, but I struggled to come up with legitimate complaints with this thing. If I had to nitpick, rear-seat space is great but they don’t fold flat, the ride is a touch on the firm side, and the soundtrack is prominent for sure. If any of that bothers you, just don’t get the ST trim.
But you’ll have a hard time saying no. This 2025 Ford Explorer ST, with a sticker price of $70,585 as-tested, represents fantastic value. That might sound like a lot to drop on an Explorer, but when you consider the performance it offers with its overachieving powertrain and chassis, the utility it offers with its 5,000-pound towing capacity and cavernous interior, and all the creature comforts and tech it comes stacked with, it’s a pretty impressive value on a comprehensive package. We’ll probably bring up the Explorer at the end of 2025 when we start talking about Car of the Year again, because like all of our past winners, this does everything really, really well. It’s an amazing return to form.
