The Ford Explorer is one of the most iconic and best-selling SUVs in America, with over 8 million units sold since its debut in 1990. The Explorer has evolved over the years from a truck-based body-on-frame vehicle to a unibody crossover with a rear-wheel-drive platform. For 2025, the Explorer gets a mid-cycle refresh that brings new features, improved technology, and a simplified lineup. Here’s what you need to know about the 2025 Ford Explorer and how it compares to its rivals in the three-row SUV segment.
New Ford Digital Experience
One of the biggest changes for the 2025 Explorer is the introduction of the Ford Digital Experience, or FDE, which replaces the Sync system. FDE is designed to offer seamless integration with the user’s digital devices, whether it’s a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, or a gaming console. FDE features a 13.2-inch touchscreen on the center console and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. Both screens have high-resolution graphics and fast response times, thanks to the increased computing power and memory of the system.
FDE also supports various voice assistants, such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant, allowing the user to access various functions and information with simple voice commands. FDE also allows the user to display Apple Maps or Google Maps on the instrument cluster, as well as the center screen. FDE also comes with a Vivaldi web browser, which can be accessed with a Bluetooth keyboard when the vehicle is parked. FDE also supports wireless gaming, with Bluetooth controllers and games available from the Google Play store.
FDE also includes a 5G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, which can connect up to 10 devices and provide fast and reliable internet access. FDE also supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless charging and multiple USB ports. FDE also comes with a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system, which delivers crisp and clear audio quality.
BlueCruise Hands-Free Driving
Another new feature for the 2025 Explorer is the BlueCruise hands-free driving system, part of the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of driver-assist technologies. BlueCruise allows the driver to take their hands off the wheel and their eyes off the road while the system monitors the vehicle’s speed, lane position, and surrounding traffic. BlueCruise works on over 100,000 miles of pre-mapped highways in the U.S. and Canada and can also assist with lane changes and exits.
BlueCruise uses a camera and a radar sensor to detect the road conditions and the vehicle’s surroundings and also relies on GPS and high-definition maps to determine the vehicle’s location and route. BlueCruise also uses a driver-facing camera to monitor the driver’s attention and alertness and will prompt the driver to resume control if the system detects any distraction or fatigue. BlueCruise also provides visual and audible feedback to the driver through the instrument cluster and the steering wheel.
BlueCruise is available as an option on the ST-Line, ST, and Platinum trims of the 2025 Explorer and comes with a 90-day free trial or a discounted annual subscription rate of $700. After that, the rates are $75 per month or $800 per year.
Refined Exterior and Interior Design
The 2025 Explorer also gets some subtle but noticeable changes to its exterior and interior design, to enhance its rugged and sporty appeal. The exterior features four new grille designs, one for each trim level, as well as new LED headlights and taillights. The ST-Line and ST trims also get blacked-out wheels, a bold mesh grille, and red brake calipers, for a more aggressive look. The Platinum trim gets a chrome grille, a dual-panel moonroof, and power-deployable running boards, for a more luxurious look. The 2025 Explorer also offers some new colors and wheels, such as Atlas Blue, Carbonized Gray, and 21-inch black-painted aluminum wheels.
The interior of the 2025 Explorer also gets some upgrades, such as new seating surfaces and accents, a new color palette, and available multi-contour seats. The interior also features available multi-color ambient lighting, a heated steering wheel, and a rotary gear selector. The interior also offers plenty of space and versatility, with seating for up to seven passengers, and available PowerFold third-row seats, which can fold flat with the push of a button. The interior also offers up to 87.8 cubic feet of cargo space, with both the second and third rows folded.
Powerful and Efficient Performance
The 2025 Explorer also delivers impressive performance, with two engine options and a rear-wheel-drive platform. The base engine is a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which produces 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. The optional engine is a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6, which produces 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque on the ST trim, and 365 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque on the Platinum trim. Both engines are paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, and can be equipped with an intelligent all-wheel-drive system.
The 2025 Explorer also offers a range of drive modes, which can adjust the vehicle’s performance and handling according to the road conditions and the driver’s preferences. The drive modes include Normal, Sport, Trail, Slippery, Tow/Haul, Eco, and Deep Snow/Sand. The 2025 Explorer also has a respectable towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds when equipped with the Class III Trailer Tow Package.
The 2025 Explorer also boasts good fuel economy, with an EPA-estimated rating of 21 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, for the 2.3-liter engine with rear-wheel drive. The 3.0-liter engine with all-wheel drive gets an EPA-estimated rating of 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway.
Competitive Pricing and Warranty
The 2025 Explorer has a competitive pricing and warranty compared to its rivals in the three-row SUV segment. The 2025 Explorer starts at $39,625 for the base Active trim and goes up to $55,725 for the top Platinum trim. The ST-Line trim starts at $45,625, and the ST trim starts at $53,625. The 2025 Explorer also comes with a three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.