The All New 2021 Ford Explorer vs The Competition
The All-New 2021 Ford Explorer vs. The Competition
Ford Explorer Overview
The 2021 Ford Explorer is primed for modern-day exploration. Its adjustable interior offers space and comfort for the whole family. And it helps you make the most of every experience with connected technology and an athletic build that’s ready for whatever lies ahead.
Why the 2021 Ford Explorer Beats Out the Competition
The 2021 Ford Explorer is hardly the company’s first rodeo. Ford has a long history of developing SUVs with amazing universal appeal. The 2021 Ford Explorer is no exception to this. This model tends to beat out its competition in engine options. With 3 engine options vs a competitors 2, the Ford Explorer offers a wider range of needs from the economical hybrid and the base-level 2.3L to the much larger V6 option.
On top of engine options is the impressive list of standard features in technology, safety, driving capability and more. It’s hard to find any list where another SUV in the same category is being as generous with things like safety and ADAS additions. The interior of the Ford Explorer is fairly simple, but has an elegance that draws on that same sense of universal appeal that other brands tend to miss.
The 2021 Ford Explorer is fun to drive and it’s comfortable on city roads, the highway or on a more adventurous trail. Where other SUVs focus on one road type for comfort, this year’s Explorer delivers a great balance that all drivers can appreciate. With all that, it’s STILL among the most competitively priced at the base model level.
Ford Explorer vs. Dodge Durango
Both the 2021 Ford Explorer and the Dodge Durango are touted as great family vehicles with high-end features but the Ford Explorer excels in three main areas. First up: diversity in engine options. The 2021 Ford Explorer has three engine options while the Durango has only 2. Where Durango only offers thirsty V6 or V8 engines, the Explorer lets you choose from an inline-4, a twin-turbo V6 and a V6 hybrid option.
The second area of superiority for the 2021 Ford Explorer is in the more spacious third row with 32.2 inches of leg room and 54.6 inches of shoulder room vs the 50.4 inches of shoulder room that the Durango offers. How an SUV deals with the third-row seating is a measure of its quality. Available third-row PowerFold seats on the Ford Explorer make it easy to accommodate both passengers and cargo. With the seats up, the Explorer can car seven, fold them down and make room for cargo.*
*Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and weight distribution.
Finally, the Ford Explorer’s third advantage over the Durango can be found within its design. The Ford Explorer has that great mixture of refinement and power in its design with user-friendly infotainment and sporty trim options. It looks ready for anything, but also like it wouldn’t look out of place being driven around a wealthy suburb. The Durango’s looks are a little more generic and lacking the Ford flare.
Ford Explorer vs. Toyota Highlander
The Toyota Highlander is both a popular and reliable car made by a world-beating brand, but in our view the 2021 Ford Explorer still blows it out of the water. The 2021 Ford Explorer has three distinct advantages which we will detail below. The first advantage is in affordability. You can get on the Ford Explorer ladder for just $33,470 (VIN: 1FMSK7DH4MGA83579), whereas the Toyota Highlander will set you back at least $35,985. You’ll make further savings in your Ford Explorer thanks to the more efficient engine. While the Highlander slightly edges out Ford’s 28mpg on the highway with 29mpg, the Ford Explorer can still match the Highlander on combined miles per gallon, gaining 24mpg overall and that’s with a lower spend.
The second advantage for the Ford Explorer is in overall value. It’s not just a question of a lower starting price, but what you get for any of the money you pay. The Ford Explorer comes with more engine options, a total of 3 whereas the Highlander only has 2. Both include a hybrid option, but the Ford Explorer offers buyers even more. When you get up to the higher-level trims, like the Explorer ST and the Platinum, the features get increasingly generous, and more-so than the Highlander.
Finally, the Ford Explorer is more generous in proportion than the Highlander. You get 3.5 more cubic feet of cargo volume and more than 11 cubic feet of additional passenger volume. The third row also has 4.5 inches more legroom than the Highlander can offer.
Ford Explorer vs. Chevrolet Traverse
The 2021 Ford Explorer and the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse are two great SUVs competing in a very tough space. We are here today to explain, however, how the Ford Explorer edges out the Traverse in some key areas to be the better SUV overall. In the first regard, the Ford Explorer offers a greater variety of engines, including a hybrid option which helps it to be more efficient than the Traverse. The Chevy only manages 18mpg in the city and 27mpg on the highway, whereas the Explorer can get up to 27 and 28mpg respectively.
The second area is in overall agility. The Explorer is fun to drive; a sportier, more dynamic vehicle than the Traverse, which is built seemingly exclusively for comfort and quietness. The Ford Explorer is both comfortable and ready for adventure, which makes it a more versatile offering than its Chevy rival. Your 2021 Ford Explorer will feel safer too, thanks to more standard safety features including blind-spot monitor, lane departure warning, lane keep assist and cross-traffic alert — all standard on the Explorer.
Both the Ford and the Chevy do very well in passenger and cargo space, but the Ford is a much more generous car when it comes to features. The 2021 Ford Explorer comes with a much-upgraded infotainment system, as well as other features that the Traverse doesn’t have: a trip computer, remote trunk release, remote engine start, power liftgate, rear parking assist, standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto…the list goes on.
