2018 Ford Explorer

Pros: Broad range of available safety features; impressively quiet cabin; good fuel economy with EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine

Cons: Tight second-row seat; feels a bit cumbersome in close quarters; prices rise quickly as options are added

CG Says: Ford Explorer has freshened styling for 2018. Also, a Wi-Fi hotspot is newly available. Ford Explorer is a midsize crossover SUV with three rows of seating. Three engines are offered: a 290-horsepower 3.5-liter V6, a 280-hp turbocharged 2.3-liter 4-cylinder, and a 365-hp turbocharged 3.5-liter V6. All engines are paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Base, XLT, and Limited offer a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Sport and Platinum are exclusively all-wheel drive. Available features include autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, hill-descent control, hands-free power liftgate, park assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Explorer is a very nice 7-passenger crossover that unfortunately competes with several other very nice 7-passenger crossovers. This Ford does a good job balancing the rugged attributes of an SUV with the more car-like dynamics expected of today’s crossover vehicles. The same is true for most of its rivals though, and they often cost less.