The Ford Explorer is a lineup of sport-utility vehicles produced since 1991. Over the years, the Explorer has grown from a five-passenger capacity to up to seven in the current generation, thanks to the addition of third-row seating. The Explorer model started life as a typical body-on-frame design derived from a pickup truck chassis, to a crossover SUV with a platform shared with the Ford Taurus, to a model-specific platform sharing components only with the Lincoln brand’s Aviator.

In its history, the Explorer was powered by a V6 engine, an optional V8 engine, and now a turbocharged four-cylinder. Most Explorers over time have been either four-wheel drive (4WD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), but the Explorer has also always been offered in a two-wheel drive (2WD) form—usually rear-wheel drive (RWD), but one generation was front-wheel drive (FWD).

Most Explorers have been four-door SUVs, but the Explorer Sport, offered in the first two generations, was a two-door. All included a liftgate in the cargo area. The Explorer was a two-row SUV through its first three generations, but the most recent two have been three-row.

Though there was a time when the Explorer was the single most popular SUV in North America, those days are long gone. Today, the Explorer occupies a much larger and more premium space than it did when it was first introduced, and it competes against a field of vehicles from almost every mass market manufacturer.

Generations: Six

• Ford Explorer 1st Generation
• Ford Explorer 2nd Generation
• Ford Explorer 3rd Generation
• Ford Explorer 4th Generation
• Ford Explorer 5th Generation
• Ford Explorer 6th Generation

Pros: Surprising performance from the 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder, Hybrid engine in the last two generations, Top Safety Pick+ in the latest generation
Cons: Early safety concerns, largely due to the design, Rear suspension fractures in fifth generation, subject to recall, Poor fuel economy in earlier generations

Ford Explorer 6th Generation (2020-Present)

The sixth generation of the Explorer rides on the CD6 platform, which only includes one other vehicle: the upmarket Lincoln Aviator. The platform shifted to a rear-wheel drive bias from the previous generation, meaning that Explorers without the optional “Intelligent 4WD” are driven by the rear wheels rather than the fronts.

At the base level, the Explorer is powered by a 300-hp 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder powertrain. It’s shockingly adept, especially with the 10-speed automatic transmission constantly keeping the engine in the correct rev range. The optional 3.0L EcoBoost V6 with twin turbochargers develops 365 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque. The ST trim level increases horsepower to 400 and torque to 415 lb-ft. The Explorer is also available with a 3.3L hybrid V6 paired with a 1.5-kWh lithium ion battery and electric motor: This combination makes 318 horsepower and increases the fuel economy to a combined 27 mpg. Four-wheel-drive Explorers also get a Terrain Management System that monitors wheel spin and directs torque to the wheels with traction.

The current Explorer trims include the base Ford Explorer, Ford Explorer XLT, Ford Explorer ST-Line, Ford Explorer Limited, Ford Explorer Timberline, the high-performance Ford Explorer ST, Ford Explorer Platinum, and Ford Explorer King Ranch. Starting MSRP ranges from $35,510 for the base in RWD configuration up to $57,770 for the King Ranch in AWD.

Even in the base trim level, Ford equips the Explorer with push-button start, keyless entry, and the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of advanced driver-assistance systems. This includes automatic high beams, blind-spot information system with cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping alert, lane-keeping assist, pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking (AEB), pedestrian detection, forward-collision warning, dynamic brake support, and a rear-view camera.

To get adaptive safety features like adaptive cruise control, lane centering, and evasive steering assist, Explorer shoppers have to step up to the XLT trim level and order the 202A preferred equipment package. All of this equipment is standard on the Limited, Timberline, ST, Platinum and King Ranch trims, however.

Infotainment also steps up as you climb the trim ladder. The base Explorer is well-equipped with a six-speaker AM/FM and rSiriusXM radio, speed-compensated volume, a 4GLTE Wi-Fi hotspot, SYNC 3 with an eight-inch touchscreen, handsfree dialing, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and two USB ports (one A- and one C-type). The XLT trim level increases the total number of USB ports to four. The Limited trim and above offer a B&O Sound System by Bang & Olufsen with 12 speakers and HD radio.

XLT and higher trims offer a twin-panel moonroof either as standard equipment or as an option with the purchase of one of the preferred equipment packages. The XLT and XLT Sport Appearance Package both include ActiveX synthetic seating materials, while other trims include leather.

Seating options include up to seven-passenger capacity thanks to a two-position first row, a two-position third row, and a three-position second-row bench seat. Most Explorer buyers opt for six-passenger capacity, with second-row captain’s chairs and a two passenger third-row seat.

Ford Explorer 5th Generation (2011-2019)

The fifth-generation Explorer looks somewhat similar to the current generation, but it was based on a completely different platform. The D4 platform wasn’t really an SUV chassis. It was underneath vehicles like the Ford Taurus, Ford Freestyle, Mercury Montego, Lincoln MKS, and Ford Flex, and made them essentially act as front-wheel drive vehicles in most cases but add all-wheel drive as a side benefit. It turned the Explorer from a traditional midsize SUV to a crossover.

In the first year, just one engine was available: the 290 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine with variable valve timing. The engine was paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. EPA-estimated fuel economy proved to be grim, with only the front-wheel drive Explorer managing to crack 20 mpg combined and ratings of around 16 mpg city. Within a year, Ford began offering the Explorer with a 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder, which helped increase combined mpg to 23 but was only available on front-wheel drive Explorers. Later fifth-generation Explorers had a 3.5-liter Duratec V6, and finally a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 twin-turbo became available, on all-wheel drive Explorers only. You’ll find a few Police Interceptors around with the Coyote 3.7-liter V6 and all-wheel drive.

Safety equipment included dual front airbags, dual front-seat side-impact airbags, dual rear safety belt airbags (beginning in 2011), and side curtain head, torso, and rollover protection airbags. Optional safety equipment included BLIS blind spot information system with rear cross traffic alert, forward-collision warning with a brake support pre-crash system, automatic high beams, Roll Stability Control (RSC), electronic stability control (ESC), and curve control.

Ford Explorer 4th Generation (2006-2010)

Given that it was only around for five model years, the fourth-generation Explorer seemed like it was everywhere. It was the last Explorer to be built on a traditional body-on-frame architecture, and it was reportedly much stiffer and stronger than any that preceded it.

The Explorer was available in one body style: a four-door SUV. The front engine powered either the rear wheels or, optionally, all four wheels through a traditional four-wheel drive system. Throughout its entire run, the fourth generation Explorer was powered by one of two engines: The 4.0-liter “Cologne” single-overhead cam V6, or the 4.6-liter “Modular” V8. Fuel economy was atrocious, at 16 mpg combined for the V6 in RWD form or 15 MPG combined in the V8 with four-wheel drive. Nevertheless, the Explorer was named North American Truck of the Year in 2006.

Minor changes occurred over the years, including options like heated seats beginning in 2007. In 2008, side curtain airbags became standard, and the Explorer became the first Ford vehicle with the now-ubiquitous capless fuel filler system. In 2009, the trailer sway control system became standard.

Ford Explorer 3rd Generation (2002-2005)

The third-generation Explorer had an even shorter run than the fourth-generation, and it also received an all-new chassis for the first time since the Explorer’s introduction. After the public relations disaster of the second-generation Explorer, this generation ended its reliance upon the Ranger pickup chassis, and Ford developed a frame that was specific to the Explorer (and to the Mercury Mountaineer and the Lincoln Aviator). The major change was the elimination of the traditional leaf-sprung live axle in the rear, replaced with a fully independent rear suspension with coil springs and half-shafts for significantly improved handling and ride quality.

The standard engine was a carryover from the second generation: the 4.0-liter “Cologne” V6 with a single overhead cam offering 210 horsepower. The third-generation Explorer was the first to offer the optional 4.6-liter “Modular” V8 with 239 horsepower.

In base form, the Explorer was rear-wheel drive. The vast majority of Explorers purchased in the United States were V6-powered, part-time-four-wheel-drive examples. The V8-powered Explorer had an all-wheel drive system.

Safety was a key concern with the suspension redesign. After the rollover controversy on the second-generation Explorer, the tread width, or “track,” got wider for better stability. AdvanceTrac stability control became optional at first, and then for 2005 was revamped to AdvanceTrac RSC (Roll Stability Control). AdvanceTrac RSC became a standard feature and worked with the standard anti-lock braking system (ABS), traction control, stability control, and yaw control systems to reduce the risk of rollover. It predates the systems that exist on essentially every vehicle sold in the United States today with a gross vehicle weight under 10,000 pounds.

Ford Explorer 2nd Generation (1995-2001)

For the 1995 model year, the Explorer was “redesigned,” but the revisions were almost completely cosmetic. Everything from engines to drivelines to the chassis carried over from the previous generation, and despite its insane popularity at the time, that was ultimately the Explorer’s downfall.

The standard engine was a 160-horsepower version of the 4.0-liter V6, first with overhead valves and later with a single overhead cam. In 1996, Ford responded to the V8 available in the Jeep Grand Cherokee with a V8 of its own, the old-school small block 5.0-liter that powered everything from the Mustang GT to the F-150. The engine was initially only available with rear-wheel drive, but Ford soon developed an all-wheel drive system that was required with the V8, along with an automatic transmission.

The suspension did get an upgrade, from the old Twin I-Beam setup to a short-/long-arm front suspension. The rear suspension didn’t change at all; it was still a solid axle suspended by leaf springs. This became the subject of a congressional investigation when the Explorer’s Firestone Wilderness A/T tires experienced tread separation, usually due to under-inflation. When this occurred, the Explorer seemed to have a propensity to roll over, causing a reported 200 deaths and over 700 injuries. The result was that tire-pressure monitoring systems and stability control were integrated as required safety equipment for all vehicles under a 10,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) since the late 2000s.

Explorer safety equipment was limited in the second generation: It included dual airbags, three-point seat belts, and not much else.

Note that while Ford sold mostly four-door Explorers, it did also sell a two-door version called the Explorer Sport. These were available in the second generation (and also in the third, although the underpinnings were exactly the same as the second generation). Explorer Sports from 2002 to 2005 did not get the same suspension revision that the four-doors did.

Ford Explorer 1st Generation (1991-1995)

The first-generation Explorer was an all-new vehicle that replaced the two-door Bronco II for the 1991 model year. This—more than any other vehicle in automotive history—was responsible for putting a midsize SUV in half the driveways in America. The second generation actually sold more, and there were other midsize SUVs that came along before the Explorer. But no midsize SUV at the time sold 300,000 units a year the way that the Explorer did.

The packaging was right for Americans. Explorers were relatively compact but offered decent passenger room, plus good cargo volume. Better yet, they looked cool at the time, doing about 75 percent of what a minivan could do but in a much more “active lifestyle” aesthetic. From the first generation all the way to the present, the Explorer has never really been an “off-road” SUV. You can do it, but there have always been better choices. The Eddie Bauer trim level first generation Explorers with leather seating became the well-heeled suburban replacement for full-size land yachts like the Jeep Wagoneer and Ford Bronco.

All first-generation Explorers were equipped with the same engine, a 4.0-liter overhead valve V6. The engine was available either with a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. You could buy an Explorer with rear-wheel drive, but few did. The go-to driveline was a part-time “Touch Drive” electric shift transfer case, allowing drivers to touch a button and shift into the high range of four-wheel drive at any speed.

Safety equipment at the time was limited to front and rear shoulder belts. The rear brakes were a rudimentary anti-lock system at first, but in 1994, the Explorer finally got proper four-channel ABS.