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Identifying the First-Gen Ford Mustang2025 Chevrolet Traverse vs 2025 Ford Explorer
The Chevrolet Traverse and the Ford Explorer are two of the best options for a new family SUV. We compare them to see which is the right choice for you.
The Best American SUVs go Head-to-Head
When it comes to midsize three-row SUVs, the Chevrolet Traverse and Ford Explorer are two of the biggest names in the game. Both offer spacious interiors, strong powertrains, and a host of modern features, making them solid choices for family haulers.
While they may seem similar on the surface, each takes a different approach to performance, comfort, and technology. Whether you’re after a practical daily driver or something with a little more personality, there’s plenty to consider before making a decision.
Specs
The Traverse and Explorer tackle their drivetrains very differently. The Traverse uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, just like the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia. With a big turbo, power figures come in at 328 horses and 326 lb-ft of torque.
Over on Team Explorer, starting with the Explorer Active trim at $39,755, you get a 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo-four pot with 300 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque to work with. Starting with the Explorer ST trim at $54,260, a three-liter V6 is added with a healthy 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque. Regardless of the engine, both are paired to a ten-speed automatic gearbox.
Fuel economy is never fantastic in SUVs this big, But the 20 MPGs in the city and 27 on the highway the Traverse manages in FWD spec is admirable. Even with all-wheel drive, 19 city, 24 highway isn’t the worst figure we’ve ever seen.
The Explorer is a bit better, offering 20 MPG city, 29 on the highway with the standard rear wheel drive option. With all-wheel drive installed you can expect around 18 MPG in the city and 26 on the highway.
The four cylinder engine in the Traverse is a solid engine, so don’t see it as a detraction as the sole engine in the lineup for North America. Still, with the added option of a V6 EcoBoost engine, we gotta give the advantage to the Ford Explorer.
Comfort and Interior
Luckily, Chevy interiors have come a long way since the mid-2010s. The Traverse of 2025 reflects this. Interior space is fantastic for its class, a full 41 inches of rear legroom in the second row and 32 in the third makes other third rows look like cages in comparison. Rear storage space is equally solid. With all the rear seats folded, you’ll manage 98 cubic feet to spare. The base LT trim, starting at $40,600, even comes with a standard second-row bench seat, bringing the total capacity to eight.
It’s a special touch unique to the base trim and a lovely little quirk, especially because it’s standard equipment. In comparison to 38.3 inches of legroom in the second row and 32.2 in the third row on offer with the Ford Explorer, the Traverse manages to make better use of its seating volume. With 87.8 cubic feet of cargo space, the Chevy has more room for storage as well.
Tech and Features
You are stuck with cloth seats with the Chevrolet Traverse LT. But you do get wireless charging, OnStar, and a six-speaker stereo. The next trim up, the $47,600 Z71, comes from a long line of purpose-built off-road-focused Chevy trucks and SUVs that date back to the late 80s. It sports all-terrain tires and a one-inch lift to its suspension, plus a beefy front skid plate. You also get a clever hill descent control terrain response computer to handle the rough stuff.
Though still off-road-coded to a degree, the $53,600 Traverse High Country exudes a “GMC without the badge” aesthetic with its 22-inch wheels, real leather seats, Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving, and bronze trim accents.
As for the Range-topping RS, that’s more like a Cadillac without the badge. Especially with a base MRSP of $53,900, this is one heavy Chevy in the price department. You get glossed black 22-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic moonroof, and 360-degree surround view monitor function. It’s all held together by a large 17.7-inch center infotainment screen with Apple and iOS connectivity and a digital gauge cluster. Long-term reliability and quality over time aside, this is one impressive interior as far as GMs go.
The base Ford Explorer Active skips cloth seats in favor of ActiveX vegan leather. The ST-Line keeps this seat fabric but also adds contrasting red stitching and a 12-speaker audio system. Ford’s excellent Co-Pilot 360 and Blue Cruise self-driving mode are even available from the base model. You also get a surround-view monitor with the second trim up from the base, unlike the range-topper in the Traverse.
Moving up the range to the Platinum, “Premium Sanctuary Leather” becomes an optional extra for seat upholstery, as does the V6 engine, and a twin-panel moonroof and wireless charging pad become standard equipment.
Topping the range, the ST trim gets performance-optimized 21-inch alloy wheels with sport-tuned suspension and brakes to make for one of the best driver’s SUVs you can buy today. Add paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, and you can pretend you’re an IndyCar driver for a brief moment.
The Explorer’s 13.2-inch screen is smaller than the Chevy’s. But with a digital gauge cluster of its own, the two aren’t far off. The Explorer’s best-equipped Band & Olufson stereo system even has one extra speaker over the Traverse.
Perhaps the key deciding factor between the two is actually something far more basic. The Explorer’s HVAC controls are integrated into the center screen, while dedicated dials do the job in the Chevy. For lots of people, that’s a sin too far. Advantage, team Chevy, but by the slimmest of margins.
The Verdict
Elsewhere, the Traverse’s three-year, 36,000-mile basic warranty and five-year, 60,000-mile powertrain warranty are matched by an equal offering from the Explorer. The sixth-generation Explorer is also routinely an NHTSA five-star rated safe vehicle. It’s a figure matched by, you guessed it, the Traverse. To top off the difficult decision cake, the Chevy can tow 5,000 lbs, and so can the Explorer. It’s maddening to the point it makes you want to rip your hair out looking at the specifics. Ultimately, it’s down to preference, and don’t waste too much sleep over it.
Do you like track days and highway pulls for days? The Explorer ST is your chariot. Prefer thrashing around woodland trails all day long? The Traverse Z71 is the best in its class. From that perspective, the deciding factor comes down to preference in a way that we can’t give a definitive answer. Both are valid choices for family haulers, even if one of them has infuriating HVAC controls.
From a practical perspective, the Traverse is marginally better than an Explorer. With more storage space and spacious third row seating, it really is hard to beat. But in the excitement category, it really depends on what flavor of thrills you’re into.
