We are in the market for a new car, a more spacious vehicle like the Ford Explorer Crossover. We had the opportunity to review the Ford Explorer on our vacation to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. We were thrilled to test out this vehicle and enjoy the extra room it provides.
The Ford Explorer seats 7, comfortably. There are 3 rows of seating with the ability to change out the 2nd and 3rd rows to your needs. The 2nd row seats 2 with a center console/armrest. I like the extra space this gives between my 2 kids in the back seat.
You can also flip down one or both of the 2nd row seats in a 60/40 fashion. The 3rd row also folds down, with a 50/50 split.
With 3 rows of seating, I wasn’t sure how much space there would be int eh back. It was surprisingly spacious with 21 cubic feet of cargo volume. That fits about 2 large suitcases. Of course we were bringing coolers, beach bags, beach toys, 2 large suitcases, 1 overnight suitcase, laptop bag, and more. That being said, we opted to fold down the 3rd row for the full 80.7 cubic feet of cargo room, which was plenty! We could have also just folded down the 3rd row.
This is what our packed Ford Explorer looked like with our two kids in the 2nd row of seating.
Another thing that I really like about the 2nd row is the climate control for the rear. My kids could adjust the a/c to their needs, which changed often since they thought it was so cool. We could adjust it as well from the front. In the same section, there is a spot to plug in your 12 volt and your 120 AC items. Unfortunately, our portable DVD player must have been broken when we packed it because it didn’t work at all. However, our laptop came to the rescue. I loved being able to plug in our AC into the car for power on the laptop to keep the kids entertained for a few hours. Plus, I could charge my cell phone and camera batteries here!
The Ford Explorer was a very nice ride, all the way to Outer Banks. We all rode very comfortably as a family of 4. There was plenty of leg room in the front row as well. I really got use to the cooling front seats since temperatures reached 100 degrees! You can get cooling and heating seats in the Ford Explorer, a must-have for me now that I’m spoiled by this luxury. I always use the heated seats option on our current car, I know I’d do the same with the cooling feature.
After reviewing this crossover vehicle for 1 week, while really putting it to the test, we would definitely consider buying a Ford Explorer for our next family vehicle. Stay tuned for more posts on the Ford Explorer and why we like it so much.
This was not a paid post. My own opinions were used based on my perceptions and experience. Thank you to Ford Media Fleet who provided the car for review.
