Words by: Adam Allen
The year was 1995.
‘Gangtas’s Paradise’ was playing loudly through the six speakers of our family Ford Explorer courtesy of an in-dash CD player on our Eddie Bauer trimmed example while we relaxed amidst a sea of tan colored plastic. The grumbling emanating from the firewall confirmed that the 4.0 litre V6 was doing Yeomans work in deploying its weak-kneed 160 horsepower to the tarmac. When kicking tires at the local ford dealership and getting our order together we skipped the available 5.0 V8 engine option-despite a bombardment of can-we’s- as the trusty ol’ bent six had ‘more power than we could ever need,’ according to Dad. That might have been a slight miscalculation on his part as the weezy V6 could really have used the extra litre of displacement and two extra cylinders which, despite those upgrades, only amounted to a 50 horsepower advantage for a total of 210 (for context, the lowest output version of the current 5.0 V8 churns out 400 horsepower in the F-150, and 486 in the lowest tuned Mustang GT.) While hardly a hot rod SUV (at least by today’s standards) the ‘Five-Oh’ Explorer is the model with the strongest genetic lineage to the 2025 Ford Performance tuned ST you see here, the hottest Explorer variant money can buy. It may not pack a V8, but its 400-horse twin turbo V6 offers, um, a bit more power than what you’d have gotten in the 1990’s. Again, for context: the least powerful Explorer power plant available at the moment is a four cylinder turbo making 300 horsepower, enough to soundly trounce the brawniest 5.0 versions from back in the day (even if they were packing a K&N air filter- remember those?)
Our 2025 tester- seen here in menacing ‘cop car’ white (actually called Star White Tricoat, but we digress) is the first of its kind that we have sampled packing a healthy amount of life cycle upgrades. Mechanically, it’s very similar to the 2020 version we drove at the beginning of its current 6th generation. The legions of diehard Explorer fans will keenly notice that the lighting schemes front and back have been tweaked ever so slightly. Have a look inside, however, and they changes are immediately apparent.
The first thing you’ll notice is the 12.3” digital instrument panel which is now flanked by a 13.2” tablet that governs the infotainment system. These look to be carried over from the mega popular F-150 pickup, but that’s a good thing folks; it works perfectly and is always easy to read at a glance which is how it should be when you’re guising a 2,000-plus kilogram projectile of steel rubber and glass down the road. There’s all kinds of tech features that many families will appreciate, like a suite of Google apps built into the system natively- you can always mirror your phone with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto if you wish. While not as obvious as the spiffy new screens, materials are generally much nicer than before and we noticed something else- this Explorer was much quieter than the last one we flogged.
The only time any meaningful noise penetrated the cabin was when we leaned on the throttle pedal enough to nudge the turbo V6 into its dense powerband. Who cares if the 3.0 twin turbo V6 pipes in way too much fake engine sound (a sound that doesn’t sound all that lustful to the ears, save for some turbo whistle) because this baby goes. There are gobs of power everywhere regardless of engine speed, which you might expect of an engine churning out 400 horsepower and 415 pounds feet of torque. The closest competitor it has that we’ve driven recently is an Acura MDX Type S (also packing a 3.0 turbo six) which makes more power and sounds better doing it, but it costs a heck of a lot more. Dollar for dollar, don’t count the Explorer’s turn of speed out.
The only flaw on the ST’s dynamic resume is the 10-speed gearbox. It’s much better this time around, and we have sampled it in other applications fairly recently and can attest to its excellence. Still, we noted some lumpy low speed gear shifts, lurches while underway and some needlessly firm shifts that cause your head to bob back and forth. Ford, can you please smooth out the shift points and calibration, and while you’re going through the trouble can you make the shift paddles respond faster too? We tried ‘em once, came away underwhelmed, and then left them alone.
The steering doesn’t offer the kind of feel you might like, but it does offer an excellent sense of accuracy and tracks straight as an arrow on the highway. Find an offramp that holds the promises of some twisty backroads and throw it into a corner- this big fella can really cut a rug as long as you don’t push the limits of the suspension. Our conclusion is that this Explorer is worthy of the ST badge, something that can’t be said by other models in the Ford stable (cough cough, Edge ST.)
As plans for a 7th generation Explorer are likely in full swing (note to Ford: how does an Explorer Raptor sound?) the revised 2025 models have been glowed up enough to not only remain competitive in the segment, but also to attract more families to a nameplate that has been doing the school run and trips to hockey practice since 1990. We look forward to seeing how that chapter will be written. Until then, we hope that the next one will use the solution that Ford engineers innovated back in 2020- a very simple but very brilliant solution for an alternative to all the gaping, awful fake exhaust outlets and the wimpy little exhaust pipes that reside within you see everywhere these days. OEMs do this because direct fuel injection- a technology used industry wide- causes unsightly black soot buildup on the exhaust tips. The Explorer’s exhaust circumvents this by expelling their gases below the exhaust exit, not through it as usual. Visually it is a massive improvement and one we wonder why it has not been copied by more brands. And if the Explorer Raptor idea isn’t in the cards, how about making the 5.0 V8 an option once again? Dad would defiantly be impressed.
2025 Ford Explorer ST AWD - Specifications
- Price as tested: $73,655
- Body Type: 4-door, 6-passenger SUV
- Powertrain Layout: Front engine/All-wheel drive
- Engine: 3.0 twin turbocharged V6, DOHC, 24 Valves
- Horsepower: 400 @ 5,500 rpm
- Torque (lb-ft) 415 @ 3,500 rpm
- Transmission: 10-speed automatic
- Curb weight: 2,171 kg (4,788 lbs.)
- Observed Fuel Economy (Combined): 12.8L/100 km (18 mpg)