2019 Ford Explorer

The Ford Explorer has sold more each year for the last decade. We expect 2019 to be no different. The people have spoken and they've said, ?We want more SUVs!' Various manufacturers have tried to deliver, but no vehicle delivers quite like the Ford Explorer. This SUV harkens back to the day when sport utility vehicles were big, three-row powerhouses. In this preview guide, we take a look at the newest iteration of Explorer, the 2019 Ford Explorer.

What's New for 2019?

After a major facelift in 2016 and a much more modest one in 2018, you can expect 2019 to be largely unchanged from the previous year's model. The Explorer's exterior and interior look identical. But there has been some minor reshuffling of features and packages among the Explorer's five trim levels: base, XLT, Limited, Sport, and Platinum. Notably, active safety tech is more widely available, and a power tailgate is now standard on the XLT trim. Besides that, expect to see the same goodies we saw in 2018.

Large and In Charge

There's a reason you're considering an Explorer and not a Fiesta. You want all that space. And there is quite a bit of room. We'll start at the back and work our way to the front. Open her up with the hands-free power liftgate and you'll find 21 cubic feet of cargo room behind the last row. That's almost the most in its class. Fold down all the seats to discover 81.7 cubic feet at your disposal. That's cavernous.

But put those seats back up and you'll find three rows that seat seven people altogether, or six people if you go for the more comfortable second-row captain's chairs. The entire cabin, thanks to plenty of headroom, feels open and spacious. And the legroom is great in front and sufficient even for adults all the way in the third row.

Big and Brawny

With a wheelbase measuring almost nine and a half feet, the 2019 Ford Explorer does need help getting going. Luckily, there are three strong engine options to choose from. The first comes standard on the base Explorer, a 290-horsepower V6 engine. A step up from that is a 280-horsepower turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. But the one we love the most is the twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 that delivers 365 horsepower. This responsive engine revs as soon as you hit the gas pedal. All the engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that shifts smoothly. The downside is that the Explorer is a thirsty beast. The best any of these engines can do in terms of fuel economy is 19 city miles and 27 highway miles per gallon. But when you have this much vehicle to haul, that's not surprising.

There's more to discover about the 2019 Ford Explorer: technology that includes a responsive and intuitive infotainment system, an exterior that is both rugged and handsome, available all-wheel drive, and tons of other features. But there's too much to go into detail here. Stop by your local dealership and test drive one. See what the 2019 Explorer can do for you.