The fifth-generation Ford Explorer comes with amazing upgrades to the cabin. It is more spacious and attractive and now offers a more convenient 7-person seating capacity. The new dashboard layout looks cooler with the illuminated LED controls and the metal-look accents. The instrument cluster is kind of sporty with its single gauge layout and a 4.2-inch configurable color driver's display. It gets a 3-spoke leather steering wheel as well.
As standard, we have a 6-way driver and 2-way passenger adjustments where the top trim offers a 10-way power driver seat with power lumbar and 6-way power passenger adjustments. The second row has a 60:40 split-bench seat with a foldable seatback. At the back, we have a 50:50 split-bench third row that can be folded to the floor for more cargo room. From simple cloth upholstery, the Explorer even offers leather upholstery with Limited trim.
Models
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2011 Ford Explorer
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2011 Chevrolet Traverse
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2011 Nissan Pathfinder
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2011 Dodge Durango
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Seating capacity
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7
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8
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7
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7
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Front row (Headroom/ Shoulder room/ Legroom) inches
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41.4/61.3/40.6
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40.4/62.0/41.3
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40.0/58.3/42.4
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39.9/58.5/40.3
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Second row (Headroom/ Shoulder room/ Legroom) inches
|
40.5/61.0/39.8
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39.4/61.3/36.8
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39.0/58.4/34.2
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39.8/58.3/38.6
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Third row (Headroom/ Shoulder room/ Legroom) inches
|
37.8/50.8/33.2
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37.8/57.6/33.2
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36.7/57.1/28.1
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37.4/50.4/31.5
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Cargo capacity to 3rd row (Cu.-ft)
|
21.0
|
24.4
|
16.5
|
17.2
|
Cargo Capacity to 2nd Rowe (Cu.-ft)
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43.8
|
68.8
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48.9
|
47.7
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Cargo Capacity to 1st Rowe (Cu.-ft)
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80.7
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116.4
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79.2
|
84.5
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The fresh-looking cabin of the Ford Explorer has some new tricks down its sleeve. In terms of seating space, it is the most practical SUV as you get a proper seating area in all the rows. However the third-row bench seat may not be the best for taller passengers, that's why it is suitable for kids. The seat trim is soft and is comparatively better than the rivals. However, its cargo capacity of 80.7 cu.-ft is lower than most of its competitors, especially the 2011 Traverse that has a trunk volume of 116.4 cu.-ft. That said, some of the highlighting features are:
- Tilt and telescopic steering
- Air filtration system
- 12V DC outlets
- Electrochromic rearview mirror
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Power-adjustable pedals
How intuitive is the 2011 Ford Explorer's infotainment unit?
With the base trim, you get limited infotainment features like an AM/FM stereo with a CD player and an MP3 player that powers a six-speaker audio system. The XLT trim adds a SiriusXM satellite radio with 6 months subscription. The Limited trim gets a SYNC entertainment system with Bluetooth compatibility, USB connectivity, and an input jack.
It also offers a GPS-based turn-by-turn navigation system with a real-time traffic display. You can get video input for both infotainment and navigation with a huge 8.0-inch touchscreen display powered by MyFord touch. To give you a proper surround sound experience, you can also avail yourself of a Sony audio system with 12 speakers and an HD radio. Some of the highlights of the infotainment system are:
- Bluetooth Compatibility
- SiriusXM satellite radio
- SYNC entertainment system
- Turn by the turn navigation system
- MyFord Touch with 8.0-inch touchscreen
- Sony 12 speaker audio system (optional)