2026 Ford Explorer in Prosser, WA
MSRP
$38,465
MPG
20 City
29 Highway
20 Vehicles Available
2026 Ford Explorer vs. 2026 Chevrolet Traverse: Which Three-Row SUV Is Better?
The 2026 Ford Explorer and 2026 Chevrolet Traverse are spacious three-row SUVs, but they serve family drivers with markedly different temperaments. Chevrolet prioritizes passenger volume and cargo room. Ford delivers a more variegated lineup that spans practical commuting, rear-wheel-drive road manners, genuine performance, and trail-oriented capability.
The Explorer is available in Active 100A, Active, ST-Line, Tremor, Platinum, and ST trims. It seats six or seven passengers and provides up to 85.8 cubic feet of cargo room. The Traverse offers LT, Z71, High Country, and RS models, seating for seven or eight people, and up to 98 cubic feet of cargo space. Chevrolet wins the spatial contest. Yet the Explorer’s broader personality from urbane Platinum to muscular ST and rugged Tremor makes it the more versatile vehicle overall.
Power and Performance
Here, the 2026 Ford Explorer pulls decisively ahead. Its standard 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder produces 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. Buyers seeking greater verve can choose the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6, which develops 385 horsepower and 415 pound-feet. The Chevrolet Traverse uses one engine across its range: a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet.
Although the Traverse has more standard horsepower, it cannot rival the Explorer ST’s V6 potency. Ford also offers rear-wheel drive on several Explorer configurations, while Intelligent 4WD is available. The Tremor adds standard four-wheel drive, a Torsen limited-slip rear axle, increased ground clearance, underbody protection, and an off-road-tuned suspension. Chevrolet’s Z71 is capable, with twin-clutch all-wheel drive, skid protection, and Hill Descent Control, but Ford’s powertrain breadth gives drivers more latitude.
Both SUVs can tow up to 5,000 pounds. Ford, however, includes its Class III Trailer Tow Package across the Explorer lineup, along with trailer-sway control and side-wind stabilization. That standardization is practical rather than ornamental.
Fuel Efficiency
The Explorer also holds a measurable fuel-economy advantage. A rear-wheel-drive 2026 Explorer with the 2.3-liter engine earns EPA estimates of 20 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined. The equivalent four-wheel-drive model returns 20/27/23 mpg.
The front-wheel-drive 2026 Traverse is rated at 20 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined. All-wheel-drive models achieve 20/24/21 mpg. Chevrolet’s numbers are respectable for a larger three-row SUV, but Ford provides better highway and combined efficiency in comparable configurations. The Explorer delivers that thrift without feeling anemic—a salient distinction for drivers who frequently merge, pass, or travel with a full cabin.
Technology
Chevrolet makes a strong first impression with its standard 17.7-inch touchscreen and 11-inch Driver Information Center. Google built-in, available HD Surround Vision, and available Super Cruise add genuine utility. This is the Traverse’s most persuasive counterargument.
The Explorer answers with a standard 13.2-inch center display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six USB ports on the Active 100A, and the Ford Digital Experience. Available features include a 360-degree camera, premium B&O audio, a head-up display, connected Google services, and BlueCruise hands-free highway driving with Automatic Lane Change. Ford’s interface may be less colossal, but the system feels cohesive and lucid. Performance, connectivity, and driver assistance coexist without turning the dashboard into digital bric-a-brac.
Safety Features
The Traverse supplies more than 20 standard safety and driver-assistance features. Its roster includes Automatic Emergency Braking, Blind Zone Steering Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Braking, Front Pedestrian and Bicycle Braking, and a Safety Alert Seat. Chevrolet deserves approbation here.
Ford counters with standard Co-Pilot360 Assist+, including adaptive cruise control, even on the entry Explorer Active 100A. Upper trims add a 360-degree camera and available or equipped BlueCruise. Trailer-sway control, side-wind stabilization, selectable drive modes, and the Explorer’s rear-wheel-drive architecture also support composed handling when weather, cargo, or trailers complicate the journey.
The 2026 Chevrolet Traverse is roomier, and its expansive touchscreen is difficult to ignore. Still, the 2026 Ford Explorer wins this comparison. It offers stronger available horsepower, better fuel economy, more drivetrain variety, a more sophisticated performance model, and a purpose-built Tremor trim. For drivers seeking a three-row SUV that does more than merely accommodate passengers, the Explorer is the more compelling machine.
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MPG estimates on this website are EPA estimates; your actual mileage may vary. For used vehicles, MPG estimates are EPA estimates for the vehicle when it was new. The EPA periodically modifies its MPG calculation methodology; all MPG estimates are based on the methodology in effect when the vehicles were new (please see the Fuel Economy portion of the EPA's website for details, including a MPG recalculation tool).
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