2019 Ford Explorer Interior and Cargo

The base Explorer is fitted with cloth seats, but every trim above that gets leather upholstery and a leather-trimmed steering wheel. Limited and Platinum trims are also treated to wood inlays on the dash and doors, and perforated leather, which also adorns the seats in the Sport. Color options are limited to an off-white in the base model, with black, two-tone black and brown as well as ceramic white available further up the model range. The Premium also has the addition of a wood insert on the steering wheel and its premium leather seats are quilted too.

With all seats upright, the trunk can carry 21 cubic feet, but if you fold the third row flat, that increases to 43.9 cubic feet. This is enough space to fit a stroller or a pair of golf bags, or luggage for four, plus a few grocery bags, while still seating five. The middle row folds in a 60/40 split with the bench and the center armrest is the same height as the folded seats if you spec the individual buckets here. Maximum storage with all the seats folded is 81.7 cubic feet, which is enough for a mountain bike with plenty of room to spare. To make things simpler, the rear seats can feature power-assisted folding.

10 cup holders are dotted around the car, with large door cards at each corner. The center armrest houses a medium-sized storage bin, which can be copied to the rear too. The glovebox is also rather cavernous.

A rearview camera is fitted to the Explorer as standard, while rear parking sensors are an option. Spend some extra cash on higher trims and you get dual-zone automatic climate control with auxiliary rear controls, a hands-free power liftgate, and remote start. Other comfort and convenience features include massaging heated and cooled front seats, a heated second row, heated steering wheel, front parking sensors, auto windshield wipers, auto high beams and auto park assist. Driver aids are further supplemented by blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, while additional niceties include a WiFi hotspot and a twin-panel sunroof. A forward parking camera is also available.

这位探险家's standard SYNC infotainment system is average at best and features a 4.2-inch screen with six speakers (or seven in the XLT) but this can be upgraded with Ford's outstanding SYNC 3 eight-inch LCD touchscreen and a 12-speaker Sony sound system and a rear-seat DVD player. Premium models get an upgraded version of this sound system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also feature in addition to FordPass Connect for your smartphone apps, along with two USB ports in front and another two in the middle row. Bluetooth, SiriusXM, and voice-activated navigation are also available.