When thinking of Ford, either the Mustang or the F-150 most likely comes to mind. What you don’t think of, unless you own one, is one of Ford’s lineup of SUVs. The little we do hear about Ford’s SUVs, the Explorer in specific, is not good. The Explorer has been plagued with transmission issues that prevent many one-time buyers from doing so again, as well as causing potential new buyers to walk away without purchasing.

Ford is looking to change that with the newly redesigned 2020 Explorer. If you’re in the market for a new SUV, here are some of its standard features, and here’s also why you should give the Explorer a chance.

Ford Explorer Specs

According to Edmunds, Ford has made some long overdue changes to the Explorer. First amongst these changes is a rear-wheel-drive chassis. This has apparently helped improve the balance, which was in desperate need of an update. It also improves towing capabilities.

Motor1 reports that the Explorer has a standard V6 engine and six-speed transmission.

Exterior

Not only does the Ford Explorer have a slick new body, but there are a lot of new features you’ll love. According to Edmunds, the 2020 Explorer has 18″ wheels. This will be perfect for bad weather. You’ll be riding high no matter what Mother Nature has to throw at you.

The Explorer also has a rear privacy glass to keep prying eyes from peeking in as you drive. Even better is the power lift gate, which is a life saver when you have a heavy load and no extra hands.

Safety

Most consumers are interested in what safety features are included in a new vehicle, but that usually requires having to dish out more money. In a very smart move, Ford has decided to include a lot of these features as part of the standard package for the basic Ford Explorer.

Some of the features included are a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, automatic high beams, pre-collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and mitigation, and a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert. 

Another great feature kicks in during a collision. The brakes are automatically applied, which helps reduce the risk of a second collision.

And all of these are standard features, meaning that the sticker price you see on the window already includes these.

Interior

If you have a growing family or like to get the gang together, you’ll be pleased to know that the 2020 Explorer has three-row seating. Unfortunately, the third row is notoriously uncomfortable. 

Car and Driver reports, “Although getting back there is easier than before thanks to a button that easily tumbles the second-row seats (offered either as a three-place bench or individual captain’s chairs), the back row’s bottom cushion is low and unsupportive. This problem, in which passengers’ knees are forced into their chests, plagues many third-row seats, but rivals from Subaru, Volkswagen, and Chevrolet give occupants more space to uncurl from the fetal-tuck position.”

Fortunately, the first two rows are more comfortable, so if you’re looking for a vehicle that doesn’t require you to use the third row, you can always lay it down and use the space for more cargo room.

Infotainment

Edmund reports that the Ford Explorer offers some amazing new standard features that may tempt new and former owners in. For example, the Explorer comes with a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. Whether you have kids, do business on the go, or like to stream movies, you’ll love having your own personal hotspot.

Also included is an 8-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and two USB ports. As an added bonus, if you love satellite radio, you can listen to it on your six-speaker audio system.