Ford Everest vs. Ford Explorer: What are the differences?

The Ford Everest is the midsize diesel SUV that is commonplace here in the Philippines. Not so common is the midsize crossover, the Ford Explorer. While both SUVs feature high ground clearance and burly looks, and price are not the only difference that separates the two models. Here is a list of differences that you should consider when buying your next high ground clearance Ford. 

The age old question: It’s not an SUV? To that we say: “Yes the Ford Explorer is not an SUV.” “The Ford Everest is an SUV.” What are the differences? While both share the same general shape, none of these two cars are similar underneath. 

The Everest features a body-on-frame construction, which is a hallmark of an SUV. Pair that with the live axle rear suspension and drivetrain setup, and you have yourself a textbook specimen. The platform that the Everest uses comes from the Ford Ranger, a pickup truck. Generally speaking, most manufacturers choose to go with a pickup truck base because no extra research and development costs can go into developing an entirely new platform. 

Ford’s Explorer, on the other hand, features a unibody chassis. This allows the ride to be more silent and comfortable for the occupants. While the Everest shuffles about from side to side, the Explorer takes turning, and going over bumps much smoother than its SUV brother. 

Thick or thin. Which substance will you go for? Now we can talk about diesel versus gasoline all we want, but the gist of it is, a diesel car will get you up and going quicker than gas, but gasoline gets you up and going faster while you’re already going. To summarize, diesels tend to launch the car quicker due to the available torque on tap. Gasoline powered engines make their peak torque later in their powerband.

In the Everest, this means better fuel economy in traffic. Diesels by their design are less refined and more rugged than their gasoline cousins, but can be designed to meet certain standards with regard to smoothness. The 3.2L of the Everest can return as high as 200 hp and 470 Nm of torque. As you can see, diesels are great for torque, and that is the figure that one must look at in this type of engine. 

The gasoline engine in the Ford Explorer can produce high horsepower and torque figures when boosted, such is the case with the 365 hp 475 Nm of torque EcoBoost V6 engine in the Sport trim. This engine pulls harder in the later part of its powerband, but returns smooth and quiet driving when sedate. Comparatively, the Explorer does have smooth driving, but it takes more effort from a stop to get up and moving. 

Here is where the differences lay. Dependent suspensions are less comfortable than an independent suspension. An independent suspension will not influence the wheel on the other side of the car when going over a bump. 

The Ford Everest features a live axle rear suspension. While the front is an independent pair, the rear may rock back and forth when going over a divot on the road. 

While passengers in the SUV could get tossed around a bit, the Explorer features a ride that's smoother than most SUVs. It trumps almost any ladder frame unit out in the market today. Because of the fully independent suspension setup, drivers and passengers will find that this car is a joy to drive and be in when traversing the streets of Metro Manila. 

While we cannot say much about the fuel economy of the Explorer, we do know that a Diesel car is more efficient because it has usable power. In the Everest we were able to clock in a fuel economy figure of eight kilometers per liter in the city. We can expect worse figures in the gasoline powered Explorer offers up less fuel economy in exchange for a smoother ride. This is because of where the torque is made. To get the car going, it takes a significant amount of torque considering the weight. Diesels have this pull earlier than gasoline engines, and in start-stop traffic, it becomes a challenge to keep fuel economy high. 

It really depends on you whether you can shoulder the cost of getting an Explorer or Everest. It also depends on what you want in an SUV. If outright comfort is your priority, then the Ford Explorer is for you. Everything is just wider and more roomy than the Everest. It is also more plush and quiet inside the interior while the car goes through EDSA traffic. It also won’t jerk as much as the Everest when going over a bump.

And this leaves the Everest. Now this car is for those of us who are looking for a daily driver. It doesn’t cost so much to fill up at the pump, and it returns good to great fuel economy figures. It is also a plus that this car doesn’t cost as much as the other.