Compare the2026 Ford ExplorerVS 2026 Chevrolet Traverse

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Ford Explorer has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Traverse doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Explorer has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Traverse doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Explorer and the Traverse have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Explorer is safer than the Chevrolet Traverse:

	Explorer	Traverse
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	131	165
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches
Neck Stress	156 lbs.	159 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Explorer is safer than the Traverse:

	Explorer	Traverse
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Injury Chance	19%	30%
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Chest Rating
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh Compression L/R	22/22 pounds	472/270 pounds
Restraints	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Explorer is safer than the Chevrolet Traverse:

	Explorer	Traverse
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	224 lbs.	372 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	86	113
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	48 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
HIC	288	346
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	573 lbs.	721 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Explorer is 2.3% to 3.8% less likely to roll over than the Traverse.

The Ford Explorer has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Traverse is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2025.

Warranty

The Explorer’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Traverse’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

The Explorer has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Traverse doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 3 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Explorer’s optional 3.0 turbo V6 produces 72 more horsepower (400 vs. 328) and 89 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 326) than the Traverse’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Explorer is faster than the Chevrolet Traverse:

	Explorer turbo 4 cyl.	Explorer turbo V6	Traverse
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	5.3 sec	7.4 sec
Quarter Mile	14.7 sec	13.9 sec	15.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.1 MPH	99.9 MPH	92.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Explorer gets better mileage than the Traverse:

			MPG
Explorer
	RWD	2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
Traverse
	FWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/26 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/24 hwy

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Explorer, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Traverse.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Explorer’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Traverse:

	Explorer	Explorer ST	Traverse
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	14.3 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	13.8 inches	12.4 inches

The Explorer stops much shorter than the Traverse:

	Explorer	Traverse
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	114 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	150 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Explorer can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Traverse doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Explorer’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Traverse doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Explorer’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50% to 50%) than the Traverse’s (56% to 44%). This gives the Explorer more stable handling and braking.

The Explorer ST 4WD handles at .86 G’s, while the Traverse RS AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Explorer ST 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Traverse High Country AWD (26.4 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Explorer’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Traverse’s (38.4 feet vs. 39 feet). The Explorer’s turning circle is 2.3 feet tighter than the Traverse with 22-inch wheels’ (38.4 feet vs. 40.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Explorer has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Traverse (7.6 vs. 6.8 inches), allowing the Explorer to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Explorer Tremor’s minimum ground clearance is .9 inch higher than on the Traverse Z71 (8.7 vs. 7.8 inches).

Chassis

The Explorer is 5.8 inches shorter than the Traverse, making the Explorer easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Explorer has .5 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more rear headroom, .5 inches more rear hip room and .6 inches more third row headroom than the Traverse.

Cargo Capacity

The Explorer has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Traverse doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

A standard locking glovebox and optional locking center console (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Explorer. The Traverse doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Explorer is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Traverse. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Explorer’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Traverse’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Explorer’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Traverse doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Explorer’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Traverse’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Explorer has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Traverse doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Explorer Platinum also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Explorer to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Traverse doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Explorer (except Active) offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Traverse.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Ford Explorer and the Chevrolet Traverse, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Ford Explorer outsold the Chevrolet Traverse by almost two to one during 2024.

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