2020 Ford Explorer
HEADROOM, F/M/R 40.7/40.5/38.9 in
LEGROOM, F/M/R 43.0/39.0/32.2 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/M/R 61.8/61.9/54.6 in
CARGO VOLUME BEHIND
F/M/R87.8/47.9/18.2 cu ftCURB WEIGHT; DIST, F/R 4,367 lb; 50/50%
GROUND CLEARANCE 7.9 in
APPROACH/DEPART ANGLE 20.1/22.0 deg
TURNING CIRCLE 38.7 ft
TOWING CAPACITY 5,300 lbCOVER STORY
MAY 2020 MOTORTREND.COM 37LAYOUT, FORD EXPLORER
66.9”69.^9
”78.9”66.9” 119.1”
198.8”Sadly, the Mazda CX-9 does not share
the Ascent’s roominess or ease of ingress/
egress. Getting into the third row is a
struggle, and your hair will get messed up
when you try to fit yourself through the
narrow passage. If you make it through,
you’ll find yourself cramped. Our CX-9
was equipped with a center console for
second-row passengers, but we found it
useless and unnecessary. We also despise
the infotainment system—the rotary
knob interface is infuriating, and you
can’t control the touchscreen when the
SUV is moving.Contrary to the Mazda, the Traverse
has a capacious third row, fitting adults
and still leaving enough room for cargo.
Although we admired its infotainment
system, we also noticed its uninspiring
interior design and subpar material
quality. “Chevy really needs to work on
the tactile feel of its switchgear,” Seabaugh
said. “All the knobs and levers feel so
chintzy, like they’re going to crumble
in my fingers.” Rechtin said the stereo
sounded like “someone threw an iPhone
into a trash can.” At least the A/C blows an
Arctic blast right away.
European cars aren’t usually known
for being the most spacious, but the Atlas
is the exception. “Its third-row seating
is excellent, even with the second-row
seats fully back,” Rechtin said. “Ingress
and egress are easy given the large rear
door cut. Plus, enormous cargo space.”
The Atlas offers the most legroom for
third-row passengers. On the tech front,
its infotainment system was easy to use,
its digital cluster looks sharp, and its
optional Fender stereo is crisp. But that’s
where the good news ends. The fauxwood trim is unconvincing, and the hard
plastics in the second and third rows are
appalling. VW may have focused too much
on developing a spacious interior and
forgotten about making an attractive one.
The midcycle refresh the Pilot received
a couple of years ago brought an updated
infotainment system with modern
graphics and smart features like Cabin-
Talk, which allows the driver to talk to
their kids through the speakers (or head-
phones if they’re connected to the rear
entertainment system). But design-wise,
the Honda’s black-on-black interior looks
dated and boring, especially when you
compare it to the Subaru or the KoreanThe Explorer’s gear selector frees up space.