If you’re planning to buy a mid-size SUV, you may find yourself wondering if the 2021 Ford Explorer or 2021 Toyota Highlander is more suitable for you. Both of these SUVs are highly sought after because they’re impressive in almost every department, from ride quality to safety. However, if you compare their specifications and features, you’ll see that they’re different in many ways. Find out how the 2021 Ford Explorer stacks up against the 2021 Toyota Highlander.
Trim Levels
The 2021 Ford Explorer is available in five trim levels to suit the budgets and lifestyles of different buyers: the base Explorer, XLT, Limited, the performance-oriented ST, and the top-of-the-line Platinum. The Limited also comes in a hybrid version.
The 2021 Toyota Highlander is offered in six trims, including the base L, LE, XLE, the sport-tuned XSE, Limited, and the range-topping Platinum. A hybrid model is available in the LE, XLE, Limited, and Platinum.
Performance
If power is an important consideration for you, the Ford Explorer is hands down the better option. Even with its standard 300-horsepower 2.3-liter turbo-four engine, this SUV produces more power than the Toyota Highlander, which comes with a sole 295-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6. While its base engine provides enough power for most driving tasks, the Explorer also offers a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 that generates 365 horsepower in the Platinum and 400 horsepower in the ST. The Explorer ST can accelerate to 60 mph from a standstill in less than six seconds, making it one of the fastest vehicles in its class.
Even if you prefer to go hybrid, the Explorer provides a more exciting driving experience. Its hybrid model is fitted with a 3.3-liter V-6 that combines with an electric motor to deliver 318 horsepower. A hybrid Highlander, on the other hand, uses a 2.5-liter inline-four and an electric motor to produce 243 horsepower. When properly equipped, the Ford has a tow rating of 5,600 pounds, whereas the Toyota can pull only 5,000 pounds.
Despite its relatively large size, the Ford Explorer demonstrates surprisingly good agility and maneuverability, thanks to its sharp steering. It also has an upgraded suspension that enables it to ride smoothly over uneven surfaces, such as bumps, potholes, and railroad tracks. Overall, this SUV drives much like a small crossover or large sedan. The Toyota Highlander also provides a composed and comfortable ride, but its lack of steering feedback and agility may sometimes make it feel a little clumsy.
Fuel Efficiency
When it’s equipped with a gas-powered engine, the 2021 Ford Explorer is slightly less fuel-efficient than the 2021 Toyota Highlander. It earns 21/28 mpg (city/highway) with the base engine and rear-wheel drive and 18/26 mpg with the twin-turbo V-6. Fuel-economy ratings for the Highlander are 21/29 mpg with front-wheel drive and 20/27 mpg with all-wheel drive.
If you opt for the hybrid Explorer, you’ll get 27/29 mpg with rear-wheel drive and 23/26 mpg with all-wheel drive. The hybrid Highlander is significantly more fuel-efficient, delivering 35/35 mpg with all-wheel drive.
Interior
The Ford Explorer can seat seven people in its standard configuration and six with the optional captain’s chairs. While it has a slightly smaller seating capacity than the eight-seater Toyota Highlander, it offers more spacious seats in all three rows. Both SUVs come with nice seats that provide adequate comfort and support even on long-distance trips.
If you need to carry a lot of stuff on a regular basis, you’ll be better off choosing the Explorer. This SUV has one of the largest cargo capacities in its class. It offers 18.2 cubic feet of storage space behind the rearmost seats, 47.9 cubic feet behind the second-row seats, and 87.8 cubic feet behind the front seats. The Highlander is also a good cargo hauler, giving you 16 cubic feet behind the third-row seats, 48.4 cubic feet behind the second-row seats, and 84.3 cubic feet behind the front seats.
Infotainment
The 2021 Ford Explorer may have a shorter list of standard tech features than the Toyota Highlander, but it offers more optional features. The SUV comes standard with a SYNC 3 infotainment system with an 8-inch touch-screen display, a Wi-Fi hot spot, four USB ports, satellite radio, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and six speakers. Its available features include a 10.1-inch touch-screen display with a portrait layout, wireless device charging, a 12.3-inch customizable driver display, a rear-seat entertainment system, and a 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio system.
The Highlander has an infotainment system with an 8-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, satellite radio, a Wi-Fi hot spot, five USB ports, and a six-speaker sound system. Available upgrades include a 12.3-inch touch screen, navigation, wireless device charging, and an 11-speaker JBL audio system.
Safety
Both the 2021 Ford Explorer and 2021 Toyota Highlander earned the highest possible crash safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. However, Ford is slightly behind its rival in terms of driver-assistance technologies, even though it’s one of the class leaders in the safety department.
If you choose the Explorer, you’ll have standard active safety features such as blind-spot detection, forward-collision alert, pedestrian monitoring, forward automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, a rearview camera, rear cross-traffic warning, driver-drowsiness detection, and MyKey with secondary-driver monitoring. You can step up your safety game by getting available features such as traffic-sign recognition, a surround-view parking camera system, adaptive cruise control, evasive-steering assistance, reverse-braking assistance, and parallel and perpendicular parking assistance.
The Toyota Highlander comes standard with automatic emergency braking, traffic-sign recognition, automatic high-beam headlamps, forward-collision alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-tracing assistance, lane-keeping assistance, pedestrian monitoring, lane-departure alert, a rearview camera, and a rear-seat reminder. Available features include a head-up display, adaptive headlamps, blind-spot detection, a surround-view parking camera system, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a rearview mirror camera, and front and rear parking sensors.
If you want to know whether the 2021 Ford Explorer is the right SUV for you, consider stopping by Wendle Ford for a test drive. Contact us today to make an appointment.
Featured image via Flickr by Rutger van der Maar
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