SUVs have become vastly more popular in recent years for a number of key reasons, with the main one being that they’re the trendiest family-suitable machine on the road. The thing is, one of the primary catalysts that led to SUVs becoming the go-to family vehicle lies with how far engineering development has traveled over the last couple of decades. Pre-2000, SUVs used to be thirsty and ungainly things that, while tall and safe, usually ended up getting you into more accidents than they saved you from due to their high centers of gravity.
Improved engine and suspension technology now means that these bigger models handle much more like conventional cars in the modern day, while also being vastly more fuel efficient and smoother to drive. Getting one with a hybrid powertrain is a great way of combining versatility with efficiency, though newer specimens can be very expensive. As a result, we reckon opting for a used Ford Explorer Hybrid could be a great way of securing these attributes, but at a much more appealing price point.
The Explorer Hybrid Combines V6 Grunt With A Clean Electric Motor
Blue 2023 Ford Explorer Hybrid frontFord
The Explorer Hybrid was developed by Ford to provide its customers with a practical SUV that could tow and lug around considerable weights with ease, but without having to clean out a gas station every 200 miles. Rather than start with the usual four-cylinder engines you’ll find in such vehicles these days, the American manufacturer instead elected to make use of its 3.3-liter naturally aspirated V6, which could normally be found lurking under the hood of its F-150 pickup truck.
2020-2023 Ford Explorer Hybrid
Engine
3.3L NA V6 with hybrid
Transmission
Ten-speed Auto
Power
318 hp (combined)
Torque
322 lb-ft (combined)
0-60 mph
7.7 seconds
Average Used Value
$28,896
The unit was detuned for use in the Explorer to ensure it used less fuel, with the reduced grunt made up for by a single electric motor that was placed in the engine bay alongside its V6 partner. The result was 318 combined horsepower and 322 pound feet of torque, which ensured it was a little more powerful than the 2.3-liter four-cylinder version of the Explorer.
The grunt was sent through either the rear or all four wheels, depending on how much money you wanted to spend, and via a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Explorer thus possessed more than enough grunt to take care of most family business, as illustrated by its solid 5,000-lb towing capacity.
Ford’s Hybrid Explorer Was Vastly More Frugal Than Its Siblings
White 2023 Ford Explorer Hybrid rear endFord
While the power was all well and good, the real reason you bought an Explorer Hybrid was due to the enhanced fuel efficiency that it promised. The idea of the vehicle was to provide the beefy pulling power of a V6 with the efficiency of a smaller engine, and the model hit the brief perfectly. Those looking to maximize their mileage will be better-off opting for the lighter rear-wheel drive version, which manages a solid 28 MPG combined. This is four MPG up on the entry-level four-cylinder Explorer, illustrating the clear benefit of the electric motor.
The heavier AWD variant sees a drastic reduction in peak efficiency, though its 25 MPG combined figure still means it squeaks ahead of its less powerful sibling. In fact, opt for the RWD car, and Ford says you can expect to get around 500 miles from a single tank, a distance that makes it a great long road trip cruiser.
A Used Explorer Hybrid Offers Good Value
Red 2023 Ford Explorer Hybrid side viewFord
As far as relatively frugal mid-size SUVs go, the Explorer Hybrid stands out as a solid choice due to its handy compromise between providing enough grunt to work well as a family workhorse, but without emptying its tank in seconds. There’s more good news too, as used examples can be picked up at a bargain price in 2026. The average outlay of the model currently sits at around $29,000, which makes it vastly cheaper than it once was. Having retailed for around $50k in 2023, its last year in production, that means you can get a car just a few years old for nearly half the price.
This value will net you a car with around 40,000 miles on the clock and with a clean title, ensuring it will have plenty of life left in it. As long as it was looked after by its previous suitors, of course. Extremely low-mileage cars will demand between $30,000 and $40,000, while higher-mileage cars can be picked up for less than $20k. Combing through the vehicle’s service history is critical when searching at this price point though, as you can easily get it wrong and buy a car that’ll cost you a fortune in repairs if you don’t do your homework. Ensure that the machine has been regularly serviced, and that any problems were swiftly dealt with, rather than left to get worse over time.
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The Explorer’s Extra Electrical Components Don’t Rob You Of Space
Blue 2023 Ford Explorer Hybrid trunk shotFord
One drawback that hybrid models such as these can suffer from is a relative lack of cabin space when compared to the traditional pure internal combustion-engined equivalent models. This is because the prominent electric motor and battery components can take up plenty of space, given they’re being added to the car alongside its standard engine. Ford’s engineers did a good job of mitigating this issue by shoehorning the motor alongside the engine, and placing the battery below the Explorer’s floor.
This clever packaging job means the Explorer Hybrid provides the same amount of cabin and cargo space as the ICE-only models, with up to 87.8 cubic feet of space being available with the rear two rows of seating collapsed.
Ford’s Mid-Size Hybrid Crossover Boosts Cabin Comfort In Other Ways
2023 Ford Explorer Hybrid front cabin viewFord
There’s further good news, too, as the Explorer Hybrid is loaded with a range of standard equipment to help enhance its capability as a comfortable family bus. For one, the car is equipped with leather seats, with the front chairs equipped with both heating and ventilating functionality. They’re also power adjustable, as is the heated leather steering wheel. Beyond this, the Explorer Hybrid gets a useful 360-degree camera system, which makes it easier to keep track of your surroundings when parking or navigating tighter areas.
The cool extras don’t end there either, as a high-end Bang and Olufsen audio system is thrown in as standard, as is active noise control. This helps to tune out unwelcome external noise from the cabin, which further enhances the level of refinement. The vehicle is extremely well-equipped, especially when you consider how cheap you can get these high-end SUVs these days.
The Explorer Hybrid Isn’t The Cheapest SUV To Run
Blue 2023 Ford Explorer Hybrid on road from sideFord
It’s not all sunshine and roses for the Explorer Hybrid though, as it lacks the cheap running costs that rivals such as the Toyota Rav4 can boast. According to RepairPal, you’ll need to budget around $732 per year to keep the car running on all cylinders, which is roughly $300 more than the Rav4. In terms of issues to look out for, the most alarming on the surface regards the machine’s 10-speed auto gearbox.
Many owners have reported harsh and erratic shifting, while some have even failed to hold the vehicle at a stop. The unit alone has been responsible for five separate recalls, so make sure any car you look at has had any remedial work carried out.
Beyond this, the Explorer Hybrid has also displayed plenty of questionable quality related problems. The rear-view camera system has been the subject of six recalls alone, with constant repairs consistently failing to completely rectify any issues that crop up. Cycling through the transmission and camera is extremely important for any example you decide to check out. In addition, make sure to inspect the rest of the car’s electrical systems, as other random problems have been reported.
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Luckily, the various recalls Ford has put out rectify the bulk of the ailments found so far, free of charge. As a result, we feel that as long as you do your homework and find yourself a tidy and well-looked-after example, the Explorer Hybrid is a lot of car for the money. It may have been a bit of a reliability mongrel when it was first released, but Ford is working diligently to make good on the issues that have crept in thus far.
At the very least, the amount of money you’ll save by going used will leave you with a decent chunk of cash left over to cure any future problems that may arise.
Sources: Ford, RepairPal.
