1 week Ago By Brian Harper
Article content It was a tongue-in-cheek comment fellow Driving.ca contributor Graeme Fletcher wrote in his review of the refreshed-for-2025 Explorer : “When the Earth was cooling, which was approximately 1990, the first-generation Ford Explorer arrived. At that time, it was offered in both two- and four-door models .
.. a breath of fresh air in a rather fuddy-duddy world.
” This had me taking a memory trip back to the Nineties. It’s not that the Explorer was the first family-oriented, four-door sport-ute to hit the market, it was predated by the 1983 GM S-10 Blazer/S-15 Jimmy duo and the 1984 Jeep Cherokee, but it was the right product at the right time for buyers tired of their minivans, Ford selling more than 700,000 units in the United States in its first three years of production. In 1992, Chrysler debuted its replacement for the Cherokee, adding Grand to the name and, like the Explorer, the Grand Cherokee was the right product for the time, riding the increasingly popular family SUV wave with strong sales of its own, just less than 700,000 sold in the U.
S. in its first three years. (Yes, showing my age, I was at the initial media launches for both vehicles).
The Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee have been fierce rivals since, direct competitors. And although they have lost some of their swagger over the years, competing harder for attention in a segment that has become rife with players — I can rattle off 10 nameplates without breaking a sweat — they still matter, especially to buyers with families who participate in outdoor activities such as camping, skiing, and boating. Last year, Stellantis sold 12,769 Grand Cherokee Ls in Canada; Ford not faring as well but still managing a respectable 10,667 Explorer sales.
Much larger — and far more expensive — than the OGs, the two now offer seating for seven, though the Grand Cherokee L comes standard with two captain’s chairs for the second row, with a three-seat bench optional. It’s time to check out how they fare in the Twenty-Twenties as family transport, while exploring (no pun intended) how much sport and how much utility there is to be had. Lining up the models was not an issue, trying to match exact trims was.
In the end, Ford provided a 2025 Explorer ST, a brawny, performance-oriented model with a starting MSRP of $69,135 ($71,560 as tested). Jeep countered with a 2024 Grand Cherokee L Limited, L meaning the longer-wheelbase (by 290 mm) version of the Grand. With a starting MSRP of $68,270, the heavily optioned Limited trim came with an as-tested price of $77,140.
As a note, the Explorer comes in one size only; there is no extended version. Both SUVs are four-wheel drive. A tale of the tape Both the Jeep and Ford are plus-sized sport-utes.
Dimensionally, these rigs are not that far off in size. Externally, the Explorer is 5,047 millimetres (198.7 inches) long, with a 3,025-mm (119.
1 in.) wheelbase. It is 2,268-mm wide (89.
3 in.) at the mirrors and 1,772-mm (69.8) tall.
The ST weighs 2,101 kg (4,631 lb.). On the Jeep side, the Grand Cherokee L is 5,204 mm (204.
9 in.) long, with a 3,091-mm (121.7 in.
) wheelbase. It’s 2,149 mm (84.6 in.
) wide and 1,815 (71.5 in.) mm tall.
The L Limited weighs 2,128 kg (4,692 lb). Despite their robust dimensions, neither vehicle was overly hard to park, thanks to their respective camera systems that aided squeezing into tight shopping mall spots. What powers the Ford and Jeep SUVs? Engineered by Ford Performance, the Explorer ST continues as the most powerful and “fun-to-drive” Explorer ever, powered by a specially tuned, twin-turbo 3.
0-litre EcoBoost V6 that produces 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque, as opposed to the 300-hp, turbo 2.3L four-cylinder found in the other trims. “Explorer ST comes standard as a four-wheel-drive performance SUV,” says Ford.
The engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic with paddle shifters. (Ford has not offered a V8-powered version since 2011.) As for drive modes, there are six — Normal, Eco, Sport, Tow/Haul, Slippery and Trail.
When it comes to the Grand Cherokee L, shed a quick tear for the Hemi; Jeep no longer makes the V8 available. All versions are now powered by a Pentastar 3.6L V6 rated at 293 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, hooked up to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Jeep Selec-Terrain switch with selectable terrain modes is standard on Grand Cherokee L 4×4 models (Limited and above), with five available terrain modes — Auto, Sport, Rock, Snow, Mud/Sand. The Grand Cherokee L is much more proficient in the towing department; 6,200 pounds compared with the Explorer ST’s 5,000 pounds. The Jeep tester was equipped with a $995 trailer tow package that included dual exhaust tips, automatic headlamp levelling, heavy-duty engine cooling, rear load-levelling suspension, 4- and 7-pin wiring harness, a Class IV hitch receiver, trailer hitch zoom, and a full-size spare.
The Explorer ST came standard with a Class III trailer tow package as well as trailer sway control. Fuel consumption comparison Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) rates the 2025 Explorer ST’s twin-turbo 3.0L V6 at 13.
3 L/100 km city, 9.6 highway, and 11.6 combined, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,596.
The Grand Cherokee L with the 3.6L V6 is rated 13.0 L/100 km city, 9.
4 highway, and 11.3 combined. NRCan estimates an annual fuel cost at $3,053.
I averaged 13.2 L/100 km in the Explorer and 12.6 L/100 km in the Jeep, both more or less driven in a 50/50 mix of highway and city driving.
Exterior differences between the Explorer and Grand Cherokee L For 2025, the reworked sixth-generation Explorer boasts a bolder appearance and stance, with options that allow owners to personalize their ride. The ST is fitted with a honeycomb gloss black grille with black mesh insert and ST badging. The uniquely styled front end include a larger grille, sleeker all-LED headlamps, front skid plate and lower, wider air curtains.
Further enhancing the look, there’s a new black-painted roof option for the ST, ST-Line and Platinum. The liftgate has been updated, with LED taillamps extending from the Explorer’s corners onto a nameplate appliqué that stretches across the liftgate. The fifth-generation Grand Cherokee and L are more familiar entities, arriving in 2021.
A generally conventional body style is enhanced with signature Jeep design cues, including the brand’s signature seven-slot grille, aggressive front approach angle and trapezoidal wheel arches. A full suite of LED exterior lighting is standard on all Grand Cherokee L trim levels. Interior dimensions Big outside, big inside.
Looking at the interior dimensions, the Grand Cherokee L’s extra length should prove more accommodating for occupants than the Explorer ST — at least in overall passenger volume. The Jeep’s cabin 4,505 litres/159.1 cu.
ft. is roomier than the Ford’s 4,299 litres/151.8 cu.
ft. However, passenger accommodation slightly favours the Explorer in all three rows. Dragging out the tape measure, for front-seat passengers the Explorer ST offers 1,035 mm of headroom versus 1,012 mm, and legroom of 1,089 mm versus 1,050 mm.
The Explorer also gets to tick off extra hip room and shoulder room for driver and front-seat passenger. For second-row passengers it’s 1,028 mm compared to 1,014 mm of headroom and 1,050 mm to 1,042 mm in legroom. And the Explorer continues its advantage in shoulder and hip room.
Third-row passengers should be young, short or limber, maybe all three. As a 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior, I was none of the three. My attempt to access the back row of the Explorer was noble in attempt, but an abject failure.
I managed to squeeze into the Jeep’s back row, but it was awkward as hell, though I noticed the space between the middle row seats would make it easier for someone shorter. If seat use is not required, both vehicles make it easy to drop the third row from the cargo area. Headroom in the Grand Cherokee L betters the Explorer 988/947 mm.
Legroom still favours the Ford 817/770 mm. The Jeep has a bit more hip room, the Ford more shoulder room. As for cargo volume, the breakdown favours the Grand Cherokee L, at least behind the third row (490 litres/17.
2 cu. ft) and second row (1,330 litres/46.9 cu.
ft). Explorer offers 461 litres/16.3 cu.
ft. at the back and 1,302 litres/46 cu. ft.
behind the second row. With second and third rows folded down, however, it’s 2,416 litres (85.3 cu.
ft.) for the Explorer ST, 2,390 litres (84.6 cu.
ft) for the Grand Cherokee L. In either case, there’s plenty of room for a lot of recreational gear. The cabin: Ford vs Jeep The Explorer ST’s overall décor tends toward sportiness.
The redesigned interior comes with wrap-and-stitch, soft-touch surfaces on the centre console, door panels and redesigned dashboard, and synthetic seat material. Silver mesh accents further the sporty vibe. Still, for a $70K vehicle, the cabin is more well-contented than luxurious.
The dashboard has been pushed forward to give front-row passengers more space. An integrated tray below the touchscreen houses a wireless phone charging pad and there are USB connections to charge mobile devices in all three rows. The displays on the 13.
2-inch touchscreen allow for easy control, and integration with Google Maps allows navigation screens to be displayed on both the touchscreen and the 12.3-inch digital cluster. The 2025 Explorer is the first Ford to implement the Ford Digital Experience, which enables drivers to access their favourite apps and services from Google and Amazon, through the integrated console, as well as with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through smartphones.
Although I spent scant time on highways that supported it, the Explorer was fitted with Ford’s BlueCruise hands-free driving system. BlueCruise controls steering, braking, acceleration, and lane-centering. A driver-facing camera keeps track whenever their hands are off the wheel.
L2+ Hands-free Active Driving Assist is Jeep’s name for hands-free and eyes-on-road automated driving on approved highways in the United States and Canada. It’s offered on select Grand Cherokee L trims, although the tester was not so equipped. There’s an equal amount of content in the Grand Cherokee L, albeit with a grander sense of occasion, helped by a $2,295 Luxury Tech Group II package that added Capri leatherette seats with perforated inserts, front ventilated seats, second-row manual window shades, auto-dimming digital display, wireless charging pad, dual-pane unroof, power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, uprated audio system, front and rear park assists and more.
Standard content includes individual climate zones throughout the cabin for personalized comfort, heated front and second-row seats, heated steering wheel, a 10.25-inch colour digital gauge cluster, Uconnect 5 NAV with 10.1-inch display, hands–free phone communication, a media hub with two USB and auxiliary input jacks, and a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot.
For those who prefer hard buttons rather than a touchscreen, know that the Jeep has the both for HVAC and heated seats,, while the Explorer uses the latter. What’s the drive like? I admit to an eye roll of incredulity when I read that Explorer ST customers in the States are eligible to attend the complimentary Ford Performance Racing School’s ST Driving Experience, “where they will learn how to get the most out of their Explorer ST.” Yes, I have driven high-performance sport-utes on racetracks over the years.
Some go like stink in a straight line and corner well considering their weight and centre of gravity. Others not so much. And, yes, I am pre-judging, but I don’t believe I would enjoy the experience in the Explorer ST.
Sure, it’s quick enough; acceleration to 100 km/h in the low 5s is pretty good for a 2,101-kilogram rig, albeit with a somewhat unpleasant engine note when under load. Beyond that, it feels ponderous when cornering or negotiating a turn, the ST’s electric-assist steering given a weightier feel that is slow to return to centre. Also, its stiffer sport-tuned suspension clomps over uneven pavement.
I’ve heard from some of my confreres that the 10-speed likes to hunt between gears, though I can’t say I found it that noticeable. Still, the ST leaves the impression that performance was added on rather than engineered in. There being no overt sporting intentions to the Grand Cherokee L works in its favour.
Despite being longer and heavier, it was easier, quieter and thus more enjoyable to drive, with a smoother ride and handling that was surprisingly adept. Getting to 100 km/h takes about eight seconds and when pushed, as in accelerating onto a highway, the engine is quite noisy. Reliability of the two SUVs There’s a few issues for both the Explorer and the Grand Cherokee L to deal with here, namely recalls.
The latest one — there are others over the past few years — has Ford recalling 384 units of the 2025 Explorer due to a software glitch that affects the rearview camera image. Ford says some vehicles were shipped with pre-production software, in which the rearview camera image may not work if the vehicle is going faster than 16km/h in reverse. Ford began rolling out an OTA update to fix the issue at the end of November.
Jeep recalled a number of Grand Cherokee Ls from model years 2023 and 2024 because its high beams may not turn on when needed. Jeep also recalled 2023 Ls because a suspension component could break and cause a wheel to detach and fall outward from the vehicle. A Stellantis spokesperson told Consumer Reports that the wheel does not separate but rather “comes loose.
” Speaking of CR , the non-profit gives the Explorer an overall score of 60, 51 for the Grand Cherokee L., with both vehicles given worse-than-average ratings for reliability and owner satisfaction. Final Thoughts The popularity of mid-size SUVs, notes website goodcarbadcar.
net , is due to factors that include versatility and safety. “Mid-size SUVs offer more space and cargo capacity than small SUVs, but they are still relatively fuel-efficient. Additionally, mid-size SUVs are typically more affordable than large SUVs, and they offer a good balance of performance and comfort.
” All fair points, but notably absent from that statement is off-road capability, that feature taking a backseat to more practical day-to-day concerns. However, it must be pointed out that Jeep’s reputation for off-road capability extends to the Grand Cherokee L, with no less than three 4×4 systems — Quadra-Trac I, Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Drive II — offered. From a performance standpoint, the Explorer ST is the more entertaining of the two models, though, as noted, not without criticism.
Still, the twin-turbo V6 is the only engine I would consider for the Ford, the 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder found in the rest of the lineup two few cylinders and not enough grunt for a rig this size, in my opinion. The same applies to the Grand Cherokee L.
If Jeep is going to drop the Hemi V8, it should be giving the Pentastar V6 more horses — another 40 or 50 — to handle the vehicle’s weight and make it less leisurely when it comes to hard acceleration. Overall, though, despite the revamp this year to the sixth-generation Explorer, which was new as a 2020 model, it feels more dated than the Grand Cherokee L, lacking the refinement of many of its competitors, including the Jeep. The Grand Cherokee L has a more upscale — bordering on luxe — interior.
Along with comments mentioned earlier — smooth, comfortable, quiet and overall pleasant — it feels like the better choice. Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on X , Tiktok and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice..
