Ford Bronco vs Ford Explorer

Unlike some SUVs that only look as though they were designed to excel in the dirt, the 2025 Ford Bronco delivers the goods. It’s more comfortable on streets and highways than the Jeep Wrangler, and offers buyers a wide range of variants.

Verdict: Consider carefully how you plan to use your car day-in and day-out before deciding to buy a new Bronco. While the 2025 Bronco is an extremely fun beast that’s a blast to play with on-road and off, it requires some serious compromises to use as a daily driver, and it's hardly a bargain.

The Explorer was one of the first truly family-friendly SUVs, and it continues in that role today as a midsize three-row crossover competing against the likes of the Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Pathfinder, and Toyota Highlander. The current-generation Explorer has been around since the 2020 model year, and the big news for 2026 is a Tremor model that replaces the Timberline as the most off-road-capable Explorer. The available BlueCruise driver-assist system also gets an update.

Verdict: Ford’s SUV stalwart still gets the job done, but it lacks personality unless you go for the ST or Tremor models.