Comparing the Ford Explorer and the Toyota Highlander

Have a large family and are looking for a 3-row crossover vehicle?

Many people compare the 2014 Ford Explorer and the 2014 Toyota Highlander when searching.

But what’s the difference?

This year, Ford improves the Explorer’s electric steering, installed larger standard brakes, and added automatic headlights for all models. Second-row heated seats and adaptive cruise control are more widely available in the 2014 models, and two new colors debuted.

After a stumble in 2011 – following a complete redesign and a switch from traditional SUV construction to a crossover SUV platform – the current Ford Explorer’s reliability record has been good.

At Monaco Ford, you can choose between three different engines when buying a 2014 Ford Explorer. A 290-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 is standard and is the most popular choice, paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s ratings for combined driving, this engine provides 20 miles per gallon with front-wheel drive (FWD) and 19 miles per gallon with the optional AWD system.

Optionally, a more fuel-efficient and turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine is offered exclusively with FWD and a 6-speed automatic. At 240 horsepower, this turbo 4-cylinder generates less oomph than the V6, but it also produces more torque at lower revolutions per minute, helping it to feel nearly as energetic while returning 23 miles per gallon in combined driving, based on EPA estimates.

The Explorer Sport is the most powerful version of this SUV, equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 engine and a standard AWD system. The fuel economy rating for this setup is 18 miles per gallon in combined driving.

While the Explorer and the Highlander are in the same general neighborhood with regard to miles per gallon, the Explorer’s engines are more powerful. 

US News gives the Ford Explorer a check for a V6 cylinder engine and a supercharged and turbocharged engine – things the Highlander doesn’t have.

When it comes to safety, both models get a 5-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and both models earn the top rating of Good in four out of five crash-test assessments conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 

Ford wins when it comes to safety equipment. For example, the Explorers at Monaco Ford are equipped with standard MyKey technology, which allows the parents of young drivers to program certain vehicle settings to help keep them safe. It also has SYNC Bluetooth connectivity with 911 Assist, which automatically dials out for help from emergency personnel if the Explorer’s airbags deploy, as long as a smartphone is paired to the system and aboard the SUV.

Toyota doesn’t offer anything like MyKey and provides its subscription-based Safety Connect service only on the most expensive Highlander Limited trim levels.

Furthermore, the Ford is available with curve control technology, a lane-keeping system that can help steer the Explorer back into its lane if it wanders unintentionally and inflatable rear seat belts that help cushion rear-seat occupants from crash forces. Toyota doesn’t offer these features for the Highlander.

Each of these family-size crossovers can be optioned with a sophisticated AWD system, though Ford supplies hill-descent control and a terrain management system that tailors power delivery based on the type of surface that the Explorer is on.

Both of these vehicles are also offered with robust infotainment technologies, including smartphone connectivity and applications, a navigation system, premium audio components, rear-seat entertainment and more, but the Explorer also offers a mobile Wi-Fi connection.

Additionally, the Monaco Ford Explorer is available with a greater array of safety technologies, plus an active park-assist system that steers the SUV into a parallel parking space while the driver operates the transmission and pedals. The 2014 Ford Explorer offers a greater level of technology than the 2014 Toyota Highlander.

US News adds that the Explorer has an interior cargo shade, luggage rack, rear seat audio controls, satellite radio, hard disk drive, passenger lumbar seats, a fixed bench seat, a split bench seat, and flexible fuel capability. The Highlander doesn’t earn a check for any of these categories.

Monaco Ford is family owned and operated since 1922, currently employing its 4th generation of ownership. The dealership currently has over 80 employees. It has received Ford’s prestigious President’s Award an outstanding 8 times in the past two decades by surpassing all requirements, proving itself as one of Connecticut’s elite dealers. Visit www.monacoford.com for more about the dealership and the inventory. Our cars and our company are reliable and trustworthy. What more could you ask for?