The station wagon is on its way out. In its place, a new champion has arisen: the crossover SUV. Automakers are all turning out their own versions now hoping to catch the public’s eye, and Ford and General Motors are no different; Ford offers up its Explorer, while GM offers up its Chevy Traverse. In the end, though, the Explorer surpasses the Traverse in price, power and features.

1. In the Competition with
Chevy's Traverse, Ford's 2015
Explorer Puts Its Foot Down

2. The station wagon is on its way out. In its place, a new
champion has arisen: the crossover SUV. Automakers are
all turning out their own versions now hoping to catch
the public’s eye, and Ford and General Motors are no
different; Ford offers up its Explorer, while GM offers up
its Chevy Traverse. In the end, though, the Explorer
surpasses the Traverse in price, power and features.

3. In performance, the Explorer powers to victory
The 2015 Ford Explorer offers three different engines: a
2.0-liter EcoBoost engine that puts out more torque than
the Chevrolet Traverse's 3.6-liter V-6, a 3.5-liter V-6
engine that exceeds the peak horsepower output from
the Traverse's engine, and the ferocious 3.5-liter
EcoBoost V-6 that gives drivers extreme performance
capabilities, making trips through any terrain that much
easier. All come standard with a six-speed automatic
transmission, and V-6 models give drivers the option of
manually shifting gears. The Sport model also comes
with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

4. The Explorer’s fuel economy numbers also meet or
exceed the EPA efficiency ratings for the Traverse with
two of the three engines available. As a bonus, Ford has
its Terrain Management System that lets drivers simply
twist a dial to adjust the Explorer's four-wheel-drive
system for snow, mud or ruts.
The Traverse comes standard with a 281-horsepower 3.6
liter V6, with a six-speed automatic transmission.
Although the engine comes with a number of options, the
horsepower maxes out at 288 with the dual-exhaust
option; buyers do have a choice between standard front-
wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive.

5. Explorer drivers are cradled in comfort
The base Explorer comes equipped with a power tilt-
and-telescoping steering wheel and power-adjustable
pedals, as well as single-zone climate control with rear
auxiliary climate control, a power driver's seat, and a
six-speaker audio system that includes auxiliary inputs.
It also has a 60/40-split second-row seat and a 50/50-
split third-row seat, giving drivers a total of 80.5 cubic
feet of cargo room.

6. Upgrading to the mid-level Explorer XLT gets buyers
leather seats, navigation, blind-spot detection with
inflatable rear seatbelts, and dual-zone automatic climate
control, while Limited and Sport models offer luxury
seating, active cruise control, and heated and cooled front
seats. As Marty Padgett of The Car Connection wrote,
“Audi and BMW are in its crosshairs, Ford says, and the
Explorer delivers…The cabin's a knockout.”
The Traverse offers three rows of seating like the Explorer,
and offers fold-down seats as well. It has a touchscreen
with GM’s MyLink system which controls the rearview
camera, and comes standard with keyless entry, front and
rear air-conditioning, cloth upholstery, cruise control,
Bluetooth, and a six-speaker sound system with a CD
player and auxiliary inputs.

7. For an extra $3,000, one can upgrade to the 1LT model,
which brings 18-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, heated
mirrors, rear sensors for parking, remote ignition, a
power driver seat with eight-way adjustment (with two-
way power lumbar), a leather-wrapped steering wheel
and wood-grain trim. The top-of-the line LTZ model
starts at just over $42,000 and fully equipped can reach
over $47,000.

8. Safety features push the Explorer even farther ahead
With high-strength boron steel in the A and B-pillars, the
Explorer gets high marks for safety. But it doesn’t stop
there; Ford is the only automaker with inflatable seat
belts, made specifically to keep children safe in the event
of an accident. It also comes with Ford's MyKey, which
allows drivers to program in a maximum speed and
stereo volume to keep younger drivers from doing
something they’ll regret later.

9. The Traverse also does well in safety tests, but goes with
standard safety features like parking sensors, a rearview
camera system, hill start assist, and head-curtain side
bags with rollover mitigation technology. It also has four-
wheel antilock disc brakes and traction and stability
control. Forward collision warning, lane departure
warning and blind spot monitoring are optional. The
Traverse's seat/head restraint design was rated "Good" in
government tests for whiplash protection in rear impact
crashes.

10. Advantage: Ford Explorer
The 2015 Ford Explorer comes with a three-year/36,000-
mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and Chevy matches it
for the Traverse; however, given the performance of
General Motors in recent years with recalls, some caution
is called for. GM also recently cut their warranty back
from 100,000 miles on the powertrain to 60,000 miles.

11. With three separate yet distinctly different engines that
cover every need, the 2015 Ford Explorer manages to
cover more consumer ground for less money than the
Traverse. Add in the Explorer’s available four-wheel-
drive for off-road work and a multitude of interior
features, and the Explorer becomes the clear choice
especially when figuring in price. Although the Traverse
is a good vehicle, the Explorer simply outclasses it
overall. As Edmunds.com wrote, “…this Ford is certainly
a good fit for almost any family's garage.”

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