6 Things We Loved About the 2025 Ford Explorer ST

The Ford Explorer is a lot of vehicle for the dollar. We love the wide range of trims Ford offers for families and owners who wish to tow, go off-road, and want a sportier-than-average three-row SUV. 

This week, we sampled the $57,100 ST trim. That’s the sporty version. Sure, the 3-liter EcoBoost engine’s torque is great. Of course, we liked the improved brakes and tires. But our list of likes includes some things that may go unnoticed in a quick test drive. Here’s a top-down list:

2025 Ford Explorer ST - Perfect Seats
I test a lot of fancy vehicles, and I have found that cloth seats work the best. I understand many perceive leather or plastic (fake leather) as better, and they are welcome to be wrong about this. Ford’s Explorer ST has a premium cloth “Miko” seating surface. It feels upscale and rich to the touch. Turn on the seat heater and they are cozy on cool days. On warm days the micro perforations ventilate the seats for comfort. Best of all, these seats are power-operated and super comfy. 

2025 Ford Explorer ST - Perfect Infotainment Setup
The folks at Ford build some of the very best infotainment systems in the industry. The ‘25 Explorer ST features FordPass Connec. It has 5G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot Capability, a perfectly-sized 12.3-inch touchscreen, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Our tester has the optional B&O sound system, which kicked. We synched our phone in about ten seconds one time, and it remind connected and flawless for seven days of use. This is how infotainment should be. 

2025 Ford Explorer ST - The Perfect Place For Your phone & Stuff
Many vehicles seem to have forgotten that 99.9% of drivers enter with a phone they want to place in a safe and secure spot. Not the Explorer ST. It has the ideal rubberized spot for your phone. Our Samsung S24 is very new and it fit with room to spare. It never budget from its cradle in our testing. Next to the wireless charge pad is another spot for a passenger’s phone or some other items such as a wallet. Below is more storage that can be covered and the center console space is very generous as well. 

2025 Ford Explorer ST - Great Cargo Area Design
The Explorer ST has a cavernous cargo space with the third row folded, but even with it up, the space is very large. More importantly, it’s usable. Each side has a well for an item like a carton of milk or another item you wish to remain upright and not roll around. Lift the cargo floor and there is a space about the volume ofan old-school brief case you can use for storing your emergency supplies.

Under that is a comact spare. Perfect.

2025 Ford Explorer ST - USBs In Every Row
The Explorer is at its heart a big family vehicle. In our ST we found that there are ample USB power outlets for every passenger in every row. 

2025 Ford Explorer ST - Great Shifter and Cup Holders Up Front
I own a Bronco Sport Badlands, so I have become accustomed to Ford’s rotary gear selector. I like that it works well and doesn’t rob the driver and front passenger of space. The cupholders are large and perfectly placed.

As you can see, the 2025 ST is not just Ford’s fastest trim of the Explorer, but also one that has a fantastic interior design and execution. 
 

Images of 2025 Ford Explorer ST by John Goreham.

If you'd like to add a comment under this story, please note that our comments section has returned and is in bold red at the bottom of the page.

John Goreham is an experienced New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work at our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ Grammarly grammar and punctuation software when proofreading.