2025 Ford Explorer vs. Chevy Traverse: Which American 3-Row SUV Is Best?

• The Chevy Traverse and Ford Explorer are what you buy if you want three rows but don't need something as big as a Tahoe or Expedition.
• We lined up the two SUVs and put them through the Edmunds ratings process to see which is the better buy.

2nd Place: Chevy Traverse

Edmunds Rating: 6.3/10

The Good: Huge cargo area, lots of great tech
The Bad: Cheap interior materials, poor driving experience

The Chevy Traverse has always kept one big trick up its sleeve — space, and lots of it. While this SUV is indeed one size down from a Tahoe, it will still meet the needs of most families, including those with multiple children. 

The Traverse's trunk area offers more cargo space than that of all its major competitors, including the Explorer and Hyundai Palisade. It’s wide enough to accommodate a check-in size suitcase with room for a few carry-ons to sit alongside it. Even better is the ability to fold the third row up or down with a press of a button. Chevy goes one step further and lets you fold the second row down with a button, which is an uncommon but welcome feature.

Passenger space in all three rows is also good, though the third row is best for kids, especially on longer drives. Those in the middle get access to the rear climate controls, along with USB-C ports for devices and a reclining function to get comfy. The only downside is the seats themselves, which are way too firm. 

Those sitting up front get plenty of space to get comfortable, though the seats lack padding, just like those in the rear. There’s a huge touchscreen that comes standard with Google Built-In, including Google Maps, the Google Assistant, and the ability to download third-party apps like Waze and Spotify. But if none of that appeals, you can still use wireless Apple CarPlay. 

Spaciousness aside, the rest of the Traverse’s interior just doesn’t impress like it should for the money that it asks. Our test car (a loaded High Country example) came in at over $57,000. Even if you opt for a cheaper trim level, the cabin is filled with hard black plastics everywhere, with no redeeming materials to break it up. Compared to the luxurious interior in the new Palisade, the Traverse's insides don’t cut it. 

It’s the same story for the driving experience. While we don’t have qualms with the Traverse’s ride quality, it’s other areas that are letdowns. This feels like a large, heavy SUV with ponderous handling and significant body roll. And the mandatory four-cylinder engine doesn’t have the necessary oomph to get the Traverse up and moving like we want it to — take a look at that hood and tell us there isn't room for something with six or even eight cylinders here. A little more grunt would do this SUV a lot of good. Thankfully, it does come with Super Cruise hands-free driving, and it's one of the best semi-autonomous system in the industry at the moment.

1st Place: Ford Explorer

Edmunds Rating: 7.1/10

The Good: Nice to drive, comfortable
The Bad: expensive with options, cramped third row

Given its long-standing presence on the market, the Ford Explorer is a familiar entity to most people. And while it’s not our favorite three-row on sale, this SUV still nails a lot of the basics that most shoppers care about. 

Let’s start with our favorite part: The Ford Explorer is surprisingly fun to drive. Our test car featured the optional V6 engine, which packs a much stronger punch than the Traverse's four-cylinder. At the Edmunds Test Track, the Ford was multiple seconds quicker to 60 than the Chevy — that’s a big difference. But beyond the stout acceleration, the Explorer is competent across the board with sharp handling and impressive ride quality. It also comes with optional BlueCruise hands-free driving, which is nearly as good in practice as the Chevy's Super Cruise.

The front seats in the Ford are also much more comfortable, with better cushions and excellent heating and cooling functions. We appreciate the new horizontal layout touchscreen that is a huge step up over the old Explorer’s vertical display. Like the Traverse, Google Built-In is here on the Explorer. However, Ford only provides a one-year free trial before you have to start paying for it. The way around that is to just use wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Much like the Traverse, the back two rows in the Explorer leave a lot to be desired. The middle seats are narrow and firm, while the way back seats are tight on legroom. They work for kids, but would be a problem for any average-height adult. Thankfully, there are air vents in the ceiling for all passengers and an appropriate number of USB-C ports to go around. 

When it comes to the cargo area, the Explorer falls short in space compared to the Traverse. That said, it still has a nice underfloor storage area and the ability to fold down the third row of seats with a single button press. 

But even with a few downsides, the Explorer is still the better of the two SUVs. Its superior driving experience, better front-row comfort, and better interior materials (in places we promise you'll see or interact with on a daily basis) make it the one to have here. Check here to see the entire list of ranked three-row SUVs and what we think about them all, but when it comes to these two American rivals, the Ford wins out.