Having been around for decades to this point, the Ford Explorer remains a highly popular target not only among new vehicle shoppers, but also those in the market for a used vehicle, too. In fact, as Ford Authority reported back in January, the Ford Explorer ranked ninth among the most popular used vehicles in 2023, an impressive result by any measure. Now, the 2021 Ford Explorer has also ranked among Consumer Reports‘ most popular used vehicles as well, joining the Ford F-150 and Ford Escape in that regard.
To come up with this latest top 10 list, Consumer Reports simply looked at which used model pages on its own site drive the most traffic, meaning that they’re the most searched-for used vehicles overall. Most of them have already received CR’s recommended status, meaning that they’ve performed well in road testing, are reliable, have superior crash ratings, and come equipped with a bevy of standard safety tech.
As is always the case with this particular list, CR limited its top 10 selections to vehicles that are three years old, mainly because that’s when most leased vehicles tend to be turned in, and those types of models are attractive for having lower mileage, as well as the fact that they’re typically well-maintained. In that case, the 2021 Ford Explorer ranked sixth on this list, landing behind only the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Subaru Forester, Ford F-150, and Ford Escape.
In this latest assessment, CR praised the Explorer’s agile handling, spacious and quiet cabin, and energetic powertrains. However, it also pointed to several negatives regarding the current-gen model, which include a noisy engine and “clunky” transmission, stiff ride, unimpressive fuel economy, and below-average reliability rankings.
We’ll have more on the Ford Explorer soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Explorer news and comprehensive Ford news updates.
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