The refreshed 2025 Ford Explorer has been rolling off the assembly line since May 2024 at the Chicago Assembly plant, and as of November 15th production, there’s two new 21-inch wheels on offer for the crossover’s Platinum trim. Here’s a first look at the new rollers.
The new wheels were added as part of Job 2 production, and are available on any Explore Platinum built on or after November 15th, 2024. The first, the 21-inch Bright Machined aluminum wheels with Tarnish Dark pockets, are available as a standalone option for $725. Meanwhile, the 21-inch Dark Alloy painted machined aluminum wheels are included in the $4,615 Ultimate Package, offered exclusively on the 2025 Explorer Platinum.
21-inch Bright Machined aluminum wheel with Dark Tarnished painted pockets
21-inch Dark Alloy painted machined aluminum wheel
Aside from the aforementioned wheels, the 2025 Ford Explorer went under the knife and received quite a few updates and changes for its midcycle refresh. For its exterior, the front fascia, headlights, and tailgate underwent significant updates, giving the crossover a fresh face. Inside, the Explorer boasts more front-row row legroom and new features such as soft touch surfaces, Ford Digital Experience software, and a standard 13.2-inch infotainment screen.
Under the hood, the refreshed Explorer offers two engine options, including the turbocharged 2.3L I4 EcoBoost, which is standard in the Active, Platinum, and ST-Line, while the twin-turbocharged 3.0L V6 EcoBoost is standard in the ST and optional in the Platinum. As Ford Authority previously reported, the 2025 Explorer ditched its factory-installed Illuminated Door Entry Keypad for a dealer-installed option, which costs $350. That said, Job 2 SUVs have regained the factory option once again.
The 2025 Explorer also gained one new paint known as Vapor Blue Metallic. However, it dropped two others before production started, while Iconic Silver Metallic was deleted as of Job 2 production and is no longer available.
Pricing starts at $38,670 for the base 2025 Explorer Active trim, and it’s worth noting that certain trims are actually more affordable than the outgoing 2024 model year. However, buyers can kit their crossover out with plenty of options and packages, driving the price to well over $65,000.
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- Ford Explorer North America
Comment
It’s time … it’s time to get away from the monster size wheels on light duty vehicles, why? You have a 21″ wheel on the Explorer, a 15″ wheel would cost less, a 15″ wheel would have 5 more inches of rubber between you and the road when that “new winter pothole” that is about 6″ deep shows up. A 15″ wheel will ride an handle better. Now for generations the light vehicles had 13″, 14″, and 15″ rims … along with disc brake setups that stopped all vehicles just as fast as the idiot sizes that are using today. My car is a prime example, it’s a ’13 C-Max Hybrid (bought new) with 19″ wheels along with oversized brake setups … it weighs no more than the 1987 Chrysler Town & Country wagon I had (about 3,600 lbs) and the Chrysler had 14″ tires an rims with appropriate braking. Never had a bent/broken rim, never lost a wheel weight to a pot hole, and never had to take the car in to have the tires re-balanced cost about $80 to get done all due to a dern pothole. Get back to the 13″, 14″, an 15″ sizes, it will save money, look just as good and do away with a lot of replacement cost of bent/broken wheels because you have anywhere from 4 to 5 inches of extra cushion in the sidewall of your tires.