The Ford Explorer handles a Northside ISD carpool run on Tuesday and a Friday afternoon drive to the Guadalupe River with gear for four stacked behind the third row. Cavender Grande Ford stocks the new Ford Explorer for sale in San Antonio, Texas, for drivers across Stone Oak, Alamo Heights, Schertz, Boerne, Bulverde, Helotes, and out toward New Braunfels. Choose between five trims, two EcoBoost engines, and six or seven seats.
Start with the engine and the drivetrain, then choose the trim. That order matters because the powertrain sets your fuel economy and range, while the trim decides how the cabin feels on a three-hour drive to the coast.
Every Explorer seats six or seven, tows up to 5,000 pounds with the standard Class III Trailer Tow Package, and runs a 10-speed automatic. What changes between trims is the engine under the hood, the fuel economy that comes with it, and the equipment inside. Here is how the five stack up side by side, with the kind of driver each one was built for.
| Trim | Engine | EPA-Estimated MPG (City/Hwy/Comb)* | Standout Features | Who It Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Active | 2.3L EcoBoost® I-4 (300 hp / 310 lb-ft) | 20 / 29 / 24 (RWD) | Heated front seats, 13.2″ center display, Ford Co-Pilot360® with Adaptive Cruise Control | Families who want the space and the efficiency without paying for extras they will not use |
| Explorer ST-Line | 2.3L EcoBoost I-4 | 20 / 29 / 24 (RWD) | 20″ wheels, blackout exterior accents, 360-degree camera, B&O® Sound System | Drivers who want the sporty look but plan to keep the efficient four-cylinder |
| Explorer Tremor® | 2.3L EcoBoost I-4 or available 3.0L EcoBoost V6 | 19 / 23 / 21 (2.3L 4WD) | All-terrain tires, 8.7″ ground clearance, Torsen® limited-slip rear axle, standard 4WD | Weekends on caliche ranch roads and trailheads past Government Canyon State Natural Area |
| Explorer Platinum™ | 2.3L EcoBoost I-4 or available 3.0L EcoBoost V6 | 20 / 29 / 24 (2.3L RWD) | Massaging front seats, PowerFold® third row, adaptive headlamps, BlueCruise included | Long hauls to Austin or Corpus with a full vehicle and a want for quiet |
| Explorer ST | 3.0L EcoBoost V6 (400 hp / 415 lb-ft) | 18 / 25 / 21 (RWD) | Sport-tuned suspension, performance brakes, 21″ wheels, quad-tipped exhaust | Anyone who wants a three-row that still feels quick merging onto US-281 |
The Explorer ST reaches 60 mph in as little as 5.1 seconds, per Car and Driver instrumented testing, while the 2.3L EcoBoost version does it in roughly 6.0 seconds.** Neither number is about bragging. It is about pulling into fast-moving I-10 traffic with seven people and a full cargo area behind you.
Range follows the same logic.
Furthermore, the 2.3L EcoBoost in rear-wheel drive covers up to about 430 miles on a tank, enough to reach Houston and get most of the way back. Step up to the 3.0L V6, and that figure lands near 424 miles in rear-wheel drive, since the larger tank offsets the thirstier engine.
Start by exploring the inventory above this page. Then, take a look at pictures, pricing, descriptions and narrow down your search according to what matters most to you:
With three or four candidates left, compare their window stickers on drivetrain and cargo capacity. Those two lines tell you whether the vehicle handles your actual Saturday.
Start your application online, and you walk in already knowing what you qualify for. It takes a few minutes and asks for contact information, employment history, and income.
From there, the finance team goes to work. They send your application across a network of lenders rather than a single bank, then bring back several approvals, each with its own annual percentage rate and term length. Their job is to explain what separates those offers so you are choosing between real numbers instead of guessing at them.
Lean on that experience while you are at the table. The finance specialists here track current Ford Credit offers month to month, know which Ford recognition programs apply to military members, first responders, college students, and recent graduates, and can walk you through protection and maintenance plans without the runaround. Bring your questions. Every line on the contract has a reason behind it, and they can tell you what it is.
Yes. It earned a 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick award, with strong results in front and side crash evaluations. Ford Co-Pilot360® driver-assist technology backs that up with blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping support.*
Yes, on every trim. Second-row captain's chairs are standard, seating six, and most models offer an available second-row bench that brings capacity to seven. PowerFold® third-row seats come standard on ST and Platinum™.
Up to 5,000 pounds, which covers most small travel trailers and pop-ups headed for Canyon Lake. Every Explorer includes a Class III Trailer Tow Package with a hitch receiver and seven-wire harness, plus standard Trailer Sway Control and Side-Wind Stabilization.
A test drive settles what a spec sheet cannot. Third-row leg room reads fine on paper until someone actually climbs back there, and the gap between the 2.3L EcoBoost® and the 3.0L V6 only registers once you have merged into moving traffic with the vehicle loaded. So bring the people who will be riding along, and let them pick their seats. The Ford Explorer for sale at Cavender Grande Ford serves families across Stone Oak, Alamo Heights, Schertz, Boerne, Bulverde, Helotes, Converse, and New Braunfels, and the team can have whichever trim you have been eyeing pulled up and ready when you arrive. Contact us for a test drive!
*Source: IIHS