What’s the Best 2022 Ford Explorer Trim? Here’s Our Guide

After continuous production for more than 30 years, the Ford Explorer is one of the best-known three-row crossovers on sale. Millions of Americans have owned an Explorer, even more have ridden in one, and it’s reasonable to say that most have seen one out on the road. The Explorer was fully redesigned for model year 2020, built on a rear-wheel-drive-based platform. Following a price cut in 2021, it gets a few updates for 2022. These include adjusted feature content and new trim levels. Read on to see the details and equipment on each 2022 Ford Explorer trim level.

2022 Ford Explorer Pros and Cons

Known simply as Explorer in its entry-level trim, this three-row is powered by a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four engine connected to a 10-speed automatic transmission. For its starting price of just over $35,000, it’s RWD, while AWD adds $2,000 on this and all other trim levels. Fuel economy is rated by the EPA at 21/28 mpg city/highway for RWD models and 20/27 mpg for those with AWD.

The basic Explorer trim rolls on 18-inch wheels and has LED exterior lighting. Besides the windshield and front door windows, all the glass has a privacy tint. Black plastic side mirror caps and door handles hint at its entry-level build. For 2022, blue and green paint colors are newly available, while monochromatic black and gray carry over from last year.

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Inside, the seven-seat setup is upholstered in cloth. The front seats are power-adjustable, with an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen and USB ports between them. The driver has a 6.5-inch gauge cluster display, which among other information shows the status of the standard Co-Pilot 360 driver assist technologies. Among those are automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and automatic high-beams. Other conveniences on the base Explorer trim are a power-operated tailgate and three-zone climate control.

2022 Ford Explorer XLT Pros and Cons

Stepping up to the XLT trim brings exterior styling changes such as bright-finished 18-inch wheels, LED headlight accents, body-colored door handles, roof rails, and chrome trim. Several additional paint color choices are added. Although black side mirror caps remain, those get defrosters and puddle lights. New for 2022 is the available XLT Sport Appearance package, which adds 20-inch dark-finished wheels, a mesh grille, and dual chrome exhaust outlets, among other details.

Second-row captain’s chairs are standard in the Explorer XLT, though a three-across bench is available for no cost; either setup gets second-row USB charge ports. Regardless of configuration, the seats are cloth-upholstered with a heated front row, but the steering wheel is leather-wrapped. XLT is the first Explorer trim equipped with push-button start and offered with Co-Pilot 360 Assist+, which adds adaptive cruise control and lane centering. Pricing for the Explorer XLT starts at just over $38,000.

2022 Ford Explorer ST-Line Pros and Cons

The ST-Line trim is new for 2022 and adds show but no more go. It borrows styling cues from the full-on Explorer ST, such as a black mesh grille, black hood badging, black headlight backing, LED foglamps, 20-inch wheels, and chrome exhaust tips; the roof rails are removed. Acoustically laminated glass is added. However, like the trims below, it’s powered by the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with RWD—so performance remains more or less the same as those and not the actual ST.

The cabin gains leatherette seating upholstery with red contrast stitching, as well as red-trimmed floormats. Functionality upgrades include a heated steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and ambient lighting. Technology is enhanced by way of a wireless charging pad, built-in navigation, a universal garage door opener, and a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. Ford’s famous keypad-controlled locking system is added to the driver’s door. Co-Pilot 360 Assist+ becomes standard, as well.

For all these extras, the Explorer ST-Line’s starting price rises to over $46,000. Although the additional features and equipment are appealing, we’re not convinced that paying a premium for those styling details is worth it.

2022 Ford Explorer Limited Pros and Cons

The Explorer adopts a more luxurious approach in Limited trim. Chrome abounds on the exterior, from the grille to the door handles and exhaust tips. Turn signal repeaters and power-folding functionality are added to the side mirrors. Bright-finished 20-inch wheels add street presence.

Inside the Explorer Limited, perforated leather upholstery adorns the six-seat arrangement, with heating and one-touch folding added to the second-row captain’s chairs, along with window sunshades beside them. Metallic door sill scuff plates add ambiance on entry. Tech features are shared with the ST-Line trim.

Although the Explorer Limited is powered by the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as standard, it’s also the first trim offered with the 3.3-liter hybrid powertrain. Choosing that increases the base price from about $48,000 to nearly $53,000. However, it also improves fuel economy to 27/28 mpg with RWD, and 23/26 mpg with AWD—representing gains in city driving but actually a slight loss in highway economy with AWD. Our driving experience with the Explorer’s hybrid powertrain has been positive, but we’re not certain that its extra price is worth its marginal efficiency improvements.

2022 Ford Explorer Timberline Pros and Cons

Off-roading is popular these days, and Ford’s research indicates Explorer owners have been taking their SUVs to the trail much more frequently in recent years. To capture the attention of those adventure-seeking drivers, Ford carved out a new trim level for the Explorer: Timberline.

Although technically added to the lineup in mid-2021, 2022 will be the Explorer Timberline’s first full year on sale. Regardless, the model stands out with its distinctive, rugged looks. It adds orange trim details, optional grille LED light bars, and exterior badging to further convey which Explorer you’re exploring in. Additionally, the interior is done up in trim-exclusive dark green leatherette with gray cloth and orange stitching accents.

It’s not all for show: Standard AWD, trim-specific 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tires, a rear differential, underbody skidplates, and heavy-duty suspension with an 0.8-inch lift should give the Explorer Timberline an advantage off-road. In actuality, we’d steer you toward the Bronco if you’re looking to use a Ford to ford obstacles. However, compared to that purpose-built trail pony, the Explorer Timberline is much more refined, and in our First Test, we even noted the Timberline rides better than the regular Explorers we’ve tested. It starts at about $48,000.

2022 Ford Explorer ST Pros and Cons

When the Explorer switched to a rear-drive-based chassis, it became more fun to drive—best exemplified by the ST model. Like the ST-Line, its grille, badging, and headlights are blacked out, and it rolls on 20-inch wheels. However, its quad exhaust tips hint at what’s under the hood. That would be a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 making a nice round 400 hp, sent to the rear wheels. That makes the Explorer ST quicker but also impacts its fuel economy, bringing it to 18/24 mpg.

The Explorer ST’s cabin has leather seating upholstery with red stitching and ST embossing. Functionally, it gains power-folding third-row seats, a semi-autonomous parking assist system, and a 12.3-inch digital gauge display. Choosing the available Premium Technology package adds a tabletlike 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen, 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio system, and massaging front seats. Of particular interest is the optional High Performance package, which adds 21-inch wheels over red-painted brake calipers that clamp ventilated rotors. Pricing for the 2022 Explorer ST starts at just under $50,000.

2022 Ford Explorer Platinum Pros and Cons

The Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer are built on the same platform; although the Lincoln is undeniably more luxurious, the Explorer Platinum trim might make Aviator intenders take a closer look at Ford. Its exterior has presence thanks to 21-inch wheels and satin silver exterior details. Curve-adaptive functionality is added to the headlights. Opening the doors reveals illuminated door sills, past which the seats are upholstered with two-tone perforated leather. Wood trim jazzes up the cabin, while the digital gauge display and tabletlike infotainment touchscreen are among modern tech features.

The Explorer Platinum comes with the twin-turbo V-6 engine borrowed from the ST trim, and it starts at over $55,500. However, equipping it with the available hybrid powertrain reduces the price slightly to about $54,000.

2022 Ford Explorer King Ranch Pros and Cons

The most luxurious Explorer trim is the King Ranch, which, like the high-end Ford pickup trucks wearing that designation, gets an interior resplendent in leather. That rich brown material covers nearly every surface, all decorated with hand-finished contrast stitching and detail cutouts. That’s complemented by open-pore wood trim. Ford tosses in branded floormats, as well. The Explorer King Ranch has an exterior distinguished by its 20-inch wheels and King Ranch badges. Otherwise, its features and equipment are generally similar to the Platinum trim. The Explorer King Ranch is offered with the twin-turbo V-6 only and starts at around $56,500.

Which 2022 Ford Explorer Trim Level Is the Best?

The three-row SUV segment is full of solid choices—and the Explorer isn’t among them. It simply isn’t as functional or nice to drive as some of its competitors. Yet for shoppers who still insist on the Explorer, we’d suggest the XLT trim. It seems like the best value of the lineup, providing three-row versatility with more conveniences than the base Explorer. It doesn’t match the performance and luxuries of higher-end Explorer trims, but if your budget allows for one of those, we’d explore the options for an entirely different family crossover.