I rented an Explorer earlier this year for a week, and my first impressions were positive. But by the time I returned the thing, I was glad to be rid of it. My issues -

1. I thought the MyTouch stuff was cool at first, but at the end I was wishing for good old fashioned knobs and buttons for both the HVAC and radio. The touch screen was hit or miss, it was slow to respond often, and it froze up twice. And the touch buttons on the dedicated HVAC and audio buttons felt cheap. I hated how it started playing my music automatically every time I plugged a phone in to charge.

2. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with the middle row - then it hit me, it was missing a center fold down arm rest (XLT model). The only place for kids to store drinks is the door pockets, which don't work.

3. I lost several small items in the cargo area, because there is a large gap between the back of the fold down third row and the end of the cargo hold. There is no storage compartments in the cargo hold either to store your flashlights, tire sealant, jackets, etc.

4. I got about 16mpg in the city, and about 22mpg on the highway. But the engine was gutless at lower RPMs, and had to be revved up near the redline for any power. And it didn't sound pretty at higher RPM's.

5. The Explorer felt as big as the Traverse/Acadia/Enclave, but the interior packaging didn't compare AT ALL.

Otherwise, it was a nice vehicle. I definitely prefer the Durango and the GM triplets.

As a compromise, you may want to look at the MDX. Very friendly 3 row interior, easy to drive but handles pretty nice if you get the Advance package with the magnetic shocks.

Just my 2 cents.