Compare the2023 Ford ExplorerVS 2023 Cadillac XT6

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Ford Explorer have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Cadillac XT6 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Ford Explorer has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The XT6 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Explorer has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The XT6 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Explorer 4WD’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The XT6 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Explorer and XT6 have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Explorer offers optional Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The XT6’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

The Explorer’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The XT6 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Explorer and the XT6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Explorer is safer than the Cadillac XT6:

	Explorer	XT6
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	125	167
Neck Stress	167 lbs.	187 lbs.
Neck Compression	26 lbs.	28 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/210 lbs.	161/358 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29.2%	38%

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Explorer is safer than the Cadillac XT6:

	Explorer	XT6
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	65	98
Hip Force	224 lbs.	255 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	86	180
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	41 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
HIC	288	292
Hip Force	573 lbs.	666 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Explorer the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 55 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The XT6 has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

There are over 5 times as many Ford dealers as there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Explorer’s warranty.

Reliability

The Explorer has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The XT6 doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Explorer has a standard 760-amp battery. The XT6’s 730-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The Explorer has more powerful engines than the XT6:

	Horsepower	Torque
Explorer 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder	300 HP	310 lbs.-ft.
Explorer 3.3 DOHC V6 hybrid	318 HP	322 lbs.-ft.
Explorer 3.0 turbo V6	400 HP	415 lbs.-ft.
XT6 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	235 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport 3.6 DOHC V6	310 HP	271 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Explorer turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport 3.6 DOHC V6:

	Explorer	XT6
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	6.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.2 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Explorer gets better mileage than the XT6:

			MPG
Explorer
	RWD	3.3 V6 Hybrid	27 city/28 hwy
		Platinum 3.3 V6 Hybrid	25 city/26 hwy
		2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
	AWD	3.3 V6 Hybrid	23 city/26 hwy
		2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
		Platinum 3.3 V6 Hybrid	23 city/24 hwy
XT6
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

The Explorer can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 3 miles. The XT6 can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Explorer Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The XT6 doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Explorer Hybrid has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the XT6. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Explorer, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the XT6.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Explorer’s brake rotors are larger than those on the XT6:

	Explorer	Explorer ST	XT6
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	14.3 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	13.8 inches	12.4 inches

The Explorer stops much shorter than the XT6:

	Explorer	XT6
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	171 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Explorer has larger standard tires than the XT6 (255/65R18 vs. 235/55R20). The Explorer’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XT6 (275/45R21 vs. 265/45R21).

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Explorer can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The XT6 doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Explorer’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The XT6 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Explorer’s wheelbase is 6.4 inches longer than on the XT6 (119.1 inches vs. 112.7 inches).

The Explorer ST 4WD handles at .85 G’s, while the XT6 Sport AWD pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Explorer ST 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the XT6 Sport AWD (26.4 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.2 seconds @ .67 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Explorer’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the XT6’s (38.4 feet vs. 39.1 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Explorer ST has a 1.25 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the XT6 (7.9 vs. 6.65 inches), allowing the Explorer to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Explorer Timberline’s minimum ground clearance is 2.05 inches higher than on the XT6 (8.7 vs. 6.65 inches).

Passenger Space

The Explorer has .9 inches more front headroom, 1.8 inches more front legroom, 9.1 inches more front hip room, 3.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 3.4 inches more rear hip room, 4.5 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.7 inches more third row headroom, 2.7 inches more third row legroom, 1.4 inches more third row hip room and 1.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the XT6.

Cargo Capacity

The Explorer’s cargo area provides more volume than the XT6.

	Explorer	XT6
Behind Third Seat	18.2 cubic feet	12.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	47.9 cubic feet	43.1 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	87.8 cubic feet	78.7 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Explorer easier. The Explorer’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.1 inches, while the XT6’s liftover is 33 inches.

The Explorer’s cargo area is larger than the XT6’s in every dimension:

	Explorer	XT6
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	20.8”/49.8”/83.9”	15.5”/48”/80.2”
Max Width	59”	50”
Min Width	48.1”	43”
Height	33.7”	32.5”

The Explorer has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The XT6 doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Towing

The Explorer’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XT6’s (3000 vs. 1000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Cadillac XT6 is only 4000 pounds. The Explorer offers up to a 5600 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Explorer is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the XT6. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Explorer’s available exterior PIN entry system. The XT6 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Explorer’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The XT6’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Consumer Reports rated the Explorer’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the XT6’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

The XT6’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Explorer Platinum’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Explorer to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XT6 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Explorer ST/King Ranch/Platinum offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the XT6.

The Explorer (except Base/XLT) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The XT6 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Explorer owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Explorer will cost $2885 less than the XT6 over a five-year period.

The Explorer will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Explorer will retain 48.3% to 55.09% of its original price after five years, while the XT6 only retains 43.43% to 43.61%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Explorer is less expensive to operate than the XT6 because it costs $346 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Explorer than the XT6, including $32 less for a water pump, $117 less for a muffler, $50 less for front brake pads, $193 less for a starter, $229 less for fuel injection, $27 less for front struts and $207 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Explorer will be $4761 to $17755 less than for the Cadillac XT6.

Recommendations

The Ford Explorer outsold the Cadillac XT6 by over 10 to one during 2022.