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 has 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 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Explorer is much safer than the XT6:
|
Explorer |
XT6 |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
POOR |
Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Neck Injury Chance |
19% |
27% |
Chest Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Thigh/hip Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Leg/foot Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Restraints |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Rear Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck Rating |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
Chest Rating |
GOOD |
POOR |
Thigh Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Restraints |
ACCEPTABLE |
POOR |
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.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Ford Explorer is much safer than the XT6:
|
Explorer |
XT6 |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
POOR |
Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Neck Tension |
223 lbs. |
357 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Shoulder Force |
134 lbs. |
223 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.06 in |
1.1 in |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
168 |
170 |
Neck Compression |
22 lbs. |
178 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
POOR |
Shoulder Deflection |
.98 in |
1.61 in |
Shoulder Force |
379 lbs. |
424 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
1.34 in |
2.2 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
9 MPH |
13 MPH |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
The Ford Explorer has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The XT6 is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.