Compare the2025 Ford ExplorerVS 2024 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 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.

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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is rated below average.

Engine

The Explorer’s standard 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 65 more horsepower (300 vs. 235) and 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 258) than the XT6’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Explorer’s 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 39 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 271) than the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6. The Explorer’s optional 3.0 turbo V6 produces 90 more horsepower (400 vs. 310) and 144 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 271) than the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

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

	Explorer turbo 4 cyl.	Explorer turbo V6	XT6
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	5.3 sec	6.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	13.9 sec	15.2 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Explorer
	RWD	2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
XT6
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy

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 greater off-road capability the Explorer has a greater minimum ground clearance than the XT6 (7.6 vs. 6.7 inches), allowing the Explorer to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Explorer Platinum’s minimum ground clearance is 1.5 inches higher than on the XT6 (8.2 vs. 6.7 inches).

Passenger Space

The Explorer has 3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XT6 (152.9 vs. 149.9).

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	16.3 cubic feet	12.6 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	46 cubic feet	43.1 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	85.8 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”/84.1”	15.5”/48”/80.2”
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 (5000 vs. 1000 pounds).

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 (except Active) 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 Active) 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 $2500 less than the XT6 over a five-year period.

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 $2236 to $15054 less than for the Cadillac XT6.

Recommendations

The Ford Explorer outsold the Cadillac XT6 by almost 10 to one during 2023.

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