Ford Explorer vs Toyota Highlander: MPG, Fuel Cost, Recalls and Safety
On EPA ratings the 2025 Toyota Highlander's best version gets 35 mpg combined against 24 mpg for the Ford Explorer.
Ford Explorer
24mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.3L turbo 4-cyl · RWD · 10-speed automatic
Toyota Highlander
35mpg
Best 2025 version: 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT
The cheapest Toyota Highlander to fuel costs $1,800 a year at EPA's prices, $800 less than the cheapest Explorer. NHTSA lists 22 recalls for the 2025 Explorer and 4 recalls for the Highlander.
Side by side
| 2025 model year | Explorer | Highlander |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel economy (EPA) | ||
Best combined rating | 24 mpg 2.3L turbo 4-cyl · RWD · 10-speed automatic | 35 mpg (clearly better) 2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · AWD · CVT |
Best gas rating Gas engines only; hybrids and diesels excluded | 24 mpg | 25 mpg |
Hybrid or plug-in available | No | Hybrid 35 mpg |
AWD or 4WD available | Yes | Yes |
Lowest annual fuel cost 15,000 miles at EPA fuel prices | $2,600 | $1,800 (clearly better) |
5-year fuel cost vs average new vehicle Cheapest-to-fuel version (EPA) | Costs $2,000 more | Saves $2,000 (clearly better) |
| Safety (NHTSA) | ||
Safety recalls, 2025 model year Counts depend on sales and time on sale | 22 | 4 |
Owner complaints, 2025 model year Filed with NHTSA so far | 113 | 11 |
NHTSA overall crash rating Range across tested versions | 5 stars | 5 stars |
Rollover risk Range across tested versions; lower is better | 14.7% to 15.1% (clearly better) | 16.4% to 16.9% |
Marks the clearly better figure. Small gaps (under 2 mpg or 5%, $100 a year in fuel) and overlapping crash-test ranges are not marked, and recall and complaint counts are not scored because they depend on how many were sold.
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version of each, every model year since 2010. The Highlander rated higher in every one of the 17 years both were sold.
- Ford Explorer
- Toyota Highlander
2025: Ford Explorer 24 mpg · Toyota Highlander 35 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Ford Explorer | Toyota Highlander |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 17 | 26 |
| 2011 | 20 | 28 |
| 2012 | 23 | 28 |
| 2013 | 23 | 28 |
| 2014 | 23 | 28 |
| 2015 | 23 | 28 |
| 2016 | 22 | 28 |
| 2017 | 22 | 29 |
| 2018 | 22 | 29 |
| 2019 | 22 | 29 |
| 2020 | 28 | 36 |
| 2021 | 27 | 36 |
| 2022 | 27 | 36 |
| 2023 | 27 | 36 |
| 2024 | 24 | 36 |
| 2025 | 24 | 35 |
| 2026 | 24 | 35 |
Recalls by model year
Safety recalls NHTSA lists for each model year. Counts depend on how many were sold and how long each model year has been on the road.
- Ford Explorer (left bar)
- Toyota Highlander (right bar)
2026: Ford Explorer 16 recalls · Toyota Highlander 0 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Ford Explorer | Toyota Highlander |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1 | 11 |
| 2011 | 6 | 5 |
| 2012 | 5 | 2 |
| 2013 | 11 | 3 |
| 2014 | 6 | 4 |
| 2015 | 8 | 1 |
| 2016 | 14 | 2 |
| 2017 | 13 | 3 |
| 2018 | 7 | 4 |
| 2019 | 6 | 3 |
| 2020 | 34 | 5 |
| 2021 | 27 | 5 |
| 2022 | 25 | 6 |
| 2023 | 15 | 9 |
| 2024 | 10 | 7 |
| 2025 | 22 | 4 |
| 2026 | 16 | 0 |
More on each model
- 2025 Ford Explorer MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Ford Explorer by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
- 2025 Toyota Highlander MPGEvery version and a fuel cost calculator
- Toyota Highlander by yearMPG, recalls and complaints
Questions
Which gets better gas mileage, the Explorer or the Highlander?
For 2025, the Highlander. Its best version is rated 35 mpg combined; the Explorer's best is 24 mpg.
Which is cheaper to fuel, the Explorer or the Highlander?
For 2025, the Highlander. At 15,000 miles a year and EPA's fuel prices, its cheapest version to fuel costs $1,800 a year and the Explorer's costs $2,600, a difference of about $4,000 over five years.
How do the Explorer and the Highlander compare in NHTSA crash tests?
The 2025 Explorer is rated 5 stars overall and the Highlander is rated 5 stars overall. Rollover risk is 14.7% to 15.1% for the Explorer and 16.4% to 16.9% for the Highlander.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Nov 4, 2026, and EPA fuel prices.
- NHTSA recall file dated Nov 12, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Nov 11, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
We compare the best-rated version of each model unless a row says otherwise. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.