Ford Explorer Rental in Dubai
Rent a ford explorer in Dubai at the Best Market Rates - No Commission!
Planning a full family week with the kids, a week of luggage, and a relaxed drive out to Abu Dhabi or the East Coast? The Ford Explorer is built for exactly that. When you rent a Ford Explorer in Dubai with us, it arrives at your door with the Salik tag fitted and insurance already sorted, so the seven-seat Ford SUV you actually wanted is ready to load. We deliver and collect it free across the city. The decision this page helps you make is simple: the Explorer is the comfortable on-road three-row pick, and we'll be honest below about where it suits you and where you'd want something smaller or tougher instead.
How the third row really works
The third row is usable, which is more than you can say for a lot of "seven-seaters." Two kids or teenagers will sit back there happily for a school run, a mall trip, or the drive to a beach club. Two adults will manage a short hop, say from JBR to a dinner in Downtown, but they won't thank you after an hour on Sheikh Zayed Road. Knees come up, the seat sits low, and legroom is tight once the middle row slides back for grown-ups in front of them.
So the honest split is this. Treat it as a five-plus-two for adults and a genuine seven for a family with children. Both back rows fold flat and split, which matters more than the headline seat count, because most weeks you'll run five up and drop part of the third row for the pushchair or the cooler box.
Boot space, and the catch with seven on board
In five-seat mode the Explorer swallows a serious load. Two large cases, a couple of soft bags, and the day-to-day clutter of a family go in without a fight, and that's the configuration most renters live in.
Raise the third row, though, and the picture changes. With all seven seats up the space behind the last row shrinks to the size of a few backpacks and a couple of grocery bags, not a holiday's worth of suitcases. If you're collecting a family of six or seven from DXB with full luggage, plan to fold one side of the rear seats or accept that the cases ride on laps. That trade-off is true of nearly every three-row SUV this size, and it's the single thing people get wrong when they book one.
On the road, where the Explorer earns its keep
This is the Explorer's home ground. It's quiet at 120 on the highway, the ride soaks up Dubai's expansion-joint bumps, and the cabin stays cool fast in summer, which is not a small thing when you're loading kids into a car that's been parked in 45-degree heat. The drive out to Hatta, the Abu Dhabi run, the Fujairah weekend: this is a relaxed cruiser that makes long stints easy.
Most versions send power to the rear wheels, with all-wheel drive available, and that AWD is the sensible choice here. It's there for grip on a wet underpass, a sandy car park edge, or a graded track to a campsite, not for dune bashing. The Explorer is a road SUV with light off-tarmac ability, not a body-on-frame machine. Point it at a soft dune or a rocky wadi and you'll get stuck where a proper 4x4 wouldn't.
Explorer, or step down to the Escape?
If your trips are airport runs, Marina parking, and four people maximum, the smaller Ford Escape is the smarter rent. It's easier to slot into tight mall bays, lighter on fuel, and you're not hauling two empty rows around all week. The moment you genuinely need six or seven seats, or a big flat boot, the Escape can't do it and the Explorer becomes the obvious call. Don't size up out of habit. Size up when the people or the luggage actually demand it.
Explorer, or a full-size body-on-frame SUV?
Against something like a full-size truck-based SUV, the Explorer trades ruggedness for comfort, and for most renters that's the right trade. It rides better on the road, parks more easily, and feels less like piloting a bus through Dubai traffic. What it gives up is serious towing, hardcore desert capability, and that last bit of third-row adult space. If your week includes real off-road work or a boat to tow, look at the body-on-frame option. If it's tarmac, kids, and a long comfortable drive, the Explorer wins.
Getting the keys
Tell us the dates and a delivery address, and we'll bring the Explorer to your hotel, home, or the airport with a full tank and the paperwork ready. Bring your passport, a valid driving licence, and an International Driving Permit if you're a visitor on a foreign licence. We'll walk you round the car, check the fuel and existing marks together, and you're away in a few minutes.
FAQ — Common Questions Answered.
Can adults sit in the third row of the Ford Explorer?
For short trips, yes, but it's tight. The third row works best for children or teenagers, who'll be comfortable back there for a beach run or the school commute. Adults will fit for a quick hop across town, though the low seat and limited legroom make an hour-plus drive uncomfortable. Treat the Explorer as a true seven-seater for a family with kids and a five-plus-two for grown-ups.
How much luggage fits with all seven seats in use?
With every seat occupied, the boot only holds a few bags, think backpacks and some shopping, not full suitcases. For a family of six or seven arriving at DXB with luggage, the realistic answer is to fold down one side of the third row and carry six people instead. In five-seat mode the boot is large and easily takes two big cases plus extras. It's the same compromise you'll find in any SUV this size.
Should I rent the Ford Explorer or the smaller Ford Escape?
Pick the Escape if you're four people or fewer and mostly doing airport, mall, and city driving, because it's easier to park and lighter on fuel. Choose the Explorer when you actually need the extra seats or a much bigger boot. There's no point running two empty rows around Dubai all week if you never use them. The deciding factor is your real passenger count and luggage, not just having more space on paper.
Is the Ford Explorer good for desert driving in Dubai?
It's built for the road, not the dunes. The available all-wheel drive helps on sand at a car park edge, a graded campsite track, or a wet road, but it isn't a dune-bashing vehicle. For soft desert or rocky wadi tracks you want a body-on-frame 4x4 with low range and proper ground clearance. Keep the Explorer to tarmac and light gravel and it'll do everything a family week needs.
Can I take the Ford Explorer to Abu Dhabi or other emirates?
Yes, driving the Explorer anywhere within the UAE is fine, and it's a comfortable highway cruiser for the Abu Dhabi or East Coast run. Salik tolls are handled through the tag already fitted to the car, so you just drive through the gates. If you're planning to cross into Oman, let us know before pickup, because that needs separate arrangements and isn't covered by default. Any traffic fines during your rental are passed on to you as they're issued.