What is sitting right in front of you is often more valuable and useful than something that is out of sight and out of mind. This axiom applies to many things in life, from productivity to relationships. Our brains just can’t focus on things that are not present and obvious. One reason is that there are just too many distractions calling for our attention. On a recent test of the 2025 Ford Explorer ST, this became apparent right away, once I found a setting to adjust what was in the dashboard right behind the steering wheel.
Like an Audi I tested long ago, there’s a navigation view in the dashboard that makes it far easier to see where you’re going.
It even trumps Apple CarPlay, because that interface will only run in the center display. Unlike the Audi, the display is in 2D and doesn’t have any indicators for geography like hilly terrain, which is maybe a bonus because the view is less distracting.
2025 Ford Explorer ST safe driving
Essentially, it’s intended not to impress or look visually stunning but rather to guide you to the office of a friend or help you locate the one store in your town that sells disc golf discs. In short, it’s practical and useful.
In my tests, I was able to punch in my destination quickly and then navigate to that spot by keeping my eyes on the road and glancing down at the dash display. It’s a smart way to drive because you are not looking to the right at the display.
Distracted driving is becoming a real issue, and automakers are looking for ways to help drivers avoid looking around too much. I added a local park to the GPS and then kept an eye on the display above the steering wheel to look for my turns and spot various intersections.
2025 Ford Explorer ST in the future
What could happen in the future? I wouldn’t be surprised if we start seeing a lot more dashboard displays right in front of us and even more enhanced HUD displays. These days, it is common to put arrow markers in the HUD that is floating in front of you off the hood.
Eventually, these displays will look even more convincing. (It’s actually just a display that shines up to the windshield.) The quality will improve and already has to the point where it could look like a holographic map you can follow just like the dashboard display in the ST.
For now, Ford is making it easier to keep our eyes on the road.
That’s even more important on a vehicle like the Ford Explorer ST that can lunge forward so quickly. It just means we can focus even more on cornering, speeding up to merge into traffic, or having fun trying to punch it on a 400 horsepower SUV with excellent driving mechanics.