We’re looking to buy a used Explorer, and I’ve always thought I’d prefer the captain’s chairs. We don’t need three seats in the second row, and I like the idea of having more space or storage.
That said, our old 2013 Explorer had a bench seat, and it worked fine for us. Now, I’m having trouble finding one nearby that has everything we want. There’s one available that’s priced about $1,500 below book value and has most of what we’re looking for—sunroof, memory function, BLIS—but it has a bench seat instead of the captain’s chairs.
We’re not in a rush, but do you think it’s better to go for the good deal now or hold out for one with captain’s chairs?
That depends on how much you care about the captain’s chairs. Ask yourself: What didn’t you like about the bench before? Why do you think captain’s chairs would work better now? Have you had a chance to try them in another car? Is this something you absolutely need, or could you live without it?
Personally, we wanted captain’s chairs too but ended up with a bench. The car we found had other features we loved, and it’s still pretty easy to access the third row by folding a seat. You can also fold down the third row for storage, so it hasn’t been an issue for us.
Maybe you could try out captain’s chairs in another car to see if they’re worth waiting for?
@Juno
Our old Explorer had a bench, and back then we had three kids (later four). Now we just have two kids at home, and we’d rarely use the third row. The bench was handy for extra passengers, but I found it annoying to get to the third row. That might not matter much anymore since we won’t use it often.
We tested one with captain’s chairs recently, but I didn’t spend much time trying them out because that car had other issues. Part of the reason we want an Explorer is for the storage with the third row down. On vacations, our current CX-5 gets packed full, and we often end up needing a second car for extra stuff. I’d like to avoid that in the future.
@Davin
That makes sense! We have a 2019 Explorer, and one of the second-row seats folds and slides forward for easier access to the third row. I’m not sure if your 2013 had that feature?
It sounds like either option could work for you. If you’re not set on captain’s chairs, the good deal might be worth it. Plus, if you’ve never had captain’s chairs, you won’t miss them! And yeah, the bench might keep the dogs out of the back better too.
@Juno
I don’t think our 2013 had a seat that folded and slid forward—it just tilted. Maybe they added that feature after the refresh in 2016?
I’m leaning towards saving money over holding out for the captain’s chairs. Like you said, if I never have them, I won’t know what I’m missing. And yeah, the bench would help keep the dogs where they belong!
@Davin
Yeah, they might’ve added it later. That fold-and-slide seat is handy, but even without it, I think you’d manage fine.
Sounds like you’ve got a good perspective on it! And if the bench works better for your budget and dogs, that might be the way to go. It’s a great vehicle no matter which seat setup you get.
I have captain’s chairs, and I like them better than a bench—except when I’m hauling stuff. To fix that, I made a plywood cover to go over the gap, added a piano hinge for folding, and covered it with speaker fabric. It cost me about $30 since I already had the wood. Canvasback.com sells something similar for around $75 if you don’t want to DIY it.
I’m having the opposite problem—almost everything I find has captain’s chairs, but I want a bench! It’s easier to use with my dog hammock. I’m not in a big rush either. Funny enough, when my sister was shopping, all she could find were benches, and she wanted captain’s chairs for car seats and easier third-row access. We joked about trading cars!
@Max
I’ve seen a few listings with captain’s chairs, but they’re all at the higher end of our budget. I’ve thought about buying and swapping seats too.
I think the rear inflatable seat belts on some models might make that tricky, though.