McGraw Motors
Aransas Pass, TX · Authorized Ford Dealer · Serving Corpus Christi

New · VIN: 1FMUK7DH8TGA86136 · Stock #TGA86136

2026 Ford Explorer
Active

300 Horsepower. Three Rows. $36,009 — and McGraw Ford Handles the Rest.

McGraw Ford Price$36,009

VIN: 1FMUK7DH8TGA86136  ·  Stock: TGA86136  ·  1 miles

Corpus Christi TXPortland TXRockport TXPort Aransas TXKingsville TXAlice TXRobstown TXAransas Pass TXIngleside TXGregory TXSinton TX
🗓

Schedule Your Test Drive

Experience the 2026 Ford Explorer Active in person at McGraw Motors, Aransas Pass — minutes from Corpus Christi via SH-35. Call (361) 758-5361 or stop in Mon–Fri 8am–7pm, Sat 9am–5pm.

Book Now

Key Highlights

Output
300 hp
280 lb-ft torque
🏁
0 – 60 mph
7.0s
Program results
🔧
Engine
2.3L EcoBoost I-4
10-Speed Auto
🛻
Drivetrain
RWD
SUV
EPA MPG
20/29
City / Highway
🪝
Towing
5,600 lbs
Max capacity
🎨
Exterior
White Metallic
interior
🛡
Warranty
3yr/36k bumper-to-bumper + 5yr/60k powertrain
Ford

Performance specifications are based on manufacturer data and may vary by configuration. Actual results may vary.


Why the 2026 Explorer Active at $36,009 Makes Every Alternative Harder to Justify

Here is the number that anchors this vehicle: 300 horsepower from a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, delivered through a 10-speed automatic transmission that rivals gearboxes found in vehicles priced $20,000 higher. That engine output — paired with 280 lb-ft of torque arriving low in the rev range — means the Explorer Active merges onto I-37 near Corpus Christi with authority, pulls the full 5,600-lb Class III trailer rating without strain, and still returns 29 MPG on the highway when the trailer comes off and the family gets in. At $36,009, this is the performance and efficiency combination that the Coastal Bend's mixed-use lifestyle actually demands: enough power for everything Tuesday requires, enough efficiency to make the commute from Aransas Pass to Corpus Christi five days a week financially sensible, and enough tow capacity to make Saturday count.

Step inside the Explorer Active and the first thing you register isn't a feature — it's a feeling. The Dark Space Gray cloth trim reads as more premium than its material cost suggests, partly because of the way Ford has engineered the tri-zone climate system to distribute air evenly and quietly to all three rows, and partly because of the NVH insulation built into the body structure. At 70 mph on the JFK Causeway with a crosswind off the bay, road and wind noise retreats to background texture rather than conversation-interrupting intrusion. The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is fully reconfigurable and maintains contrast in direct Texas sun without squinting. Three rows of seating accommodate adults — not just children — on the 119-inch wheelbase, and the 50/50 fold-flat third row disappears when the trailer goes on and cargo space takes priority. This is a cabin designed for the Coastal Bend's actual use pattern: long hauls to Victoria and Kingsville, daily runs into Corpus Christi, and everything in between.

Equipment Group 200A | Class III Trailer Tow Pkg | Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+ | Ford Digital Experience w/ Google Built In | 13.2" LCD Touchscreen | 12.3" Digital Cluster | Tri-Zone Climate Control | Heated Front Seats | Power Driver's Seat | Power Liftgate | 3rd Row 50/50 Fold-Flat | Wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto | 5G Wi-Fi Hotspot | SiriusXM 360L | Selectable Drive Modes | LED Headlamps & Taillamps | USB-C All Rows | Rotary Gear Selector

Technology Engineered to Work Before You Think to Ask

13.2" Touchscreen + Ford Digital Experience with Google Built In

Ford's Digital Experience combines a 13.2-inch portrait-orientation touchscreen with a 12.3-inch fully reconfigurable digital instrument cluster. Google Maps, the Google Play Store, and Google Assistant are built natively into the infotainment stack — no phone required, no mirroring latency. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also on board for drivers who prefer their mobile ecosystem. Every passenger gets USB-C ports; no one is reaching across a center console for a cable.

Factory 5G Wi-Fi Hotspot & SiriusXM with 360L

A factory 5G modem powers an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot capable of connecting multiple devices simultaneously — useful on a family trip to Victoria, practical for a service member filing paperwork on US-181 between Beeville and the coast, and valuable on rural Coastal Bend stretches where LTE coverage gaps appear without warning. SiriusXM with 360L extends audio options to wherever terrestrial and cellular signals drop out.


Full Specs — VIN 1FMUK7DH8TGA86136

Year / Make / Model2026 Ford Explorer
Trim / PackageActive
VIN1FMUK7DH8TGA86136
Stock #TGA86136
ConditionNew
Mileage1 miles
Engine2.3L EcoBoost I-4
Output (program)300 hp / 280 lb-ft
Transmission10-Speed Auto
Forward GearsN/A-speed
DrivetrainRWD
Body StyleSUV
Exterior ColorWhite Metallic
Interior Color / Type · Dark Space Gray Cloth
Seating5 passengers
Doors4
Fuel TypeGas
EPA Fuel Economy20 city / 29 hwy / 24 combined mpg
Towing Capacity5,600 lbs
Payload1,200 lbs
GVWRClass 1D: 5,001 - 6,000 lb (2,268 - 2,722 kg) lbs
Wheel Size20
WarrantyFord New Vehicle Limited Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 5 years/60,000 miles powertrain

What the Experts Say

Edmunds
7.2/ 10
The 2025 Ford Explorer offers strong V6 power, a roomy three-row interior, and a long list of standard tech and safety features.
Edmunds Expert Test · edmunds.com
J.D. Power
Top Rated
★★★★★
The Explorer is a solid family hauler with ample space for passengers and cargo, plus available all-wheel drive for Texas weather.
J.D. Power Expert Review · J.D. Power Editorial
Kelley Blue Book
4.0/ 5
★★★★☆
A capable three-row SUV that balances power, comfort, and technology. Owners praise the spacious interior and towing ability.
KBB Consumer Reviews · kbb.com
NHTSA
5-Star Overall Safety Rating — the highest possible NHTSA score.
https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2025/FORD/EXPLORER/SUV/AWD
NHTSA Safety Rating
5 ★ Overall
The 2026 Ford Explorer earned NHTSA's 5-Star Overall Safety Rating — the highest possible NHTSA score.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings · nhtsa.gov

Ratings and reviews are provided by third-party sources and may not reflect current model year specifications. See dealer for details.


Serving Corpus Christi, Portland, and All 13 Coastal Bend Communities from Aransas Pass

The 2026 Ford Explorer Active at McGraw Ford — VIN A86136 in Star White Metallic at $36,009 — was built for families who cover real Coastal Bend ground every week. That means the 35-mile run into Corpus Christi on a Tuesday morning, the Saturday haul to Portland for a club soccer tournament, or the evening bridge crossing back home after dinner on the bay. A 300-horsepower 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine pulls confidently through every interchange and on-ramp along US-181 and the Nueces Bay Causeway without the fuel penalty of a V6 or the compromise of a naturally aspirated four. Portland and Corpus Christi drivers have made the short trip to Aransas Pass and found this Explorer trimmed exactly the way a three-row family SUV should be: rear seats that fold flat, a 13.2-inch Google-integrated touchscreen, tri-zone climate control, and heated front seats that earn their keep when a November morning on Corpus Christi Bay comes in colder than anyone expected. The word from buyers who've already driven VINs like this one off the lot: the Star White Metallic finish photographs clean on the beach, and the Dark Space Gray cloth interior wipes down after the kids finish a bag of Whataburger on the way back from a Portland Saturday game.

From Rockport and Port Aransas, the Explorer Active is already a familiar sight along Highway 35 — families loading up for the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge birding trails, anglers running to the Port Aransas ferry with a trailer in tow, and families from Ingleside and Gregory who need legitimate three-row capability without the overbuilt truck premium. Ingleside and Gregory sit close enough to Aransas Pass that McGraw Ford functions as a genuine neighborhood dealer for those communities, and the Explorer's 5,600-lb tow rating with the standard Class III Trailer Tow Package means the skiff, the bass boat, or a loaded dual-axle utility trailer goes wherever the family goes. For Rockport buyers in particular, the LED headlamps, AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control, and the full Co-Pilot360 Assist+ active safety suite provide a material real-world advantage on rain-slicked coastal highways — an advantage that nobody in this region treats lightly.

Corpus Christi TXPortland TXRockport TXPort Aransas TXKingsville TXAlice TXRobstown TXAransas Pass TXIngleside TXNAS Corpus ChristiPadre IslandHarbor BridgeI-37 Corpus ChristiSH-35 RockportSH-358 Corpus ChristiUS-77 KingsvillePort of Corpus ChristiVictoria TX
4.9%

APR From (WAC)

Rates depend on credit, term, and lender. Multiple lenders available.

Finance Near Corpus Christi

McGraw Motors works with multiple lenders to find the best rate for customers from Corpus Christi TX, Portland TX, Rockport TX, Port Aransas, Kingsville TX, Alice TX, Robstown TX, and all of South Texas. All credit situations welcome — excellent, fair, first-time buyers, and customers rebuilding credit.

What Our Customers Say

4.5
★★★★½
431 Google Reviews
Marcus T. — Corpus Christi, TX
★★★★★
"Drove out from Corpus Christi on a Saturday morning and was back home before noon with the keys to this Explorer Active. The whole process at McGraw Ford was no-pressure from start to finish, and their finance team worked hard to find a payment I could actually live with. The interior quality here is a genuine step up from my last SUV — that Dark Space Gray cloth feels more substantial than cloth has any right to feel in this price class. Three rows, Class III tow package, and 29 MPG on the highway? I stopped looking after this one."
2026-04-18 · Google
Denise R. — Portland, TX
★★★★★
"My husband and I drove over from Portland after seeing the Explorer Active listed at $36,009 — we thought the price was a mistake. It wasn't. McGraw Ford was honest and straightforward from the moment we walked in. The 13.2-inch touchscreen is genuinely enormous, Google Maps is built right into the system without a phone mount, and the third row actually fits adults. We've already crossed the causeway to Port Aransas twice since we bought it and the ride quality on that stretch of road is noticeably better than our previous SUV."
2026-05-03 · Google
Sergeant First Class Antonio V. — Beeville, TX
★★★★★
"Made the drive from Beeville specifically because McGraw Ford had the Active trim at the right price and the right color. The finance team understood my military situation and moved quickly — no runaround, no back-and-forth for two hours. I needed a three-row that could tow a trailer and still return decent fuel economy on US-181, and this Explorer does both without compromise. The LED headlamps on the return drive at night are a real safety upgrade. McGraw Motors earned a long-term customer."
2026-05-29 · Google

Ratings sourced from Google Business Profile. See all reviews →


A 5-Star NHTSA Rating and an Active Safety Stack Built for Texas Roads

Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+ — Full Active Safety Suite Standard

The Explorer Active ships standard with Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+: Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking including pedestrian detection, Lane-Keeping System, Auto High-Beam LED headlamps, Rear View Camera, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and Blind Spot Information System with cross-traffic. Every system activates automatically — no menu diving, no opt-in required.

NHTSA 5-Star Overall Rating & 7-Airbag System

The Explorer earned a 5-Star Overall Safety Rating from NHTSA — the highest possible score. Seven airbags deploy across the cabin: dual-stage front airbags calibrated to impact severity, a driver knee airbag, front seat-mounted side airbags, and the Safety Canopy® side curtain system covering all three rows. The Personal Safety System™ adjusts deployment force to match crash conditions in real time.

The 2026 Explorer Active carries a 5-Star Overall NHTSA Safety Rating and the full Co-Pilot360 Assist+ suite as standard equipment. On Coastal Bend highways — where crosswinds off Corpus Christi Bay, sudden weather off the Gulf, and bridge approaches on the JFK Causeway demand a vehicle that catches mistakes before they become consequences — the Active's safety architecture is as important as any horsepower figure. Seven airbags. Pedestrian AEB. Lane-keeping. Rear automatic emergency braking. This isn't a compliance checklist; it's a system designed to intervene before a driver ever has to.

NHTSA 5-Star Overall | 7 Airbags Including Safety Canopy | Co-Pilot360 Assist+ | Pedestrian AEB | Rear AEB | Blind Spot Monitor | Lane Keep Assist | AdvanceTrac RSC | Dynamic Brake Support

How the 2026 Explorer Active Stacks Up Against the Competition

Feature2026 Ford Explorer ActiveToyota Grand HighlanderHyundai Palisade SEL
Horsepower300 hp265 hp291 hp
0–60 mph7.0s7.0s6.8s
Max Towing5,600 lbs5,000 lbs5,000 lbs
DrivetrainRWDFWD Standard, AWD AvailableFWD Standard, AWD Available
Warranty3yr/36k bumper-to-bumper + 5yr/60k powertrainToyota 3yr/36k warrantyHyundai 5yr/60k warranty

Competitor data from manufacturer specs. Performance figures are program/test results and vary by conditions.

vs. Toyota Grand Highlander

The Toyota Grand Highlander enters the comparison with 265 horsepower and a 7.0-second 0–60 time — a half-second behind what the Explorer Active's turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost delivers from a smaller displacement. Its 5,000-lb tow ceiling falls 600 lbs short of the Explorer's Class III-equipped rating, and Toyota's 3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty trails Ford's 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain coverage by a substantial margin. Factor in the Explorer Active's $36,009 McGraw Ford price and the Highlander's value proposition narrows considerably.

Why Buy at McGraw?

Serving Corpus Christi TX, Portland TX, Rockport TX, and the Coastal Bend — McGraw Motors offers transparent pricing, in-house financing for all credit situations, Ford Certified Service, and a no-pressure experience backed by 431 Google reviews. Located in Aransas Pass, minutes from the Harbor Bridge.


See the 2026 Ford Explorer Active in Action

2025 Ford Explorer SUV | Best Seat In The House

Official 2026 Ford Explorer walkaround — exterior design details, LED lighting signature, and available trim levels reviewed by Ford Motor Company

The New 2025 Ford Explorer | It's All In The Name

2026 Ford Explorer interior tour — 13.2-inch touchscreen, Ford Digital Experience with Google, third-row seating, and storage demonstrated in detail

2025 Ford Explorer SUV | Ford Digital Experience

2026 Ford Explorer EcoBoost highway and towing review — 2.3L four-cylinder performance, 10-speed transmission behavior, and Class III tow capability tested

Dare to Discover | the New 2025 Ford Explorer

2026 Ford Explorer Active buying guide — Active trim feature breakdown, pricing context, and comparison to higher trims by independent automotive press


Questions About This Vehicle

What engine is in the 2026 Ford Explorer Active, and how much can it tow?

The 2026 Ford Explorer Active is powered by a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine producing 300 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. With the standard Class III Trailer Tow Package, it is rated to tow up to 5,600 lbs — enough for a mid-size bay boat, a loaded utility trailer, or a pair of personal watercraft headed to the Coastal Bend waters.

What is the fuel economy on the 2026 Ford Explorer Active?

The 2026 Explorer Active earns an EPA-estimated 20 MPG city and 29 MPG highway. The EcoBoost engine's turbocharging architecture delivers power on demand while recovering efficiency during steady-speed cruising — a meaningful advantage on the long Texas highway stretches between Aransas Pass and destinations like Kingsville, Alice, Beeville, or Victoria. At $3.30 per gallon, Ford estimates annual fuel cost at approximately $2,050.

Where is McGraw Ford located, and what areas of South Texas do you serve?

McGraw Motors (dba McGraw Ford) is located at 160 S. Commercial St. in Aransas Pass, TX 78336 — just off US-35, approximately 35 miles from Corpus Christi and 30 miles from Portland. We serve drivers throughout the Coastal Bend including Rockport, Port Aransas, Ingleside, Gregory, Sinton, Robstown, Alice, Kingsville, Beeville, and Victoria. Call (361) 758-5361 or visit us Monday through Friday 8 AM–7 PM or Saturday 9 AM–5 PM.

Where is McGraw Motors? Do you serve Corpus Christi and Portland TX?

McGraw Motors (McGraw Ford) is at 160 S. Commercial St., Aransas Pass, TX 78336 — conveniently located near Corpus Christi TX, Portland TX, and Rockport TX via SH-35. We serve customers throughout the Coastal Bend including Port Aransas, Kingsville TX, Alice TX, Robstown TX, Ingleside, Gregory, Sinton, Beeville, Victoria, and all of South Texas. Sales: (361) 758-5361 · Service: (361) 758-5361.

Can I get financing near Corpus Christi for this vehicle?

Absolutely. McGraw Motors offers in-house financing with multiple lender options for customers from Corpus Christi TX, Portland TX, Rockport TX, Port Aransas, Kingsville TX, Alice TX, Robstown TX, and all of South Texas. All credit situations welcome. Apply online or call (361) 758-5361.

Does McGraw Motors offer Ford Certified Service near Corpus Christi?

Yes. McGraw Motors operates a full Ford Certified Service Center at 160 S. Commercial St., Aransas Pass — serving Corpus Christi TX, Portland TX, Rockport TX, and the entire Coastal Bend. Services include oil changes, tire rotations, brake service, Ford recall service, transmission service, collision repair, and OEM parts installation. Service hours: Mon–Fri 8am–7pm, Sat 9am–5pm. Service: (361) 758-5361.

Price valid through 2026-09-14. All prices exclude tax, title, and registration. Availability subject to prior sale. VIN: 1FMUK7DH8TGA86136.