North Georgia car buyers can shop the new Ford Explorer lineup at Ronnie Thompson Ford in Ellijay without the congestion of metro Atlanta. Choose from six trim levels—Active 100A, Active, ST-Line, Tremor, Platinum, and ST—with purchase and lease options available on new models. We're conveniently located for Dawsonville-area car buyers who prefer to stay closer to home rather than heading south toward the suburbs.

• A 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder producing 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive (RWD) or optional four-wheel drive (4WD).
• A 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine delivering 385 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque.

• The 2.3-liter EcoBoost: 20 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined.
• The 3.0-liter EcoBoost: 18 mpg city, 25 highway, and 21 combined.

Jasper-area drivers who commute south on GA-5 will find these figures hold up reasonably well on the two-lane mountain routes that define everyday driving in this region.

When properly equipped, the maximum towing capacity is 5,000 pounds. That's enough to haul a loaded utility trailer, a boat, or a small camper bound for Lake Blue Ridge or a campground along the Chattahoochee National Forest corridor north of Chatsworth.

The Ford Explorer has three rows and seats up to seven passengers with the standard second-row bench seat, or up to six with optional second-row captain's chairs. That's plenty of room for families with gear heading to Amicalola Falls State Park for the weekend.

With the second and third-row seats folded flat, the maximum cargo capacity climbs to 85.8 cubic feet from 16.3 cubic feet behind the third row. For drivers from Dawsonville to Canton who need a flexible SUV for everyday driving, this much flexibility makes it easier to haul all your gear without needing a second vehicle or making additional trips.

Standard safety technologies include:

• Automatic emergency braking
• Lane-keeping assist
• Lane departure warning
• Automatic high beams
• A rearview camera system

Available features include adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. For drivers maneuvering the narrow two-lane roads near Chatsworth, the forward collision system provides a meaningful layer of attention support.

The Tremor is the trim built for unpaved terrain. It comes with all-terrain tires, underbody skid plates, and a raised suspension, with a ground clearance of 9.0 inches. Blue Ridge-area shoppers who spend time on Forest Service roads and gravel two-tracks will find that the Tremor variant tackles terrain without requiring a truck platform.