I actually own a 2014 Explorer Limited AWD.

MPG is a weak spot but better than my old 5 year old MDX. Explorer takes regular (87) while MDX insist in premium (93).

Blind Spot Monitoring is an option but it is nothing more than an orange dot that lights up on the side mirror. I don't really use it and check my blind spot the same way I was taught to drive before all this technology came into the picture.

The options that the Explorer offers and might not have been equipped in the rental fleet is adaptive cruise control (ACC) as well as parking assist.

ACC and parking assist is usually found in luxury manufacturers. ACC is by far the most useful feature especially on road trips. Parking assist does a fairly good job of parallel parking. I also don't really use it being old-school. Parking assist does get you the rear-view camera dynamic turning lines that project the direction of the vehicle in reverse. That is a great feature to have as well.