Overview & Reviews

Pickup? SUV? How about both? The specialized Ford Explorer Sport Trac was a vehicle meant to offer the best of both worlds, which is to say the cargo-hauling ability of a pickup and the comfortable interior of an SUV. It was, in essence, an Explorer with a pickup bed grafted to the back.

There have been two generations of the Ford Explorer Sport Trac. We were never very impressed by the original. Though clever in concept, it lacked in execution. The first Sport Trac was low-tech, underpowered and saddled with poor handling characteristics. The redesigned second-generation model, which debuted for the 2007 model year, was a much better package overall thanks to improvements in its power, cargo and towing capacity, and handling and comfort characteristics.

In most respects, Ford succeeded at its goal of building a vehicle that could act as both a pickup and an SUV. For consumers in need of a vehicle for hauling recreational gear or just something that can be used for light-duty trips to Home Depot, the Sport Trac should work just fine. We recommend shoppers take a look at some competing automakers' crew cab midsize pickups of the same time period, however, as they fulfilled much of the same role and offered advantages in refinement, performance and cab/body style configurations.

Most Recent Ford Explorer Sport Trac Models
The most recent generation of the five-passenger Ford Explorer Sport Trac was offered from 2007-'09. It came in a single body style: a four-door crew cab pickup. Although it shared the fundamental structure of the Explorer SUV, the Sport Trac was nearly 17 inches longer. The added length came from its longer wheelbase, which allowed room for the 4-foot cargo bed as well as plenty of rear legroom.

The Sport Trac's bed was constructed from sheet-molded composite (SMC), which was lighter than steel and wouldn't rust or dent. There were three integral storage compartments, and options included a folding cargo-bed extender and a hard tonneau cover. The bed contained a 12-volt power outlet.

Two trims were offered: base XLT and luxury Limited. The XLT's standard features included power mirrors and windows, keyless entry, cruise control, air-conditioning and a CD player. The Limited adds larger 18-inch wheels, color-keyed bumpers and mirrors, foglights and side-step bars. Major options include a sunroof, dual-zone climate control and a navigation system.

There were two engines offered in this generation. The standard 4.0-liter V6 engine (210 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque) was matched to a five-speed automatic transmission. The available 4.6-liter V8 (292 hp and 300 lb-ft) came paired with a six-speed automatic. There was also a choice of either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

In reviews of the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, we found the vehicle competent, with no major faults. Acceleration is average, even with the V8, and handling pleasant enough to fulfill Ford's target of carlike driving qualities. In addition, the cabin was comfortable and worked well enough. Although adequate in most respects, the Sport Trac wasn't outstanding in any one area. Accordingly, we'd advise consumers shopping for a multipurpose crew cab pickup to check out the Honda Ridgeline and Nissan Frontier before making a decision.

Changes throughout this generation's brief span were minor, with Ford adding the Sync system for 2008 and upgrading the optional navigation system for '09.

Past Ford Explorer Sport Trac Models
Sold from 2001-'05, the first Ford Explorer Sport Trac suffered from the launch-model blues. It was based on the old, second-generation Explorer and built around the Explorer's 4.0-liter V6 engine, chassis and suspension. At the time, we noted that we liked the vehicle's dual-nature configuration and many available features, but disliked its sloppy handling, limited towing and hauling capabilities, and subpar off-road abilities.

Changes to this generation were minor, so used-model shoppers should probably not feel a need to focus on any particular year.

User Reviews:

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  Looks Are Deceiving - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By nailsdiana - June 26 - 4:50 pm

  My husband and I purchased our Sport Trac in Mar.2000. When we first got it we loved it. Everyone turned their heads to look at it. This vehicle is very noisy, you can always hear air noises and whistling. The dealership has tried to fix that and cant. We have been to the dealership with numerous little things going wrong:the alarm system,the keypad on the door,the overdrive switch,and the oilsending unit.This truck rides rough.

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  2004 Sport-Trac XLT Prem is great!! - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By mmcsween - June 22 - 10:00 am

  I have researched this vehicle for a long time. I got my Sport-Trac as part of a settlement with Ford on a Lemon Law case. This vehicle is solid, the interior is very confortable, it drives well, and is fun!! I like the ability to be able to carry five people, and be able to haul stuff home.

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  good - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By llol - June 11 - 10:00 am

  It is good the own this truck. The is the best truck to own,yes.

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  Ford SportTrac - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Rocco - June 10 - 2:00 am

  This truck is a well built vehicle. Im impressed with the environment and radio controls in the front and rear. The dual headphone connections in the rear cab was an excellent idea that my kids use (thank God!).

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  Fun in the Sun - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By ReefDiver - June 8 - 10:00 am

  Overall I love my Sport Trac, I use it for kayak diving which is very gear intensive and, as you can imagine, wet and sandy. The bed allows me to keep the dirty things out back while my leather interior doesnt have to deal with any of it. If I had one complaint it would be fuel economy but I knew I wasnt buying a Honda

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  Disappointed - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By teddy - June 4 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the ST for 6 months. In that time Ive had three CD Players, a 4x4 switch and moon roof fail. Ford needs to improve the quality of this truck.

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  Could be much better!! - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Drewdawg - June 2 - 2:00 am

  When driving the Sports Trac around town I had noticed a squeeking sound when stopping but did not think of it as a problem. But about 1000 miles later I found out i had no pad or rotor left in the front disc brakes. Also during Highway driving i had to listen to a annoying wissling sound comming from the drivers side and passengers side windows. But over all the truck is fine just need to have better fuel mileage and fix the brake and wind noise problem!!

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  I LOVE IT - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By fdsfd - June 2 - 2:00 am

  i love this car.

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  Cool... - 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Arvissers - May 27 - 2:00 am

  Have had many people very interested in vehicle after purchase. Fits my dad with headroom to spare and he is 6- 4"... The only bad things about it is the fuel economy - to be expected - and wouldnt mind a small V-8 in the engine bay. Really make this baby hum. Other than that, I love it. Great SUV/Truck.

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  Love it! - 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By speechgeek - May 21 - 10:00 am

  I love this truck/SUV! Ive read reviews that rag on its ability to tow, but if I wanted to tow a huge trailer, I would have bought a huge truck. If I would have wanted a people mover, I would have bought a huge Excursion. This vehicle is the best of both worlds. I can haul more than a Chevy S- 10, and its so much better looking. You cant beat the Pioneer audiophile 6- disc in-dash changer w/ subwoofer, either!