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:
Showing 1 through 10 of 560.00-
2002 - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
By qa9031 - October 4 - 2:00 amHave transported, king size mattress, mulch for the yard, scuba equipment, boating equipment all with relative ease, great vehicle.
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A Long Wait....A Quick Disappointment - 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
By KO4321 - October 4 - 2:00 amThis brand new truck was purchased as a college graduation present to myself. Nine months later, I had to be given a brand new engine. My dealership was excellent through all of my problems. But, I felt Ford should have shown me some type of support (even just a letter of apology). A year and a half and 2 recalls later, I am very disappointed not only in the quality of this vehicle but in the lack of customer service that Ford has shown me. Without the tonneau cover, the back is too light and slides in rain and snow.I am young, and will own several more cars in the future. However, none of them will be a Ford.
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Noise????? - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
By ben13 - September 23 - 10:00 amI owned an Explorer (02) which developed low hum in rearend around 40 + MPH. The dealer tried several fixes and finally said live with it. I decided to trade in on sporttrac (03) no hum initially, but guess what after about 2K miles the old hum is back only louder and more annoying (riders notice it immediately). A local Ford dealer had a gtreat fix - ride with the radio on!!!!! Thanks ford. Ive had several ford products over the last few years and this one is the last.
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Ford made this vehicle bland - 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
By jahfre - July 28 - 1:37 pmI bought a Sport Trac in 2001 and drove it for 9 years, putting 260,000 miles on it over the period. That truck was special. Little details and features were well designed and useful...from the tie-down cleats on the bed to the bump feature on the rear sliding window. Dozens of things made those early model year Sport Trac attractive. When I finally wore out the first one I ran to the dealership to get another one. UGH. It is a totally different vehicle...so much worse in so many ways I cannot go into all of them. I use mine to haul rocks, firewood, gravel, etc. The bed was not designed to be used for these things. Awful.
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Like the Truck, Hate the Service Support - 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
By GSFuller - July 16 - 12:23 pmI bought the truck for the functionality - to transport my family and cargo at the same time. I chose it over the Dakota because it drove like a car - which it is. This vehicle is not as durable as a truck and should not be treated as such. But for a suburbanite, I like it a lot. It has things break on it a lot and I am thankful for the warranty. Too bad the dealership is so unsupportive. I see it as a great alternative to a wagon but not to a pick up truck. Treat it gently and it will perform well. Great speed but poor mileage (18 - 20 mpg).
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Nice Improvement - 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
By Eagle 16 - June 15 - 4:56 amI love the way my 07 Limited drives, I cant drive the vehicle enough. The traction control is great. I had an 05 Adrenalin SportTrac and the difference is night and day. The independent suspension and much quieter ride are a huge improvement over the 05 models. Corning ability is also greatly improved. The truck rides much smoother as well.
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Great Buy - 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
By Sam Smith - June 12 - 5:16 pmOverall I am very satisfied.
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03 ST XLT Premium is a solid SUT - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
By Marc99GT - June 11 - 10:00 amMy wife and I purchased our first 03 ST 8/1/03. It now has just over 300 miles and it is a nice comfortible ride. The truck feels solid and smooth. It moves fairly well getting onto the highway and the rear A/C controls are a huge plus. The power rear center window is very cool & the 285 watt stereo sounds very good.
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Primary Vehicle - 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
By J. Hines - May 22 - 5:53 amPretty much satisfied with the vehicle. Only drawbacks are fuel economy, of which I am getting close to 18 mpg around town, and the tire pressure indicator keeps going off. Have had 2 dealerships look at the tire pressure indicator but no solution yet.
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Get this truck - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
By rookie - May 21 - 12:13 amIve had this truck for 2 weeks. I bought used with 96,000 miles as my first vehicle and Ive put over 200 miles on it already just having fun in it. When I bought it it needed a new rack and pinion and new rear axle hose which the dealer replaced for free. Other than that it has nothing wrong with it. I love the truck so much and would recomend it to anyone. I just wish the outside looked a little more eye catching but the newer ones do
