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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  Love the Sport Trac - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By ltmike70 - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Love my Sport Trac. I am always getting comments from people about how cool it looks. runs great, looks sharp, very utilitarian. all of the options are very usefull. If you do buy one, get all of the options, hard tonneau cover, bed extender, step bars, fog lights, etc.

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  THIS CAR IS JUNK - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By CINDI - April 27 - 10:00 am

  FROM THE DATE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE I HAVE SPENT MORE TIME IN RENTAL CARS THEN MAY OWN IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP THAT OFTEN I PURCHASED IT AT ABOUT 34000 MILES NOW IT HAS 39000 AND THE PIECE OF JUNK JUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE AND THE DEALER THATS A DIFFERANT STORY I WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM VICTORY FORD IN EPHARTA

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  Excited New Owner Shares His Experiences - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Jim Bunting - April 27 - 10:00 am

  My Explorer Sport Trac kicks butt! Ive had if for 3 weeks now and have put 2700 miles on it already. A trip to Chicago and 70 miles round trip to work every day have broken it in quickly. The ride is smooth like a luxury car and it takes the potholes really well. The engine is quiet and responsive. Passing is no problem with the 6 cylinder 4.0 L engine in this beauty.

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  Awesome! - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Michelle - April 26 - 11:56 am

  I love my Ford Explorer Sprot Trac truck!!! It drives wonderful, plenty of room for 5 people, and the truck bed is a great size. There is a minor problem with the interior design, and I do mean minor....the location of the inside door handles is awkward, but you get very used to it. The cover for the bed is heavy, so 2 people is a requirement. But I have had so many compliments and everybody that drives it loves it! I will never get rid of this truck, and I usually get bored with vehicles about every 2 years or so.

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  All I Can Ask - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By gelton - April 6 - 10:00 am

  It amazes me how many questions and stares I still get when the roads are full of the Sport Tracs. I could not ask of more from a vehicle this size. It carries 5 and their luggage in comfort on vacation, it hauls dirt/lumber/plants/etc. and washes clean without scratches, it carries a trailer loaded with 4000 lbs of trees 50 miles without straining, and it commutes to work getting about 20mpg. Must admit, Ive been very happy with this vehicle of choice.

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  Extreme disappointment - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By disappointed - April 4 - 1:20 am

  I have had nothing but problems with the vehicle performance. I am sure I was sold a lemon. I love the looks of the Sport Trac, but the rest of the vehicle is another story. Very hard idling, almost stalling, sputtering down the road, malfunctioning windows, turn signals and seat belts. Hope all of you have better luck than I.

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  LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By bayouboy26 - April 1 - 10:00 am

  HAVE HAD SEVERAL SMALL PROBLEMS: FRONT BEARINGS CHANGED, HORN AND CRUISE CONTROL WENT OUT (TOGETHER),PEELING INTERIOR TRIM FINISH. 4.10 REAR IS GEARED TOO LOW. NOT ENOUGH POWER IN 4WD HIGH. HORRIBLE GAS MILAGE. RIDES LIKE CRAP. HOWEVER, THERE IS NOTHING THIS VEHICLE CANNOT DO. IT MAY NOT DO A GREAT JOB AT ANYTHING, BUT IT WILL ACCOMPLISH ANY TASK YOU CAN THROW AT IT. THE MOST DISSAPPOINTING FEATURE OF THIS VEHICLE IS THAT WITH A LITTLE MORE REFINEMENT, FORD COULD HAVE HAD A TRUELLY UNIQUE WORLD CLASS VEHICLE WITHOUT RIVAL. SO CLOSE,YET SO FAR AWAY.IN ADDITION, THE HORRIBLE RESALE VALUE MAKES GETTING OUT OF ONE DIFFICULT.

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  what more could i want? - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By regor etoc - April 1 - 10:00 am

  I did not buy this as a "performance" vehicle, and with the versatility of the truck-suv-touring car, I can not fault it at all. Love the ride and comfort on long 500 mile + trips, the fuel milage is better than my better halfs Liberty. The four wheel drive works very well, brakes could use an upgrade. There are many aftermarket items to sport it up, michelin tires make all the difference over the original goodyears. Needed new ball joints after 20,000 miles, original ones not sealed properly.

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  Good mix - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By William Dg - March 26 - 2:00 am

  Purchased originally as a second car for practical reasons, the Sport Trac won me over immediately and despite the poor mileage, I commute with this vehicle more often than not. The pickup bed is great for all but the largest loads and the soft cover makes accomodating the bigger loads much easier. The vehicle manages to transport a group of four very comfortablly, even with a full load. While the relatively narrow wheel base make quick lane changes and sharp turns illadvised, the smooth quiet ride and the advantages of the on-the-fly 4x4 more than make up for this. All in all, a great mix of comfort and practicality

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  tracker review - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By rjp - March 19 - 2:00 am

  I still to this day get people stopping me to tell me what a great looking truck I have.