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:

• 

  2004 Explorer Sports Trac - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Ycovington - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I think the vechicle is great for the price. I looked around for several different trucks. I compared it to the F 150, Chevy Silverado and the Toyota Tundra and found that the interior style was very similar without having to pay the higher price.

• 

  Great SUV!!! - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By txjul - December 16 - 10:00 am

  Great truck, comfortable yet versatile!

• 

  Sport Trac - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Momof2 - December 13 - 7:03 am

  Purchased with 75 mi on it, now at 160000. Bought Gold Warranty, will never purchase again, it covered nothing. Transmission came "unsealed" at 16k mi, said it was normal wear and tear. Continued transmission issues, gaskets come unsealed often and the electrical issues are huge. Windows wont roll up and down, door locks wont work, even manually (can only get in through passenger manual key lock). Constant repairs.

• 

  Common Features Not Present - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By The Truth - December 10 - 2:00 am

  10,000 miles on my 2002 Sport Track.In shop twice: 1st-pioneer 6-cd in-dash player wouldn’t play or eject CDs, and 2nd - multiple issues-drivers side window wouldn’t raise up; fuel pump problem; and plastic piece broke off the cage extender. Also, poor turning radius, noisy road ride, no lock for glove compartment, no option to recycle the air (except when using max AC, which doesn’t work when you need heat), and if you drive with a woman, shell note there’s no light on vanity mirror. And lastly, if you ever have to sleep in it, the seats do not fully recline. Sport Track is a great concept-but cheaply implemented by Ford.

• 

  Looks good - 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Marsha K - December 2 - 12:23 pm

  Just purchased a 2007 Sport Trac and it looks good but the gas mileage leaves something to be desired. It is comfortable and I like the fact that the rear seat can seat adults or fold down for the dogs. The little cubbyholes in the bed seem to be pretty useless. One is unreachable unless I climb into the bed of the truck. The other two arent even deep enough to hold a bottle of oil upright. I can keep bungee cords in one. I just drove it four hours straight with no discomfort so it fits me pretty good. 57 female. The Gas tank is on the wrong side for the USA and the interior door handle is inconvenient.

• 

  So close... - 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By Pat Richard - November 29 - 8:16 pm

  Not a bad ride. My 4WD unit rides nice, and handles well. Traction control works great. Mileage hovers right around those listed - even better sometimes on the highway. The sound system in mine (6 CD stereo w/ MP3 playback) sounds really good. Mine has the power pedals, but they hardly get used.

• 

  Great Truck! - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By David Brasefield - November 29 - 4:20 am

  This truck is fantastic! Nice looking also. 4 wheel drive works great, especially in New England snow. Ride is pretty good for a truck. V-6 is very smooth but V-8 would be nicer. Very versatile. Full 4 doors and backseat, along with the truck bed, make this very versatile. Make sure you get tonneau cover. You can haul stuff from the grocery store, home/garden center, then take 4/5 friends out to dinner. Interior is well laid out but same as Ford Ranger. A little narrow for larger folks. Im 64". Plenty of leg room with seat all the way back and adjustable steering column. This truck has been extremely reliable. Not a single mechanical problem. Only the cheap sunglass holder broke. Highly recommend!

• 

  stranded @33,000 miles - 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By curt jones - November 24 - 10:00 am

  No problems for 3 years, I was a booster of the vehicle. It failed me coming home from a short trip. stranded for 3 days ( holiday weekend).I was one week over the three year warranty, the "on call" service would not help. It seems my thermostat self destructed, sending pieces to lodge in the water pump, the pump seized and froze causing the drive belt to overheat and break. I have also had many close calls when I change lanes due to the huge blind spot of its design. have taken a second job on weekends to pay for gas, will sell it soon.

• 

  Enjoying the Sport Trac - 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By mdcoop33 - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Fun vehicle to dry. Very cool package, both inside & out. It is enough of a truck to do all the things I need out of a truck (just finished a basement and hauled everything needed). Provides the flexibility of decent gas mileage (dry it daily) and provides plenty of room for 4. Enjoy the vehicle very much - only problems - both rear door mechanisms have had to be reworked. I purchased an after market soft top - should have gone with the factory hard top.

• 

  Most useful vehicle - 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
  By T Culbertson - November 1 - 4:50 am

  This is the most useful vehicle weve ever owned. Room for 4 or 5 adults, great visibility, good seating position, versatile mini truck bed, quiet cabin for an SUV, has been trouble free. I replaced the shocks with Bilsteins two years ago.....huge ride difference. Pulled 2 heavy trailer loads of household goods across country. It struggled with the weight, but otherwise handled fine. Nice sound system, good fit and finish. Im averaging 18-19 MPG with mostly highway driving. Ford did a great job on this one!!