2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac: Taking the High Road
Leon L. Brittain, 4.21.06
A towing capacity of 6,800 pounds, a 37.5 cubic foot cargo bed, seating for five, and the ride equivalent of a luxury vehicle. These are features of the all-new 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. Yes, a pick up/SUV as Ford categorizes it. When your friends start asking you for help with moving, you too will call it a pick up, but this isn’t your run-of-the-mill cargo hauler.
Ford has achieved a milestone by significantly improving the torsional stiffness of the Sport Trac’s fully boxed frame by 427%. Not 25%. Not 100%. A 427% improvement that directly relates to a surprisingly quiet and very comfortable ride. To step up their “quiet” game, engineers also took into consideration the shape and functional size of the side mirrors by testing several designs in a wind tunnel to reduce the circulating wind noise produced by most side mirrors. Ford also integrated three new gear bins into its wider and deeper cargo box. Also available is a very easy, light, and maneuverable add-on cargo cage Bed Extender, which can be used with the tailgate open or closed for added security of your gear.
Our test route in the 2007 Sport Trac Limited carried us along a scenic mix of highways, rolling hills, and curvy roads from Fiesta Island, San Diego to Laguna Beach, California with a pit stop for a little R&R (ruff and rugged) off-roading mid way. The 4.6-liter 292 horsepower V8 with 300 pound-feet of torque was more than capable of making easy prey of speed challenged drivers and navigated hairpin corners with minimum body roll as we made our way along the road course. The six-speed automatic transmission was equally as smooth throughout the varying levels of elevation changes which consisted of numerous inclines and declines.
But it is off-road where you are reminded you are a in a Ford-tough truck that takes its exterior styling cues from the best selling F-150. Due to the smooth and quiet ride the Sport Trac provides, you are naturally inclined to feel as if you need to take it easy on this new kid, when in fact it enjoys stomping up and down rugged terrain, splashing through mud puddles, and showing off its Ride Stability Control (RSC) as if in an old school game of “King of the Hill.” The RSC software combined with traction control quickly engaged the moment the 18” inch aluminum wheels wrapped in all-season claws began digging into the slippery, rocky terrain. All the while reassuring you of this worthy SUV’s intentions of not giving up its position whether you are ascending, descending, or defending your throne.
Inside the Sport Trac, gauges are well placed and very visible. Although the interior has sporty look with two-tone leather seats, chrome accents, and simulated carbon-fiber trim, the black plastic console creates a lackluster feel and the innovative, but annoying placement of the inside door handle is awkward.
Prices range from $24,940 for the Explorer Sport Trac XLT with an array of standard features to $26,540 for the Limited which offers a six-way power driver’s seat, fog lamps, and 18” machined aluminum wheels.
