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Comments
I've owned mostly Fords since my 1st - a 64 1/2 Mustang when it 1st came out and had less than 1 problem every 2-3 years.
Had a 69 Chevy Super Sport with a water leak around windshield and a 75 Corvette with the SAME leak; both since new.
Have had Audis, Jeeps, Dodges and they all had many more problems, especially the Audi. The best driving but the LEAST reliable of all the cars. The Jeep was maybe tied as another UNRELIABLE POS ever.
Present car is an 05 Escape that has about 68k and runs as well as it was new. The only reason I'm not keeping it that it's on a lease and to own it would cost almost the same as leasing a new Sport Trac with the high residual.
Love my Fords, As stated, I ordered my 07 V-8 Sport Trac and expect delivery end of April.
I'm glad some folks have had good luck with their Fords, and I am intrigued by the new Sport Trac. But my truck really is not holding up well, and I am really leery of buying another Ford built and engineered product. But it sure is a good looking truck and I would love to have a V-8....
I've had one Honda, drivetrain great but everything else went. Even the threads in the seats let go. Rust everywhere and hardware pieces falling off everywhere.
1) Don't think that Toy-Awful-As don't break - plenty of sales of replacement parts say otherwise.
2) The Explorer and Sport Trac ride radically smoother and quieter than the Toyotas with their primative solid rear axles.
3) Why do you blame the car maker, instead of the tire maker, for tire problems?
4) As a counterpoint to your misfortune with an engine defect (and apparently a dealer who did not know how to repair it properly), my 2002 Mountaineer V8 had a few defects when brand new which were quickly and proprly repaired, and then gave 100,000 miles of excellent service with no problems other than replacement of a $25 idler pully on the front of the engine.
1 - Hard to close the door. The handle to pull the door closed is located to far below the seat so when you pull it closed, it is awkward and uncomfortable.
2- Cup holders are for standard cups, NOT the larger take out cups that are not tapered at the bottom.
3 - LOUSY gas mileage. Can't believe that they rebuilt this from the ground up and made the mileage worse than the 2005's.
I've had 2 V6 Explorers and then a V8. The 8 got BETTER milage, sometimes 20mpg that I NEVER got on the 6's
John
For example, I drive 35,000 business miles per year, and using a mix of 40% city and 60% highway, the 15 city and 21 highway ratings of the V8 RWD, and regular at $3.00, my annual fuel costs for the SportTrac would be $5,800. That means that if I instead buy something with mileage ratings 50% better than the SportTrac (22.5 city and 31.5 highway), it would save me $1,933 per year, not enough to sway my decision unless both vehicles provided otherwise equivalent functionality. For people who drive less, the fuel cost difference would be so small that they have no business buying a new vehicle of any sort if they think the fuel cost differenece is significant.
I only have one bulky item to carry regularly, a 15' Little Giant ladder which is 55" long and 22" wide when fully collapsed. I could only fit it in the box sideways, with various twisting, and a very ackward and back-wrenching reach over the tailgate. Ford really goofed by not giving it a five foot bed and the old Ford station wagon tailgate design (open down or out) now used on the Ridgeline. No, I am not going to buy a Ridgeline - it is extremely ugly, is slow, and rides rougher and noisier than I want.
The door handles will be changed for the 2008 Explorers and Mountaineers, so do not expect this horrible design goof to be labeled a "safety advance" and be copied by anyone!
Anyone have the 2007 V-6? What kind of mileage are you seeing?.
I never recall any of my other Ford (or Porsche/or Volvos) MGP improving after break-in?! We will see.
I will say it feels way more solid than the old model, corners extremely well and rides like an F-150 and you can't even feel the 6-speed tranny shift, pretty sweet and "carbon-fiber" accents, rubber floor and overall interior treatments are very nice. By the way, try grabbing the door handles palm up, work way easier, little change from the normal, but it is OK, not a deal-breaker.
It is going off-road this weekend, I will let you know...don't know if Independent R suspension is the best thing for off road, we will see, should handle the wash-boards better in any case. Can't find stats anywhere for ground clearance...anyone know, even the dealer answered with the ole' shoulder-shrug? Have a good weekend gentlemen.
In regards to complaining about the V8 sport trac milage compared to a Honda Ridgeline, lets look at the #'s
Ridgeline: 3.5L V-6; 247 hp; 245 lb-ft torque, 5000# towing capacity, mileage: 16 city / 21 highway
V8 sport trac: 4.6L V8; 292 hp; 300 lb-ft torque; 6600# towing capacity, mileage: 14 city / 20 highway
The performance difference between the 2 is very significant if you intend on towing boats, trailers, misc. like I intend on doing. Yes, it's going to cost me more at the pump. But the 300 lb-torque will be enjoyed at the boat ramp pulling a boat and trailer out of the water. My suggestion...if you're not going to pull anything, don't by the V8!! Or better yet, consider an Escape or the new Edge which are designed to be PEOPLE movers, not TRUCKS.
The Ridgeline does have some attractive features like the extra storage in the bed. And I agree that the door handles in the sport trac are very different, but it's definitely not a feature that will turn me away from buying this truck. I think I can adapt to a door handle. LOL. My only question is, WHICH COLOR TO BUY???!!
My main disappointment, as stated before, was that the mileage was well below the stated mileage, but... floor the pedal getting onto a long interstate on-ramp and you can't believe you are in a truck, this baby is very fast. Can't wait to add a K & N and put a cat/back in it and then it will also be the best sounding truck on the road as well. I say look at a burgundy red one, I went with traditional gloss black...and the door handles, please...they feel mormal already?! What is the fuss? Can't wait to push that 4x4 Low button this Summer at the bottom of the boat ramp!
Anyone up to speed on what Ford did?
John
What are guys in the 4.6L Mustangs getting for mileage I wonder?...basically the same set-up.
Started out with 13 miles on the odometer at noon. Drove 350 miles on a 4 lane, two stops,, cruise control at 60 on most of the trip, premium gas and got an honest 21+ MPG... pleased so far...
r
April 28, 2006
To the Editors of Edmunds:
Your review of the 2007 Sport Trac ("Full Test: 2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac") lacks real world perspective. In the review, the caption under the photo showing the tonneau cover tie downs, reads, "We're not sure why Ford includes these bungee-cord tie-downs on the tonneau cover. Driving with it open hardly seems smart and gravity does a pretty good job of holding it open when the truck isn't moving."
This simpe caption perfectly encapsulates that the reviewer doesn't understand the marketplace for the Sport Trac.
If you talk to even just a small number of owners, you would understand this simple device allows the truck to be safely driven with the rear half of the tonneau cover open, which dramatically eases the task of transporting tall, bulky cargo items without removing the tonneau cover. For example: Lawnmowers. Pressure washers. Bicycles. Barbeque grills. Washing machines. Real stuff transported by real owners. In combination with the bed extender, the tonneau-securing bungees provide great cargo versatility.
Fold down rear seating: The Sport Trac implementation is much more pet friendly than seats which fold up against the rear bulkhead. Ask owners if that's important. Many will say yes. Few owners need extra cargo height in the interior space. Far more often, Fido is back there, enjoying the ride with his owner. Having a flat space without seat anchoring hardware in the way is safer for the most frequent occupents of the folded rear seat space.
Huge upgrades in vehicle safety: This is perhaps the most serious inadequacy of the review. The only words on the subject are complaints about the safer door handle design. You should know well that the Explorer name has been dragged through the mud in rollover cases. Ford made a huge effort to address vehicle controlabilty and stability in the latest Sport Trac. The only wisdom the reviewer offers on the matter is that it reduces slalom speed. In the real world, I'd prefer Ford's perspective on this. When the family’s teenager gets behind the wheel of a Sport Trac, the higher slalom speed you seem to think is a good indicator of product worthiness is not something owners will miss. But the stability control algorithms, computer-monitored vehicle position and inertia sensors, the advanced air bag deployment schemes, these things will matter greatly, when that teenager with little driving experience makes a mistake. Frankly, it's shameful that you don't give a good accounting of the safety improvements in this vehicle.
The reviewer makes no mention of the six speed auto and how the shift quality reduces awareness of shifting in ordinary driving.
Performance: While a handful of enthusiasts will lower this truck and put performance tires on it, that's not the target for this vehicle. "Performance," for a vehicle in this class, means towing, hauling, and not getting stuck in the mud, while providing excellent passenger comfort and a quality driving experience. The Sport Trac is a nearly ideal balance of these attributes.
Bottom line, the 2007 Sport Trac is a big upgrade over the previous generation, in numerous, important ways. Your reviewer seems to go out of the way to nitpick the vehicle about things that aren't terribly important. Ending the review by saying the Tacoma and Frontier are better performing might make sense if you take a stopwatch and orange cones every time you go to the grocery store. The ways actual owners use these vehicles make your reviewer's comments about performance seem out of touch.
I am by no means a Ford apologist. I've owned several Hondas over the last 20 years, and respect the Honda brand greatly. The 2001 Sport Trac is the first Ford product I've owned. Despite the innovation of the configuration, the first generation Sport Trac showed it's age, owing to an outdated platform, in the first model year. The 2007 is so far beyond the first generation vehicle and is class leading in many regards. It's a shame your review missed the mark so badly by not fairly crediting it for the things it does so well. Real world things.
If accuracy and relevance are attributes you hope to achieve in your reviews, I invite your writers and editors to spend some time with Sport Trac owners at [link edited out to obey forum rules]. The perspective of owners who frequent the Sport Trac Web Site will undoubtedly help your staff produce more accurate reviews.
Sincerely,
Rich Stern
Publisher
The Sport Trac Web Site
Appreciate it and thanks ahead
MH
Completely agree with you. I bought a 4.0 limited a month ago. I was actually one of those folks that made fun of the Sport Trac when it first came out. Years later, and a re-design. I really like my '07. FOr those who want it to "handle" and "perform". you're looking at the wrong automobile. Buy a Mustang GT or wait for the Shelby to come out. I actually traded my '05 GT in on the Sport Trac because I now have a limited use or chance to use the "performance" the car can deliver. However, having the pick-up bed with a locking cover is something I use regularly. Toss in the fact that the second set of doors open to a rather spacious rear seat . . . . As for a previous writer's comment that you may as well buy a F-150 ("I've had two and think they are the best trucks on the market)I considered getting the 150 when I got tired of the GT. They're a little too big to negotiate my my cramped parking garage or easilly fit in the home garage. The '07 Sprot Track is a VERY close next best thing. Great truck.
There are a great deal of parts for the 05/06 Mustang GT with the 3v 4.6. Your problem wll be fit in the engine bay that is configured differently, e.g. stearing shaft, header clearance, air intake path, etc. Obviously, all the current parts for the GT are specifically designed for the GT. Ford even released several GTs to aftermarket performance companies, months ahead of release of the GT to the public, so that part would be available at aboutthe same time as the '05 GT was released. Have not heard of Ford doing that with the sport trac.