Eulogy for a Sport Trac

by Edward Niedermeyer

Published: July 28th, 2009

Ford Explorer Sport Trac went into production in 2000 and will be leaving us next year, reports Automotive News [sub]. But what, you might ask, will happen to the “torn between Explorer and Ranger” market segment? Will they have to choose?

Like the Subaru Baja before it, the Sport Trac is departing, and our automotive landscape will be a little less weird for it. But the few of these automotive non sequiturs that were sold will surely live forever in the hands of their blissfully indecisive and gimmick-prone owners. Everyone else will shrug and buy the truck they were going to buy in the first place. (The Mercury Explorer Clone will also be dying when the Explorer goes unibody. For what that’s worth.)

Edward Niedermeyer

More by Edward Niedermeyer

Comments

Join the conversation

4 of 33 comments

Martin Albright on Jul 29, 2009

I always thought the Sport Trac was gimmicky and overpriced. With its plastic bed it was also very limited in terms of utility. In South America Ford makes a 4 door Ranger (with a turbo diesel, of course.) IMO that would have been a much better choice than the silly looking Sport Trac. My '99 Ranger was flawless for the 4 years and 93,000 miles I had it, and was the best "road trip" vehicle I ever owned. My hope would be that when Ford decides to refresh/update the Ranger pickup they'll add a true 4 door to the lineup (hopefully with that TDi motor.) I think such a vehicle could be truly competitive and might help Ford regain a market they once owned.

Like Reply
Dolorean23 on Jul 29, 2009
@BDB: Because everyone else has given up on the BOF midsize SUV. Notice the Explorers sales slide from 400k a year to under 100k. The market has moved on. Leave the niche to the 4runner and the Kia Borrego. Exactly the reason why Ford should keep the Explorer as body-on-frame. The 4Runner and Pathfinder aren't the strongest sellers on the market, but for those who want to have an SUV that can actually pull a boat or trailer, without going behemoth like a Yukon or Land Cruiser or paying the premiums to drive them. The Ford Explorer fails at the niche it created because Ford is trying to hard to make it something it is not.

Like Reply
Martin Albright on Jul 29, 2009
The 4Runner and Pathfinder aren’t the strongest sellers on the market, but for those who want to have an SUV that can actually pull a boat or trailer, without going behemoth like a Yukon or Land Cruiser or paying the premiums to drive them. The Ford Explorer fails at the niche it created because Ford is trying to hard to make it something it is not Not taking issue with your point but just with the highlighted portion. Yes, it's pedandtic but then again, where would the internet be without pedantry? Just wanted to point out that the "niche" in which the Explorer sits was well entrenched by the time the Explorer made its debut in 1990. The Pathfinder and 4runner you mention were both in production for several years before that time. This is perhaps a bit of a bleed-over from the "ten most influential" discussion but regarding the Explorer's place in automotive history, I think it's clear that the Explorer was popular for the same reason that pop music is popular: It is bland, inoffensive, and appeals to the lowest common denominator. Other vehicles in the class (notably the 4runner and the Xterra) succeeded because they offered something their competitors didn't. Likewise, the vehicles that failed in this class like the Montero, Trooper and Rodeo did so because they failed to distinguish themselves from the pack and offered no real advantages over the competition. At this point, I wonder why Ford would even throw money after the Explorer anyway. There's nothing the Explorer does that other vehicles don't do better. Want towing capacity? Get an Expedition. Want economy? Get a hybrid Escape. 3 row seating and funky styling? Get a Flex or an Edge. Want genuine off-road capability? Get a Jeep or better yet a Toyota. It's true that the Explorer has made a lot of money for Ford for the past 19 years but honestly, would anyone miss it?

Like Reply
Paris-dakar on Jul 29, 2009
All Ford needs is an updated Ranger with Eco-Boost and 4 doors. Think Quad Cab Dakota only with better mileage and the same towing capacity. I hope Ford keeps the Ranger a true Compact. If they move it up a size class like you suggest, they'll be competing against the Tacoma and Frontier, and that's a losing game. An up-to-date, true Compact, on the other hand, will have a segment to itself.

Like Reply