REPORT: Ford to nix Explorer Sport Trac, Mercury Mountaineer
Anyone who actually wants a Ford Explorer Sport Trac had better go out and grab one now because they won't be around much longer. As production of the the current body-on-frame Explorer winds down in the coming months, the pickup bed version and the rebadged Mercury Mountaineer will breathe their last breath. Sometime in 2010 a new unibody Explorer based on the Flex/Taurus platform will debut and an open bed version will not be part of the lineup.
With total Explorer sales down to just 78,439 in 2008, including the Sport Trac, and those numbers down by half again this year, the number of Sport Tracs sold simply doesn't justify developing a new one. At its peak when Ford was moving some 400,000 Explorers annually, about 60,000 were Sport Tracs. This year the number is likely to be 10,000 or less.
[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
gearhead18 1:13PM (7/27/2009)
So I see it is finally time for a real Quad Cab Ranger
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C.W. 2:10PM (7/27/2009)
thats exactly right. i see the development mules of the new quad cab ranger all over dearborn.
Chibi Chaingun - blackhivemedia.com 2:38PM (7/27/2009)
Thats awesome. If they offer a diesel in the 4-door Ranger and offer the 3-door Fiesta in the states, that's two guaranteed sales right here.
Greg Aryous 2:56PM (7/27/2009)
Can you hear the demise of Mercury slowly approaching...
Also, why do people continue to ask for diesel, when they are prohibitively too expensive to build, plus the cost of compliance (read expensive exhaust system) for the US Gov't emissions. Get over the Diesel issue, all auto makers have KILLED their small diesel plans for the US mkt. Now, can you spell EcoBoost - much lower cost, equal power and MPG and far clearner... that's the solution!
UltimoDragon 1:17PM (7/27/2009)
Hilarious that Ford could find money to update the Explorer Sport Trac, but not the Ford Ranger. And the Mercury Mountaineer...meh, just as unneeded as the Buick Rainier.
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merlot066 4:29PM (7/27/2009)
They didn't really do that much to the Sport Trac, the Explorer either for that matter. They just took the whole front end of the redesigned Explorer and threw on a slightly different pickup bed in the back. At this point the Ranger needs an extensive and complete overhaul.
Allen 1:17PM (7/27/2009)
I like the Sport Trac, but I would never buy one. If the Sport Trac achieved 20mpg combined and cost 5 grand less, it would be worthwhile. For the money, one would be better off buying an F150 Supercrew. The F150 is far more capable, roomier inside, has a bigger bed, and doesn’t use much more gas.
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MikeW 1:46PM (7/27/2009)
The Sportrac should be using the 3.7 V6.
and the ZF 8 speed auto, when available.
Chibi Chaingun - blackhivemedia.com 2:49PM (7/27/2009)
I liked the Sport Trac too, but the new versions took a wrong turn. The older ones were edgy and smaller while the new ones are larger and very plane-jane looking. They lost that rugged look for a more street look. I still prefer the original Sport Tracs to the new ones, by far.
Bob 2:58PM (7/27/2009)
You truck people have never heard of full time 4wd/awd? Its more useful for most truck owners than any kind of 4hi/4lo part time system...
and yes i know gm and dodge offer an on demand system in their 1/2 tons
James 1:18PM (7/27/2009)
There's always the Ford Ranger...over $10k less, way better mileage albeit comparable towing to the more expensive and gas hog Sport Trac (6,000lbs vs. 6,990lbs).
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Gregg 1:31PM (7/27/2009)
Way better mileage? Maybe with the 4 cylinder, yes, but not with the 4 liter V6. In fact, the Ranger mileage is not significantly better than than the F150 now. I owned three Rangers and a Sport Trac, but both are outmoded and neglected and should be put out to pasture. Ford made improvements to the bones over the years, but the Ranger chassis goes back to 1984 and the basic body styling of the current truck debuted in 1993. Have no idea what Ford was thinking in letting both of these decent sellers fade away.
Chibi Chaingun - blackhivemedia.com 2:56PM (7/27/2009)
Yeah, the V6 Rangers don't get any better than any of the competitor's MPGs. The 4 cylinder though is a different story. I have a 5" lifted 08 with the 2.3l and 32" tires and I get up to 28 mpg, but average around 25. People on the Ranger forums are getting over 30 mpg (no lift), and even higher when hypermilling.
Jim 9:08PM (7/27/2009)
"Way better mileage? Maybe with the 4 cylinder, yes, but not with the 4 liter V6."
I think that was his point- on the Ranger, you can actually *get* a 4-banger. You can't on the Sport Trac.
Sofa King Fast! 1:18PM (7/27/2009)
Good riddance.
These were lame excuses for a pick-up truck and in general anything "unibody" should be prevented from being considered a pick-up (yes, you Ridgeline).
Like gearhead suggests, I hope this means Ford will finally produce a body-on-frame, 4-door Ranger with a 6-foot box and provide some competition for Nissan and Toyota. Hell - why not go nuts and throw a small diesel in the thing. Just an idea.
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jbuhrman 1:31PM (7/27/2009)
Huh? Explorer Sportrac and the Explorer is body on frame.
henrykrinkle 1:33PM (7/27/2009)
All Explorers have a full frame.
Concerned Citizen 1:46PM (7/27/2009)
Don't clutter the issue with facts! The haters hate that! They want to roll around in "real" trucks, even if they are 2wd and have chrome rims, than ever admit that the Ridgeline is more usefull for 99% of what people use their "trucks" for
The Other Bob 2:27PM (7/27/2009)
Concerned Citizen: "Don't clutter the issue with facts! The haters hate that! They want to roll around in "real" trucks, even if they are 2wd and have chrome rims, than ever admit that the Ridgeline is more useful for 99% of what people use their "trucks" for"
The problem with your logic is that you are attempting to say that the Ridgeline does some things better than a full-sized, (or small for that matter) body on frame truck. It does NOTHING better. It is expensive, it is less fuel efficient, it hauls less stuff.
Please tell me what it does better than any truck on the road.
Sofa King Fast! 3:45PM (7/27/2009)
"Sometime in 2010 a new unibody Explorer based on the Flex/Taurus platform will debut"
I was implying that I hope this news meant the explorer and the 4-door small pick-up will finally become two different lines in the ford family - hoping that ford doesn't make a 4-door pick-up out of the new unibody frame.