When is Ford redoing the Sport Trac?

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Gavin: you're in the minority. I bet 90% of the folks who buy a Trac, even a 4x4 Trac, never take it off road. Maybe a dirt or gravel road, but nothing close to off road. In the 18 months I owned my 4x4 Trac, it saw exactly 1 dirt road to my Dad's farm.



Ford makes cars to fit the majority of their customers, it's a smart move on their part.
 
If I wanted a station wagon, I would have bought one. I want a truck.



Ford should not advertise the SportTrac as an SUV. Basically, after next year, it will be just like a Ford Freestyle.
 
Could just remove the rear axle half shafts and drive it in 4wd all the time.... :lol:

Todd Z
 
Gavin: I think you missed the point. How many SUV's do you think actually go off road? Other than a Jeep Wrangler, not many.
 
What are the other differences going to be?

Will it be wider like the new explorer?

Bigger bed?

V-8?

I also dont like the axle through the frame. The ST suspension is not too good to begin with.



I drove a 2003 dodge version of the ST and it rode alot better, though I would never buy a dodge/chrysler.
 
Will the new trac be able to handle this abuse?



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A yard of dirt...



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A very heavy trailer.



Hopefully it will. I am not happy one bit about the IRS.





Tom
 
For $300.00, I would gladly take a load like that everyday.



For a two weeks, I was taking one load at $400.00/load everyday, except sunday. It was great.





Tom
 
I have a F-150 as a second vehicle so I don't need my ST to be a truck. We bought the ST because it was a great looking ride that was safe for my wife to drive to work in our Norhtern winters. We also use the ST to pull our TT. The ST does well in both worlds. I will reserve judgement on the new ST until I sit my Butt in one and drive it around formyself. ST's are great at being both a usable truck and for acting as a SUV.:)
 
I like the rear suspension on the newer Explorers. I hope the new ST benefits from the same ride improvement without signficant loss of hauling capability.



So what if the axle and suspension goes through the frame? That doesn't make it a unibody vehicle like the Pilot or the Highlander. It can still be rugged.



The fact is, Ford has to make improvements like this to defend market share from the other makers. If they don't, the ST will be gone altogether as everybody else delivers improvements.
 
The new Explorers looks kewl too! :) We saw lots of "things" at the grounds. If everyone could have been at the proving grounds and seen what they put all the Trucks, Explorers and the ST through, you would be in awe. The frame twist, suspension runs, brakes, steering, idles on engine, and more, We were told, these tests are not just done a few times, the tests are done all day long on the same vehicles. And all the trucks and suv's go through the same tests. I'm telling ya, Ford does want to make sure they ARE built tough! :)


 
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Rich,



Very true, On the otherhand, what improvments have the others done besides HP numbers? They still have a solid rear axle. They still sit on a standard frame. The only downside to those vehicles is that they look like trucks.



The Trac is different. It looks like an SUV, but acts like a truck. Ride is not that important to me. Sure, I want it to ride safely, but a soft ride has no place on a truck based SUV. It was made to work.



The only thing the new Trac, IMO, has going for it is 292 HP with possibly an option for 390 HP.



Then again, how much gas will it take to produce 292 HP, or even 390 HP.



IMO, Ford could have done better to design the Trac from the ground up, then share its platform with the Ranger. The Ranger needs a redesign more then any oter model Ford makes. Yet, they still are going to use the current Ranger platform for another 5 years?



Get real. Build a Trac from an Explorer frame, make it a solid axle, then use it on the new Ranger.



That would be a win-win for everyone.





Tom
 
Caymen said:
Get real. Build a Trac from an Explorer frame, make it a solid axle, then use it on the new Ranger.



That would be a win-win for everyone.
Click to expand...



Well, no, it wouldn't.



Many of us see the Trac as a compromise vehicle. It has some of the versatility of a pickup, with some of the comfort of an SUV. Ford's strategy for the 2007 clearly emphasizes that compromise. They're extending the appeal in both directions. A V8 gives more work potential. The IRS gives more comfort capability.
 
Good point. I do see the Trac a comprimise vehicle. I don't want a pick-up, but I don't wan an SUV. The Trac is what I needed. But I also need the Trac to be able to work. I want to be able to load it down when needed, as needed. While the IRS might give a nice ride, I honestly do not think it is that much better of a ride. The other SUV's out there that compete with the Explorer have solid axles. I have yet to hear how much better the Explorer rides compared to the TrailBlazer, Durango, Grand Cherokee, or even the Pathfinder and Toyota 4Runner or Highlander.



Side by side, those other mentioned get better marks then the Explorer does.



The Ranger is in despirate need of a redesign. Ford is hurting for money. Why not use some R&D for the Trac and apply it to the Ranger? The Ranger would get a well needed redesign without costing Ford too mmuch money. The frame is already there, why not adapt the New Trac frame to a Ranger? The Research would already be done.



For could hire some pre-schoolers to design a Ranger body and they would be set. Afterall, we do know how original the Trac is going to look. I can't imagine preschooler doing any worse then the high paid designers are doing.





Tom
 
As soon as Ford can sell Hertz, that would infuse them with a lot of cash to spend on projects like these. I won't miss A-Plan that much, anyways.
 

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