Looking like a modified Ford Explorer with a pickup bed, almost like something I would have come up with in Photoshop, the Ford Explorer Sport Trac has a modified, longer UN105 chassis than the second-gen Explorer it mimics, but still has Explorer DNA. This 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac can be found posted here on craigslist in Puyallup, Washington, and the seller is asking $5,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Jack M. for the tip!
Some folks make fun of these little pickups as being for “women,” as if women can’t own or drive a regular pickup. That in and of itself is a pretty lame mindset, not to mention that some of us males also rarely need a full-sized pickup bed for any reason. Do all men really need to haul loads of 4×8 sheets of plywood every day of the year to keep the hair fully intact on our collective chests? That’s just crazy talk. For some folks, male or female, a small pickup bed like on this Sport Trac is more than enough for hauling a snowblower, bags of mulch, some firewood, an ATV or small motorcycle, or whatever. It’ll haul lots of camping and fishing gear as well. The Sport Trac has a wheelbase almost 15 inches longer than the second-generation Explorer, and an overall length about the same as a SuperCab Ranger.
Being a full-framed quad-cab pickup, I like the split between the cab and bed, even if the trend seems to be losing that in place of an integrated look – trucks like the Honda Ridgeline or the newish Ford Maverick. Ford made the first-generation Sport Trac from early 2000 for the 2001 model year until the end of 2005, then there was a two-year hiatus, after which point they came back for the second-generation model years of 2007 through 2010. It’s really a perfect-sized truck for a lot of us who either don’t want to drive a full-sized pickup or don’t have the garage space to park one. I’m in both of those camps. We don’t get to see inside the smallish cargo bed, unfortunately. Ford also offered a caged bed extender that rests on the open tailgate, in case buyers needed to haul something longer.
For a $5,500 vehicle, this “Black” (Ford’s name for, well, black) Sport Trac looks almost like new, other than a couple of exterior dings and some light wrinkling on the driver’s seat left side bolsters. The “Leather Comfort Group” adds leather seats along with six-way power controls for the driver, and an overhead console with a compass and an outside temperature gauge. A five-speed manual was the base transmission, but this one has the five-speed automatic with overdrive. MPG is often one complaint, along with potential leaks around the thermostat housing.
Sadly, the seller didn’t include any engine photos, so I added one of the rear seating area. It looks almost like new. If this one were closer, I’d have a look this weekend. The engine is Ford’s 4.0-liter SOHC V6 with a healthy 205 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque. There were rear-wheel drive and 4WD models, and this 4×4 version has what Ford referred to as ControlTrac, an automatic, full-time, selectable 4WD system, developed at BorgWarner. The seller says it runs, drives, and shifts great and has been well-maintained for 140,000 miles. I know a lot of you have owned these little rigs, let’s hear your thoughts on this nice-looking Sport Trac. $5,500 seems like a good price here, doesn’t it?
Was the 5sp manual available w 4wd ?
Stan, I couldn’t find any decisive information as to whether a buyer would have been able to get a 5-speed in a 4WD or not, but forums seem to suggest that they were indeed available in the 4×4 Sport Tracs.
Nice looking well optioned truck, the price seems more than reasonable, then you see that it’s been on the market for 27 days.
Steve R