Just Checked Out the "Bling" ST

[Nelson Atwell]

Well, since I looked at the FJ earlier today, I figured I would check out the new ST. Needless to say, I was disappointed. I have never liked the chrome grill, and now I like it even less, because it is plastic. There may be some debate whether our first generation STs are trucks or SUVs. There will be no debate from me on this one, because the new ST is definitely NOT a Ford truck.



The model I saw was pretty plush inside with "overstuffed" cloth seating and carbon fiber accents on the dash and doors. The inside was completed with various types of plastics through out the cabin. The door pulls look really futuristic, but as others have stated, it will take a lot of effort to close it with those handles, especially with a stiff Oklahoma wind fighting you.



Ford touts that the bed is 20+% bigger than the first generation -- I'm guessing that increase is in the storage bins, because it actually looks smaller to me. Perhaps it is because the sides of the bed are taller. In any case, it looks small to me. To top off the non-truck functionality of this vehicle, it comes with a Class II hitch. I mean, COME ON! What can that pull? I can barely fit my thumb into the receiver.



This 4X2 ST which looks very basic compared to my XLT Premium has a sticker of $26,200. That's a lot of dough for a vehicle that is all show and no go. :blink:

 

[Robert Stanton]

I grant that the look of the new ST may not be for everyone (I'm not even sure I like it yet), but I think you're overlooking some of the other features, Nelson. The available V8 is a big feature a lot of people have wanted for some time. All of the suspension and traction control changes made to these new STs make it a much safer vehicle (to the point of it being rated best in its class). The price of a new '07 hasn't been increased over '05 prices.



I'm not saying it's a complete winner... I just think there are other things to consider here.

 

[P M]

Well the class II hitch beats the hitch on the early models, and you can order the class III. I think the bed is taller and they have carved out the outer walls adding a bit of room. I do think the grill is better in person than in pictures, but still not overwhelmed by it. I think the door handles are being re-done for job 2.

 

[Nelson Atwell]

I don't know about '05, but my '04 XLT Premium cost about the same as this '07 XLS-equivalent, and it didn't have a tonneau or sliding back window.

 

[Bart Adkins]

I have never liked the chrome grill, and now I like it even less, because it is plastic.

...what do you think our grills are made out of?

 

[Nelson Atwell]

I remember when chrome grills were metal. I expected my black plastic-looking grill to be plastic. It is also easy to either cover or replace with a billet grill. The grill on the new ones looks much harder to replace/cover. Also, I forgot to mention there were no step bars on this premium-priced '07 ST.

 

[Tom Schindler]

The Class II hitch is standard. A class III is available.



I do not like the front end one bit. I dislike the door pull and I am not a big fan of the seats.



I prefer my old Trac.





Tom

 

[Kerry Matthews]

As I stated last week, I'm not a fan either after seeing the '07 in person. It's now a full size SUV, and I didn't want a full sized rig when I bought my ST. And although I don't want one now, it looks like I'll have to buy an F-250 to replace the ST when it wears out, and that won't be too much longer, as it's got 90k on it as of this week... I'll need the towing capacity of the F-250 anyways.