Unfavorable '07 ST review

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Ethan X

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Not sure if this was already posted, but one of my most frequented car websites just posted their review on the new ST. Be advised, it was not very nice.



 
To each their own. The same thoughts go through my mind as to why anyone would ever buy a focus, too small, not attractive to me and all. But people still buy them in droves.



We likes what we likes...:D
 
What they failed to realize is that most ST owners don’t buy the trac for a "work" vehicle. Also although the bed is smaller than a conventional truck and is made from a composite plastic resin it can haul many bulk products well as many here have demonstrated. Also the mileage figures quoted are on a new ST that probably hasn’t been broken in yet. Some other things that stick in my mind are it is a utility vehicle; it will never corner, brake or accelerate like a Porsche or BMW. For a final note this author I feel really missed the whole concept of owning a SUT (yes all of them ridgeline,avalanche,baja or ST) it is a true multi purpose vehicle for those of us needing some of all the characteristics that come with the different types of transportation. I need a vehicle to carry my family (typical 2 adults and 2 kids) on vacations with a reasonable amount of room for comfort. I needed a vehicle for towing my boat to the lake to go fishing. I needed a vehicle able to bring the occasional load of mulch or home appliance from the store without paying for delivery or begging my friend with a truck to do me a favor. And Last I didn’t want the latest wonderful egg shaped bubblemobile from some overseas manufacturer that further homogenizes me to fit in with the rest of the crowd.
 
Obviously the reviewer has a "Thing" against the SUT lines of vehicles. Yep, the Trac [RL & Col] are not full size pickups....so what. I didn't want an F150 S'crew...too big; but I did want the capability to haul materials and things when I need to and the Trac does that just fine. It's also obvious that they know nothing about the durability of the "Plastic" bed. Owners on this site have demonstrated that it's more durable than many metal beds. Ours doesn't break and it doesn't dent. Could go on but.....the Trac is the most versatile vehicle I've ever owned and, so far, the most reliable. It does everything I want it to do and, I might add, in style.
 
While I think the new Trac was a mistake by Ford, this article seems very anti-domestic anything. Here is why I say so.



The button that switches the Sport Trac into 4-Low is positioned immediately above the passenger’s temperature control switch. A chilly female friend nearly caused a busted axle at a stoplight.
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Unless something changed, 4x4 LOW will only engage while the vehicle is at a stop, shifter in neutral, and foot on brake. Am I correct? Is he grabbing for something to complain about?



The tonneau cover adds insult to injury. Woe betides anyone who has to subject their knees to rock shards when they crawl underneath it to release the final latch, or carry the heavy thing in the rain.
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Maybe someone with a '07 can clairify this, but don't you open the cover via a key on the outside. If you do want to remove it, you flip the back over to the front, then stand on each side of the vehicle to unlatch the middle.



Not only does the Ford Sport Trac fail to qualify as a “real” pickup,...
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Anyone that knows anything will know the Explorer Sport Trac is not marketed as a pick-up.



Anyone that would read that article can see the tone the writer set from the begining.



Last Wednesday, Standard and Poor’s downgraded the Ford Motor Company’s credit rating. “We expect the company's financial profile to weaken further during 2006,” S&P declared. “A period when the US economy and U.S. light-vehicle sales are robust."
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US Light vehicle sales are not robust. Nissan even posted a loss thiss quarter. Sales of all "trucks" are down this quarter. Nissan, Toyota, Chevy, Ford, and Dodge all have had fewer trucks sold this quarter. Ford did not do as bad as the media says they are. They are ahead of last year, even without the incentives they used last year. Sales of the Focus and Fusion are up. IIRC, the Fusion is up a bunch. Explorer sales are down, but likewise, they are down across the board.



That website is far from the "The Truth About Cars".





Tom
 
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"Further evidence of ergonomic oversight abounds. The button that switches the Sport Trac into 4-Low is positioned immediately above the passenger’s temperature control switch. A chilly female friend nearly caused a busted axle at a stoplight."





I thought you had to have the vehicle in neutral and foot ont he brake in order to engage 4L?? Did they change it, or is tis guy just looking for something to complain about???



The pictures even have smart remarks if you click on them.



If you look at the bottom of the page there is a spot where you can leave comments about the article...
 
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This "reviewer" and the Edmunds reviewer should get together. They both seem to have an irrational need to insult the ST tonneau cover.



"The Ford Sport Trac doesn’t humiliate itself compared to its two main rivals, but it embarrasses anyone daft enough to buy one."



Hear that, everyone? If you are fooled by the power and smoothness of the V8 drivetrain, the nice ride quality, the comfortable and quiet interior, the towing and hauling capabilities, the flexibility of a vehicle that can do weekday and weekend work, you must be, uh, "daft."



I think, if one wants to be in the automotive review business, refraining from infantile remarks like the one I quoted indicates there is at least some professionalism in the review process.



 
I thought you had to have the vehicle in neutral and foot ont he brake in order to engage 4L?? Did they change it, or is tis guy just looking for something to complain about???
Click to expand...



A1, stop injecting facts into the conversation. This reviewer has something important to say, and he'll be damned if he'll let the truth get in the way of his witty ramblings.
 
Why Ford does not simply rip-off Chevy’s “midgate” is a question best left to Standard and Poor’s.
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Gee, maybe it's because some of us like to be able to haul things during the dead of winter without freezing our a$$es off???



Almost as disturbingly comical as the review, are the responses given below the review by the site's lap-dog morons, who haven't even seen the vehicle yet...
 
"The button that switches the Sport Trac into 4-Low is positioned immediately above the passenger’s temperature control switch. A chilly female friend nearly caused a busted axle at a stoplight."



From the 2007 Owner's manual (page 212) which I found on this site...



Shifting to/from 4X4 LOW (4WD Low)

1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop

2. Depress the brake.

3. Place the transmission in N (Neutral).

4. Press the desired 4WD position.

- If shifting into 4X4 Low (4WD Low), wait for the 4X4 LOW light in the instrument clusster to turn on indicateing the shift is complete.

- If shifting out of 4X4 LOW (4WD Low), wait fro the 4X4 LOW light in the instrument cluster to turn off indicating the shift is complete.



The writer of this review is about as interested in "TRUTH" as Michael Moore and Cindy Sheehan.

 
The reviewer is reviewing the Sport Trac as it was no compromise 8 ft full size F150. He misses the point, it was not intended to compete with it. It is a great balance of a 5 passenger vehicle with the capability to allow the sometime hauling chours with ease. the bed will carry almost anything the homeowner needs to move. With the bed extender it is a great 6 ft pickup.



 
With my home-made 2x4 bed extender, it can haul 12 ft long items. Others have done the same. So, with some yankee-know-how and tie-down straps and rope, we can haul oversized cargo with ease. The review is just a bunch of crap and if crumpled up enough times might make good use as toilet paper.
 
Great comments you guys, and I agree. I like that website because anybody can post their comments after their reviews, and I would encourage you to do that. Some of the other reviews and commentary are pretty entertaining if you have time to look around the site.
 
I made my post. Lets see if they will allow it. I wasn't that mean. Here is what I said...



Mustangs have out sold any car GM has built to compete against it. Sales numbers prove what people want to buy, not the HP ratings.



Now to the real reason I am making this post.



The button that switches the Sport Trac into 4-Low is positioned immediately above the passenger’s temperature control switch. A chilly female friend nearly caused a busted axle at a stoplight.



Anyone with even the slightest knowledge about a automobile would know you can not drop a Ford vehicle into 4x4 LOW without the tranny in neutral, food on brake, and vehicle at a dead stop.



The tonneau cover adds insult to injury. Woe betides anyone who has to subject their knees to rock shards when they crawl underneath it to release the final latch, or carry the heavy thing in the rain.



The toneau cover can and is supposed to be removed from the outside of the vehicle. Because of your incompetance and ignorance does not mean it is a bad design.



Not only does the Ford Sport Trac fail to qualify as a “real” pickup,...



Ford does not market the "Explorer Sport Trac" as a truck. It is an SUV, hence the name Explorer Sport Trac. It has the comfort of a SUV, but extra space in the back for anything you could need. Sure it doesn't do what a real pick-up can do, but for the average guy living in a housing development, we all need a truck-like vehicle with room for 4, but still fit in a garage.



No 1/2 ton truck will do that. The Sport Trac will do that and still look good, though not as good as the 2001 to 2005 Sport Trac does, but Ford is still the market leader in the vehicle segment.



Tom
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Tom you are da man ... good reply



PS does the food on the brake come with the ST or is that a mod ? (just jokeing I have many typos myself);)
 
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That's odd, I just went to the comments and didn't see Tom's post there..? I know for a fact that they don't edit posts unless they are rude or profane.
 

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