Larry Michael
Member
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2013
- Messages
- 68
- Reaction score
- 39
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
- What engine do you have?
- V8 engine
- What year is your Sport Trac?
- 2010
- What Generation is your Sport Trac?
- 2n Gen Owner
I just paid big bucks to the Ford dealer for 90,000 mile service because I need my 2010 Gen 2 to last a long time. All new fluids, new brake rotors, etc. I just can't find anything else out there that is as good for my driving/camping/exploring needs as my Gen 1 and now Gen 2 STs.
In 2013 I sold the 2002 ST to my best friend when I bought my used 2010 Gen 2 ST with 36,000 miles on it. There were a few things I did not like as much as on the Gen 1 but I have either gotten used to them or created work-arounds. The V-8 engine gets better gas mileage than the six and is better for mountain driving.
But I live in constant fear that something out of my control will damage my baby beyond repair. So I watch the new vehicle announcements each year hoping that someone in the automotive design world will wake up and understand the clear superiority of the design and flexibility of the ST. Alas, each year there are more letdowns, witness the Ford Ranger design.
I'm not asking a lot, just some common sense design features:
1) A back seat with good LEG ROOM and SPLIT seat backs that fold FORWARD and down.
I'm 6'3" and sometimes I have tall passengers in the rear seats. It's nice to have a vehicle where I can run the driver's seat back and still have sufficient leg room for my passengers.
Split seat backs that fold forward and down give me the option of a rear seat passenger and still have a place to put a cooler, coats, etc. at a convenient level for access.
Seat backs that fold forward and down give me a wide space for stacking camping supplies two layers high with easy access to the bottom layer. Seat bottoms that fold up give a narrow tall space where you have to stack things three high make it very difficult to get to the bottom layer.
And finally, seat backs that fold forward create a space for my dog that is up high enough for me to see her in the mirror and for her to stick her nose out of a cracked open window.
(In the Gen 1 the back seats folded flat and had a hinged cover that kept the dog's legs from falling into a crevice behind the seat back. With my Gen 2 I had to cut a custom 1/4" plywood sheet with a black fuzzy cover over it to achieve this. And with the leather seats, they don't fold down to be totally horizontal but it is close enough for my use.)
2) A POWER rear window that runs UP and DOWN and has a VENT position.
To me this is the most intelligent window design on any truck. I bought a dark plastic sun screen for that window for both of my STs and constantly use the vent position. I can leave the truck vented during warm weather and don't have to worry about rain getting in. With the dark color and position of the shade you really can't easily see that the window is partially open from outside the vehicle.
I often use the vent position for a fast purge of the air in the truck while I'm driving. It makes for a quicker heat, cool or... de-odorizer of the cabin.
When fully open it's also great for carrying 10-foot sections of pipe and other material from the home improvement store since they are mostly inside the truck and just hanging out over the bed cover, not the tailgate.
3) 4WD Low Range
A few times a year I'm on a back road or in deep snow where this is invaluable.
4) Quick reconfiguration of the bed from locked storage to wide open.
With my Gen 1 I had a lighter weight aluminum frame aftermarket locking hinged cover for the bed. I could take it off and stow it in the folded-down back seat if I bought something big while out shopping.
With the thicker and heavier factory bed cover on the Gen 2 I usually have to take it off in advance for such things because it is more bulky. But after learning the trick of using two cords to tie the two sections together when positioned upright - before releasing the hinge pins - I can take it off and put it back on by myself, even at the age of 72.
I should add that between the ride being more like an SUV than a truck and the driver's riding position, both of my STs have been the most comfortable vehicle I've ever taken on long road trips. Three 12 hour days in a row do not leave me needing constant breaks or in pain at the end of the day.
I've looked at the new Honda Ridgeline as a possible future replacement but it fails my first three requirements. The things it seems to have over the mid-size crew cab trucks are a more SUV type ride and a roomier back seat.
What's a guy to do when that sad day comes and you need to replace your ST? I'm hoping it will be far in the future but then finding another used 2010 with low mileage will be a pipe dream.
In 2013 I sold the 2002 ST to my best friend when I bought my used 2010 Gen 2 ST with 36,000 miles on it. There were a few things I did not like as much as on the Gen 1 but I have either gotten used to them or created work-arounds. The V-8 engine gets better gas mileage than the six and is better for mountain driving.
But I live in constant fear that something out of my control will damage my baby beyond repair. So I watch the new vehicle announcements each year hoping that someone in the automotive design world will wake up and understand the clear superiority of the design and flexibility of the ST. Alas, each year there are more letdowns, witness the Ford Ranger design.
I'm not asking a lot, just some common sense design features:
1) A back seat with good LEG ROOM and SPLIT seat backs that fold FORWARD and down.
I'm 6'3" and sometimes I have tall passengers in the rear seats. It's nice to have a vehicle where I can run the driver's seat back and still have sufficient leg room for my passengers.
Split seat backs that fold forward and down give me the option of a rear seat passenger and still have a place to put a cooler, coats, etc. at a convenient level for access.
Seat backs that fold forward and down give me a wide space for stacking camping supplies two layers high with easy access to the bottom layer. Seat bottoms that fold up give a narrow tall space where you have to stack things three high make it very difficult to get to the bottom layer.
And finally, seat backs that fold forward create a space for my dog that is up high enough for me to see her in the mirror and for her to stick her nose out of a cracked open window.
(In the Gen 1 the back seats folded flat and had a hinged cover that kept the dog's legs from falling into a crevice behind the seat back. With my Gen 2 I had to cut a custom 1/4" plywood sheet with a black fuzzy cover over it to achieve this. And with the leather seats, they don't fold down to be totally horizontal but it is close enough for my use.)
2) A POWER rear window that runs UP and DOWN and has a VENT position.
To me this is the most intelligent window design on any truck. I bought a dark plastic sun screen for that window for both of my STs and constantly use the vent position. I can leave the truck vented during warm weather and don't have to worry about rain getting in. With the dark color and position of the shade you really can't easily see that the window is partially open from outside the vehicle.
I often use the vent position for a fast purge of the air in the truck while I'm driving. It makes for a quicker heat, cool or... de-odorizer of the cabin.
When fully open it's also great for carrying 10-foot sections of pipe and other material from the home improvement store since they are mostly inside the truck and just hanging out over the bed cover, not the tailgate.
3) 4WD Low Range
A few times a year I'm on a back road or in deep snow where this is invaluable.
4) Quick reconfiguration of the bed from locked storage to wide open.
With my Gen 1 I had a lighter weight aluminum frame aftermarket locking hinged cover for the bed. I could take it off and stow it in the folded-down back seat if I bought something big while out shopping.
With the thicker and heavier factory bed cover on the Gen 2 I usually have to take it off in advance for such things because it is more bulky. But after learning the trick of using two cords to tie the two sections together when positioned upright - before releasing the hinge pins - I can take it off and put it back on by myself, even at the age of 72.
I should add that between the ride being more like an SUV than a truck and the driver's riding position, both of my STs have been the most comfortable vehicle I've ever taken on long road trips. Three 12 hour days in a row do not leave me needing constant breaks or in pain at the end of the day.
I've looked at the new Honda Ridgeline as a possible future replacement but it fails my first three requirements. The things it seems to have over the mid-size crew cab trucks are a more SUV type ride and a roomier back seat.
What's a guy to do when that sad day comes and you need to replace your ST? I'm hoping it will be far in the future but then finding another used 2010 with low mileage will be a pipe dream.
