I have a 1991 Explorer Sport. While it is a great vehicle with 121k on the clock, its day is coming. Right now the paint is coming off pretty quick. The engine and transmission are in excellent shape but I am looking around for a replacement in the next year most likely. My choices are as follows, in no particular order:


1)Explorer Sport (especially if discontinued in the next two years). I have had very little problems with the one I have now and will most likely do manual transmission again. I may get a floor shifter for 4X4 if they have it.

2)Escape. 200hp DOHC is very tempting. Its not the offroader that the Sport is but a great vehicle.

3)Explorer Sport Trac. Same reasons as the Sport. This just gives me some more room. The only drawback is that they have had some problems and a stick would not be as quick as in the Sport.

4)Dodge Dakota Club Cab. 4.7 SOHC V8. Thats all I'll say. :) I'm not keen on the looks but in the next 1 to 2 years they may restyle it.

So, please vote and give me your pros/cons. I'd love to hear from owners of these vehicles to see why you like/hate them.

Of course I voted for Sport Trac. I wonder why?

At the end of June, I will have had my ST for 2 years. I have over 42K miles and have had very little problems.

I think if you read all the problems that people are having on the www.mysporttrac.com is that they are the vocal minority. I believe the silent majority are not having major problems with their ST's.
Here's a post from that board addressing the issue of not hearing from the people not having problems...
http://www.mysporttrac.com/shared/msgboard9c.asp?BOARDNAME=MSG&VIEW=159535&REPLYCOUNT=110

Here's my Pros and Cons of the Sport Trac..

Pros:
* Damn good looking. I just love the styling.
* Best back seat room of the mid-size quad cab pickups. I think the Dodge Dakota is very stylish too, but the rear seat still won't fit my 6' frame. Plus I don't trust Dodge quality. Nissan Frontier? Back Seat? Please, I don't even think my 10 year old would be comfortable back there. Plus, I believe the ST's back seat is roomier than the regular 4-door Explorers.
* Power Rear window!!! What can I say, it's an awesome feature that no one else has. It works great to get some fresh air in the cab(just not during the rain).
* Can use most Ranger mods and some Explorer mods. I just installed a Ranger front skid plate. It bolted right up using existing holes.
* 4-doors. Can easily fit 5 adults. Will your adult friends like getting in and out of the 2 door Sport?
* No carpet! Take a hose to the inside when it gets dirty. My berber(spelling?) carpet floor mats are hanging on the wall of my garage.
* 210hp 4.0L V6 engine. I believe the old Explorers 4.0 are rated at 155hp??? Yeah, it would be nice to have the 4.6L V8, but the 4.0L doesn't suck. When I first drove the ST, I thought it wasn't too peppy. But after getting mine broke in I've found it very peppy. I'm still happy with the power even with 35" tires. Why does Nissan need a supercharger to get to 210hp which is the base hp for the ST?
* Composite pickup bed. No rust. I've read that some beds have cracked, but it hasn't happened to mine yet, and I don't baby my truck. It get's used as a truck.
* Power outlet in the composite bed. It gets used a lot on my trips.
* Size. It's not too small, it's not too big. It fits just right for me.

Cons:

* Small pickup bed. It's all based on your needs. I've easily carried motocycles, couches/love seats, furniture, tools, engines. I just recommend getting the optional rubber mat. This is not a con for me, but may be for some.


If I've think of any more, I'll edit this message.

Keep on Trac'n!

it wont let me vote. shouldnt this be in the polls forum?
anyway, i would probably buy the escape. i drove the tribute and loved it. and the price is a lot less than the explorer sport.

go with the sport. can't go wrong withone of these babies. maybe it is on the smalish side. but its truck tough and has all the manuverability od the escape. i've owned 2 and loved both of them. there is somthing to be said for its proven reliability, somthing only the escape seems to have. fully loaded it is the same price as a fully loaded escape. truck based suv for a car based price.

Surprisingly, the Sport and the Sport Trac are priced almost identical (at least on Ford's site).

I like the Sport alot, but the Trac would give more room. Is there any word on how long they will continue to build the Sport? After the new Explorer came out, I expected them to retire the Sport.