2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Quality Review

The interior of the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac is highlighted by comfortable seats and a spacious cabin, but some reviews read by TheCarConnection.com show that there's still room for improvement in terms of build and materials quality.

The 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac offers room for five, with a pair of "front bucket seats" and a "three-person, 60/40-split rear bench seat," according to Cars.com. Passenger room inside the cabin is commendable, and ConsumerGuide finds that although "slightly shorter seat tracks give a bit less legroom than in Explorer SUVs," most front occupants "won't want for space." They add "the seats are comfortable," a sentiment that is shared by many reviewers. Kelley Blue Book says "the seating is quite roomy and comfortable, in both the front and rear, and a long day behind the wheel should prove pleasant." For another opinion of rear space on the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, ConsumerGuide predicts "three medium-sized adults can ride with little cramping, but the uninviting bench seat is low to the floor, flat, and not well-padded."

One of the big selling points on the Ford Explorer Sport Trac 2008 is that it serves as a practical daily cargo mover. The revised bed that arrived in 2007 certainly helps affirm that assertion, but the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac has some deficiencies. Most notably, J.D. Power finds that the Ford Explorer Sport Trac doesn't have a comparable feature to the Chevy Avalanche's Midgate, which they say "essentially extends the Avalanche's bed into the cabin, allowing it to carry long items with the tailgate closed." What the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac does offer is a "4.5-foot cargo box" that Edmunds says is "made of corrosion-proof composite material with a molded-in liner that resists scratches and dents." Also in the cargo bed of the Ford Explorer Sport Trac, the "external tie-down cleats are handy," and inside the cabin the "rear seatbacks fold flat for great in-cab cargo room," but otherwise, "small-item storage is just OK," remarks ConsumerGuide.

Build and materials quality on the Ford Explorer Sport Trac 2008 lineup have their ups and downs, but reviews read by TheCarConnection.com indicate that they're generally well-received. ConsumerGuide writes that the Ford Explorer Sport Trac "Limited's cabin has classy, durable decor overall," but they "did notice a few rough edges, and soft-touch surfaces are scarce." Cars.com reviewers find that "the quality of materials was fine" on their test Ford Explorer Sport Trac, but "they just didn't come together especially well." In a quality-sapping nod to the Ford Explorer Sport Trac's potential for driving off-road, Motor Trend says "the Sport Trac has rubber flooring Berber-carpet floormats."

One area where the Ford Explorer Sport Trac 2008 excels is in overall cabin noise and refinement. ConsumerGuide reviewers claim that the Ford Explorer Sport Trac is "a close second to Ridgeline for overall compact-pickup refinement," thanks to the fact that "wind noise is low up to 70 mph, but coarse-surface tire thrum is noticeable at most any speed." Edmunds notes that "Ford claims that at 40 mph, the Sport Trac is a full 5 decibels quieter than a Honda Ridgeline," showing that at least a few Ford engineers are concerned with ambient noise.