Ford Sport Track
Back in High school there was a person I did not particularly like. Not sure why, he never really did anything to me. He was not particularly nice, but to be honest nor was I. It could have been that he was a “bully” – though I was just as big and probably more prone to settle arguments without diplomacy then he was – I still did not like him. Nothing ever happened we just kept on our paths never bothering each other until school let out and we went our separate ways.
Since then, in my never-ending quest for self-understanding, I often think back to that particular person and wonder why I had such distaste for someone who did nothing to me…
That same confusing feeling returned when I first came up against the Ford SportTrack. Before I even stepped foot inside one I had nothing but distaste for it. It could have been the looks, which are ghastly, the useless truck box; the poor interior build, cramped seats, the uneconomic “OHC” V6 or the absolutely dreadful handling. Really – hating this car is almost easer then hating good old George W.
Yet my mother bought one. Yes. She walked right past almost every other awesome car ever made and bought one of the ugliest, most poorly designed cars I have ever laid eyes on. Which got me thinking, if my mother, the very person who brought me into this world, found a list of things to like about this truck, maybe I could give it a second chance and further my self-understanding.
To begin the journey of self-understanding, I naturally started by getting into the SportTrack and attempted to get comfortable. Which was much harder then I had hoped. For some reason they designed the drivers seat around a very short and skinny person. Which is a problem considering I am neither short nor skinny. Then looking around the cabin my eyes where drawn not only to the big gaps in the dash pieces, but the paint pealing on the trim as well. These battle scars are a welcomed addition to a 1984 Tercell, but tend to get under my skin when these scars appear after only five years….
This is going all wrong. I am looking at the SportTrack from the perspective of a car buyer who demands a car to out live the apocalypse… not from the perspective of someone who would buy one of these cars. So let me re-try this self-understanding thing by stepping into the shoes of someone who bought this car.
First off the buyer does get heated leather seats, Air con, 6-disc cd changer, a sunroof, electric rear window, power windows, and cup holders. Which makes this quite a luxury item for only $33,989- even less if you pay cash- making this quite a good bargain for the amount of options you get.
Second, the back of the truck, while very small is well thought out with the folding hard cover and an extension-grill that folds out over the tail gate to give an extra 3 feet of cargo space is great for trips or picking stuff up at the antique store.
Third, it is a truck, so you get the option of 4-wheel-drive plus a height advantage enabling the driver to tower over small cars, while at the same time being in a better position to kill the person in the small car if you hit them…. Wait, that’s negative, give me one more try.
Forth, the “small” 4.0 litre engine producing 210 hp and 254 lb-ft at 15.9 L a 100 KM turns out an impressive 52.5 BHP per litre… less than half of what the Honda S2000 does…. Ok I give up, there is very little technical about this truck that is worth mentioning. But just for mom I have one trick up my sleeve… how this car makes you feel.
As I pointed out in my 4-Runner review a car does not have to BE good to make you FEEL good. This horrid excuse for a vehicle is the answer for people who always wanted a truck but thanks to practical reasons such as: theft from the bed, little interior space for kids, and being hard to park were unable to live their dream of owning their own Ford pick-up truck. Now thanks to the SportTrack’s locking rear cover, and its small bed, stuff does not get stolen AND the kids can come too! Think of the SportTrack as a cigarette that does not cause cancer, stink, or make you throw up every time you exercise. It is a guilt free throwback to a time when Friday nights were spent out in the wild around a big fire and the only way to get to the party was in a truck. For the people who lived this life, and are now tied down with the realities of life, this is a consistent reminder of a more carefree time.
So there you have it. Technically speaking the SportTrack is rubbish but it can make you feel as if you where 16-years-old going to a bush party on a Friday night, and from a true gear-head perspective you can not get higher praise than that. As for my self-understanding of why I did not like someone for no reason… I guess if I put myself in the bullies’ shoes, and try to understand who he was while strongly considering what created him to act in such a manner, I come to the inevitable conclusion that he was… just an asshole.