The Detroit News's view

What a novel idea: Combine the best features of a sport-utility vehicle with those of a pickup – namely, a roomy cabin with a reasonably sized bed – and create a whole new automotive niche.

Ford is hoping to cash in on this emerging market with its all-new 2001 Explorer Sport Trac. Imagine a Ranger pickup with four full doors and a spacious interior. Or an Explorer four-door with a small pickup bed grafted onto the rear.

We’re encouraged that Ford, in entering this new subsegment, has resisted the temptation to charge a premium price for the Sport Trac. The base 4×2 model starts at a modest $22,500, and our lavishly furnished test vehicle came in at $26,795.

She: I hate being gushy, but the Explorer Sport Trac is one of those rare vehicles that you get into and you think, they got it right. In an era of scrambling for the next new thing in vehicles, the Sport Trac has pulled off a fresh concept and managed to do it without feeling gimmicky. I like this Explorer spinoff because it doesn’t feel like it was designed for kids or soccer moms or any specific demographic group. The Sport Trac has universal appeal. Do you agree?

He: I hate it when you put me on the spot – especially when I can’t find much to argue with. I approached my first drive in the Sport Trac with some skepticism. My initial impression, in fact, was that, as a Ranger derivative, the Sport Trac didn’t have a big enough cargo bed. Turns out that was a moot point. The people who buy this vehicle aren’t likely to be hauling those mythical 4×8 sheets of plywood very often, are they? And while I’m amused by Ford’s advertising, showing “active lifestyle” consumers with their kayaks and mountain bikes, I still imagine the Sport Trac will be plenty useful to real-life buyers who haul kids, dogs, groceries, guitars and all sorts of other stuff in their vehicles.

She: The Sport Trac struck me as being a luxury vehicle – the kind of luxury vehicle that I think a lot of people would prefer to buy. Especially with some of the optional equipment that came on our test model, like leather bucket seats, power moonroof and overhead console with compass and outside temperature gauge. You’ve got the best of both worlds. You can beat up the Sport Trac and yet feel like you’re in some wonderful home in Vail that you can ski through.

He: Moms, don’t try this at home.

She: Whatever. I just love the Berber floor mats that cover the “rubber” floor in the Sport Trac. They really symbolize the whole practical-luxury theme of the vehicle.

He: Funny, but I didn’t even notice that our test truck was lacking four-wheel drive until the day we had to give it back. It was raining, and I went fumbling for the shift lever, and finally realized we’d been driving a 4×2 model with rear-wheel drive. No problem. But I think if you do any kind of driving in winter weather, it would be nice to have the 4×4 edition, just for peace of mind.

She: We sat here this morning, arguing about the shortcomings of the new Sport Trac, and two of the items on our dislike list – lack of side air bags and lack of a V-8 – are probably not that big a deal. When you’re sitting up that high, I think you can feel fairly secure without the side bags, although they would be nice. And unless you’re towing a lot of cargo or a boat, I don’t think you’re going to miss the V-8. The standard 4.0-liter V-6 makes 205 horsepower and comes with a five-speed automatic. The mileage isn’t great in an era of escalating gas prices, but I can live with 20 miles per gallon on the highway. Believe me, we’ve gotten far worse mileage in some other vehicles.

He: There are lots of things I wanted to dislike. For instance, Ford is redoing the regular four-door Explorer this fall and adding a brand-new independent rear suspension. But the Sport Trac keeps the old solid rear axle and leaf springs, which seems like an anachronistic setup for a New Age vehicle like this. But guess t It works just fine. Sure, the SportTrac still feels a little “trucky,” but the ride quality is not that bad on most road surfaces.

She: They may have kept some old features, but Ford is trying to raise the bar with some new features, like a power-down rear window, six-disc in-dash CD player and a cargo-area extender.

He: Just what every man wants.

She: You better believe it. Even Nissan offers that on its Frontier pickup.

He: In all fairness, the concept of a four-door pickup/ute really was pioneered by Nissan. I just think Ford does it better with the Explorer Sport Trac.

2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac

Anita’s rating: world class

Paul’s rating: world class

Type: Front-engine, rear-wheel drive, five-passenger sport-utility truck

Price: Base, $22,500; as tested, $26,795 (inc. $550 destination charge)

Engine: 4.0-liter V-6; 205-hp; 240 lb-ft torque

EPA fuel economy: 16 mpg city/20 mpg highway

12-month insurance cost, according to AAA Michigan*: $1,066 (*Estimate. Rates may be higher or lower, depending on coverage and driving record.)

Where built: Louisville, Ky.

Likes: Fresh new concept that blends best of both worlds. More cabin space than the typical mid-size pickup. More versatility than typical sport-ute. Reasonable price for a well-appointed vehicle. Like the rugged textures and looks, inside and out (Anita).

Dislikes: Cargo bed too small for big hauling jobs without add-on extensions. Assembly quality a little rough on this early-production model. An optional V-8 would be nice in the future. No side air bags.