For 2003, Ford increased its torque rating slightly (from 237 foot-pounds to 240), but more important the peak torque comes at 3000 rpm instead of 3750 rpm. More power at lower rpm should make the Sport Trac more responsive around town and pulling away from a stop. The revised power curve should also put more snap in the Sport Trac's throttle response at highway speeds. At 75 mph, last year's model loafed at a mere 2650 rpm.

The optional 4.10 ratio should improve acceleration performance and towing performance, but at the expense of gas mileage because the engine will be revving higher at any given speed.

Sport Trac comes with a five-speed automatic that matches the engine for smoothness and sophistication. More gears usually means closer ratios. So we were surprised by how far the tach needle jumped when the transmission kicked down on the 2002 model. While passing on an uphill grade at 70 mph, the transmission downshifted from fourth to third, and the engine revved to 5000 rpm. When it upshited again it dropped back to 3500 rpm. Presumably, Ford tuned the transmission to allow the V6 to rev high and make power.

The four-wheel-drive system is electronically controlled and can be shifted on the fly between two- and four-wheel drive. A low-range mode is ready for heavy snow, deep mud or soft sand.

To make the Sport Trac, Ford lengthened the previous-generation Explorer's frame more than 14 inches, to 206 inches on a 126-inch wheelbase. Lateral stiffness is increased with a tubular crossmember and thicker side rails. Urethane body mounts smooth out the ride. Sport Trac doesn't ride as smoothly as the newest generation Explorer, however, which boasts an independent rear suspension and many other improvements.

The Explorer suspension was retuned to offer better off-road performance. It works well off the highway, in light snow and mud, but we wouldn't call this a highly capable off-road vehicle. Payload is 1,500 pounds, with a 5,300-pound maximum towing capacity for two-wheel-drive models. Towing heavy loads frequently will likely put wear on a Sport Trac.

Sport Trac is quite tall, so it doesn't handle like a car. The bushings, spring rates, shock valving and stabilizer bars have been modified, according to Ford, for improved ride, handling, and isolation over the old Explorer. Still, the Sport Trac pitches, weaves, sways and jounces. It's not uncomfortable, but these ride motions grow larger as the road gets rougher or as speed increases. The power rack-and-pinion steering did not provide as much assist as we would have liked for parallel parking in tight spaces.

But the Sport Trac is quiet. A lot of effort went into reducing the noise level in the cabin, successfully.

The Sport Trac comes with bigger brake rotors than the previous-generation Explorer, using ventilated discs in front and, for 2003, solid discs in the rear. We found the disc/drum brakes on our 2002 test model only okay, but expect that the 2003 model would stop better with its new four-wheel-disc setup. Also, disc brakes resist fade better than drum brakes, good when braking frequently down mountain grades.