Short wheelbases, such as that of the Tracker, usually translate to unsettled road manners and hoppy handling. Much to our delight, the Tracker was found not guilty" of any such handling pitfalls.By no means is the Tracker a sports car in terms of acceleration, but it scores high marks for agility and maneuverability. The small 32.2-ft. turning radius made parking a snap and really shone in close-quarters, off-road driving. While cruising on or off the road, the front MacPherson struts coupled with rear coil springs and solid rear axle keep the Tracker planted securely on the ground. All manner of bumps and potholes were absorbed by the Tracker’s stout frame, with minimal body-shake or flexing.
In view of the likely age and experience level of their drivers - these are vehicles that clearly appeal to a younger crowd - a few words on sport/utility dynamics and safety are in order.
Some years ago, a well-known national magazine put the Tracker’s even smaller cousin, the Suzuki Samurai, through a number of tests designed to show that it was prone to rollovers in certain kinds of extreme cornering maneuvers.
Given that goal, the testers did, in fact, manage to get the little Suzuki off its wheels.
It’s true that sport/utility vehicles, with their relatively high aspect ratio - the relationship of the vehicle’s track to its height - and high centers of gravity tend to be a little tippier than passenger cars.
However, if you’re really determined to do it, you can put any vehicle on its roof. Keeping it upright is simply a matter of prudence.
The Samurai was later exonerated, and the point is that quick maneuvers in one of these sport/ute minis requires a little more attention than making the same maneuvers in your Taurus.
It’s not a sports car. With that as a clear understanding, the younger drivers in your family will do just fine.
Every Tracker comes equipped with standard front-disc brakes and rear drums, with an anti-lock system (ABS) in the rear.
The brakes proved fade-free in day-to-day driving, and the rear ABS system was a great asset for braking on slippery or icy roads.
Unfortunately, our Tracker came equipped with the 3-speed automatic transmission. Mated to an 80-hp, 1.6-liter, 16-valve in-line 4, the shifts were smooth, and kick-down was immediate, but there never seemed to be enough power.
Cruising around town presented no major problems, but highway driving left us wishing for one higher gear in order to reduce engine noise. The 5-speed manual transmission would be a much better choice for everyday driving. With that one, acceleration improves and engine noise at cruising speed is reduced.
Speaking of noise, we expected much more wind and road noise in the Tracker because of its canvas convertible top. Wrong. We were pleasantly surprised to find that road noise was no worse than in other convertible passenger cars. Around town the top proved free of wind leaks. There was slight buffeting at highway speeds at the point where the vehicle’s top meets the steel roll-bar.
The Tracker can be equipped to tow up to 1000 lb., enough capacity for a jet ski or motorcycle trailer."
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