New Ford Everest

[cobalto]

Hi All,

I am planning to buy the new Ford Everest... Has anyone already tried it?

All comments are welcome (even the bad ones)!

Thanks!

[buddhafly]

it's just not a good looking vehicle in my opinion. really a bland and uninspired looking thing. depresses me!

[tominchaam]

Hi All,

I am planning to buy the new Ford Everest... Has anyone already tried it?

All comments are welcome (even the bad ones)!

Thanks!

I have done 80.000 km with my Everest that I bought three years ago. The performance of the car as well as the quality is much better than expected. I had a Toyota Sportrider before and I find the Everest much better. The engine is pretty quiet and it delivers in a way new diesel engines should do. The car is however still a "modified pick up" but it certainly satisfies my need.

[Crossy]

I don't have an Everest, since my Wifey wanted a pickup we bought the Ranger XLT 4x4. I believe however that the power train and major components are common.

The new 3 litre turbo diesel is far less thirsty than the old 2.5 litre, quiet and flexible, can't comment on the 5-speed auto it wasn't available on the Ranger when we got ours. I'm getting low 30s (miles per imperial gallon) about 12-15km/L, admittedly I have a heavy right foot

Very happy with the beast.

[palm]

I don't have an Everest, since my Wifey wanted a pickup we bought the Ranger XLT 4x4. I believe however that the power train and major components are common.

The new 3 litre turbo diesel is far less thirsty than the old 2.5 litre, quiet and flexible, can't comment on the 5-speed auto it wasn't available on the Ranger when we got ours. I'm getting low 30s (miles per imperial gallon) about 12-15km/L, admittedly I have a heavy right foot

Very happy with the beast.

I am also looking to buy one to only use for driving 'upcountry' (5 hrs each way).

I have looked at:

Ford Everest (looks a bit ugly to me on the outside but the inside I thought was very spacious?)

Toyota Fortuner (looks nice on the outside, but not as good as the Everest on the inside?)

Isuzu MU7 thing (again not great on the inside, and quite ugly at the back?)

Can anyone recommend anything else to try that looks nice as well as performs well? I am looking for a manual gearbox with 4WD, and a budget of around 1 to 1.2 million.

[Gary A]

A while back a friend of mine gave me part of an article he got from a car magazine. It was interesting because it gave economy figures for 3.0 liter 4X4's driven at 110 kilometers per hour. Nissan isn't included because they no longer offer a 3.0 liter diesel engine.

Kilometers per liter at 110 KPH

Mitsubishi 12.89

Isuzu 12.81

Ford 12.22

Toyota 11.82

I looked at a new Ford 4X4 today while waiting for my Focus to get checked out. I really liked the looks and the way it was equipped. It was a five speed and it lists at 733,000 baht. It was a model called the Cross Country. It included a bed liner, roll bar and stripes on the hood and tail gate. If I didn't love my old Nissan so much, I'd seriously consider trading.

[Plus]

I think Everest is still based on the old Ranger model, not like the new Ford truck at all. Only the engine is updated.

Generally in Thailand it's considered the crappiest pickup based vehicle. Auto critics trash it without mercy, too.

Also you can forget about resale value.

[helicoptor]

The 2.5 Old model drank Diesel for Thailand

I don't know what the fuel consumption is for the new model but it's got to be a factor when considering buying, despite LOS cheap diesel, it all adds up..

Like crossy I am happy with my Ranger

Until I can talk my boss into a tuner for me

[v8tfcorty]

new ford ranger and everest are based on the old model, they are essentially a cosmetic and mechanical upgrade.

[Crossy]

new ford ranger and everest are based on the old model, they are essentially a cosmetic and mechanical upgrade.

Isn't that what all 'new' models are?

Whatever, Ford Thailand website shows the Everest with either the new 2.5 (4x2 only) Duratorque with either 5 speed manual or (new) 5 speed auto or the 3.0 (4x4 only) Duratorque with either 5 speed manual or (new) 5 speed auto.

Looks like the new Ranger in styling, only reason I didn't buy one (apart from the excessive extra cost over the Ranger) was that the other half wanted a pickup.

[Plus]

From Nation's reviews:

For those who loved the design of the old Ford Everest and never managed to buy one, there is nothing to worry about. Ford has launched the next generation of the Everest 7-seater Pickup Passenger Vehicle (PPV). Even though company officials claim the new Everest has 70 per cent newer parts, the vehicle is very similar in terms of design to its predecessor.

...

With its 'all-new' PPV, Ford doesn't seem to know whether it is keen on moving forward

Ford has introduced the all-new Everest. Or is it the old one? Well, that is the question raised by anyone who has seen the new pickup passenger vehicle, or PPV, from the American auto-maker.

From Bangkok Post:

..Toyota is the only maker to take full advantage of new regulations imposed on PPVs two years ago. That makes the Fortuner a generation ahead of the Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-7, Nissan X-Citer and Mitsubishi G-Wagon.

>>>>>>>

When I asked my GF to check what they say about it on Thai forums she said they called it a fridge with wheels.

[Gary A]

A while back a friend of mine gave me part of an article he got from a car magazine. It was interesting because it gave economy figures for 3.0 liter 4X4's driven at 110 kilometers per hour. Nissan isn't included because they no longer offer a 3.0 liter diesel engine.

Kilometers per liter at 110 KPH

Mitsubishi 12.89

Isuzu 12.81

Ford 12.22

Toyota 11.82

I looked at a new Ford 4X4 today while waiting for my Focus to get checked out. I really liked the looks and the way it was equipped. It was a five speed and it lists at 733,000 baht. It was a model called the Cross Country. It included a bed liner, roll bar and stripes on the hood and tail gate. If I didn't love my old Nissan so much, I'd seriously consider trading.

I just received another part of the economy article this time with the 2.5 liter diesel and speed at 90 KMH with 2 wheel drive;

Isuzu 19.04

Ford 18.24

Mitsubishi 18.03

Toyota 17.41

[cobalto]

Ford Everest (looks a bit ugly to me on the outside but the inside I thought was very spacious?)

Toyota Fortuner (looks nice on the outside, but not as good as the Everest on the inside?)

Isuzu MU7 thing (again not great on the inside, and quite ugly at the back?)

I do agree that Fortuner has a better outside look, but Everest also looks good for me (more pickup-like) and it has a much better interior, which I think all of you agree that is the place you spend most of your time in your "relationship" with it (I never saw anyone spending more time admiring the car rather than driving it). And the 5-speed automatic is much more promising than a 4-speed auto.

Btw, have anyone read anything about the Mazda CX-7?! How about the price of it? It puts Fortuner on the scrap-metal yard!

Mazda CX-7 Specs

---------------------

Engine 2.2l petrol Turbo

AWD

Automatic 6-speed

18 inch alloy (235/60)

Looks sexy...

http://www.mazda.co.th/eng/mod_cx7_1.php

[chanchao]

> a fridge with wheels.

Completely agree. What a moose.

It seems still based on the old regulations for such vehicles, meaning mid evil suspension and a ridiculous wheelbase.

BTW, interesting economy figures, I'd like to read the whole article. Any chance of a scan? (Don't mind if it's in Thai or English)

Seems Isuzu is still the one to beat.. 19 km per liter.. I can only dream about that. I wonder if there's anything you could to to the Ranger 2.5 TD engine to make it more economical.. (Like disable the turbo or something)

[Gary A]

> a fridge with wheels.

Completely agree. What a moose.

It seems still based on the old regulations for such vehicles, meaning mid evil suspension and a ridiculous wheelbase.

BTW, interesting economy figures, I'd like to read the whole article. Any chance of a scan? (Don't mind if it's in Thai or English)

Seems Isuzu is still the one to beat.. 19 km per liter.. I can only dream about that. I wonder if there's anything you could to to the Ranger 2.5 TD engine to make it more economical.. (Like disable the turbo or something)

The road test reports were in Thai. My Thai friend translated the mileage figures but not the actual road tests. I actually have not seen anything other than the mileage figures he gave me. Isuzu came out on top in nearly every category. Since the Thais love Isuzu, the results may be a little biased. The only sure thing is that the numbers cannot be fudged. Ford got good reviews also and came in second.

[nikster]

Fortuner vs Everest? Please, there is no competition.

I took a very good look at all SUVs _before_ buying one last year, ended up with a Fortuner. I took a particularly hard look at the Everest because dad in law has one, and I frankly found it up there with the worst cars I have ever been in. Seriously!

Everest has a nice engine, but it's offset by:

- Bland/cheap-looking interior. This probably depends on the model and I would expect higher end versions to improve. The one I was in looked like a 10 year old camry where someone had installed cheap leather seats.

- Horribly bumpy ride. Rear leaf-spring suspension should say it all. It's a pick-up, and not a very refined one at that when it comes to suspension. It bounces around on the road even on perfectly straight pieces of highway. I got sick sitting in the back, and I never get sick in cars.

- No leg space - the front seats are 30 cm high, the rear seats something like 10. This was the 2WD version, maybe the 4WD is higher? But maybe not? In any case, I am 1.80cm (5"11) and I can't sit on the back seat or the front seat for more than 1 hour without my legs falling off. It's beyond uncomfortable.

I was driving in this cheap excuse for an SUV for 4 hours on the back seat and this was the worst ever. Worse than going on the ancient buses that go along this road.

In addition, dad's already looks old and it's not even a year since he bought it new.

I like the outside looks of the Everest, actually - it looks like a proper Ford SUV. But ride quality and interior are really bad. It's a fake package if you ask me.

Fortuner - well all reviews say this is a great car, and guess what, it really is a great car. There is only one version with manual gearbox, and it's low-end, but if you go to the right dealer you can get all sorts of extras like leather seats. I have the Exclusive edition and the interior - perforated leather seats - is top notch. But then, it only comes with auto. Would have preferred manual myself but my better half was for auto so it was a split decision and I now don't mind the auto much - this auto is very different from old car's automatics - it shifts into the right gear almost all times.

If I was to shift manually, I could basically do better going uphill but not much - the delay is only 1/10th of a second or so. Going downhill I use the gear lock anyway.

Anyway -if you go for Fortuner, I can recommend the perforated leather seats. Combined with a _strong_ air-con, it's always very comfortable in this car, even on 40 degree days.

There really is no downside to the Fortuner, except that everyone else has one

[Rooo]

Look at the Ford Territory.

http://www.ford.co.th/servlet/ContentServe...e&c=DFYPage

I have driven this vehicle in Australia,fantastic. Overpriced here,I don't know why, with the FTA in place I thought it would be cheaper.

Edited May 17, 2007 by Rooo

[palm]

Fortuner - well all reviews say this is a great car, and guess what, it really is a great car. There is only one version with manual gearbox, and it's low-end.

There really is no downside to the Fortuner, except that everyone else has one

The Fortuner manual version I saw last week in the showroom is the 3.0 version. Is the manual cheaper only because it's not an automatic? I'd really prefer a manual and didn't realise any other major specs were different.

My girlfriend really likes the Everest inside, but I'm a bit old fashioned about cars and would like something that doesn't look like a 'fridge on wheels' too. I'd only probably use it about 5 days a month anyway, so MPG isn't an issue, and the Fortuner also seems a bit more compact for driving around town? I once drove a Luton Van and managed to rip the sides off 5 parked cars, and don't really want to repeat the experience.

I never really understood why some of these car companies (like Ford that have been in business for 100 years) never seem to be able to make great looking cars. I mean, how hard can it be to design something that looks 'great'? Do their designers all wear cardigans and tartan shoes?

Does anyone know if the servicing for the Ford Everest is as trouble-free as the Fortuner; both in Bangkok and upcountry?

[chanchao]

> Does anyone know if the servicing for the Ford Everest is as trouble-free as the Fortuner;

Probably. Build quality and service isn't the problem, as it's basically Mazda all the way. So in addition to the Ford dealers, you also have the Mazda dealers for almost any kind of service that doesn't require specific Ford body parts.

[chinthee]

I just sold my top-of-the-line Everest. What a disaster. I enjoyed the comfort & roominess of the vehicle, and drove many times between Phuket and Bangkok, always arriving w/o fatigue. However, steering & handling were very mushy. Build quality and dealer service were very good. HOWEVER, the shock came when trying to sell, as it seems no Thai people want anything to do with a Ford, and especially, in the south, with anything that is not a Toyota. This vehicle was in pristine condition, with fairly low mileage. We were lucky to offload the thing for half of what we paid a couple years ago (this after trying to sell for 1 year). I would not buy any SUV that is not a Toyota or Honda CR-V, as resale is a huge problem. It doesn't matter how good the vehicle is, you can't change perceptions of Thai people. Thais also have the belief that Everest is the worst gas-guzzler in Thailand (I don't believe this is true). We discussed this with many dealers, and car merchants, they all said the same thing.

[Plus]

For each Everest Toyota sells about twenty Fortuners, it doesn't mean that it's twenty times better, but rather that people's opinion of Everest is very low.

With sales of only about 50 Everests in a month Ford is in no position to invest anything in design or engineering - Bangkok Post mentioned it once - developing a whole new pickup based SUV is not cheap, even Mitubishi can't seem to afford it, it's been two years since Triton's launch and the G-Wagon replacement is still nowhere near.

[chanchao]

> Thais also have the belief that Everest is the worst gas-guzzler in Thailand

The previous model most certainly was!! Well, unless compared with a Hummer H2 or Lincoln Navigator, but by any sane local definition it drinks like a whale.

But anyway, that some vehicles drop an unreasonable amount in resale value can also be used to your advantage when buying second hand. The CURRENT Everest has a decent engine, when these become available second hand you can mercilessly pick one up for cheap and have a reasonably 'apprropriate' vehicle for less-urban Thailand: Well built, lots of space, dual airbags, good clearance and 4WD, easy & cheap to service and crap handling, but who cares because you shouldn't really be driving over 80 km/h in Thailand anyway.

With sales of only about 50 Everests in a month Ford is in no position to invest anything in design or engineering - Bangkok Post mentioned it once - developing a whole new pickup based SUV is not cheap, even Mitubishi can't seem to afford it, it's been two years since Triton's launch and the G-Wagon replacement is still nowhere near.

Still... Toyota DID do it and made an absolute KILLING beyond their wildest expectations; not only did they completely CRUSH the competition in the pick-up based SUV market, they ALSO crushed CRV and whatever those Ford/Mazda and Nissan CRV-wannebes are called.

You can't help but wonder what Isuzu must be thinking right now, having consistently fouled up with everything SUV-like they ever did. Most notably the Vega which did not meet the admittedly silly tax laws so came in WAY overpriced, AND they managed to try to re-use the rear-lights and other bits of their generation old TFR truck..

SURELY another manufacturer can do what Toyota did with their pick-ups.. Nissan and Isuzu especially have the brand-credibility, all they need to do is shape a decent looking SUV that doesn't look like a beached whale, even if it still drives like one.

Edited May 17, 2007 by chanchao

[Plus]

In BF (Before Fortuner) era we had Toyota Sportrider, Mitsu G-Wagon, Nissan E-xite, Ford Everest, Thairung Adventure and there was no clear leader.

In the AF era all those dinosauras simply died out. MU-7, a new effort by Isuzu, is still based on the old ergulations pickup.

Expect Mitsubishi to come up with Triton based PPV any year soon, and Nissan wants Navarra based PPV just a bad but without sales volume and shrinking market share it's difficult for them to invest. Can they persuade their parent companies to develop a vehicle for international market like Toyota? Thailand is too small on itself.

Even Toyota has difficulties selling Fortuner abroad, I believe. Frame on chassi design has its limitations.

[chinthee]

You're spot on with the BF and AF analysis. Additionally, with regard to pickups, it's the same thing. We recently bought a new Vigo after much discussion, again, with aftermarket dealers on which ones had the best resale demand and prices. Again, no contest. Toyota by a landslide. They highly discouraged Mitsu, etc., and Ford wasn't even close. I know this to be true because we also sold a prior Vigo last year and it was snapped up immediately at a top price.

With regard to SUVs I agree Fortuner rules, but with compact SUVs, the new Honda CR-V is a good bet, especially in urban Bangkok, etc..

[nikster]

Spot on with BF and AF.

I think things will only get interesting again with the Triton-based wagon - the Mitsu Triton is awesome value, a few friends of mine have it. An excellent pick-up. I just wonder what takes them so long?

[nikster]

Fortuner - well all reviews say this is a great car, and guess what, it really is a great car. There is only one version with manual gearbox, and it's low-end.

There really is no downside to the Fortuner, except that everyone else has one

The Fortuner manual version I saw last week in the showroom is the 3.0 version. Is the manual cheaper only because it's not an automatic? I'd really prefer a manual and didn't realise any other major specs were different.

Well I guess it depends on the dealer. Our dealer basically didn't want to sell us the manual. They just told me that I can't have leather seats in the manual version - manual was a 3.0 diesel, BTW.

In hindsight, I don't believe this actually - I have seen Fortuners with manual and leather for sale 2nd hand so there are ways. If you go to a dealer that doesn't have a lot of business you will probably have an easier time getting the manual

The manual is cheaper - auto costs money.

The auto is pretty good though.

[nikster]

Look at the Ford Territory.

http://www.ford.co.th/servlet/ContentServe...e&c=DFYPage

teeensy-weensy downside to this car: starting at Baht 3M

If you are looking to spend that much over value, there's also a whole range of other cars to consider...

[Plus]

I remember climbing inside Territory at last year's motorshow, I checked the rear seat configuration, all the cubbyholes, everything. The last thing I asked was the price - 3 million baht!!!! For what? It doesn't look or feel anything like Lexus, in fact it felt cheaper than pickup trucks on show.

[palm]

Fortuner - well all reviews say this is a great car, and guess what, it really is a great car. There is only one version with manual gearbox, and it's low-end.

There really is no downside to the Fortuner, except that everyone else has one

The Fortuner manual version I saw last week in the showroom is the 3.0 version. Is the manual cheaper only because it's not an automatic? I'd really prefer a manual and didn't realise any other major specs were different.

In hindsight, I don't believe this actually - I have seen Fortuners with manual and leather for sale 2nd hand so there are ways. If you go to a dealer that doesn't have a lot of business you will probably have an easier time getting the manual

Thanks for the tip - there are 3 or 4 Toyota dealers in my area so I'll get the GF to go and play them off against each other. She'll enjoy that.

It was of course quite amusing to hear each sales person in Toyota, Izuzu and Ford completely slag off the competition. I always ask them if they changed jobs to work for the competitor, would they still have the same opinion? You can see their brains overheat immediately as they try to work out what to say.

I guess I'll just have to hire them for a couple of days and go on a long drive.