2016 Ford Everest Ambiente REVIEW | Tough, Capable, But Pricey
WHEN IT COMES TO THE 2016 FORD EVEREST RANGE, “IS BASE BEST”? IN OTHER WORDS, IS THE EVEREST AMBIENTE, THE ENTRY-LEVEL MODEL TO A THREE-TIER AND SOMEWHAT EXPENSIVE LARGE SUV RANGE, THE ONE TO BUY?
It shares the same willing 3.2 litre turbo-diesel, will easily drag a van anywhere you’d sensibly take it, and will climb nearly anything you’d sensibly point it at.
So, in a range accused of being overpriced, does the Ambiente pack enough inside its doors for the money?
That’s the question; and the debate about whether Ford’s Thai-built four-wheel-drive is a competitor for the likes of the ute-based Isuzu MU-X, Pajero Sport and Fortuner, or, as its maker argues, the Toyota Prado, is of little consequence.
We just want to know if it’s good value, and whether you should consider it.
Vehicle Style: Large 4WD SUV
Price: $54,990 (plus on-roads)
Engine/trans: 143kW/470Nm 3.2 litre 5cyl turbo-diesel | 6sp automatic
Fuel Economy claimed: 8.5 l/100km | tested: 11.1 l/100km
OVERVIEW
Get way out bush, and the main streets of country towns are dominated by Ford Falcon/Holden Commodore, or anything with a Toyota badge.
Out here, the Everest is making just small inroads into Toyota’s dominance.
Ford has sold 664 units of the Everest in the first two months of 2016. By comparison, Prado sales have tallied 2389 over the same period; it starts from $55,490 (plus orc).