VEHICLES
The engine. That’s what most people tell me has them “worried” about the Everest with its 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel. But why? Well, I’ve been told that it won’t last in the outback. But why? No-one I’ve spoken with has offered any reason as to why it won’t last or why the size of the engine has them worried.
But I reckon it’s got to do with the fact that Ford made such a hero of its five-cylinder turbodiesel and that the Raptor also runs the 2.0L engine. Instead of being something ‘special’ it’s seen as being a little, well, disappointing. But it shouldn’t be.
2019 Ford Everest Titanium
We have time with the Everest Titanium to find out if the bi-turbo engine, the seven-seat layout and its rough-road ability make it a must-buy for families.
What are we testing? The 2019 Ford Everest Titanium
Who's running it? Isaac Bober
Why are we testing it? To find out if the Everest is the best family rough roader wagon.
What it needs to do? While we’ve got the Everest, we want to find out if it can do it all, from the school run to the supermarket shop, to highway runs, towing and off-roading.
I’ve now ticked over 10,000km in our long-term Everest and it hasn’t missed a single beat. It drives an average of 100km a day and is running like a dream. The 2.0L makes more power and torque than the five-cylinder engine which, while characterful, is getting long in the tooth.
There are a few things you need to get used to with the Everest’s engine. And they’ve got nothing to do with drivability or confidence. Just some quirks of the setup. See, no matter whether it’s hot or cold, whether you’ve just started driving or been at it for a while, there’s always a slight hesitation from a standing start.
And there can be some very slight pauses in the switchover from turbo to turbo, see one spools up at low revs to reduce lag and improve off-the-line performance while the second turbo takes over higher in the rev range to keep the thing ticking along. But, if I’m honest, you’ll only ever notice anything if you’re really concentrating one in 99 times.
And that’s probably because the engine and gearbox are so well matched. With 10 ratios to choose from you might think the thing would constantly shuffle from one ratio to the next to keep things humming along. But it doesn’t. While I’ve been critical of 10-speed transmissions in the past or, anything with more than six, it’s hard to fault the 10-speeder in the Everest. It’s smooth and does a good job of responding to throttle inputs and getting the most from the engine.
So, while I haven’t driven the thing across the Simpson, I have done just about everything else with the Everest; I’ve towed with it, I’ve crawled it around off-road in low-range for whole days, I’ve raced it along dirt roads through state forests, driven around town and schlepped it up and down the highway to the big smoke. It’s thrifty on fuel, quiet, refined and effortlessly effortless when it needs to be.
So, after 10,000km of varied driving, I reckon I can say the engine in the Everest is as strong as you need and is proving to be as reliable as you’d want.
2019 FORD EVEREST TITANIUM SPECIFICATIONS
PRICE From $73,990+orc
WARRANTY Five-years, unlimited kilometres
SERVICE INTERVALS 12 months, 15,000km
SAFETY Five-star ANCAP (2105)
ENGINE 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel
POWER 157kW at 3750rpm
TORQUE 500Nm from 1750-2000rpm
TRANSMISSION 10-speed automatic
DRIVE All-wheel drive with low-range
DIMENSIONS 4649mm long, 2180mm wide (with mirrors), 1837mm high, 2850mm wheelbase
GROUND CLEARANCE 210mm measured
ANGLES 29.5-degrees approach, 25-degrees departure, 21.5-degrees rampover
WADING 800mm
WEIGHT 2446kg (fuel, no driver)
GVM 3100kg
GCM 5900kg
TOWING 3100kg
BOOT SIZE 450-2010L (loaded to the roof)
SPARE Full-size underslung
FUEL TANK 80L
THIRST 7.1L/100km claimed (9.0L/100km combined after 5000km)
VEHICLES
What are we testing? The 2019 Ford Everest Titanium
Who's running it? Isaac Bober
Why are we testing it? To find out if the Everest is the best family rough roader wagon.
What it needs to do? While we’ve got the Everest, we want to find out if it can do it all, from the school run to the supermarket shop, to highway runs, towing and off-roading.
The engine. That’s what most people tell me has them “worried” about the Everest with its 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel. But why? Well, I’ve been told that it won’t last in the outback. But why? No-one I’ve spoken with has offered any reason as to why it won’t last or why the size of the engine has them worried.
But I reckon it’s got to do with the fact that Ford made such a hero of its five-cylinder turbodiesel and that the Raptor also runs the 2.0L engine. Instead of being something ‘special’ it’s seen as being a little, well, disappointing. But it shouldn’t be.
2019 Ford Everest Titanium
We have time with the Everest Titanium to find out if the bi-turbo engine, the seven-seat layout and its rough-road ability make it a must-buy for families.
I’ve now ticked over 10,000km in our long-term Everest and it hasn’t missed a single beat. It drives an average of 100km a day and is running like a dream. The 2.0L makes more power and torque than the five-cylinder engine which, while characterful, is getting long in the tooth.
There are a few things you need to get used to with the Everest’s engine. And they’ve got nothing to do with drivability or confidence. Just some quirks of the setup. See, no matter whether it’s hot or cold, whether you’ve just started driving or been at it for a while, there’s always a slight hesitation from a standing start.
And there can be some very slight pauses in the switchover from turbo to turbo, see one spools up at low revs to reduce lag and improve off-the-line performance while the second turbo takes over higher in the rev range to keep the thing ticking along. But, if I’m honest, you’ll only ever notice anything if you’re really concentrating one in 99 times.
And that’s probably because the engine and gearbox are so well matched. With 10 ratios to choose from you might think the thing would constantly shuffle from one ratio to the next to keep things humming along. But it doesn’t. While I’ve been critical of 10-speed transmissions in the past or, anything with more than six, it’s hard to fault the 10-speeder in the Everest. It’s smooth and does a good job of responding to throttle inputs and getting the most from the engine.
So, while I haven’t driven the thing across the Simpson, I have done just about everything else with the Everest; I’ve towed with it, I’ve crawled it around off-road in low-range for whole days, I’ve raced it along dirt roads through state forests, driven around town and schlepped it up and down the highway to the big smoke. It’s thrifty on fuel, quiet, refined and effortlessly effortless when it needs to be.
So, after 10,000km of varied driving, I reckon I can say the engine in the Everest is as strong as you need and is proving to be as reliable as you’d want.
2019 FORD EVEREST TITANIUM SPECIFICATIONS
PRICE From $73,990+orc
WARRANTY Five-years, unlimited kilometres
SERVICE INTERVALS 12 months, 15,000km
SAFETY Five-star ANCAP (2105)
ENGINE 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel
POWER 157kW at 3750rpm
TORQUE 500Nm from 1750-2000rpm
TRANSMISSION 10-speed automatic
DRIVE All-wheel drive with low-range
DIMENSIONS 4649mm long, 2180mm wide (with mirrors), 1837mm high, 2850mm wheelbase
GROUND CLEARANCE 210mm measured
ANGLES 29.5-degrees approach, 25-degrees departure, 21.5-degrees rampover
WADING 800mm
WEIGHT 2446kg (fuel, no driver)
GVM 3100kg
GCM 5900kg
TOWING 3100kg
BOOT SIZE 450-2010L (loaded to the roof)
SPARE Full-size underslung
FUEL TANK 80L
THIRST 7.1L/100km claimed (9.0L/100km combined after 5000km)