Ford battle

TOUGH CHOICE TO REPLACE TERRITORY

The popular Ford Falconbased Territory SUV ceased production in October 2016, meaning that if you bought one of the last ones, the warranty period is almost up and it is around the time a lot of new car buyers start thinking about a replacement.

But Ford never directly replaced the Territory, instead spreading the load across two different models – the seven-seat Ranger ute-based Everest and the five-seat Mondeo-based Endura (known as the Egde in its home market of the US).

The top-spec Titanium versions of both are $10,000 apart, but which one is a better Territory alternative for the dedicated Ford buyer?

Specs would suggest the carbased Endura should be the most obvious alternative, but the fact it is based on the FWD Mondeo platform and is only a five-seater could easily tip the balance back towards the RWD ute-based seven-seat Everest, depending on your needs and preferences.

In its last year of life (production stopped in October

2016, although sales carried on into 2017) the top-spec Territory Titanium AWD diesel cost

$69,990, or the same as the equivalent Endura Titanium AWD diesel costs now. The Everest Titanium stretches that to $79,990.

The Everest and Endura are each powered by 2.0-litre turbo diesel engines. The Everest’s

157kW/500Nm bi-turbo unit tops the Endura’s 140kW/400Nm single twin-scroll engine in power and torque, although the Everest does weigh a not inconsiderable 460kg more than the smaller car – 2017kg versus

2477kg.

By way of comparison, the Territory’s 140kW/440Nm

2.7-litre turbo diesel had to haul around 2045kg, suggesting strongly that it and the Endura should be rather similar in terms of on-road performance, while the Everest should lag slightly behind.

But it is the Everest that feels the livelier – and more Territorylike – of the two. Its bigger torque comes in lower and a healthy chunk of it sticks around longer than the Endura’s engine can manage. The American offering feels slightly breathless by comparison once it gets up in the revs.

This is amplified by the fact that the Everest’s thoroughly excellent 2.0-litre bi-turbo engine is hooked up to an equally excellent 10-speed automatic transmission.

The Endura’s 8-speed unit can be a bit dithery and indecisive, and its rotary dial selector is an irritating pain.

Neither completely emulates the Territory’s blatantly good RWD car-like ride and handling as both have their advantages and disadvantages over the nowdeparted Aussie.

The Everest boasts excellent ride quality, with that usual ‘‘for something based on a ute’’ caveat, while the Endura more

closely matches the Territory, thanks to its similarly car-based origins.

Both, however, are impressively comfortable and refined, although the Everest does have a distinct truck-like edge to it that you would expect from a ladder chassis vehicle. Whether or not this is a good or bad thing depends on your tastes.

In terms of handling, the Endura’s FWD origins show through – again, good or bad, depending on preferences – but its on-road manners are pleasant and predictable, with an agile edge that the Everest lacks thanks to its sheer bulk. It is also deeply impressive – and actually quite fun – on gravel, with a nicely balanced chassis and responsive steering.

The Everest does feel bigger, bulkier and more truck-like than either the Endura or Territory, but it is easily the best handling thing in the large ute-based SUV arena, with a surprising sharpness and agility to its hefty frame.

Inside space is remarkably similar – up to a point. As it is FWD, is surprisingly wide and doesn’t have to try to squeeze in seven seats, the Endura actually tops the Everest in every interior dimension bar headroom, although even then it is marginal (61mm in the front and 16mm in the second row) and due to the Endura’s sunroof.

In the back, the Everest tops the Endura though. It has a cavernous 1050 litres of space behind the second row of seats (and a still impressive 450 litres behind the third row), when the Endura can only manage 800 litres. Fold all the seats down and the Everest grows to 2010 litres, and the Endura stretches to 1688 litres.

The Endura and Everest each have an unbraked towing capacity of the standard 750kg, but the Everest handily crushes the Endura when it comes to hauling a braked trailer, handling 3100kg compared to the Endura’s rating of 2000kg. The diesel AWD Territory could handle 2700kg braked.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this exercise is how close both the Endura and Everest are to the Territory in the majority of ways, yet both feel like totally different vehicles, to each other and the Territory.

So which should replace your Territory? It depends what you need.

Big towing capacity, seven seats, huge cargo space, a spectacularly good engine and transmission, and actual off-road credentials while remaining deeply impressive on the road are the Everest’s biggest selling points.

The Endura scores well with its excellent ride comfort, higher interior quality, impressive passenger space and refined onroad manners.

Both are impressive vehicles in their own separate ways, but if you treasure the Territory’s ‘‘taller big RWD car’’ feel and attitude, then the lack of a direct replacement will still grate.

Main: The Ranger-based Everest is impressively comfortable on the road and equally capable off it. Top right: Huge cargo space and seven seats are an advantage of the Everest’s size. Bottom right: The Everest’s interior is spacious and comfortable, but not as good as the Endura’s.

Main: The Endura is the more car-like of the two, but the Everest has more of the Territory’s RWD feel. Top left: The Endura Titanium costs exactly the same as the diesel Territory Titanium did. The Everest is $10K more. Bottom left: If you’re looking for seven seats, then don’t look in the Endura. It is impressively roomy inside, though.