Browse over 9,000 car reviews

Ford Everest 2019 review

EXPERT RATING
8
Change is good but there will always be some who become enraged at the mere hint of it. Case in point: those who strongly dislike 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engines.

Update:

Since we first published this story on August 24, 2018, there have been some changes to the Ford Everest range, including the entry-level Everest Ambiente (RWD and 4WD variants) getting advanced driver-assist safety systems, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, at no extra cost. 

The Ambiente also now gets lane-keep assist with driver alert, traffic sign recognition and automatic high beams. That's all in addition to the line-up's reversing camera, rear parking sensors, roll-over mitigation, trailer sway control and more.

The 4WD Ambiente also gets hill descent control, hill launch assist and an electronically locking rear differential.

In other Everest news, the top-shelf 2.0-litre twin-turbo Everest Titanium 4WD has dropped in price to $72,290 so it now avoids the luxury car tax.

Changes are rumored to be coming soon for the Ford Ranger range – perhaps towards the end of 2019 – and those changes may also materialise in the next update of the Everest line-up.

Stay tuned for more Ford Everest news. 

As originally published August 24, 2018:

Change is good but there will always be some who become enraged at the mere hint of it. Case in point: those who strongly dislike 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel engines. 

In February this year, when just such an engine was revealed as the powerplant of choice for Ford’s high-performance ute, the Ranger Raptor, CarsGuide comments, online chat rooms and beer gardens everywhere echoed with acid-tongued complaint and hearty objections that included such pearls of wisdom as “The only good two litres are milk and orange juice”.

Well, it looks like some of us have a bitter pill to swallow because that 2.0-litre engine is now in the new, refreshed MY19 Everest, Ford’s large SUV wagon, as well – and it’s here to stay. But don’t fret because the 3.2-litre five-cylinder engine remains in the Everest ranks.

In other good news, the 2019 Everest has AEB.

Any bad news? Maybe. Read on.

Ford Everest 2019: Titanium (4WD 7 Seat)
Safety rating
Engine Type2.0L turbo
Fuel TypeDiesel
Fuel Efficiency7.1L/100km
Seating7 seats
Price from$61,050

Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?   8/10

The Everest range remains a three-model line-up: entry-level Ambiente, mid-spec and volume seller Trend, and top-spec Titanium.

The new twin-turbo diesel engine and 10-speed auto combination is an option on Trend and standard on Titanium. Ambiente continues with the 3.2-litre five-cylinder engine and six-speed auto.

One of the other more notable new features in the range is 'Inter-Urban Autonomous Emergency Braking' (AEB) with 'Pedestrian Detection' and 'Vehicle Detection', which is now standard across the Trend and Titanium; it will become standard on Ambiente in 2019.

Keyless entry and push-button start are now standard across the range, and Trend and Titanium get Ford’s hands-free power tailgate.

Keyless entry and push-button start are now standard across the range. Keyless entry and push-button start are now standard across the range.
Other standard features include reversing camera, rear parking sensors, 'SYNC 3' with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8.0-inch full-colour touchscreen and reversing camera.

Also new to the Trend are leather-accented seat trim, eight-way power driver's seat and a leather-trimmed gear shifter.

All Ambiente models are five-seaters no matter which drivetrain they have – rear-wheel or 4WD – but they can be optioned up with a third row for $1000.

All prices to follow exclude on-road costs.

Everest Ambiente pricing is: RWD 3.2L (five seats) $49,190; 3.2L RWD (seven seats) $50,190; 3.2L 4WD (five seats) $54,190; and Ambiente 4WD 3.2L (seven seats) $55,190.

Everest Trend pricing is: RWD Bi-Turbo $56,190; 4WD 3.2L $59,990; and 4WD Bi-Turbo $61,190.

The Ford Everest Titanium is only available as a 4WD with the twin-turbo engine and 10-speed auto at a cost of $73,990, including luxury car tax. We spent the lion’s share of our time at the launch in a Titanium so we’ll focus on that variant.

On top of a full complement of standard features and a suite of driver-assist tech, the Titanium now has 20-inch alloy wheels, a 3100kg-rated towbar and a leather-trimmed handbrake.

The new exterior prestige paint is Diffused Silver for $780.

The 2019 Everest is due in showrooms this month.

What are the key stats for the engine and transmission?   8/10

The new-generation twin-turbo engine – 157kW at 3750rpm and 500Nm from 1750rpm-2000rpm – is paired with a 10-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, the same combination as used in Ford’s high-performance models, Mustang and Raptor. 

But this working partnership is a better match here, in the Everest, than it is in the Raptor, in terms of smooth delivery of power and torque at low and high speeds, as well as doing everything in an unfussed manner – low-key but still effective. 

The new-generation twin-turbo engine produces 157kW/500Nm. The new-generation twin-turbo engine produces 157kW/500Nm.

As mentioned, the previous-gen 3.2-litre 143kW/470Nm five-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and six-speed auto is still offered in Ambiente and Trend, ensuring those who prefer their engines bigger are catered for.
The Titanium has full-time 4WD with low-range gearing ('4x4 Low') and electronic diff lock, as well as a 'Terrain Management System' with four driving modes (Normal, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Sand and Rock) to suit different terrain. 

The Everest has a 'Terrain Management System' with four driving modes. The Everest has a 'Terrain Management System' with four driving modes.

Is there anything interesting about its design?   8/10

Nothing much to report here. The Everest has always had substantial presence and nothing has changed in that respect; it’s a good-looking unit.

The Everest is a good looking unit. The Everest is a good looking unit.

Among the styling tweaks are a new grille design, revised bumper and fascia design, halogen projector headlights with halogen daytime-running lights, a laminated acoustic windscreen, a 10-speaker audio system, as well as an 'Ebony' interior colour scheme with contrast stitching and chrome highlights.

If there’s any potential strife to the interior look and feel here, it may be that it’s too neat and tidy – too plain – and in danger of becoming a bit dated.

The interior looks and feel here too neat and tidy – too plain. The interior looks and feel here too neat and tidy – too plain.

The Titanium has new 20-inch split-spoke alloy wheels.

How practical is the space inside?   8/10

Inside is nice and roomy. It’s also well blended together; chrome, leather accents, as well as clear, easy-to-read instrument displays and colourful Sync3 screen. Nice, small touches, such as the illuminated blue edging around USB ports, add to the cabin’s premium feel.

The colourful Sync3 screen is easy-to-read. The colourful Sync3 screen is easy-to-read.

The front seats are very comfortable and electrically adjustable; the third row can be deployed or stowed away by using buttons on the right-hand rear interior wall of the cargo area.

Those in the front are well catered for with access to two 12-volt sockets, and two USB ports.

The front seats are very comfortable and electrically adjustable. The front seats are very comfortable and electrically adjustable.

Storage spaces include glovebox, two cup holders and a deep bin between driver and front passenger, and bottle holders in each door.

Second-row passengers get a pair of pop-out cupholders in the arm-rest, and can control aircon temp and fan speed, as well as open or close air vents, and use a 230-volt or 12-volt socket from their seat.

There are two ISOFIX anchor points in the second row and the cargo area has bag hooks each side, as well as luggage tie-down points on the floor.

What's it like to drive?   8/10

The Everest’s 2.0-litre is not going to get any pulses pounding with its engine note, that’s for sure, but it more than makes up for any lack of rough, gutsy charm – perceived or otherwise – by being the consummate quiet achiever. Because it is very quiet … and it achieves.

The good news is that we pushed the 2477kg Titanium pretty hard off the mark, as well as made a series of overtaking moves and clocked up a bit of open-road cruising and it just burbled along nicely. There’s a real no-fuss quality to its delivery of big torque at low revs. It certainly seems to work better in the Everest than in the Raptor, which we drove at launch a few weeks ago and the consensus there was that it was underpowered and underwhelming.

The Everest is also very quiet inside. The Everest is also very quiet inside.

The Everest is also very quiet inside. Ford reckons the twin-turbo is “much quieter” than their 3.2-litre models due to advanced sound insulation and 'Active Noise Cancellation' which has helped to improve cabin quietness. Well, the 3.2 is pretty quiet anyway, but in the short time I’ve spent so far in the 2019 twin-turbo Everest, I have no reason not to believe them.

Its steering has that real Ford feel – light and lively but precise – and on its revised coil-spring suspension, the Titanium’s ride and handling is even smoother than before. It was firm, bordering on stiff at times, but perhaps the Titanium’s 20-inch rims on road-biased Goodyear EfficientGrip SUV tyres set at 38 psi could be blamed for some of that; 18 x 8.0-inch alloy wheels and tyres are a no-cost option on the Titanium.

We did some decent 4WDing on this launch out near Lithgow and the Everest was infrequently challenged anywhere near the limits of its off-roading capabilities.

We drove our tester in Normal mode and took the ‘off’ line through sections of terrain that would have likely put some rivals in a spot of bother. We drove our tester in Normal mode and took the ‘off’ line through sections of terrain that would have likely put some rivals in a spot of bother.

In fact we intentionally drove our tester in Normal mode and took the ‘off’ line through sections of terrain that would have likely put some rivals in a spot of bother but, with judicious use of that 10-speed auto, especially that low first, we trucked through no problem.

The Everest’s hill descent control deserves a mention also as it’s rather smooth and effective; it holds very low speeds (registering as 0km/h on the dash), can be adjusted via buttons on the steering wheel, and was not jerky or jarring like some systems in other off-roaders can be.

When we did dial through the drive modes of the terrain management system to actually suit the surface we were driving on there was no surprise at how efficient and effective it was, as we’ve used it quite extensively before in the bush and on beach sand.

There was no surprise at how efficient and effective the Everest was off-road. There was no surprise at how efficient and effective the Everest was off-road.

The Titanium has 227mm ground clearance. We observed a few Everests on different terrain and, especially on deep sharp-edged ruts and short steeper-angled rocky climbs its underslung full-sized spare tyre behind the rear axle can seem like it’s about to become a plow – and there's something else to watch out for. 

One fellow journo pointed out that what appears to be the AdBlue tank protrudes below the bottom edge of the full-sized spare, eating into a bit of ground clearance and the Titanium’s departure angle; posing a bit of a damage risk if your 4WDing takes your Everest into particularly tricky territory.

The Everest has a towing capacity of 3100kg (braked) up from its previous 3000kg; unbraked max is 750kg. The Titanium has a payload of 623kg, a GVM of 3100kg and a 5900kg GCM.

How much fuel does it consume?   8/10

Best-of-the-bunch 2.0-litre fuel consumption is listed as 6.9L/100km (combined) in the Trend RWD, and 7.1L/100km (combined) in the 4WD. We noted an average of 9.8L/100km on the dash but there may have been some heavy right foot involved in prompting that figure.

The Everest has an 80-litre fuel tank.

Warranty & Safety Rating

Basic Warranty

5 years / unlimited km warranty

ANCAP Safety Rating

ANCAP logo

What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating?   8/10

The Everest range has a five-star ANCAP rating as a result of testing conducted in 2015.

Standard safety gear across the range includes seven airbags (driver and front passenger, side front, side curtain (to third row) and driver's knee), ABS, DSC, RSC, EBD, traction control, EBA, reversing camera and rear parking sensors.

Driver-assist tech in the top-spec Titanium includes AEB, adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

It has five child-seat anchor points and two ISOFIX anchors in the second row.

What does it cost to own? What warranty is offered?   8/10

Verdict

Originally built off the Ranger platform, the Everest has always been overshadowed by its overachieving ute stablemate. But now, with the introduction of AEB and some up-speccing to its Everest line-up, Ford has ensured its large SUV wagon is still a strong contender in the race for top honours in the market.

The line-up's volume seller is the Trend and that's still a pretty good sweet spot for the range.

Most of us don’t want a big, shouty 4WD, but we do expect a lot in our new vehicles: we want a quiet, refined family-friendly SUV that drives well, has plenty of safety tech, car-like ride and handling, and good fuel consumption. In its Everest, Ford has come pretty close to producing one of the best around. If only the Titanium's price-tag wasn't so high.

Is the Everest's 2.0-litre twin-turbo the way of the future or a misstep? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Pricing guides

$46,990
Based on 201 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months
Lowest Price
$28,989
Highest Price
$63,977

Range and Specs

VehicleSpecsPrice*
Ambiente (rwd 5 Seat) 3.2L, Diesel, 6 SP AUTO $41,470 – 48,840 2019 Ford Everest 2019 Ambiente (rwd 5 Seat) Pricing and Specs
Ambiente (4WD 5 Seat) 3.2L, Diesel, 6 SP AUTO $50,050 – 57,530 2019 Ford Everest 2019 Ambiente (4WD 5 Seat) Pricing and Specs
Ambiente (rwd 7 Seat) 3.2L, Diesel, 6 SP AUTO $42,900 – 49,830 2019 Ford Everest 2019 Ambiente (rwd 7 Seat) Pricing and Specs
Ambiente (4WD 7 Seat) 3.2L, Diesel, 6 SP AUTO $47,080 – 54,780 2019 Ford Everest 2019 Ambiente (4WD 7 Seat) Pricing and Specs
EXPERT RATING
8
Price and features8
Under the bonnet8
Design8
Practicality8
Driving8
Efficiency8
Safety8
Ownership8
Marcus Craft
Contributing Journalist

Share

Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication.  Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.