Ford EcoSport [2013-2015] User Reviews

Car is good except for the rampant clutch problem. We went for Ecosport over Duster due to its good looks, compact dimensions, decent pricing and above all for the trust we placed in Ford being a big and reputed company. Faced the clutch problem within just 2 months after buying the car and not even 2000kms driven (dealer: Elite Ford, Bangalore) - entire clutch is gone and Rs.13000 to replace. We are very experienced drivers and have driven many cars for >10 years without clutch problems, but the service center clowns had the nerve to blame the driver for the clutch problem and wash their hands off it. They should recall all Ecosports for clutch problem. They recalled the automatic gear version in Australia, but not in India. Shows the double-faced cheats that Ford are. Not only have we wasted 12 Lakhs on a company that has very poor service attitude and that does not own up to problems in its most popular model, but we as experienced drivers get wrongly blamed.

Looks, priceUnreliabble clutch with frequent issue, Poor service attitude, Blame the user game

Exterior

 Exterior good but after a week it feels very odd while seeing some other SUVs like Duster, XUV500 on road.I am lucky to get highend version , else the lowerend seems like a Figo from distance.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

 Very nice interior, though the space is not good for rear passenger still the features are good and driver comfort is also OK.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

 This is the area which is a drawback for this vehicle.I didnt get a test drive but blindly belive this vehicle as I own a Fiesta for 5 years and belive she is one excellent performer with decent Fuel economy and good comfort.But Ecosport is noway near to Fiesta. The engine is not peppy and lot of vibration inside the cabin when driving in lower gear.Gearbox is not smooth like Fiesta and FE I have got as 12KM/L mostly in city.I have driven 2000 KM till date and expect the FE to increase after another 3000KM.

Ride Quality & Handling

 All Ford vehicles are good handler but this is not the same with this  vehicle. Fiesta handles much much better than this.The major problem is body roll at high speed on highways.The steering is also not good like Fiesta.

Final Words

 I have own a Fiesta and an Adventure in my family in addition to this Ecosport. Mainly use Fiesta for daily commute to office. Was thinking earlier to sell it after getting the Ecosport but now I have to change the decision to keep my Fiesta with me for another 5 year atleast. I have been fooled by Ford dealers and paid reviews in favour of Ecosport and now regreting to purchase this vehicle.

Areas of improvement  

See many people who are driving a Hyundai/Maruti will find this Ecosport an excellent VFM buy.But not the case with someone like me who is driving a Ford and FIAT for many years.Ford should maintain its quality with every product not simply make a cheap product like this and gain market by fooling many customers.

 

Features nothing elseEngine is not good, performance is very bad,body roll,not for highway.

Exterior: Good

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort):

Sit in front seat ask some one to put bootle in back of driver or side seat, ask them to touch from beack side you feel the hand touching you. if its nee you can get hard hit.

Good but the Sterio is getting heated at drive of 10km. dont know about the reliabulity.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

 Got burning smell in Ghat region, got hardly 14kmpl desile, Gears not smooth.

Ride Quality & Handling

 Complete dissatifaction

No quality drive, My Nephew is not will to come for long drives inthis as its giving head ache, you cant sleep happyly due the jerks of breaks, and shocks, and small breakers or so.

if you go at some high volume you feel head ache.

 

Final Words

Picking up plroblem with your money.with this car

My family is not happy with this car, they dont want long drives in this. At high speed and high ways you dont expeirnce the problems drive normally and see in sudden breaks, and on small speed breakers, and sit in any other sedan and see the compfort ness on same drive. with small buper roads

 

 

lot of Problems in performance in sportive drive.Bad Breaking every day new problem i have buyed with lot of waitng but now having sleepless nights

 What You like

1.       Very good ergonomics in the front seats. (Both in terms of sitting and usage of controls)

2.       The Tilt and telescopic steering can be adjusted to any one’s driving comfort.

3.       The EcoBoost Engine is a very good performer for Mid and  top range.  (In ORR I drove at 170 and the car was not lacking power). Diesel Engine mid-range performance is good. (Beyond 140 KMPH, the engine feels  underpowered)

4.       Both the engines have a linear power delivery once the turbo kicks in (For petrol turbo kicks in at 1400 RPM and for  diesel it is at 1500).

5.       The turbo lag is not as bad compared to the competitors.

6.       Rear seat leg room is  really great. (I adjusted the driving seat for my comfort, went back and sat in the rear seat, I could easily relax my legs under the front seats without touching anywhere and my height is 6 Feet and 2.5 inches). To give you a comparison, I can’t sit comfortably in the rear seat of Duster.

7.       Rear seat reclining is a good feature, especially for long drives.

8.       Lot of storage space inside the car.

9.       The clutch is really light compared to similar sized cars/Duster.

10.   Packed with lot of features including safety ones.

11.   Microsoft Sync is really good and especially the microphone quality is awesome. People who are sitting in the rear seat also talk with Sync with good voice quality. 12.   Audio system is one of the best company fitted one. You don’t need to go for aftermarket one as this handles both treble and bass really well.

13.   Even though the car has a tall boy design, the body roll is really less.

14.   During high speed the stability of the car is awesome.

15.   Breaks are really effective. It acts like cars with 4 disc brakes.

16.   The car body is really heavy and made of very thick steel sheet.

17.   Even though the steering is really light, it responds back with good precision as you increase the speed.

18.   A/C is really effective. (First time when I test drove the car, it was in May, peak of the summer. Within no time it cooled even the rear space).

19.   60:40 rear seat folding is a nice feature, especially when you want to carry more luggage. One easy pull you can fold down the seats.

20.   Noise insulation (NVH levels) in Diesel is really good.

What you won’t like

1.       Rear seat can be accommodated with a third adult for short trips, but not for long drives. (all three can’t be comfortably using the back support)

2.       The quality of leather (In Titanium O), plastics are strictly average. When you hold the steering wheel, the feel you get from the new Fiesta is missing.

3.       With leather seats, the rear seat is really a flat bench.

4.       Noise insulation in EcoBoost is not up to the mark. (But I heard someone was saying that it gives him a feeling that he is driving a sporty car because of the engine sound, but I don’t like it).

5.       Cost cutting is clearly visible in all the angles. One instance to point out both Engine cover and  Engine under cover is missing in EcoBoost.  Engine under guard is available as an accessory and is a must buy.

6.       People who are not used to turbo lag, will feel really bad with both EcoBoost and Diesel engines especially in city driving.

7.       There is no boot release option from driver side.

Some other points to be noted 

·         The suspension is stiff, in slow speed, so you will feel the potholes and speed breakers in city driving. So if you are looking for a good ride, then go for Chevrolet SAIL.

·         The boot is designed in such a way that you can accommodate lot of items in the boot. Even though the boot capacity on paper is 362 liters, but once you take out the rear parcel tray you can put more stuff. Secondly I have taken the car to my home and have checked whether my 2 weeks vacations luggage can be accommodated in the boot and I could able to put. (we are a family of 4, Me, wife and two small kids aged 5 and 3).

 

Very Futuristic design, Value for MoneyRear bench is too small.

Ford had dealers who fleece customers for selling the car, if you dont accept their terms then you dont get the car.these are LAWS of M/s GANGES FORD AT KOLKATA

1) Compulsory Insurance. They pocket all the OD discount of 40%.

2) Compulsory Body care cost of Rs6000/-

3) Compulsory 3rd Year extended Warranty of Rs9700/- approx.

4) Logistics charge of Rs7000/- whereas the goverment has approved of Rs3500/-

it seems Ford is also involved in this Malpractises as the complaints forwarded to their officers in Kolkata has not elicited any response. Happy Fleecing to Ford as you have the only model to sell and make money for the dealers. Also they feel that the Ecosport has no competitors so they should do as they feel. I think that the Ford Management should keep a strict watch on the dealers activites as not to give the company a bad name.

Good StyleLess spacious

Exterior Barely anything needs to be said about the Ecosport's exterior with the vehicle making a bold and futuristic statement with it's open-mouthed grille design, narrow headlights & aerodynamic architecture, along with the spare wheel bolted to the back door, is a guaranteed head turner. Be it the Mars Red or the Sea Gray, what we get is a design well thought off and implemented to give the Ecosport the attenting-grabbing stance of high end SUV.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) As far as the seating goes, I personally wasn't too fond of the material and design of the seat covers which are available for the ambiente, trend and titanium variants. The one that truly hits the spot is the leather with its red stitches which can be subed in for a fair amount. This plays well into the comfort factor as well. Parking your rear onto the leather seats felt extremly good.

In the features department, Ford has gone all out with it's Microsoft powered Sync taking the technology in the Ecosport by the reigns. Toss bluetooth, AUX, USB (even in the base variant), power windows, electronic side mirrors, rear wipers, central locking/keyless entry, push button ignition, climate control and a plethora of storage spots, you've got yourself early Christmas presents under the tree.

But I will testify as to the lack of shoulder space in the rear. 3 adults will be a squeeze but then again, this would be an issue mostly for regular car-poolers. For those XL-sized families who're looking for frequent drives with a packed car, why are you even considering this car? Move on to the XUV or Innova or even the Duster. This is a compact/urban SUV. Why buy a horse when you're in need of a carriage? Getting away from all that, the rear recliners provide a good angle on comfort for those long rides with the seats providing enough thigh support. Couple that with a small foot-bar below the passenger and driver seat, to rest your feet on, and you've got a happy passenger at the back.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Now, the Ecoboost lives up to it's reputation of being high on horses and pumped up on torque. But as they say, all good things come at a cost, and I don't essentially mean the extra space this will make in your wallet. Put it in the first gear, take off and you're good, it's the start, it's all good. Throw the gear to second and rev the pedal to cover that distance the car in front of you made and you're left wondering. Am I accelerating enough? Maybe not. So push it all the way down and you're still wondering what the hell- until you hit 2000rpms and you're thrown back into your seat. Yep, that's your turbo lag. The cost I mentioned earlier. Now it won't seem much at all to some and it actually isn't. But if you're driving this car around where overtaking is as frequent as using the men's room after chugging down a pitcher of beer, or you've got a lot of uphill battles with the road to and from your destination, then you'll feel the lag all the more as you run short of enough power at first to make a quick overtake revving from lower speeds to high. But on the highway, maintaining a good rpm of over 3000 or so, getting around a tanker should be a walk in the park. I haven't had the chance to test the 1.5 petrol or diesel so bear with me on my limitations!

Ride Quality & Handling The ride was smooth, the gears give you a good sense of shifting through the levels with nice short and snappy throws which fall into place quite easily and assuredly. Although the steering was a bit light and bit out of proportion for an SUV, the response and feel was spot on. You point, it obliges. Great handling. You truly feel in control of the car inspite of the light wheel which gives way to it's nifty turning angles which makes you forget you're cutting through traffic in an SUV, compact as it may be. The armrest proved to be a good touch for the driver adding to the effortless ride.

Final Words Let me clear up all that mist. This vehicle is intended to be the urban SUV for the occassional long drives for a small family living in or close to a city. I know many of you claim that the 'SUV' branding is misleading and it's nothing but an overgrown hatch. What the Ecosport does, is bridge the gap between the two. You've got the ride height and features of an SUV with the nimbleness and traffic tackling abilities of a hatch. And the cherry on top of the sundae being the price tag. I won't say it's the perfect vehicle. But for those interested in a small, feature-rich SUV with a possibly low (I cannot vouch for this and it's my own prediction based on what I've dug up) maintenance cost and an eagerness to make a statement out on the roads without popping the cap on your savings deposit, this is the car for you.

Bold design, A generous helping of features, Good Handling, Good ride heightLess shoulder room, Turbo lag on the ecoboost variant, Light steering

I bought ford Ecosport automatic transmission in August from Harpreet ford Moti nagar Delhi, I liked the looks and comfort of this car and was among the first few customers to book this car in december 2012 with a priority no 19. i was really very excited all these days .

Now I am feeling being cheated by Ford because at the time of selling and in the brouchre they claim fuel average of this car to be around around 15 kmpl with a total new engine technology etc. i assumed that i will get atleast 11-12 kmpl and bought this car on down payment now even after first service still its giving average of only 6.8 Kmpl in city drive . Till date in 2200 kms drive i have spent 25000 rs on petrol . The dealer and service station people are not having any solution for this problem and just giving unprofessional reply and excuses .

Please advise what to do ?will consumer court or any other forum will listen to my problem ?

Good stylevery Bad fuel economy

Exterior Good, Innovative design 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Interiors are bad, clumsy compact, ack of space & not comfortable.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Lack of power, fuel economy is an eyewash, actual milage of around 5km/ltr in city which far from the tall claims of the company in advts.

Ride Quality & Handling So-so, no fire works. Only tall claims.

Final Words Not recommended, Buy only if you have lots of money & hobby to collect new toys.

Areas of improvement ATTIITUDE OF SALES TEAM needs the biggest improvement, Power, Interiors, Fuel Economy & Comfort comes later on. The Sales team at Malad (West) is acting like they have just hit the jackpot even when the car is just lauched. Calling the prospective customers and making them waid for 3-4 hours for test drive, like the customers only job is to test drive the vehicle and buy. Shameless guys, dont even say sorry for killing this much of valuble time for such a poor machine.

Looks are deceptiveBad, Clumsy, Cheap & Dark Interiors, Lack of Power & to top it BAD ATTITUDE OF FORD SALES TEAM.

Warning! This is going to be long!

Exterior It is a looker alright especially when viewed from the front or the back. But when viewing from the side, you can not escape the feeling that the car ought to look bigger. And when seen squarely from the side especially the front portion after the windscreen, the car looks ugly. The fit and finish is ok but the panel gaps could have been narrower. The rear lights when on, look very small for the car's size. The front bumper is made of softer material and bend if pressed, probably keeping pedestrian safety in mind. The rear bumper is solid. The doors are thick and close with a thud. No one is able to close the door in the first attempt since no one expects them to be so solid.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) This is one car which induces a smile every time you enter it and sit in the driver's seat. The seating position is an absolute delight especially for people like me coming from hatches. The view to the front and sides also is expansive. The view to the rear is some what disappointing but enough to get by. The seat height adjuster coupled with the tilt and the reach and rake adjustments of the steering really help in reaching a very comfortable driving position. It has keyless entry (lucky to have got it) and so one needs to merely press the button on the door handle (with the remote in the pocket) to open the door. Once the car is unlocked, the parking lights and dash board lights including the meter lights come on whether it is day or night and remain on for some time. If the third unmarked button on the remote is pressed twice, the boot opens a couple of inches enabling you to pull it open.

Since it has Push Button Start and Stop, the first press of the button enables the accessories. If the button is pressed with the clutch depressed, the car starts. And the dash board lights remain on till the engine is switched off. The plastic quality inside is not great, the door trim plastics bend when you push the door open from the inside. But the cabin is silent even with the engine on (mind you it is a diesel). Only when the engine is revved, you hear it inside. It is reported that the sound proofing extends to the front fenders also. The layout of the dashboard is impressive and the switches are where they ought to be and fall to hand naturally. My only gripe is about the headlight switch which is not integrated into the stalk on the steering column but is placed separately at the bottom of the dash on the right side along with the foglight switch and the headlamp leveller.

My phone was recognised by the bluetooth and the phone book downloaded. The voice command feature is an issue. 90% of the Indian names and pronounciation are not recognised. Ford has to tweak it to do so and give an update for the Sync. There are two settings for the voice command, in one the system decides the most probable name you called out and dials it, mostly with disastrous consequences. In the other setting, it asks you whether to dial xxxx and if right, you can say yes and if not say no. Then it offers you another attempt by which time you lose patience. Normal commands like yes, no, phone, music etc. are recognised without issue. The emergency assistance can be switched on or off. Sync works whether the music system is on or off.

The music system and the speakers are really good for a stock system. The headlights and the foglights are adequate.

When your front wipers are working and you put the car in reverse, the rear wiper also starts working at the same setting as the front. Once you come out of reverse gear, the rear wiper stops.

The rear seats are adjustable for recline and are very comfortable for two persons and a slight squeeze for three. Here I am talking about normal sized persons (no offence to anyone).

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The clutch is not hard at all and the gear shifts are smooth. There is no notchiness or stiffness. Once the car starts moving, the experience makes you forget all the other small irritants. The steering is very light but weighs up with speed. But compared to other cars, it still remains light so one has to be careful about sharp manoeuvres especially on the highway. Remember its high GC and short length and do not attempt manoeuvres normal on hatchbacks and sedans. Drive within the limits of the car. 

The car acclerates smoothly and suddenly you find that you have already crossed 60 kmph. The engine does not strain atleast till about 120 kmph (the max I tried was 140). In the city, it is a breeze to drive. There is no noticeable turbo lag and coupled with the light steering and the view, it is very easy to drive.

The sensors make light work of reversing. The outer edges of the wing mirrors are curved and offer a larger field of vision. The only irritant is the small rear windscreen which offers only a restricted view. But the sensors compensate for that. They are placed such that they cover the sides and the area just behind and below the bumper very well. They even detect moving objects behind the car. 

The major irritant for me is the left footrest for the driver. While it is good that Ford has provided it, it is not properly located or angled. Its top has to be raised a little more since if you drive with shoes or sandals on, your foot gets caught under the edge of the clutch pedal every time you want to use the clutch. The space between the footrest and the clutch pedal is very narrow compelling me to rest my foot on the lower part of the footrest which is not very comfortable. If the top of the footrest is raised a little (so that when you rest your foot, it is level with the clutch pedal), then it will serve its purpose wonderfully. Coming from Santro and Getz, I am used to the comfort of the footrest and that is why this long complaint.  

Ride Quality & Handling Definitely stiff. But no thuds on normal potholes and uneven surfaces. At highway speeds, the car does not bounce on potholes, but you can tell that it is going through them.

 

Brakes: 

So far I did not have the opportunity to test the brakes. Normal braking is ok and the car stops quickly even with MRFs.

EDIT: I have had many occasions to test the brakes now and can confidently say that the brakes perform well including the ABS.

FE:

I have so far driven about 1300 kms and checked the FE twice by the tankful to tankful method. The first time the FE was 16.18 kmpl and the next time it was 18.68 kmpl. I am not very sure of the second reading because though the pump cut off automatically, the fuel guage is showing less than full. So I will have to fill up again and check. The FE as per the meter was 15.5 kmpl and 15.1 kmpl respectively. The car is always driven with AC.

Edit1: I have tried to fill additional fuel. But it auto-cuts with just half a litre. So filled up to the brim manually. It took in 3.3 litres and now the gauge shows full. On recalculation, the FE comes to 17.35 kmpl. Not bad at all! However I will check next time also and report.

EDIT2: Now after driving about 13000 kms+, my city FE has settled at about 16 kmpl and highway FE varies between 15 and 22 kmpl depending on the speed (both with 100% AC). 

Final Words The car is nice and there are no regrets in having purchased the same. I am enjoying it and will update this thread as and when there is something to report.

Areas of improvement The dead pedal may be shaped differently and position also modified if possible. The panel gaps should be narrower. The rear lights may be reworked to make them bigger. And lastly the quality of the interior plastics can be improved.

Looks, engine, gearbox, featuresdead pedal, panel gaps, rear lights, interior plastics