Ford Endeavour TDCi - Every Road Useable

You know, I hate rains. 'Detest' is more like it. And in this part of our country, it is more of a heavy downpour. I hate getting all soaked to my insides, skin getting wrinkled. I hate the dirty water and the mud being a fixture on the trousers while walking. I hate putting on the rain-gear, for it makes funny noise. I hate walking with floaters 'coz the shoes would get soaked too. And I am absolutely against carrying an umbrella... ah, how much I hate rains! But here, today, rain is what I am loving. To the hilt! I am loving the mire. I am loving the loose land. I am loving the slopes of the lush-green hills. I am loving it because I am having fun. And the cause for such mad fun is - ladies and gentlemen - Ford Endeavour TDCi.

Looks a Perfect 10?

Even before I talk about the Endeavour's appearance, let me tell you that usually, a car is refered to as a 'she'. But this one is more than just that. The Ford Endeavour is not a car. It is a proper, hardcore SUV that you can have this side of two million bucks. And that's saying a lot! The old Endeavour sold very well indeed. Buyers overlooked some serious flaws like bone-cracking ride quality and the cheap-looking interiors. All this sacrifice, so that they could drive one of the most burtal looking, imposing things on wheels, that ever came to our shores. Well, its not their fault! Yes, the Ford Endeavour always looked the part and the design stays similar in the new one. The huge grille is new and looks portentous while the fresh headlamps look smart and blend well with the bold front end design. The roof-rails are not there for nothing. They add a certain character to the car and makes the Endeavour look butch and agressive. I also particularly like the exposed spare wheel on the tail-gate instead of having a 'cover' as there was on the previous Endeavour. There is not much to the outside then. It retains the big and daunting image while being urbane and stylish in its new form.

Endowed with the goodies?

Hard on the inside, soft inside - this seems to be the mantra here. There is a sea of change when you view the interiors of the Endeavour. Gone are the dull grey shades and cheap looking plastics. This is the age of beige and Ford's SUV is right up there. The dash exudes a subtle look and houses good-to-look-at and good-to-operate dials. Though not ergonomically perfect, the fascia is easy to manage. The sound system is brilliant and offers excellent clarity. There is a lot of storage space inside as well and the door pockets can house bottles too. The quality of plastic has taken a huge leap northwards and everything feels apt now. The sporty instrument cluster compliments the fat steering wheel. The only grouch was the placing of the hand-brake lever. Why would you not learn from your previous mistakes, Ford? It is such a pain to reach out for the parking brake, I am sure you'd have a good back-exercise. And you get aggravated even more when climbing hills, where you need to work the hand-brake lever a lot. This apart, the interior is a nice place to be in. With the other so-called SUVs, you do not get a sense of driving a big machine but with the Endeavour you do. You really feel like you are at the wheel of a huge thing.