Ford Endeavour TDCi - Every Road Useable

Comfortable?

Comfort... hmm... its a mixed affair with the Endeavour TDCi. The usual practice - open that huge door, get inside, occupy the seat and drive. After a bit of puttering around on the tarmac, the realization dawns on you that the seats offer good padding but could have been more supportive under the thighs. The front seats are still pretty comfy, but more thinking could have gone in, while designing the middle row. The last row of seats are absolutely rubbish and you sit in a way that cannnot really be described at all! Knees point to the sky, there is no support for anything much but your ass and the very crouched stance makes the experience not-so-nice. To rest the no-so-nice experience comes the leather upholstery that gives you a sense of richness.

Dedicated a/c ducts for all three rows make sure that the occupants at the back do not feel neglected and the air con chills effectively. There is good space inside though, and the cabin lets you stretch easily. The suspension does not score highly. The lengthened leaf springs at the back and the softer torsion bars upfront do the duty on the Endeavour and the mods have shown some difference. The harshness of the older Endeavour is gone and the ride quality in the TDCi version is relatively better. But there is too much bounce when going over regular bumps and the car feels like its parting ways with the blacktop. This can be an unsettling experience when going at high speeds. In plain simple words, the ride is bumpy. I am not sure if this should be discussed here, but I still will, because at the end of the day you'd want to be comfortable driving the car. The clutch is very capable and handles the power well. There is no jerk while shifting through the cogs. There is a mechanical feel to it, which gives you positive feedback, but can also give you quite a pain if you are stuck in "clutch-first gear-brake-neutral-clutch-first gear" kind of traffic. And dont even let me begin with the turning circle which stands at a farcical 12.2 meters! But then again, it is a big, brute SUV. Not many can drive one. If you do, you are 'some-one'!

Drinks well?

The Endeavour now sports a different motor, the performance of which we shall talk about a little later. But by what measure has Ford improved on the fuel efficiency front? I would say Ford has done a good job. In the typical Mumbai traffic (read bumper to bumper), this mammoth SUV managed a credible 9.7kmpl with air con working most of the time while on the highway, this number climbed the ladder and stood at a little over 12kmpl. Not bad, considering the weight, size and the sheer immensity of this machine.