Isaac Bober’s 2019 Ford Everest Titanium Review with Price, Specs, Performance, Ride and Handling, Ownership, Safety, Verdict and Score.
In a nutshell: Ford tweaks the Everest ever-so-slightly visually but adds a new engine and transmission as standard to the top-spec Titanium variant.
2019 Ford Everest Titanium Specifications
Price from $73,990+ORC Warranty five-years, unlimited kilometres Service Intervals 12 months, 15,000km Safety five-star ANCAP (2105) Engine 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel Power 157kW at 3750rpm Torque 500Nm from 1750-2000rpm Transmission 10-speed automatic Drive all-wheel drive with low-range Dimensions 4649mm long, 2180mm wide (with mirrors), 1837mm high, 2850mm wheelbase Ground Clearance 225mm measured Angles 29.5-degrees approach, 25-degrees departure, 21.5-degrees rampover Wading 800mm Weight 2446kg (fuel, no driver) GVM 3100kg GCM 5900kg Towing 3100kg Boot Size 450-2010L (loaded to the roof) Spare full-size underslung Fuel Tank 80L Thirst 7.1L/100km claimed (7.9L/100km tested)
Watch our 2019 Ford Everest Video Review
The Ford Everest launched here in 2015 as a rugged off-roader intended to take-on other ute-based passenger-oriented 4×4 wagons as well as, in top-spec, Titanium trim have a crack at the Prado. And it’s been a success for Ford and, along with the Ranger, a showcase of Aussie ingenuity. Both Ranger and Everest were designed and engineered by a team based in Australia.
But, with the road-oriented Ford Territory ending production in 2016, Ford needed something that could, sort of take its place. It launched a rear-drive version of the Everest, but it’s less refined set-up was never going to hit the nail on the head.
That’s where vehicles like the Endura come in. That said, the Everest RWD, for those who want a towing platform but don’t want to go off-road, is much more practical than the Endura which can’t tow anywhere near as much.
Late last year, the Everest was tweaked with a new front and rear bumper and grille, although unless they’re parked side by side the differences can be impossible to spot. There were some similarly minor tweaks on the inside but it was the addition of the 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine from the Ranger Raptor that grabbed headlines. Here we’re testing it out in top-spec Titanium trim.
What’s the price and what do you get?
While other models in the range are available with the 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel, the top-spec Titanium is only available with the new 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel. It lists from $73,990+ORC. Only the mid-spec Trend 4×4 offers access to both engines and if you’re a looking for a touring 4×4 wagon, then the Trend is probably the one you’ll look hardest at.
Interestingly, while other variants in the range saw price increases, due to extra equipment being added, the Titanium saw a price drop of $711. And it’s well-equipped for the money with 20-inch alloy wheels, a tow bar (but without brake controller), semi-auto parallel park assist (Active Park Assist), dual glass panel powered sunroof with power blind, eight-way power front passenger’s seat with manual lumbar adjustment, heated front seats, power fold third-row seats (individually), ambient lighting and illuminated stainless steel front scuff plates.
For those who want the engine and the other creature comforts the Titanium affords but are worried about the 20-inch alloys, Ford offers an 18-inch wheel/suspension package as a no-cost option on the Titanium for those who want to fit more off-road suitable tyres.
What’s the interior and practicality like?
Like the outside, not a lot has changed on the inside of the Everest. The main difference is the interior is now darker. But it’s not as bad as that sounds, the contrasting trims in the Titanium give it a more ‘premium’ feel although, as we’ve reported before, lower down the tree the interior can feel a little too black-on-black.
The interior of the Everest is nice and roomy with the Titanium’s driver seat offering plenty of powered adjustment, while the Trend offers this too only the Titanium offers height adjustment for the passenger seat. The front seats are nice and comfortable with enough support for when you’re rocking and rolling around off-road. Unfortunately, the steering wheel only offers height adjustment, and not much either.
Climb into the back and there’s plenty of room for adults to sit across the back, although the pinched in nature of the roof line means that two adults will be more comfortable than three. There’s good head and legroom in the back and ISOFIX mounts on the two outboard seats and top tether anchors across the seat back for all three positions. There are power outlets, vents and controls for the climate settings.
The third-row seats are raised and lowered (individually) via switches in the boot space. And, oddly for a vehicle which was birthed here in Australia, access to the rear is via the 60 portion of the 60:40 split fold second row. For safety, this seating set up should be swapped so that the 40 side is against the kerb…it would also mean having to move far less weight to get into the back.
The boot is a decent size, even if you’ve got all three rows in use, with 450-litres expanding to 1050 litres with the third-row down and a cavernous 2010 litres with the third and second row folded down flat (bear in mind, these measurements are ‘ loaded to the roof’).
There’s not a lot to say about the dashboard, because beyond some trim tweaks it’s the same as it was. The centre stack is dominated by an 8.0-inch touchscreen running Ford’s SYNC3 infotainment system which offers things like native sat-nav with a bread crumb function as well as Apple and Android connectivity.
What are the controls and infotainment like?
While the graphics are a little ho-hum against the quality of some other brands it’s impossible to deny just how good SYNC3 is. You can control just about everything from the touchscreen, including audio, nav and climate control, but I’m pleased to see that Ford has kept some physical buttons for quick access and adjustment.
The set-up of shortcut buttons, indeed the physical buttons themselves are shared with all sorts of other Ford vehicles, including the Endura. And while they’re functional and easy to read they are quite small and can be a little fiddly to hit while driving. Fortunately, the voice control works quite well and can even be used to control the climate settings while driving.
Behind the steering wheel is a partial digital display; on the left is media display, then there’s a large central speedo with fuel and tacho, and more displayed on the small right-hand screen. You can get a lot of information in the screens, but for me they’re just a little too small to easily digest the information they’re displaying, especially the right-hand screen.
Beyond that, the controls, like the indicator stalks, active safety and 4×4 controls are all clearly marked and easy to use.
What’s the performance like?
The 2.0-litre bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel is the only engine available in the Titanium and it feels more urgent but also more refined in the Everest than the 3.2-litre five-cylinder. But the difference isn’t as marked as you might think. The engine is mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. This is the same engine and transmission that Ford’s fitted to the Ranger and Ranger Raptor…and it’s wholly more suited to the Everest and Ranger than it is to the Raptor, but we’ll go no further than that one poke of the hornet’s nest.
The engine and transmission combination are generally relaxed and effective and, driven with care the transmission will always grab the right gear at the right time. However, it loses some of its refinement in undulating terrain or when being pushed into and out of corners. That’s perhaps being a little hard on the Everest…it’s not a sports car, afterall and I doubt any owners would take the thing corner carving. Still, we thought it worth mentioning.
Braking on downhill sections will see the transmission shift back to provide some engine braking. And in general driving the engine will barely be revving, pulling around 1500rpm at 100km/h.
What’s the ride and handling like?
The Ford Everest has always done a really good job of hiding its commercial vehicle origins. And this update is no different. It’s still comfortable across all sorts of terrain with good noise insulation, road-shock isolation, body control through corners and steering weight.
Our test car was fitted with standard-fit 20-inch alloys and this was the first time I’d driven an Everest with these wheels. I was expecting the ride to be a little firmer but it wasn’t overly so. And that’s testament to the suspension work by Ford’s engineers.
That said, if I was heading off-road, or I lived away from a major city/town than I’d be opting for the 18-inch wheel package (which is a no-cost option). This opens up a wider range of rough-road friendly tyres and gives you more side-wall for airing down in difficult terrain.
In all, the Everest remains the best in class across road and off-road with a ride and handling set-up that reminds you of the Territory. And that’s a good thing.
What’s it like off-road?
The Everest has always been good when the going gets rough. And while the 20-inch wheels and road-oriented rubber limited our off-road excursions in our week with the Territory, we did enough to know the Everest remains one of the best off-roaders in its segment.
There’s closer to 225mm than 227mm of ground clearance based on our tape measure but that 2mm is nothing. The Everest offers decent wheel travel and plenty of rear wheel travel but it isn’t quite as good as Prado at keeping its wheels on the ground but it’s not far off.
The Everest also offers a clever traction control set-up, as well as a Terrain Management System and a rear differential lock to ensure there’s not a lot it won’t go up and over. The off-road angles are 29.5-degrees approach, 25-degrees departure and 21.5-degrees rampover and the Everest offers an 800mm wading depth, and the front and rear overhangs are 916mm and 1137mm, respectively.
But it’s how the thing uses its traction control system when it runs out of wheel travel that keep it ahead of almost everything else in the segment. See, even if you’ve got the rear differential lock engaged and you run out of wheel travel, the traction control system remains active on the front axle meaning you’ll be able to maintain forward momentum. And this is something that many of the Everest’s competitors don’t offer.
A quick Google search of the web will show you that plenty of people are tweaking their Everests and setting off across the country. There’s plenty of aftermarket gear available for the Everest and plenty of factory stuff from Ford too.
If you’re considering Everest or Prado then the Everest pips the Prado for on-road, infotainment and more and it’s only a small step behind it in the rough stuff. Where the Prado nudges ahead is with its longer travel suspension (which comes with a more roly-poly on-road ride), it’s bigger fuel tank and there’s more room under the bonnet for a second battery.
Does it have a spare?
Yes, a full-size underslung spare.
Can you tow with it?
Yes, the Ford Everest offers a 3100kg braked towing capacity with a 310kg towball download. But there’s always maths involved in sorting ‘fact’ from ‘fiction’.
So, take the Gross Combined Mass (GCM) of 5900kg; this is the maximum weight of the vehicle and anything it carries or tows. The vehicle’s kerb weight is 2446kg (full tank of fuel but no driver) – if we use me as an example we’ll add another 74kg which gives you 2520kg. If you add the maximum trailer weight of 3100kg to that you get 5620kg and that leaves you with 280kg for extra people and luggage (payload) only that doesn’t account for the towball download which is 310kg and you need to include that in your calculations. So, subtract that from 280kg and you’re left with negative 30kg meaning it’s impossible to tow the full 3100kg if your trailer also has a 10% towball download.
The maximum payload of the Everest is 654kg and this covers, as mentioned above, all of the vehicle’s passengers, its added options (lights, bulbar, etc), luggage and towball download if you’re towing a trailer. The Everest’s GVM, or Gross Vehicle Mass, is 3100kg.
When working out what you can tow, it pays to start with your trailer and work backwards. Meaning, know what your trailer weighs (including the towball) when loaded for a trip. For the Everest, we’d suggest a more realistic towing package would be less than 2000kg.
What about ownership?
Ford offers a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. Service schedule is 12 months or 15,000km with Ford offering capped price servicing running from $360 for the first service to $585 for the second, $470 for the third service, $585 for the fourth service, and so on. On Ford’s website you can also work out the additional cost of sundry items (that might not be covered by the scheduled service price) like refilling with AdBllue, or replacing brake fluid and more, with Ford advising the year in which these things generally need to be performed.
What about safety features?
The Ford Everest might carry on with its five-star ANCAP rating from 2015 but Ford has kept pace with the changing market by fitting plenty of active safety to top-end variants. This includes autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, cross-traffic alert, blind spot monitoring, attention alert, adaptive cruise control with adjustable lane keep assist, tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors and reversing camera.
Standard safety features across the range include ABS with EBD, traction control, stability control, roll stability control, trailer sway control, emergency brake assist, driver and passenger airbags, side front airbags, side curtain airbags (to third row) and driver’s knee airbag. There are also ISOFIX mounts, window locks and top-tether anchors across the second- and third-row seats.
Maximum Weights = GCM 5900, GVM 3100, tow 3100.
2446 Kerb plus max 3100 tow = 5546 GCM
GVM 3100 – 2446 kerb – 310 download = 344 Vehicle payload
Vehicle payload 344 – 74 driver = 280 kg actual payload, 5546 GCM(car & trailer) + 74 + 280 = 5900 GCM, GVM car 2446 + 310+74+280 = 3100. So can have 280kg with driver and not exceed any limits on car, your outcome is incorrect. Ford state min download 7% (tows fine at this rate), so can have 90kg less towball download and increase payload to 370kg. Set up of trailer is half equation to set up towing correctly and also weigh rig at weighbridge.
We have weighed 2 landcrusier sahara’s 200 series with towbar, bullbar and roofracks – 2900kg each – no driver, put 350kg towball weight, 74kg driver and have payload of 26 kg. A lot of these cars are overweight yet highly recommended by various media outlets as best tow vehicles? Our weigh bridge towball download for existing caravan was 400kg – over weight (2900 + 400 + 74 = 3374/3350) with driver and nil other.