Hi all the MS users,
I recently bought this Good looking vehicle and used it for around a month now. So thought let me write a review about this on my experience.
The Design of this vehicle is supposed to be based on the Ford Ranger pickup truck, and is simpler and more rugged.
It looks somewhat truck-like, but it has undeniable presence. In fact, it is the epitome of what Indians think an SUV(Sports Utility Vehicle) should look like: huge, beefy and rugged, with plenty of chrome and flared wheel arches. The front side is very recognisably FORD but the rear part is more of modern kind and is attractive.
Under the skin, the Endeavour is a very traditional SUV, with a steel body bolted onto a ladder-frame chassis. It is suspended by double-wishbones in front, using torsion bars instead of coil springs and by a simple live axle and leaf springs at the rear. The suspension has been thoroughly tested and re-tuned for passenger comfort rather than the load-oriented setup of the Ranger.
The interior is very spacious, but has Cheap-looking plastics. The ergonomics, except for the too-small blower knob, are excellent. The sitting arrangement is really high up, with a great view of the road, and the front seats are very much adjustable to different types.
Room for your head and legs in the front and second rows are just excellent, but I feel it is not as comfortable as CRVs and I think it is compromised by the high floor, which forces your knees up — this is particularly bad in the third row, which is only suitable for Children. There is plenty of storage space available, however luggage space isn’t that great with all seven seats in place, but the middle and third row seats can be flipped forward or removed, creating a huge cargo bay.Which is a Plus. The air-conditioning system is Wonderful wherein all seven passengers are kept cool via multiple air ducts neatly integrated into the ceiling.
Coming to Safety, it is excellent, with seatbelts for all seven passengers, and ABS and twin airbags as standard.
The Endeavour has 2.5-litre, 111bhp diesel engine. But the throttle response is sluggish. It is smooth and easy to use around town, but the problem is turbo-lag, which slows down responses and makes the driver work quite hard. Above 2000rpm, the responses get better.
One of the surprising thing for me is the low noise level of the engine. In four-wheel-drive versions, you have to operate a small lever to select two-wheel drive, four-wheel-drive high range or low range, like in traditional SUVs. There is no ‘shift-on-the-fly’ system that even the Safari uses.
Fuel economy isn’t too bad I think. It manages 7.3kpl in the city and a VERY GOOD 10.7kpl on the highway, which, with the large tank, gives the Endeavour a 700-760km range.
On the road, the Endeavour feels indestructible, and remains unfazed over the worst of roads. The massive tyres absorb the impact, and the rigid chassis does the rest :-). Despite the bulky body, the Endeavour is easy to drive; the high seating and long bonnet provide great visibility, and the steering is direct and communicative. It has superb handling for its size.
The Endeavour is clearly an good SUV, and there’s no getting away from its truck roots. However, for the price, it offers a huge amount of metal, good looks, immense presence, a decent cabin and a not-too-bad driving experience. The Endeavour is best bought in 2WD form, unless you’re planning serious off-roading.
No discounts are offered, though you could haggle to get accessories like floor mats and mud-flaps for free. The warranty is acceptable. Spares are fairly expensive, and though resale values are not yet known, it is likely to hold its value fairly well. The Endeavour is a good SUV if you need a capable but utilitarian off-roader to take you around the country
Do check out this vehicle.....
As they say SIZE DOES MATTER
Dils