[ToyotaFan]

I have a few doubts about the Ecosport AT.
1. Is the 10yr/2,40,000km warranty in the gearbox stated somewhere? My SA had no idea about it.
2. How is the 112 bhp engine like to drive in the city? There isn't a Team bhp official drive of the same I believe.
3. After reading about umpteen DSG failures an vary of the DCT giving problems considering it has not sold well and only diesels seen to be selling wrt ecosport.
4. I have been quoted a waiting period of 2 months. Is that reasonable for white color?
5. What is the expected FE? Normal traffic in Delhi can I expect 12kmpl?

Thanks in advance.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by ToyotaFan

1. Is the 10yr/2,40,000km warranty in the gearbox stated somewhere?

This page about the PowerShift transmission on the Ford India website mentions it.

Originally Posted by ToyotaFan

2. How is the 112 bhp engine like to drive in the city?

Reviewers state that coupled with the PowerShift transmission, the 1.5P engine is good, refined and competent, but not super-fast. D mode works best with a sedate style, and S is punchier. For general impressions about the 1.5P and the PowerShift transmission, read the TBHP review of the 2012 Fiesta Automatic. However, note that some of the behaviours of the PowerShift gearbox have been changed (improved) in the EcoSport - particularly the change of L mode in the Fiesta to the S mode of the EcoSport. Alternatively, check out Roy's ownership report about his EcoSport AT.

Originally Posted by ToyotaFan

3. After reading about umpteen DSG failures an vary of the DCT giving problems considering it has not sold well and only diesels seen to be selling wrt ecosport.

The DSG failures are specific to VAG group cars (Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, etc.) that utilize one specific model of gearbox (7-speed DQ200). While Ford's DCT operates on identical principles, I'm not aware of any failures anyone has experienced. Besides, Ford's confidence in their gearbox is what lets them give a 10-year warranty.

The reason we don't see too many EcoSport ATs selling is due to:

1. Indian mentality of "petrol + automatic = poor mileage"
2. General popularity of diesel

If you see the people who've considered/bought the AT on this forum, you'll see that they're convinced of the convenience/value that the AT offers, and are aware that this AT is not a CVT/torque converter. And in fact, the EcoSport AT is the one that has the best active & passive safety features of all EcoSport variants.

Originally Posted by ToyotaFan

5. What is the expected FE? Normal traffic in Delhi can I expect 12kmpl?

I think this is a reasonable upper limit for city mileage for the AT.

[ToyotaFan]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

Reviewers state that coupled with the PowerShift transmission, the 1.5P engine is good, refined and competent, but not super-fast.

Thanks a lot for answering my questions. I had actually booked a diesel car but the narrow gap between petrol and diesel prices combined with my running (around 10k per year) made me rethink. I have been stuck with duds in the past (ford escort 1997) which have impossible to find parts and no buyers. I am not concerned about selling the car if I can find spares and can maintain it well.

What is the general opinion on Ford's after sales service and support. I used to have unpleasant experiences with my escort whenever I used to take it for service. Have things improved? I know service costs will not be toyota level (innova and fortuner have spoilt me) but still they should not be prohibitive.

[dhruv45in]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

This page about the PowerShift transmission on the Ford India website mentions it.

The link you have provided does say that the engine is sealed for 10 years/ 240000 but it doesn't say about any warranty. In my opinion it's a different thing advertising something as cost efficient and long lasting but doesn't mean it's a warranty. Even the official TBHP review states the standard warranty as 2 year 100k km.

Please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm also looking to buy a new car and leaning towards the ecosport AT.

[nkghai]

I do not know if it is has been discussed, but would like to invite comments from a 1.5 Diesel Ford Ecosport owner if it feels under-powered.
I was just told by somebody that I should not go for it as it is underpowered, which I feel should not be the case.
I will be taking a test drive to check myself but would like to know from owners their experience

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by Guite

I am looking for a more comfortable ride. I drive a Getz right now, whose suspension I find a bit harsh. I would ideally want a better suspension, in terms of comfort and ride quality. So accordingly I want to know how the Ecosport compare with Getz in terms of ride quality.

Compared to the Ecosport the Getz is like a magic carpet. The Ecosport has a very very stiff suspension. It gets better as speed increases but the slow speed ride quality is downright uncomfortable.

It jars when you go over sharp bumps and transmits them into the cabin very prominently that it did not like that.

If your looking at ride quality look no further than the Duster. If you drive an Ecosport over a poorly tarred road then drive a Duster over the same stretch you will think the road has recently been tarred.

And I'm saying that as an owner of the Ecosport.

Originally Posted by Simple_car

As I said before: The ford does crash about a little more easily, but if you were to close your ears and just concentrate on the ride, you will see that it's always comfortable.

- The problem with the ford is the sound of the suspension which is intrusive to most people who travel with me. I am not too bothered about it because I prefer that. On harsh roads, it will let you know that it's doing it's job.
- As I said, if you were to close your ears and just judge the comfort, the ecosport's suspension is comfortable for sure. The sound however is not to everyone's taste.

As I mentioned above, I don't entirely agree to that. The Ecosport ride is really not that great at slow speeds. You can't just drive as freely over bad roads as the Duster.

Originally Posted by nkghai

I do not know if it is has been discussed, but would like to invite comments from a 1.5 Diesel Ford Ecosport owner if it feels under-powered.
I was just told by somebody that I should not go for it as it is underpowered, which I feel should not be the case.
I will be taking a test drive to check myself but would like to know from owners their experience

The performance of the diesel will not blow you away but by no means is it underpowered. I haven't found myself wanting more power in the 10 months I have had the car.

It depends on what your comparing it against.

[ToyotaFan]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

The performance of the diesel will not blow you away but by no means is it underpowered. I haven't found myself wanting more power in the 10 months I have had the car.

It depends on what your comparing it against.

I know its unfair to compare but if you have driven the 1.5 P can you tell how does it perform in the city wrt to the diesel. This is because with my running i will be able to justify extra amount i am paying and the total cost of ownership will be more or less the same over a period of 7-8 years. I am not interested in the ecoboost (Not sure about the relaibility aspect although it must b the best of the lot). 1.5 P vs 1.5 D is something that makes sense considering the single digit difference in the price of both the fuels.

[rutvij]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

The reason we don't see too many EcoSport ATs selling is due to:

1. Indian mentality of "petrol + automatic = poor mileage"
2. General popularity of diesel

Add to that the fact that they are not selling it outside Metros. After going through couple of ownership threads of Ecosports AT I called up local dealership in Ahmadabad to inquire about it. I was told that it is available only in metros and it has not been launched in Ahmedabad! Quite surprising if its true.

[mooza]

Originally Posted by Guite

I am looking for a more comfortable ride. I drive a Getz right now, whose suspension I find a bit harsh. I would ideally want a better suspension, in terms of comfort and ride quality. So accordingly I want to know how the Ecosport compare with Getz in terms of ride quality.

As rightly said by Vid6639, the Ecosport suspension feels much stiffer at lower speeds, but only on bad roads. Yes, on potholed roads it does toss you about. I maintain 40 psi on all tyres even for solo driving, to reduce the side tossing effects which are more pronounced at the lower tyre pressures of 30 psi.

But the better handling on smooth roads makes up for everything, IMO.

My office drive is on smooth roads and it feels great driving the Ecosport. But the roads around my house are so potholed and battered, that my Hyundai i-10 and Xylo, in that order, offer far better, cushioned ride comfort at low speeds.

The Ecosport really scores well on undulating highways, where it clings to the road really well like any low slung sedan and offers a neat, flat ride.

So it boils down to the quality of roads that predominate your running miles.

I recommend that you hire a self driven rental Ecosport for an entire day if possible, to get an extended first hand feel, which may not be possible with a short TD

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by nkghai

I do not know if it is has been discussed, but would like to invite comments from a 1.5 Diesel Ford Ecosport owner if it feels under-powered.
I was just told by somebody that I should not go for it as it is underpowered, which I feel should not be the case.

The 1.5 tdci feels sufficient and responsive- though you won't feel the 'pushing to the seat' kind of torque.

Except the slight clatter when moving from standstill, it is one of the most refined diesels- many times i would keep driving at the highway speeds @ 4th gear forgetting to upshift.

[Guite]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

In all politeness, your rear end is the best judge - so why don't you try a test drive? The EcoSport is no longer the hottest new model in town, so dealers will be available and willing to give you longer test drives.

I have never been able to make objective judgement in a shopping environment, whether mental or physical. This applies for clothes, electronics, cars, etc. I certainly will test drive the car.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

If your looking at ride quality look no further than the Duster. If you drive an Ecosport over a poorly tarred road then drive a Duster over the same stretch you will think the road has recently been tarred.

My other criteria is petrol engine (limited run and less engine noise) and safety. Duster petrol has no airbag AFAIR. Next stop is Terrano which goes one step farther but not the whole hog: the petrol variant has just driver airbag. So when I drive my wife is not protected, when she drive I am not. That's not acceptable.

Originally Posted by mooza

I recommend that you hire a self driven rental Ecosport for an entire day if possible, to get an extended first hand feel, which may not be possible with a short TD

That's a very good idea, I will keep in mind.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by Guite

I have never been able to make objective judgement in a shopping environment, whether mental or physical. This applies for clothes, electronics, cars, etc. I certainly will test drive the car.

LOL
Given the reference to your wife in the below quote, why not let her decide? If she's not much into cars, she'll be able to drive a very grounded and realistic opinion. Maybe in conjunction with mooza's great idea about a 1-day rental.

Originally Posted by Guite

which goes one step farther but not the whole hog: the petrol variant has just driver airbag. So when I drive my wife is not protected, when she drive I am not. That's not acceptable.

I'd love the marketing genius who decided on this approach to product segmentation to be the passenger in such a vehicle. Idiots. Although, I'm sure he's related to the people who implement the rule that only the driver of a 2 wheeler needs to wear a helmet.

[blacksport]

Originally Posted by ToyotaFan

I know its unfair to compare but if you have driven the 1.5 P can you tell how does it perform in the city wrt to the diesel. This is because with my running i will be able to justify extra amount i am paying and the total cost of ownership will be more or less the same over a period of 7-8 years. I am not interested in the ecoboost (Not sure about the relaibility aspect although it must b the best of the lot). 1.5 P vs 1.5 D is something that makes sense considering the single digit difference in the price of both the fuels.

The 1.5P is pretty pedestrian, according to me, and I have 1 year of experience behind me. If I have a choice now, I might still pick up the 1.5P, but that is for the ESP, TCS and EBA that comes with the 1.5P AT.

To haul the ~1.3 tonnes of the Ecossport, you need a good engine, so the Ecoboost is your best bet. It should be as reliable as any turbo engine. If you still have misgivings, go for the 1.5D, and pick up a 1.5P only of you want a AT and all those safety gizmos.

[fiat_tarun]

Originally Posted by blacksport

The 1.5P is pretty pedestrian, according to me, and I have 1 year of experience behind me. If I have a choice now, I might still pick up the 1.5P, but that is for the ESP, TCS and EBA that comes with the 1.5P AT.

To haul the ~1.3 tonnes of the Ecossport, you need a good engine, so the Ecoboost is your best bet. It should be as reliable as any turbo engine. If you still have misgivings, go for the 1.5D, and pick up a 1.5P only of you want a AT and all those safety gizmos.

I have driven a friends 1.5 petrol MT quite a bit and find the engine pretty decent. On the other hand, on my few drives with the Ecoboost, I found it pretty irritating in the city. In stop go traffic, one has to keep the engine on the boil with frequent down shifts as under ~1750 rpm there is really no power. The Ecoboost shines on the highway. The 1.5 MT should be more fuel efficient in the city as well.

[roy_libran]

Originally Posted by roy_libran

Gentlemen - Please help me out in making a decision HERE

Gentlemen - Does anyone have any advise on this please?