[MAS]

I was enjoying driving my New Fiesta on a daily basis http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...1-5l-tdci.html , until the Rain Gods decided to become generous on Chennai and opened up the skies. This is when i started missing my Fusion and its high GC. With the Fiesta, i had to be double, extra-double careful while driving on water-logged roads and i absolutely hated this.

We had three cars in the family and during the past 12 months, i sold my 2004 Corolla AT (in July 2011 - as i was worried on resale price due to the spiraling Petrol prices), the Fusion (in Dec 2011 - as it was over 4 years old & run 1.31 + Lakh kms) and my 11 year old Santro (in June 2012 - My First car). Hence, i was left with the Fiesta as the only car.

At this time, i was juggling between a Fortuner or an Innova (for the entire family) http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/suvs-m...ml#post2839956 or an i20 or Beat Diesel (still for the family, but in a more closely packed manner).

Was hunting for a pre-worshiped Fortuner as i did not want to invest 26 odd lakhs on a new one. On one fateful Sunday (15th July 2012) and at an used car garage, i was checking out a used White Fortuner run 44K kms, okay-okay maintained and an asking price of 18 Lakhs. All the door sills had lost paint, the leather seats had become very hard and cracked, the leather on the gear had been scuffed beyond repair and i was very upset looking at the scarce interiors.

This is when I saw a well maintained black Endeavour parked right behind the Fortuner. The Endeavour looked much better than the Fortuner and the interiors were much better, leather much better and so was the paint quality. This is when i found that the Black car had run 2.31 Lakh kms. This was the first time i was looking at both the cars and i was floored by the Endeavour. Till then the Endeavour never crossed my mind.

I drove down to MPL Ford showroom on the same evening (15th July) and took a test drive to get a feel for the car. It was a 3.0L 4x4 AT Moon Dust Silver run 35K kms and ran like a dream. I simply loved the way it drove and scarred traffic on its way. I checked with my contacts and was informed that there was 2010 Dec, 19 K run, Diamond white, Endeavour for 16 Lakhs. The contact was not sure if it was a 4x4 or 4x2.

Decided to check the pre-owned car the next day, (Monday - 16th July). The first thing i checked was if it was a 4x4. I was much relieved to see the 2H-4H-4L shifter. The car was owned by a Doc and he had three other cars in his garage. The first glimpse of the White beauty



Run 19K odd kms



As i liked what i saw, I smsed the registration number to Mr. Sampath and Mr. Rajan of MPL Ford from the same place.

Since it was over 8 pm when i first saw the car, i went the next day, Tuesday evening (17th July) and took it for a spin. The car drove well and i enjoyed every moment of the 8 km test drive. Meanwhile, Mr. Sampath & Mr. Rajan had given a clean chit for the Endeavour. It was regularly serviced at MPL OMR & Pallikaranai. No accident whatsoever. After this, I sad down the same evening with the Doctor (even making his patients wait a bit) and finalized the price for 14.5 Lakhs on the same night.

Took the DD the next day morning and brought her home on Wednesday night (18th July 2012).

Thus began my first experience of an SUV (that too the biggest in its class) and just like saying goes for McDonalds... "I'm Lovin' It"

[Enigmatic]

Let me be the first one to congratulate you on acquiring the "BEAST" .

Its indeed a great choice and if i were to pick one , i would pick the Endeavour over the Fortuner any day .
The reason for that is that i have driven both of them quiet extensively , and for some reason the fortuner never gave the sensation and the feeling that the endeavour gives . I.e. pure God like, of owning the road(not meant in a bad sense mods ) and the crowd just moving away to give you all the space you need . It feels good to know how our politicians feel sometimes you know

I know the rear suspension set up is wrong and for some its not as spacious inside as it looks from the outside . But , i never felt any discomfort while traveling in it and about the space , there was loads of it .Im 6ft and fat (atleasts thats what the doctor said )

Once again congratulations and please post more pics

[MAS]

The car was last serviced at 13K kms. Hence, to get the car back to pristine condition, i gave the car for service at MPL Ford, Pallikaranai on on 21st July 2012. I had asked them to change all the fluids in the car.

The 2 ton SUV on the ramp with technicians beginning the service.


All shoes removed.


MPL Guys did a fabulous job. I was deeply impressed with the kind of personal attention Mr. Sampath, the Head - Customer Services gives to customers. I have high regards for him as he arranged everything on short notice (i requested for service appointment on 20th July 2012 at 9 pm via sms) and he was present there at 9 am on 21st July 2012 to take car of the Endy. If Ford is reading this, they should try and appoint more people like Mr. Sampath.

The drive was visibly smoother and the car drove much more freely than before. I had asked the technicians to grease the drive shaft. Bleeding of Brake fluid was done manually to improve the braking efficiency. All fluids except transmission and gear oils were changes as Ford recommends these oils to be changed at 1,00,000 kms. The service cost me Rs. 9,500.

But, as it has been almost every service with my Fusion, the car had two more scratches after the service. I realized this when i got home and was quite upset and wrote a mail to Mr. Sampath and copied it to Ford. A flutter of phone calls and emails later, it was decided that i could take the car at my convenience to the body shop and get the scratches rectified. Ford India rocks.

Even though i was okay with it, i have not taken the car till date as i'm too busy enjoying the way it drives.

The next day, 22nd July 2012, took the car to 3M Car Care to get the car to my way of up-keep. The car spent the whole day at 3M, Nungambakkam. Dushy & his team did a fabulous job at 3M.

The car being prepared for being pampered




Tooth brush being used to take off the salt deposits (hard water) and dirt accumulated in between the body and side claddings.


After rubbing and cleaning the leather seats and interiors, they are checked with a torch light to see hidden dirt.


After 10 hours in 3M, the SUV looks very much new.










The Diamond White gave a beautiful shine and looked brilliant.

The car has been with me for 5 weeks and i have driven it for over 2000 kms. This included a long drive two weeks back. I thoroughly enjoyed the drive. When compared to my Fiesta, the Endeavour definitely has a lot more body roll and has to be slowed in sharp turns. The GPS is very involving and many times i stopped looking at the car's speedometer and was looking at the CIVIC styled digital speed indicator.

There is a 4-5% difference between the speed indicated by the car's speedometer and the true speed showed by the GPS. I drove the truck between 100-110 kmph using 2H all the time. True speed was about 5 kmph lower, as measured by the on-board, in-dash GPS. Even though Ford calls this truck as a 5 Speed Automatic, the overdrive (I call it the 6th gear) engages exactly at 85 kmph (true speed) and after this the truck is a real gem to drive and easily eats away miles on the highway.

The Endeavour is a drinking monster as the 3 Litre engine is very intuitive to drive. Unconsciously, i end up revving the engine at the slightest opportunity. The automatic is not the best slush box i have owned, but it makes driving very relaxing both in the city and on the highway. The mileage i have got till date is

City - 8.5 kmpl
Highway - 11 kmpl

The average fuel efficiency is 9 kmpl in the 2000 odd kms i have driven the Endeavour. I use"fuelio" application to tack the mileage on my Samsung Galaxy Note.

I adorned the Endy with T-Bhp stickers and it has turned out to be a drooling stuff for me.

Spot the T-Bhp sticker contest!! The marks are the small bugs and butterflies that came the Endy's way during the long drive.



This is the best shot of my Endy till date



The Endeavour is so involving that my brilliant New Fiesta was sleeping in the garage for exactly a month.

The positives:
- Huge SUV with great road presence
- Other road users give the car (and me :-)) a lot of respect
- Comfortable to drive in the city; literally on any kind of roads or its remains
- Slush box makes city driving a breeze considering the size of the car
- Quality of leather seats are good and are quite comfortable to sit.
- Space - Acres of space inside when compared to the Fiesta. A lot of people told me that space is going to be a premium even though the Endy looks big from outside. But, i find that there is good space in all the rows. The third row has leg space but is placed too close to the base of the car, making it uncomfortable
- High GC and 4x4 gives a lot of confidence to get into and out of any such situation.
- Absolutely no problem in driving in a traffic jam. Added to the automatic gear box, the high ground clearance ensures that the stupid bikers do not get to rub their foot rests onto the sides of the truck.
- Though the car is long and tall, it is not as wide (1788 mm for Endy vs 1722 mm for New Fiesta) as it is perceived, hence driving through narrow lanes is not too difficult.
- 3.0 Litre engine and the overdrive makes highway cruising effortless
- GPS, Bluetooth, reverse cam, TV, DVD player, Radio etc, are all present and very much usable in the in-dash Kenwood OE touch-screen system
- All-in-one lever for flipping the middle seats to enter the third row. Just one pull and the back seat rest folds first followed by the seat bottom cushion. IMO, Embarking and disembarking in the Endeavour is the easier even when compared to the Innova.
- Parking attendants give special preference (at least that has been my experience so far) for the car and find the space where it can rest in peace.
- Parking on narrow streets in now possible as i can get the wheels on one side on to the pavement leaving the rest of the car on the road.
- Feels stable on highways and can be driven constantly at high speeds
- Completely removable 3rd seat makes it a boon when it has to used like a cargo van.



The Negatives:
- Huge size sometimes is a problem in tight situations (such as a traffic jam in a narrow street, which requires the truck to transform into an auto rickshaw)
- Careful planning is required and places to visit are chosen depending on the availability of car parking (Hey, i do this for the Fiesta too; my family calls me crazy, but i guess it is a typical T-Bhpian's trait)
- Have the roads in Chennai shrunk in size - No, but the 6.1 meters turning radius of the truck makes them suddenly look small.
- Difficult to park into tight spaces without assistance from 3rd person (Solution is to get reverse parking sensors). Parking in my office has become an exercise.
- Considerable amount of body roll when compared to the Fiesta
- Weak Headlights, especially the low beam. (Solution - upgrade to 100/90 bulbs with relay + Hella lights from the grill)
- No lights in the front row seats (thanks to the roof mounted DVD player), but light switches provided for middle and last row seats. This is in stark contrast to the Fiesta, which has all interior lights only for the front row seats and no lights anywhere.
- Steering mounted controls are sorely missed and i need to search in the dark (of course at night) the 5x3 mm switches provided on the base of the touch screen music system to reduce or increase volume. This is frustrating to say the least
- I also miss the Cruise control of the Fiesta. Even though the highway drive is very involving, but i guess i will start missing the cruise control switch when the initial enthusiasm slows down.
- Harsher ride when compared to the Fiesta. My mom says that the Fiesta is smoother at the back row when compared to the Endy. I never get to ride on the back seat of either cars and hence i cannot complain.
- Third row is strictly for my two brats who watch the movie from there. For adults i would call it the "yoga seats" as if they get in, they will have to sit in asana.
- I would have preferred 3rd row split seats instead of the sofa/bench type single seat. This makes it difficult to carry moderate luggage with 6 people.
- The OE Music system is moderate at best, that too when compared to what i got in the New Fiesta, the sound quality in this truck is two generations back.

[MAS]

Accessories Added

100/90 Halogens - Upgraded to 100/90 bulbs last Sunday. The electrician had removed the battery's negative terminal to fix the wire of the relay. I requested the electrician not to fix the terminal for 30 minutes. This was to try and reset the ECU to default factory settings. After fixing the lights, show pipe and few more essentials, when I drive the Endy, the car was Silky smooth. The gears were updating earlier and I could cruise at 60 kmph at as low as 1400 rpm. The mileage on my last full tank has also seems to have improved (by 6%).

Reverse parking sensors - But I'm yet to fix them. The rear view camera is very clear, but with the 2d image, it is difficult to gauge depth and distance especially while reversing at an angle against light coloured walls. I have been told by the famous GP Road electricians that they cannot fix the reverse sensors on an Endeavour. The stepney will interfere with the sensors and will give a continuous beep. Fingers crossed as i will get it installed by an expert during next week.

Rubber Mats - as the beige mats gets soiled very easily by the two brats at home.

Steering Knob - to aid in quicker parking.

Show Pipe - Adds to the look and also reduces carbon particle deposits on the car body emanating from the exhaust pipe.

Accessories Planned
Hella type lights - from within the Chrome grill. Similar to the one owned by ssh1979. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post2722562

For me, ssh1979's Beast is the best looking Endeavour, very neatly modified

Originally Posted by ssh1979

Nearly 8 months and exactly 20,000 kms later, this is how Rocky looks. This picture was taken this morning before the mechanics whisked him away to get him serviced at the 20K kms interval.

Front Nudge bar - But the OE from Ford does not look good on White.

[Enigmatic]

Brilliant photos MAS...it looks brilliant in white .And the 3M treatment you will have trouble convincing people that it is a used car

Do I see a www.team-bhp.com sticker above the left fog lamp ??

[MAS]

Originally Posted by Enigmatic

Let me be the first one to congratulate you on acquiring the "BEAST" .

Its indeed a great choice and if i were to pick one , i would pick the Endeavour over the Fortuner any day .
The reason for that is that i have driven both of them quiet extensively , and for some reason the fortuner never gave the sensation and the feeling that the endeavour gives . I.e. pure God like, of owning the road(not meant in a bad sense mods ) and the crowd just moving away to give you all the space you need . It feels good to know how our politicians feel sometimes you know

I know the rear suspension set up is wrong and for some its not as spacious inside as it looks from the outside . But , i never felt any discomfort while traveling in it and about the space , there was loads of it .Im 6ft and fat (atleasts thats what the doctor said )

Once again congratulations and please post more pics

Thanks a million Enigmatic. I have not driven the Fortuner till date and i cannot comment on the difference in ride quality. The Endy's ride is not bad, but is not smooth. The space is good enough to seat 7 people comfortably.

And yes, it feels heavenly to drive through traffic. Revving up the 3.0L monster sends bikes and autos running away from the Endeavour's path.

Originally Posted by Enigmatic

Brilliant photos MAS...it looks brilliant in white .And the 3M treatment you will have trouble convincing people that it is a used car

Do I see a Team-BHP - The Definitive Indian Car Community - Portal sticker above the left fog lamp ??

I already had trouble convincing my cousin and my office colleagues that it is a pre-owned car. They were of the opinion that i was "sand-bagging" things.

Bingo, you found the team-bhp sticker.

[saadat1992]

Hi MAS.
Firstly, Congrats on your new ENDY!
I have been following your threads for quite some time, even before i became a member.
This your 3rd Ford i believe (pardon me if i'm wrong). The Fusion, the all new Fiesta and now the Endy!
I loved your ownership report on the Fiesta. You seem to be a big time Ford Fanatic! :P
Sorry for being a bit nosey, don't you think it's very expensive to maintain a Ford?

[MAS]

Originally Posted by saadat1992

Hi MAS.
Firstly, Congrats on your new ENDY!
I have been following your threads for quite some time, even before i became a member.
This your 3rd Ford i believe (pardon me if i'm wrong). The Fusion, the all new Fiesta and now the Endy!
I loved your ownership report on the Fiesta. You seem to be a big time Ford Fanatic! :P
Sorry for being a bit nosey, don't you think it's very expensive to maintain a Ford?

Hi Sadaat

Thanks a million for your kind words.

You are absolutely right. This is my third Ford and as mentioned in my thread, both my cars are now from Ford. If you love to drive, the car control and handling of a Ford, will make you a Ford addict.

Having lived with Ford in the past 5 years, I should say that Ford is not expensive to maintain, if maintained well. But hey, this is true for every car. For example, the 1.30 Lakhs kms service of my Fusion cost me Rs. 2300 only. On an average, Fusion service cost me Rs. 0.50/km, which actually worked out cheaper than my Santro.

Yes, Ford service was expensive, but Ford had cut down costs of spare parts a couple of years back and service levels have also improved. Fingers crossed that it remains that way...

[Ford5]

Doesn't this have the peugeot-citroen engine? I heard it's quite a keep up after decent mileage. But ya, when you redline it the endeavour moves with good pace & make's a sporty sound.

[Enigmatic]

Originally Posted by MAS

Thanks a million Enigmatic. I have not driven the Fortuner till date and i cannot comment on the difference in ride quality. The Endy's ride is not bad, but is not smooth. The space is good enough to seat 7 people comfortably.

And yes, it feels heavenly to drive through traffic. Revving up the 3.0L monster sends bikes and autos running away from the Endeavour's path.

Do drive the Fortuner for a perspective , but you buying a car without even test driving the competition shows how loyal you are to the brand .Kudos

And I couldn't agree more with you of the sound that comes when you rev the beast . The one that i drove was a manual so all you need to do in a crowded situation is put your foot on the clutch , rev it hard and the mere mortals move away to give way to the beast ,no more honking required .

One more thing i must say about the Endeavour is that , i drove both the Fortuner and the Endeavour from Dehradun to Mussorie once and i loved the way the Endeavour attacked the Hilly roads. Everyone says the Fortuner is a better handler , I must be weird but thats just my opinion

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by Enigmatic

One more thing i must say about the Endeavour is that , i drove both the Fortuner and the Endeavour from Dehradun to Mussorie once and i loved the way the Endeavour attacked the Hilly roads. Everyone says the Fortuner is a better handler , I must be weird but thats just my opinion

I concur. With a moderate load, the Endeavor handles better than a Fortuner and is more comfortable in the first and second rows. I ve driven both of them from Delhi to Bangalore via Bombay and hence can confidently say this. The Endeavor is more a victim of product bashing by non-owners.

[VishnuNarayanan]

Hello MAS,
Congrats on your Ford Endeavour !
Ford Endeavour with its huge size is definitely a head turner.
The 3M car care treatment seems to have worked and it made you Endy look like brand new.
Wishing You Happy Ownership throughout !
Drive Safe

[MAS]

Originally Posted by Ford5

Doesn't this have the peugeot-citroen engine? I heard it's quite a keep up after decent mileage. But ya, when you redline it the endeavour moves with good pace & make's a sporty sound.

AFAIK, the 3.0 Litre engine is developed by Ford, which was initially christened as "Puma" series. The Peugeot-Citroen engines were of lower capacity, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.2 litre ones.

The engine need not be redlined to make it growl. Since it is an Automatic, the car up-shifts according to the right foot pressure. The engine growls quite loudly even at 2000 rpm. This makes the Endeavour thrust forward and the growl ensures the traffic in front scatter to make way.

Originally Posted by n.devdath

I concur. With a moderate load, the Endeavor handles better than a Fortuner and is more comfortable in the first and second rows. I ve driven both of them from Delhi to Bangalore via Bombay and hence can confidently say this. The Endeavor is more a victim of product bashing by non-owners.

This is real good information about the ride quality of Endeavour when compared to the Fortuner. That must have been one heck of a drive from Delhi to Bangalore via Mumbai.

[ssh1979]

Oh my!

Thank you for not waiting for updates on my thread regarding the ones I promised I would, for they would not have changed your decision in any way.

CONGRATS, congrats and I wish you many many lakhs of miles on this beast. I am currently running 32K kilometres and to date: I have not faced a single issue anytime, anywhere with this machine. All I did was treat it the way it should be treated: 2.5 tonner, automatic with a 3.0L so sink your foot and forget lead foot driving. I did nothing else.

The Hella Rallye 3003 on the front was kinda tough job because it involved strategically placing the relays, wires etc, in a cramped space that is the engine area near the battery, but the Privilege Motomall guys took care of it perfectly. It involved two attempts and I can guide you through it. I will PM you.

BTW, I have got a CarryBoy 4x4 roof rack with cargo nets as an accessory and I am sure you'll like it if you see it.

Other than the 1 hour I spend dusting it daily morning, I have never regretted buying black. White is a great color, and I personally think the bull bar goes well with it.

[MAS]

Originally Posted by ssh1979

Oh my!

Thank you for not waiting for updates on my thread regarding the ones I promised I would, for they would not have changed your decision in any way.

CONGRATS, congrats and I wish you many many lakhs of miles on this beast. I am currently running 32K kilometres and to date: I have not faced a single issue anytime, anywhere with this machine. All I did was treat it the way it should be treated: 2.5 tonner, automatic with a 3.0L so sink your foot and forget lead foot driving. I did nothing else.

The Hella Rallye 3003 on the front was kinda tough job because it involved strategically placing the relays, wires etc, in a cramped space that is the engine area near the battery, but the Privilege Motomall guys took care of it perfectly. It involved two attempts and I can guide you through it. I will PM you.

BTW, I have got a CarryBoy 4x4 roof rack with cargo nets as an accessory and I am sure you'll like it if you see it.

Other than the 1 hour I spend dusting it daily morning, I have never regretted buying black. White is a great color, and I personally think the bull bar goes well with it.

Thanks a billion to have answered my query so soon. I believe in the power of PM now.

Is it the Privilige Car Spa near MPL Ford, Nandanam, owned by Pavan? Wow, they have done a wonderful job with those Hella lights. Will await your PM for more details. The Hella lights make the machine look even more aggressive. This would be my first priority.

Buddy, it would be nice if you could find the time to update your thread as it could give a lot of information on this mean machine. Do post a photo of your beast in its latest Avatar as you have a unique taste in decking up the beat to look even meaner. It will be a treat for my eyes and I'm sure the whole forum would drool over the pictures.

I will take your advice and check out the bull bar available with Ford.