[PrideRed]

There were no plans of buying a new car since Figo TDCi was in pristine condition despite being 3 years old, Vento TDi was bought in 2012 and the Indestructible Innova was looking good for another 2lac Kilometers. And while things were going great, Ford launched Ecosport at a starting price of 5.59 Lacs. I was like Ford are you serious? Booking amount of 50K was immediately transferred. After 3 months of negotiations, wait, finally managed to grab a White one on September 2013. I had booked for Titanium + but managed to grab Ecosport Titanium TDCi without a +. A plus would have been great but on the flipside I got roomier looking interiors (Thanks to lighter colours), Fabric seats and Grab Handles.

Other Cars considered:

As I mentioned, I had no plans of buying a new car, Ecosport “Just Happened” .However once I was going through long waiting period different thoughts started to appear.

1. Another Vento TDi Highline: Well yes, I thought why not another Vento. It is powerful, within Budget, knew exactly what is good and bad. Moreover dealer was giving a massive discounts. Finally owning a White and Blue Vento did not make much sense.

2. Polo GT Tdi: The moment I sat in the rear seat, I knew it is not the car for me. I don't really use rear seat space but the leg space was far too less than what I expected. Rejected outright.

3. Renault Duster Rxl 110PS: The ride and engine felt quite good however everything else didn’t seem worth paying the premium. Didn’t quite like old school looks as well. The metal sheet were too flimsy, and features offered for price was far too less. Rxl missed out Airbags as well.

4. Used Yeti: Well this was a serious contender. Had the new one been available at 15lac or so, would have bought one my eyes shut. Was on hunt for a good used Yeti and in the process Ecosport was allotted, which bought an end to Yeti story.

The buying Process:

If I remember correctly the prices were out on August 26th 2013. I had visited Elite Ford in Bangalore and had a brief test drive 2-3 days prior. The Advisor promised me colours other White and so called Red will not have long waiting periods. However if it was Ford, Cauvery Ford Mangalore is the dealer for me. Since Ikon days their service is sublime and is very consistent. 50K was deposited as booking amount, for Mars Red Titanium Plus. Days passed by, months , price hike did happen. Once I spotted some Mars red on road, was wondering if to change decision and did so. Changed my booking from Mars red to White. Sometime in September a White Titanium was allotted. Once I confirmed Push button and Keyless entry were part of the vehicle, decision to buy was confirmed.

It was year 2000 when Ikon was bought from Cauvery Ford and 2015 was no different. Very consistent, customer friendly and very knowledgeable. Other than standard mats, mudflaps, perfume, no other accessories were added. Would have been good had I got Goodyear tires, but the car came shod with MRF’s. Initially thought of changing to better ones but did not find so bad and hence thought of continuing with the same.
Special thanks to Mr.Umesh,Thilak and Rajesh Shetty who are the Jewels of Cauvery Ford ever since it was started.

We had struggled our way to showroom in Xylo and coming back home in Ecosport was a pleasure. Customary Puja at Home was done and had to wait for couple of days for permanent registration.
The driving position,ergonomics are spot on and is typical Ford. The front power window switches are a little too far and usually end up opening rear windows.

I don't remember exact price but it was somewhere around 11.2-11.25 on road ex Mangalore. This included, bumper to bumper insurance, standard accessories, extended warranty, road side assistance.

Initial Impressions:

1. Rock Solid, even the VW, Skoda feels tinny(very light), forget the Japanese and the Koreans. I can easily work on my triceps, biceps just by opening-closing the doors regularly.

2. TDCi has a decent grunt. No match to the TDi, however much better than 1.4TDCi. When it comes to Engine noise it’s the other way around, TDi, D-4D are no match. 1.5 TDCi is very much drivable in city and has decent enough punch for the highway.

3. Won’t talk about looks as it is a subjective topic. One of the comment I remember was my colleague saying “Its looks like an alien vehicle in comparison”. Again looks are subjective, remember Jeremy Clarkson making fun on number of grille that Ecosport has.

4. Well much has been talked about space. Lot of people complained that Ecosport is a 4 seater. Well 2 Heavily built people plus one normal built was never comfortable in any of the so called 5 seater. I have travelled in Logan, Etios etc which is better to certain extent. But I never felt comfortable in back with 3 people. I would any day pick up an Innova/Xylo if 5 people were to travel.

5. FE is decent, at practical speeds (i.e decent 3 digit speed) it is around 16-18KM/l on highway and 12-14 in city. One can easily extract 20+ on highway if your goal is to save fuel. In similar conditions Figo used to deliver 2Km/l more FE and Vento is +1KM/l.

6. Suspension is definitely on the stiffer side. This will need some time getting used to. Once you drive enough you keep always wondering why all other cars are so bouncy. I feel as if I am sitting on top of Bouncing Ball which I used to play as a kid. The bouncing balls, dispatch the potholes very well and not so with Ecosport. Things get better with increase in speed, one can blast through road humps thanks to high GC.

7. Alloy wheel design was not to my liking, it’s an OK design for me. The design feels too cluttered, would have any day preferred a much simplistic design.

8. I always wanted Auto folding mirrors, sorely missed in Ecosport along with boot release button inside the car. Cruise Control from Fiesta would have had been a good addition.

9. Everyone here complain about poor headlamps, I found it to be adequate. After going through initial reviews thought of upgrading to Night Breaker Plus but for now happy with stock bulbs.

10. Boot space was never a selling point in India, Ecosport which has an average boot space was never a deal breaker for me. Some complained about sideward opening boot door, I felt it advantageous in certain scenarios and negative in others.

September to December is the time when Shiradi Ghat would be in worst shape. I had to travel to my native every week for about two months and Ecosport came in as a boon. Once in a while had taken Vento and was a nightmare in Shiradi Ghat. The Ecosport logged quite a lot of KM in the initial two months and did take the abuse quite well. After few days of use, found that voice assist is not of great use. Other than that Micrososft sync works like a charm. The audio clarity is also pretty good. Didn’t see a requirement to upgrade speakers or the head unit. The wipers are of average quality and felt so from day one but does the duty. Will be upgrading the same this monsoon. Still wondering what was going on Ford’s mind when they offer boot release button in remote without markings.

Experience after 26K on ODO:

Most of my miles come from my highway and most of the city drives happen on weekends. Mangalore-Bangalore highway account to 50% of the miles crunched. Shiradi ghat is the only glitch which turns from good in summer to pathetic in rainy season. Outer Ring road in Bangalore accounts for majority of my city ride.

1. Total amount spent on maintenance is around 8-9K for regular service, wheel alignment/balancing.

2. Niggles reported: Rattle in tailgate which has been sorted properly by Ford Technicians.

3. Accessories added:
a. Front and rear applique.
b. Roof Crossbars.
c. Team BHP and Discover channel stickers.
d. Scuff plates for all four doors from ebay.
e. Spare tyre cover(Fabric type).

4. Had 2 tire punctures. Iron nail was the culprit in both occasions. Have been using only 4 tires and they look good for another 25K. I am using stock MRF’s. They aren’t very grippy but does a good job in rough road. Little bit noisy but not something I can’t live without.

5. Washing is a little pain compared to Hatchback or Sedan. Roof rail, cross bar have added to the misery. The black cladding running through car does great job in avoiding chipping and making car look good, but is fading off.

6. Recently had a ride in the rear seat and felt quite comfortable. I always thought it’s mostly flat and won’t be grippy and I was wrong. Pretty good leg space, great under thigh support would not mind to be driven as well.

7. There is a mild turbo whistle, that I hear every time I rev and loving that since day 1. That said Engine sound is not quite that I like. Note of Ikon 1.6 is still the best to me when it comes engine note (on the lower side of 10lac bracket). I know I am comparing an oil burner with petrol motor, still there are some diesel even though loud I like the noise (Qualis for example).

8. As I said in one of my posts here, Ecosport is the first car in my driving history that I am yet to scrap the belly. When I switchback to Vento/Innova, take a while to realize that I don’t have to GC of Ecopsort.

9. Ford were known to develop loud grinding noise on braking after around 20K KM, with Ecosport for now this is not the case. Hope it does not start making that ugly noise. I am thinking of upgrading to Brembo brake pads once the current set wears out, any thoughts?

10. One part I am not so happy is with black smoke being emitted on hard acceleration. Does not look good in 2015, reminds me of age old Amby which used smoke the follower. Thought it would reduce over time but not the case. Figo scores better in this department.

26K KM on ODO has my opinion changed about the Ecosport? No. There are flaws and so does every other car that is sold . You cannot make car that can meet requirements of all the potential buyers. What I love the most is that after Ecosport I have stopped worrying about my car when I go places/travel. Earlier I had evaluate a lot of things, like say see if the roads are good for the car, had think twice when travelling with 4 or 5 people with luggage. There were some roads I would avoid just because it would be a pain to travel, not any more with Ecosport. Detours are fun with Ecosport. Would have wished for a little lesser stiff suspension, but that is one which enables me to go fast through corners. I had fears that stiffer suspension would lead to lot of rattles and squeaks. Good amount of my KM’s comes from bad roads and so far no rattles. The car feels durable, reliable and dependable. Except few, most of the components (silver finish on each door is not fit properly) feel sturdy. The interiors might not be having the best finish, but is of good quality.

Have finished 3 service so far. I must say the service is pretty good which had always been the case. I take my car to Elite ford for service, people are very prompt and efficient. What I like is every time they strive for more. They keep asking feedback, any time I give 4/5, they come back asking what we should do to get 5/5. Haven’t seen such attitude among other dealers.

On one occasion, I had left my park lights on in the evening and early morning next day had to travel to Shivamogga. The moment I saw park lights on in the morning, I knew battery would have gone dead. Cranking the engine did not work as expected and sync displayed bizarre status. Called road side assistance at 6:45 AM, got a prompt reply, 7:00 AM i was informed a technician would be coming in an hour. 5 minutes to 8 the technician is at my apartment, uses the jumper cable to start and car is back to life at 8:15 AM. Money spent-zero. Amazing service I must say.

Many say Ecosport is a jacked up Hatchback/hatchback on steroids. People can call whatever, that does not change what Ecosport is. One of the reason why Ecosport sells and why Cross Polo/Etios Cross/Avventura does not is because, one who is buying is easily able to distinguish the difference. If length was the only criteria to distinguish a vehicle, Pajero mini, Gypsy, Rav4 will all fall under hatchback. If a chopped regular sedan can become Compact Sedan, why does not a chopped SUV become compact SUV? If i am wrong is length only the difference between a hatchback and SUV?

Performance

Well really this ain't any performance car. So I had no expectations of hitting 0-100 in under 10 seconds. The engine has tuned to satisfy city and highway needs. I never felt short on power in the city or the highway. However if you have expectations of keeping up with Vento TDi(going at blistering pace) or give a tough competition to D segment sedan or hot hatch, Ecosport wont help. One can maintain decent 3 digit speeds all day long without any stress. The clutch and gearbox are near perfect, though sometimes I find the gearbox a bit notchy. Vento TDi is far ahead in this department. The annoying turbo lag isn't there and it is difficult to stall Ecosport. The brakes are great does its duty without much fuss. One place where Ecosport performance really stands out is in bad road/no road section. I just slot to 1st gear, accelerate gently that is it, done. With a sedan or hatchback this is not the case, my heart starts pumping faster anticipating a underbelly hit, eyes completely focused on road, legs constantly shuffling between accelerator/brake/clutch. Ecosport by SUV standards has an aerodynamic design, however one cannot make it coast like a sedan or hatch, however it is much better in this department when compared to old school SUV.

Ride and Handling

Handling (considering the height of Ecosport) is just commendable. Many felt the steering is light, however I felt it is close to perfect. Its light in city and weighs enough on highway and gives you enough confidence to maintain those three digit speeds. You can chuck it through corner and is fun to drive however don't expect it to go like Figo,Fiesta,Punto. I call it the "Track SUV". The height makes its presence felt when you want to push it harder through corners. Those smooth curves reminds of screeching the wheels of Figo.
Ride is not something that everybody would like, will need sometime to get used to. While on smooth surface its just amazing(read wont bounce like Hyundai/Maruti), on rough surface thuds are heard very often. The potholes and bad patches are felt, which reduces once you increase the speed.Ford could have done a better job here, probably taken inputs from Figo/Fiesta.

My Mom starts cribbing the moment she is in backseat of Ecosport, who is off to sleep immediately the moment she hits front seat. Stiff suspension is to blame here again.

Fuel Efficiency:

Well I did mention earlier about Fuel Efficiency of Ecosport. I am just writing some more details here thinking it would help people.

I recently did a trip covering 1500 KM to Uttara Karnataka from Bangalore. I did 3 refuels and i got 20.95,16.9 and 20.2 km/l respectively. I had maintained speeds of 70-100 KM/hr.

One can expect a Fuel efficiency of 19-21 or even more may be with speed of 70-90. The fuel efficiency drops drastically the moment you start maintaining 3 digit speeds. With 4 lane roads it becomes difficult not to go in 3 digit speed which leads to FE of 17-18KM/l.

In bumper to bumper traffic FE hovers anywhere around 11-14Km/l.

Overall I would not say FE is awesome, it is just good. One cannot expect a FE of hatchback or even a sedan.

I believe 26K KM on ODO has helped me understand what I like and dislike in the car.

Smaller things yet significant

The paint quality is pretty good. I found it much better than Figo, comparable with Vento. The quality of beadings, bushes, stalks, switches are just great.

The plastics are of good quality, the reason why i feel they get bashed are because of the texture. Agree some places it feels flimsy so it does in every other car(Ex: My Vento had developed rattles just after 1 year of purchase).

In most of the places panel gaps are tight, however the boot door has a wide gap. The Steering is of perfect size to me, has the right contours and feels grippy to hold. The A pillar is a bit of obstruction but something that one can live with. Neat sounding horn, there are better ones though. Reverse sensors are pretty good, does consider rear wheel while calculating distance. AC does its job pretty well, quite silent as well when compared to Figo. The ORVM are big enough and gives a clear image of things coming from behind. Inside rear view mirror does its job pretty well. Plenty of storage spaces inside, I don't have enough water bottles to fill all the space. The radio antenna is seriously long, wondering why cant Ford reduce size and reduce some cost. Fog lamps do a nice job, works as a cornering lamp. Damn, I miss those one touch functioning power window button for all. After getting accustomed to one in Vento, its gets annoying in Ecosport.

A small comparison between Vento and Ecosport

In the interest of potential buyers of both, thought of giving a short comparo between two since I own both. These are from two different segments, however both are cars, seat 5, are diesel and similarly priced.
In the engine and gearbox department Vento wins hands down. The story is same when it comes to ride. However Innova is the one preferred by all when there are 5 or more people to travel. In the handling and fun to drive factor Ecosport scores a little more to me. Practicality wise I prefer Ecosport, simply because it is abuse friendly, can tackle bad roads with much ease, city friendly dimensions. Ecosport again is the cheaper one to maintain and costs slightly lesser than Vento. Fuel Efficiency wise Vento has a slight upper hand but again its nothing significant. Vento looks more old school and classy, Ecosport on the other hand looks Modern and sporty. Neither of the car is comfortable enough to carry 5 people for long distance.

Conclusion: Both are equally competitive and decision to buy will be based on individual preferences.

Likes:

1.Practicality, has capability of hatchback,ruggedness of SUV with comfort of a sedan.
2.Styling(personal opinion) looks fresh, and modern.
3.Ground Clearance, one of my biggest likes.
4.Fuel Efficiency is good, definitely does not disappoint me.
5.Audio Clarity is great for the price.
6. Ergonomics, driving position is just great.
7. Paint quality is pretty good.
8. Switches stalks are of good quality and feels durable.
9.Engine NVH levels are great, better than most out there.
10.Compact size is boon in city.

Dislikes:

1.Black cladding which is fading out. Should had been of a material which does not fade.
2.Tires. Should have been a A/T and of better brand. 215 section would have gone well with car. The tires are bit noisy but acceptable to me.
3. Seat fabric material is not to my liking. I feel my Figo which is half the price had better material.
4. The rear seat even though offers good grip, looks absolutely flat bench like.
5. Colour options. No colour to distinguish from Ford Figo.
6.Suspension is on the stiffer side. Doesn't provide cushioning effect.
7. Turning radius could have been shorter given the size of vehicle.
8. Length could have been a little longer, would have helped to make it look more proportionate.
9.Taller the more difficult washing the car becomes.
10. Sync voice communication is not of great use.

Now coming to the question I posed, reasons should buy Ecosport:

1. Reason No.1:Tired of driving hatch back/sedans sitting low, slowing down for every road hump fiddling with Accelerator –brake-clutch, avoid ferrying 5 people because of GC issues, Avoid certain destination/places because you are sure that your car can’t make it. Ecosport is one of the cheaper solutions.

2. Reason No.2: You are a Fashionista and don’t have the budget to afford Jimmy choo, Paul Smith etc. You want something stylish but don’t want it to be heavy on pocket. Look no further, Ecosport is made for you.

3. Reason No.3:You like the looks of Fortuner ,Q7 which screams don’t mess with me, then Ecosport gives you that feel to some extent but as the dialogue goes “Itna paisa main itna hi milega”.

4. Reason No.4: Need a practicality of a hatchback in city, need high seating position/GC, ruggedness of SUV, 70-80% comfort of a sedan and all these with good FE. Ecosport checks does all these.

5. Reason No.5: Have a micro family, have no plans of ferrying 5+ people most of the time (or have alternatives like In nova/Xylo/rental) and need an SUV. Go for Ecosport.

6. Reason No.6: Want an SUV but don’t want it to drive like a boat. Want something which you can chuck through corners at decent speeds, want some Fun to drive factor, go for Ecosport.

7. Reason No.7: This is significant one. Want something that is cheap to maintain, easy on pocket. I am re-iterating this again “FORDS ARE EXPENSIVE and NO RESALE VALUE” is words of past. Witnessed with Figo and same with Ecosport as well, in comparison Ford is cheaper to maintain than similarly priced Hyundai or Maruti. Coming to resale, my Figo was sold for 4.7 lacs (bought for 5.84) after 3.2 years. Ok if that is not enough, my Uncle recently sold his 7+ year old fiesta 1.4 Petrol for 3lacs flat. Mind you this car had a major accident and repair cost came close to 2 lacs. Of course this might not be the case with everyone and same holds true for Maruti/Hyundai/Honda/Toyota. I always believe in one thing “You keep your car happy and it will keep you Happy”.

8. Reason No.8: Car means SUV to you, but unfortunately you don’t the money to buy Fortuner/Pajero and Mahindra/Tata is just not your cup of tea. Ecosport is the cheapest SUV available out there (Excluding Tata/Mahindra).

9. Reason No.9: Your wife likes a little Macho vehicle, want Auto Transmission, but can’t handle the behemoth size of a proper SUV, Ecosport is the answer.

10. Reason No.10: If you are a Ford fan boy, Ecosport is the only option you have at the moment. Figo is due for change, so is Endeavour and Fiesta does not sell even though it’s an amazing car.

Ecosport Scorecard:

Engine transmission: 7/10

The engine is smooth, highly drivable, has decent grunt for the highway. A little more BHP would not have hurt though. Gearbox is smooth and fuss free. Returns decent FE as well.

Appearance,Looks:9/10

Stylish, butch looks from front, rear mounted tyre adds some more character.

Space on offer inside:6/10

Rear legroom is good and front passengers wont complain. Width of rear bench falls a little short and boot space is nothing great.

Practicality:8/10

As marketed, it is an Urban SUV and suits most of the urban micro families.

Overall:8/10

Good product from Ford, has the first mover advantage, looks thoroughly modern, decently kitted, cheap to maintain.

Finally some tadka , I mean photos
Face Off


Poser in Charmadi Ghat


Enroute to Kemmannugundi


A night selfie


Kissing a pristine lake in Ooty


Somewhere near Masinagudi


Ooty Again


And again..


Sirsi this time


Time to Pose again


Kudle Beach


I love beach


Wish I knew Swimming


The happy family. Not to forget the tiny Bentley.


The poser family


Fresh out of oven


Eye for an Eye


The sound and cooling department


My record book


The lever that makes me move


Ford gets blessed


That is how I am from Inside


Goodbye for now

[shankar.balan]

While I like the EcoSport and respect your choice, are you actually saying that the Skoda and VW feel "tinny" in comparison?
Thats an odd piece of feedback which I don't buy into at all.

[dean5545]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

While I like the EcoSport and respect your choice, are you actually saying that the Skoda and VW feel "tinny" in comparison?

Thats an odd piece of feedback which I don't buy into at all.

The doors of the new Mercedes C-Class did feel a lot lighter than the Ecosport. That was my first observation when I sat in the new C. The other car with a heavy door is my friend's XUV, but that's because it's misaligned😜.

[Sheel]

Good thread. Someone who had a Figo for ~47 months can relate to this. EcoSport was in consideration and I wanted to buy it based on the experience I had with it [Figo] over those months. No faults, no breakdowns.

It is another story I didn't go ahead with the EcoSport, but I like the car.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

While I like the EcoSport and respect your choice, are you actually saying that the Skoda and VW feel "tinny" in comparison?
Thats an odd piece of feedback which I don't buy into at all.

To reiterate and in all honesty, I tried the front gates of a Fiat Linea T-Jet and my Yeti. Hand on heart, the T-Jet's gates were heavy. Owner of T-Jet was also present. A BHPian johy. One of my close friend has got him self an EcoSport and from feel, the doors appear heavier than Vento. Someone who owns both, might give an exact picture. Like coolboy007

Price to price comparison, a Ford/Fiat might have thicker sheet metal than VW/Skoda. especially in India as this is what I have observed.

Because this is being discussed, I have added this bit, else I do not fancy thud much. Nor do see much value out of it. A feel good factor at best.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

While I like the EcoSport and respect your choice, are you actually saying that the Skoda and VW feel "tinny" in comparison?
Thats an odd piece of feedback which I don't buy into at all.

Well what I mean is "In Comparison" the VW or Skoda feels extremely light/tinny. In Isolation VW Vento I drive for instance is a pretty solid car. Figo on other hand was nowhere close to Vento.

Originally Posted by Sheel

Good thread. Someone who had a Figo for ~47 months can relate to this. EcoSport was in consideration and I wanted to buy it based on the experience I had with it [Figo] over those months. No faults, no breakdowns.

It is another story I didn't go ahead with the EcoSport, but I like the car.


To reiterate and in all honesty, I tried the front gates of a Fiat Linea T-Jet and my Yeti. Hand on heart, the T-Jet's gates were heavy. Owner of T-Jet was also present. A BHPian johy. One of my close friend has got him self an EcoSport and from feel, the doors appear heavier than Vento. Someone who owns both, might give an exact picture. Like coolboy007

Price to price comparison, a Ford/Fiat might have thicker sheet metal than VW/Skoda. especially in India as this is what I have observed.

Because this is being discussed, I have added this bit, else I do not fancy thud much. Nor do see much value out of it. A feel good factor at best.

Agree with you. Fiat in general has very thick sheet metal and feels quite heavy.Other brand i can think of is Mahindra(The XUV body panelys feel like that of a tank) I am not saying being heavy is the right thing always, as i have already mentioned, shutting and opening the door becomes quite a task.

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by Sheel

To reiterate and in all honesty, I tried the front gates of a Fiat Linea T-Jet and my Yeti. Hand on heart, the T-Jet's gates were heavy. Owner of T-Jet was also present. A BHPian johy. One of my close friend has got him self an EcoSport and from feel, the doors appear heavier than Vento. Someone who owns both, might give an exact picture. Like coolboy007

Add the heavy insulation on ecosport doors which makes it very hard to close properly. This also gives the feeling it's very heavy. I have owned a Vento and yes, it's a bit lighter when compared to this.

[Rahul Rao]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

While I like the EcoSport and respect your choice, are you actually saying that the Skoda and VW feel "tinny" in comparison?

Having both a Ecosport AT and a Polo, I agree that Ecosport is far more comfortable, and roomier than the Polo on both front and back seats.
I agree on all the reasons stated, and would love to see Ford launch a Diesel AT as well.

Rahul

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[kiku007]

Very nice ownership thread.

Originally Posted by PrideRed

10. Reason No.10: If you are a Ford fan boy, Ecosport is the only option you have at the moment. Figo is due for change, so is Endeavour and Fiesta does not sell even though it’s an amazing car.

So true. Hope someone from Ford is reading it and DOES something about it.

Imagine someone looking for an replacement for their Figo or Fiesta Classic. There's no room for a Ford Owner to move up the ladder within Ford. Would the Focus or Mondeo ever come?

[nishsingh]

@PrideRed
To restore the cladding on your vehicle, use CarPro CQuartz DLux or Gtechniq C4. Either of these will restore the cladding to a new like condition and protect them against fading for more than 2 years. Fairly easy to apply and are easily available on eBay.

[ashua]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

While I like the EcoSport and respect your choice, are you actually saying that the Skoda and VW feel "tinny" in comparison?
Thats an odd piece of feedback which I don't buy into at all.

I don't own either of them (Ecosport nor a VW) but I recently took a test drive of the Ecosport back to back with a Vento and to me the Ford car seemed to have a much more solid build (heavier doors, et all) as compared to the Vento.

The only reason for us to drop our plans for the Ecosport was the claustrophobic back seat and the crazy long wait period for the ecoboost variant.

[Naman_Ferrari]

Excellent thread!
Enjoyed reading it
Have both the Eco and the Vento and could relate to almost everything you wrote.
It is true that these cars are completely different and hence hard to compare.
The Vento has all the performance but the Ford has a certain "feel-good" factor to it.

[heydj]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

9. Reason No.9: Your wife likes a little Macho vehicle, want Auto Transmission, but can’t handle the behemoth size of a proper SUV, Ecosport is the answer.

Hey do you have Ecosport Diesel or Petrol AT?

Point no 9 states wife wants Automatic Transmission and elsewhere I read your comparison of TDCi vs TDI.

Also can you please elaborate what you mean Vento is tiny in comparison to Ecosport.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by heydj

Hey do you have Ecosport Diesel or Petrol AT?

Point no 9 states wife wants Automatic Transmission and elsewhere I read your comparison of TDCi vs TDI.

Also can you please elaborate what you mean Vento is tiny in comparison to Ecosport.

I have a TDCi Titanium version. Point 9 is a reason to buy because,Ecosport is the only compact SUV that offers auto transmission,which seems to be the preferred transmission by female drivers these days.

The sheet metal of Vento feels flimsy when compared to Ecosport. Vento or VW are known for solid build however the Ecosport feels much more stronger is what I meant.

[Samfromindia]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

The sheet metal of Vento feels flimsy when compared to Ecosport. Vento or VW are known for solid build however the Ecosport feels much more stronger is what I meant.

Well the newest Ecosport review on TeamBhp I am too lazy to complete mine. Well i do agree Vento feels flimsy compared to ecosport, but thats upto the feel part. First the quality of plastics of vento/polo is much better than the hard plastics used in Ecosport/Fiesta. Agreed the doors close with thud and feels thicker, but actually its hollow inside. Dont think that the thick door is made of solid metal. And door panel thickness is not the sole measure of your safety, crash ratings are. Somehow that thud is gone for my rear doors, need to check when i do my servicing. Btw can you tell me how do they fix the bumper appliques? I was planning to get one. Are they reusable, say i need to replace my bumper, can they be removed from old one and fixed in new one without damage?