[Mitul1979]

Hello everyone! This is my first post on this forum since I got enrolled as a member and I am happy to share the long term ownership review of My Ford EcoSport. The vehicle has completed one year this month and hence I thought it’s a good time to pen down my experience with it. My usage is not very heavy (within 10 kms a day). Most of the 4,800 km I have recorded on my car have come during the road trips I have done outside my home city. I have read number of awesome reviews and ownership experiences here, and I hope my post is able to do justice to your time and is useful. Let me start with a brief summary about what I like and dislike about the vehicle:

What I like:

- The EcoSport is really well built, it gave a "built to last" feeling as soon as I experienced it first hand.

- 200 mm ground clearance means no more underbelly hits.

- Really good engine options. The 1.5 TDCI is a real gem and provides peppy performance in city as well as open highway. The Ecoboost variant is also nice to drive.

- Equipment levels were quite good esp. when compared to what other similar cars offered when I made the purchase. Ford has further updated the equipment levels with the new version. MS Sync works like a dream without any quirkiness.

- Overall comfort levels are good. Driver arm rest and dead pedal are useful esp. on long drives. Seat height adjustment and tilt/ telescopic steering wheel makes it easy to find a suitable driving position. Seats are comfortable and provide good all round support.

- Even though its a tall boy design, the handling is quite impressive. There is some body roll but the car never feels scary.

- Mileage is nothing to write home about, but acceptable. I get around 15 kms to a liter within the city and around 18 on highways. Both figures are with the Climate Control on.

- The Climate control works brilliantly. Cooling is fast and effective.

- The OEM supplied media player and sound system is pretty good. No need to upgrade.

- Compact size makes it easy to park, drive in the city and live with as a whole.

- My after sales service experience has been satisfactory till now.

- 16" alloy wheels look nice, the spare wheel is also an alloy wheel which is a nice touch. The Bridgestone tires do their duties well, offer decent amount of grip on most road conditions.

What I don't like:

- The turning radius of this car is surprisingly large while considering its overall dimensions.

- I would have appreciated better interior plastic quality...its not a deal breaker, but could have been better.

- Thick A- Pillars create blind spots, takes some time getting used to.

- When I made the purchase, the lower end variants didn't even have the basic safety kit. In my opinion, every car which is sold should have ABS and 2 front airbags as standard. No compromise on human life and these two features can make a life & death difference in the unfortunate event of an accident.

- Space is at a premium. I am not complaining about EcoSport not offering 7 seats, but overall there could have been more usable space freed up.

- This is a compact vehicle and it shows. It lacks the road presence of the traditional full size SUV's.
- Last but not least, as a customer, I didn't feel great when Ford (substantially) reduced the prices of the car after Brezza got launched.

Flashback Aug 2015- Buying Process:
We all tend develop an emotional attachment with our old belongings and cars are no different. When I think back, it was probably this feeling that kept me hanging on to my old car- Tata Indigo CS GLS. It was my first car and hence will always remain special to me. But having owned a Tata car, I tend to agree with the people who say that Tata should stick to manufacturing CV’s and trucks. They are yet to figure out how to build a passenger car of decent quality and my earlier vehicle was no exception. Even after getting all the regular servicing done at authorized Tata service centers, the car just kept on giving me signals that it’s done doing duties for me. Sudden breakdowns in the middle of nowhere were becoming such a pain that I started to feel scared of even taking it out! And all this for a petrol vehicle which had done just over 50,000 km in the past 7 years it remained with me. One final unforced breakdown and I finally decided to call it quits (to my wife’s great relief).

Odometer reading at time of sale: ~ 54500 km. A parting shot of the vehicle.



Short listing:
I was looking for a decent compact SUV/ MPV (8-12L price bracket) which is fun to drive, good for long drives/ family excursions, reliable and has good ground clearance. I had driven the Volkswagen Vento (TDI) and really loved it. That would have been my choice if I was out looking for a sedan. But, the main reason for preferring a SUV/ MPV was the appalling road conditions we often face in our cities. Tackling the ever increasing pot holes, water logged roads and little mountains which seem to emerge from nowhere (lovingly referred to as speed breakers) without scraping the vehicle’s under-body were non-negotiable requirements. Also, having a high GC vehicle gives that extra confidence when going on excursions outside the city. It’s only fair to mention here that my Tata Indigo (with its decent GC) didn’t cause me much grief at least on this front. But given the very ordinary experience I had with Tata (service included), I was quite skeptical about buying another Indian manufacturer brand (Maruti Suzuki being the only exception for obvious reasons). I actually liked the XUV 500 and was ready to stretch my budget, but in this case, Tata killed the business for Mahindra as well....

It goes without saying that I referred to Team-BHP posts extensively while doing my secondary research on this matter. I shortlisted the following cars (diesel versions- partly because of the potentially better resale value in this segment/ type of vehicles and also the enjoyable torque a diesel engine promises).

- Renault Duster
- Ford EcoSport
- Maruti Suzuki Ertiga
- Honda Mobilio

As you can observe, two of my four choices were sold as MPV’s while the other two being SUV’s. Frankly, I don’t consider a vehicle to be a true blue SUV if it doesn’t have a proper 4X4 drive. None of the above does (apart from the Duster 4X4), so I kept my options open. Serious offloading wasn’t quite on the cards.

Quick comparison of my shortlisted cars. Please note that the comments here under are based solely on my personal experience and test drive:

Mobilio- This is a really funny car. It looked awesome from the outside, but the good part ends right there. The doors were light and tinny, tires were thin and the interiors almost laughable. The faux wood element on the top end models looked garish and outright cheap. Not sure how Honda expected buyers to shell out 12L+ for it (thankfully they have now revamped the interiors for the BR-V). The diesel engine was quite noisy and Honda probably forgot to include NVH insulation. Honestly, I was quite disappointed to see that a Honda vehicle was the first to exit the race.

Duster: It’s a still a good vehicle with true SUV DNA. The 110 and 85 PS engines are peppy and frugal. The trouble was with the interiors, poor ergonomics (I couldn’t believe the position of steering mounted controls) and the heavy clutch. Now, I have the experience of driving the good old Ford Ikon diesel and it had a similar hydraulic clutch which was heavy and rubbery. It was an awesome car to drive on the highways, but an hour behind the wheels within city limits ensured a heavy work out for the left leg calf muscles often culminating in a hot bath for my feet and legs. The vehicle’s design is also quite dated (Dacia- Renault’s Romanian subsidiary- has been selling it since ages). Add to that Renault’s relatively higher cost of spare parts and unsure & sparse service network, the decision wasn’t tough. Duster was dusted!!!

Ertiga: Like all Maruti cars, this car is great VFM. Out of the four options, it was the cheapest to buy and offered good interior space. Interior look and feel was quite drab though and so was the list of features. The diesel motor was quite peppy but had a serious turbo lag issue and got quite disconcerting while driving within the city during my test drive. Adding to that, my wife didn’t quite like the way the vehicle looked. But I was seriously considering it till the end for its sheer practicality (extra seats, space, price) and the Maruti Suzuki brand (great service and resale value).

Ecosport: Unlike any of the other cars on my list, this is a car which comes with sub-4 meter dimensions. It’s compact and funky. Looks are quite subjective, but I personally liked it (my wife agreed). At that time, the equipment levels on the Ford could potentially cause a lot of grief to owners of cars a couple of segment above it. The dealer sent a diesel Titanium version for the test drive. The interiors looked nicely put together, seats were very comfortable and it was fun to drive - effortless in the city, peppy on relatively open roads. After lot of deliberation, it was decided (unanimously), Ecosport is the final choice. I booked the Titanium Diesel (Mars Red) and the wait began in happy anticipation of the new vehicle’s arrival.

On road price ~ 11 L (post a healthy discount ~ 50K which I spent some time negotiating). The dealer did the paint protection treatment as complimentary. I was also provided with a free kit which included leather seat covers, floor mats, mud flaps and a car perfume. If you are surprised with my negotiation skills, let me put a caveat here. Ford was about to launch the updated version of the Ecosport and that was probably one of the reasons for this generosity. Of course, I didn't know for sure that the new version was just around the corner but I did sense it because of the above reasons and the fact that the Figo/ Aspire twins were already launched with 100 PS version of the same diesel engine. It would have been great if the dealer showed some transparency with this. Not that it would have effected my purchase decision, but as a customer it always feels good to be appraised of the "big picture".

Dealer Feedback:

Name: Ganges Ford (Topsia Road- Kolkata).

My experience with the dealer during the purchase process was satisfactory. I called them up and showed my interest for the Ecosport. They promptly sent across a TD vehicle to my residence at a time of my choosing. Actually, I didn't (or didn't have to) visit the dealer showroom before the D-day- when I took the final delivery. The sales person went out of his way to help me settle a deal for my existing vehicle. Initially the dealer wasn’t being very generous with an acceptable exchange offer for my existing car and hence this had to be settled outside. But as I said, the Ford sales executive helped me close this (of course he had the incentive of selling me a Ford vehicle).

The car got delivered shod with R16 Bridgestone tires which I believe are quite good. The delivery happened after 2 weeks from the date of booking. The vehicle came with 2 years OEM warranty with an option of extending that by 1 or 2 years at an extra cost. I haven't purchased it yet and plan to do so sometime before my second year warranty ends. The discount for purchasing extended warranty at time of purchase wasn't much. The only accessory I added was the front bumper. Considered adding the rear bumper and spoiler, but didn't like the way they look on the car. My wife suggested leaving the spare wheel exposed to maintain the vehicle's rugged appeal and I agreed- so no wheel cover.
Mandatory puja done and here are couple of shots with the car parked in my apartment’s basement just after it got delivered.



Next morning after the delivery...


Ownership & service experience:

Second Free Service:

Having lived with this car for the past one year, overall I am reasonably happy with the ownership experience. Recently got the 2nd free service done at Ganges Ford Workshop- all the regular checks, balances and fluid top up/ replacements done. They fixed some minor scratches etc. without any charges. The service adviser called me and explained what needs to be done and the components of the bill amount. I opted for the home pick up/ drop facility; the car was picked up in the morning and delivered back to me in the evening same day.
Final bill: ~ 2450/-
Rating: 4.5/5

My impressions on the Ford EcoSport:

Build Quality: This car feels like it’s been built to last. The doors are heavy and close with a solid “thud”, the paint quality is top notch and one look at the engine bay tells you that it’s a very well sorted out design and layout. The bonnet is quite heavy and takes decent effort to lift. The bonnet lock (at the front of the bonnet) isn't the easiest thing to find though. Tailgate is also solidly built and the request sensor on it caused quite a few amusing situations. The security folks at the malls often got baffled about how to open the tail door (they seem to have got more used to it now considering the number of Ecosports on road). The steering is great to hold and is probably one of the best in this segment. The interior panels are well put together, however I would have liked Ford to use better and softer texture plastics at least on the top end Titanium variant. The quality of the buttons and stalks are good and don't feel tacky. The black and gray interiors look nice and sporty, but then there might be few of you who prefer beige.

I didn't find any niggles with fit & finish either. The panel gaps are uniform and interiors are well put together and firmly put in place. The Nokia inspired key pad looks funky but its not of much use (I don't remember putting it to any major use till now- I usually stick to the voice commands and the steering mounted controls). This space could have been used to put in a larger touch screen LCD display for the infotainment system as in most modern cars.

I regularly do tours around Kolkata and explore places. I have driven the vehicle over some really bad (& non existent) roads and the vehicle has held up well. I don’t observe any exaggerated rattling or funny noises. There was some minor rattling noise from the spare wheel assembly which was fixed during the second free service.
Overall- It’s quite impressive.
Rating: 4/5
Close up image of the car's dashboard.



Mirror adjustment knob- good build quality


16" alloy wheels- I like the design.


Front view


I believe the car looks best from this angle


Ergonomics: The car scores well on this front. The seats are extremely comfortable and I liked the tall driving position the vehicle offers. (Manual) Height adjustable driver seat, driver arm rest and the steering which is adjustable for rake/ reach add to the driver’s convenience. As I had mentioned before, there is an issue of the thick A- pillars causing blind spots, but its something I have learned to live with and was never really a huge issue. The presence of a usable dead pedal put a wide grin on my face- Ford loves drivers. It could have been a tad wider and covered with a proper rubber padding though (which sadly it doesn't- its just carpeted). The clutch is reasonably light, steering is responsive and sound insulation is good. The NVH levels are quite acceptable and the cabin is a good place to be in. However, there is some wind and road noise at triple digit speeds. There are loads of cubbyholes all over the vehicle to store the gadgets and knick-knacks.

The famed "umbrella tray" under the co-passenger' seat comes in handy to store documents etc. The controls are easy to reach and use. The cubbyholes and smart storage options come in quite handy when doing long road trips. Positioning of the USB slot, Aux slot and 12V charging point is just under the driver armrest. I found them convenient to reach and use. The light/ indicator and wiper stalks are on the opposite side to what we usually get in India. It took me some time to get used to. I believe Ford has fixed this in the updated version. The turning radius (5.3 m) is on the higher side considering the vehicle's size. This means more 3 point turns than one would expect in a vehicle of this size. The rear seat head rests and the relatively small rear glass widow limits the rear visibility. But the ample side wing mirrors come to the rescue and offer decent rear visibility.
Overall- It’s good, but can be improved.
Rating: 4/5

Foot well- Would have liked the dead pedal to be covered with a rubber pad


The much talked about under seat tray with my car documents folder tucked in it


Nifty sun glass holder- its lined with soft material to prevent scratches


Armrest & driver/ co passenger bottle holders


Features: The Titanium variant comes loaded with features. Sync system works like a dream and voice recognition system is easy to use. Most importantly, these systems work without any nagging glitches. The auto climate control works very well and keeps things comfortable inside the cabin. Albeit, it has an enthusiastic nature- on a warm day the moment you start the car the climate control goes on full blast to bring the temperature down! Also, there are no rear AC vents. The sound quality from the OEM speakers is quite good and I never felt the need for an upgrade. The bass and clarity levels are quite good. There is adaptive volume control feature which can be switched off/ on manually. This feature raises the volume ever so slightly as the speed of the vehicle increases to counter the wind/ engine noise.

There are numerous useful indication lights/ alarms all around for things like seat belt warning (beeps past 20 kmph if driver seat belt is not engaged), hand brake engaged signal (beeps if the car moves with hand brakes on) and door ajar warning (the front LCD display actually indicates which door is ajar- and yes, it does it for the boot too!). One of the most useful warning signs is for the headlamps; beeps if not switched off once the engine is powered down. No chance of leaving them on after parking and waking up next day with a drained battery. The rear parking sensors do a great job and are intelligent enough to consider the rear mounted spare wheel. The sensors work accurately and I never really miss a rear view camera. The Titanium variant is equipped with two front Airbags and ABS to keep things safe. The vehicle comes with anti theft system and engine immobilizer. One sore point which I should mention here is about the side wing mirrors. They are electrically operated (adjustable from inside) but do not fold in/ out electrically. Also the rear view mirror doesn't come with an anti glare feature! Quite disappointing.
Overall- It was ahead of the competition at least when I purchased it.
Rating: 4/5

Another shot of the car's interiors.


The display with door ajar warning:


Space: Space is at a premium inside the EcoSport. For me it was a trade-off and this factor made me lean towards the Ertiga when I was planning to finalize the purchase decision. But I guess finally it was heart winning over mind. Three healthy adults in the rear seat are a squeeze. If one of them is plus size, it’s a no go. The rear seat is best suited for two adults and a kid (that’s the way my car is often occupied). Leg space on the rear seats is just about acceptable. Two 6 footers sitting one behind the other might not be the most comfortable proposition especially for long duration. The boot isn’t huge either. But it’s sufficient for my family trips (couple of suitcases, bags and stuff). The 60:40 split does add to the versatility and can be used to carry some serious luggage if there is a need (albeit at the cost of passenger seats). However, the plus points get highlighted while living with it within the city. Its compact dimensions make it easy to park and move around.

Overall- Space is just about acceptable.
Rating: 3.5/5

Some indication of the amount of space available.




The boot space is not huge. The tray can be pulled out/ back to free up some more vertical space. 60/40 split seats if there is a need to haul some serious luggage.


Drive: Ecosport’s 91 PS diesel engine is a little gem. I have heard that the upgraded 100 PS engine is more or less the same and the extra 9 PS isn’t really noticeable. The engine is frugal and very peppy. This is not a car you would win drag races in, but its fast enough to keep the driver involved and interested. Till date I haven’t felt any reason to complain with the vehicle’s highway performance. The steering is light at city driving speeds (and while parking) but weighs up sufficiently as the speed increases. Clutch is light and easy to operate while the gear shifts are reasonably slick. The car pulls cleanly in 2nd gear from near dead positions and doesn’t need too many gear shifts in city traffic. On really bad roads I am happy to slot the car in 2nd gear and let the torque take over. The car rolls on effortlessly without any input from the accelerator. The same applies in bumper to bumper traffic and the car is happy to potter along with minimal accelerator inputs. Its a good vehicle to drive on the highways as well. Overtaking is generally effortless and I seldom have to shift down to make a move. The engine feels eager and doesn't mind being revved.

The suspension is a little stiff and big potholes can be felt inside the cabin, but this improves at higher speeds. Cornering is quite confident, thanks to the relatively stiff suspension but there is some body roll because of the tall design of the vehicle. Ventilated disks at front and drums on the rear do the duties for braking. Braking response is good and provides precise feedback. The ABS kicks in effectively during hard braking and keeps things under control.
Overall- it’s good and fun to drive.
Rating: 4/5

Verdict: EcoSport has a few faults and is not perfect. Space is the biggest issue with this vehicle and the quality of plastics could have been better. A touch screen infotainment system would also have added to the overall experience. But then almost every car in the market today has some or the other fault. What the Ecosport misses out in terms of practicality, it makes up in terms of build quality, emotional appeal and overall experience. And that, it does damn well. One thing which I hope Ford does at some point is to introduce a 4X4 version of the vehicle (they already sell it in Latin American countries). It will add a lot more versatility to this absolutely wonderful package.
Overall Rating: 4/5

Some more shots to cover some important elements:

Fuel lid shouts out the type of fuel. This gets locked/ unlocked along with the central locking system. No separate lock/ unlock feature. Also, the car needs to be unlocked for the lid to close shut. Clever!


Tool kit neatly tucked under the carpet in the boot. Comes with a hazard signal too.


View with the tail gate open. This is a pain when I park the vehicle against a wall and need to access the boot for some reason.


Signing off with a final shot of my ride; this was at Mondarmoni Beach (near Kolkata)...thanks for reading.

[GTO]

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

[landcruiser123]

Thanks for the crisp review Mitul. Wishing you good luck and happy motoring.

Originally Posted by Mitul1979

- Mileage is nothing to write home about, but acceptable. I get around 15 kms to a liter within the city and around 18 on highways. Both figures are with the Climate Control on.

I don't think those figures are bad at all. Nothing worth complaining about.

Only Maruti's 1.3 and Honda's 1.5 diesels might provide better FE. I'm sure the Ecosport is much better to drive than both the aforementioned diesels.

[rahulskumar]

"Thick A- Pillars create blind spots, takes some time getting used to."

Great review, one of the reasons I did not shortlist Ecosport is due to its thick A pillar. I had similar issue with Ritz, eventually I learnt how to tackle this issue. During my test drive I found pillars on Ecosport really hampers visibility in city runs. I was afraid if I would hit two wheeler during peak traffic in Mumbai and did not want to take risk with my wife using this in city

Ford should provide an accessory similar to blind spot monitoring available in Honda

[Samfromindia]

Nice & crisp review on the most popular car in this forum. Do you know the Ecosport Official Review has the highest number for views (10,054,324) & replies (10,946) till date, more than twice of 2nd most popular car, the Fiat Punto

Also let me welcome you to the TeamBhp Kolkata chapter. Here we have few other Bhpians (including me) who own the same car. You can find my ownership review here:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...-5-diesel.html

Hope you checked this amazing road trip thread on our State

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...-tourists.html

Also dont forget to join our next Kolkata meet. Will love to see another Ecosport Titanium (One of the most popular car here, after a golden M800 ) Give your details on the thread if you haven't already !

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/team-b...niketan-3.html

I will PM you contact number of some members here who can help you get associated with the group. Expecting to see you in our next meet.

Originally Posted by Mitul1979

The car got delivered shod with R16 Bridgestone tires which I believe are quite good.

I see Goodyear Assurance Tyres in the picture below. Did you change the Bridgestones for Goodyears ?

Originally Posted by rahulskumar

"Thick A- Pillars create blind spots, takes some time getting used to."

Great review, one of the reasons I did not shortlist Ecosport is due to its thick A pillar. I was afraid if I would hit two wheeler during peak traffic in Mumbai and did not want to take risk with my wife using this in city

Every car has their own niggle and without the thick A pillar this car might not have the same attractive look its best known for. Having said that after driving 38k on this, i never faced any major issue except i need to move my neck a bit while taking sharp turns in two lane road. Trust me there are far more factors which can cause accidents than something so minor like this.

Let me end this post with a pic of my baby taken few months back @Gopalpur

[rohiT Nonu]

@Mitul1979

Really a nice ownership review and congratulations on owning it.
The last click of your ecosport at Mondarmoni beach (kolkata) is really appealing. I really feel this pic would be bought from you (over your pic copyrights) if any marketing head from Ford reads your ownership review in this forum.

Wishing you happy rides ahead.

[Mitul1979]

Thanks a lot. I look forward to meet fellow driving enthusiasts from Kolkata.

[Mitul1979]

Thank you. The last pic you mentioned is the only proper photograph I have submitted along this review, rest are all mobile shots. Glad you liked it.

[RapidRavi]

Nice work on the write up.
I agree with most of your likes and dislikes about the Ecosport. Thick A pillar and hard suspension too some time to adjust but once i got used to this never really a major issue. Music system i believe to be one of the best and yes no need to upgrade anything to it.
Great looks for your Red one. Happy and safe rides !

[Eyas337]

Great review, nicely captured.

Tit+ comes with auto dimming IRVM. Check if you can get this installed separately at the service center.

Originally Posted by Samfromindia

I see Goodyear Assurance Tyres in the picture below. Did you change the Bridgestones for Goodyears ?

I think Ecosport only comes with MRF and Goodyear as stock tyres option.

[rkirana]

Post deleted by the Team-BHP Support : Please do NOT post messages that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the quality of this forum.

Please read our rules before proceeding any further. We request you to post ONLY when you have something substantial to add to a discussion.

[spr1ngleo]

Dear BHPians,

Thanks Mitul, for sharing the ownership review, made it a very interesting read. Few queries

Hard Clutch is really tough to live with?
TDCi Nvh becomes progressively bad after few years?

TIA.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by spr1ngleo

Dear BHPians,

Thanks Mitul, for sharing the ownership review, made it a very interesting read. Few queries

Hard Clutch is really tough to live with?
TDCi Nvh becomes progressively bad after few years?

TIA.

All diesel engine which are not serviced on time will have their nvh increase progressively. TDCI is no different.

Ford clutches are hard and spring back making your left knee pain. But once you understand how to manage it, you won't complain. (I have the biggest grouse in the clutch and gear shifts of Ford, but makes up for the chassis and driving dynamics)

[spr1ngleo]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

(I have the biggest grouse in the clutch and gear shifts of Ford, but makes up for the chassis and driving dynamics)

What about gear shifts though? I know they have short throws. Are they notchy/rubbery, something that deteriorates over time? (Sorry for barrage of questions, potential buyer here)

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by spr1ngleo

What about gear shifts though? I know they have short throws. Are they notchy/rubbery, something that deteriorates over time? (Sorry for barrage of questions, potential buyer here)

I own a pre facelift Figo and it's gear shift is notchy and over the period of time it does get worse. However every 10k Kms you may ask them to grease and it should serve you well till next service interval.

Same will be of Ecosport as well.