Buying used: (2016-2019) Ford Endeavour

GOOD FOR: Comfortable, feature-rich, high on space.

LOOK OUT FOR: Tyre and suspension wear.

Ford’s flagship SUV in India has found quite a few takers in our market. Launched in 2016, customers were drawn to its balance between comfort and performance, and, of course, its dominating stance. It competes with the Toyota Fortuner, and while the Japanese SUV has been the sales leader (thanks to its reliability and tough-as-nails feel) the Endeavour pips it on sophistication. It is much easier and lighter to drive, has a more comfortable ride and is a step ahead on the refinement front. Demand for used Endeavours is quite good and even though there are a decent number of cars on sale, asking prices are still well above Rs 25 lakh.

Tough as nails, but equally comfortable and easy to drive.

The Endeavour is available with two engine options, the bigger one of which is the 3.2-litre, five-cylinder unit that makes 200hp and offers four-wheel drive, along with off-road modes like ‘sand’, mud’ and ‘rock’. You also have two gearbox options to choose from – a 6-speed manual on the Trend and a 6-speed automatic on the Titanium trim. The used car market has examples priced at around Rs 25-27 lakh. This sounds steep, but it cost almost Rs 40 lakh (on-road) when new; this makes a used example Rs 10-12 lakh cheaper – good value, considering these models have not covered more than 40,000km.

The other engine option is a smaller 2.2-litre, four-cylinder unit that makes 160hp. This skips the four-wheel drive and is also available in a lower-spec Trend variant. Price for it ranges around Rs 23-24 lakh but can be haggled down to Rs 20-22 lakh. This too has the same manual and automatic gearbox options.

The fact that the model got a recent facelift can work in your favour; you can use that as an excuse to drive the price down. But, don’t think that you’re buying too old a car because changes in the facelift are few and small in nature.

So, if you are an avid off-roader and frequently drive on highways as well, the bigger engine with the off-road modes is the one for you. The extra torque makes it effortless to cruise and the four-wheel drive will help off road. However, if your primary running is in the city, the 2.2-litre engine will suit you just fine. You won’t miss any of the power, and it’s also good on efficiency. Speaking of which, the bigger, 3.2-litre Endeavour returns 7kpl and 10.3kpl in the city and highway, respectively, while the smaller 2.2-litre engine is a bit better, returning 8.1kpl in the city and 11.8kpl on the highway. Not impressive figures, but then again, you are looking at massive seven-seater SUVs with a kerb weight of over two tonnes.

Maintenance cost is where Ford has really brought their A-game. Despite the Endy being their flagship SUV in India, a regular annual service will cost you around Rs 7,000 and insuring a three-year-old Endeavour costs between Rs 25,000-30,000.

HOW TO GET ONE IN YOUR GARAGE

Buyer, beware…

Tyre wear

Check the wear on the tyres for units that have a high odometer reading. Make sure there aren’t any cuts and that there is enough tread left.

Suspension

Big SUvs are often used a bit more roughly so make sure the suspension is in good condition. Especially on the four-wheel-drive variants as they tend to have done a fair bit of off-roading, and that takes a toll on the suspension.

Clutch and brakes

Make sure to check regular wear-and-tear parts like the brakes and clutch. While on a test drive check for brake fade and that there is no play in the brake pedal. The clutch on examples with a manual gearbox is an important check.

Also worth knowing

Ford offered quite a few ownership benefits like their ‘Total Maintenance Package’ and service packages so check if the car in question has any of that. The maintenance pack in particular is quite useful as it benefits you by offering service in any Ford service centre and keeps the parts price the same as to when the car was purchased. It is also transferable on sale, which means you get that added peace of mind too.

How much to spend

Rs 20-24 lakh

Due to high demand, asking prices for the Endeavour are still well above the Rs 20 lakh mark. The cheapest example you may find will be around Rs 22 lakh for the lower-spec Trend version with the smaller 2.2-litre engine and manual transmission. However, manuals are rare and the automatic transmission examples cost about Rs 1 lakh more.