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Re: OK I'm convinced
Good post Ouzo. Until recently I was very skeptical of Ford products although I’ve owned a few in my time. I’ve had Peugeots, Holden’s, Nissans and Toyotas from new and a host of other makes and models second hand so I have no predisposition towards blowing the trumpet for Ford.
However - Ford has done brilliantly with the Territory, I was not in the market for either a Ford or SUV style vehicle but the combination of qualities and the price of the Territory changed my buying decision. Because of its flexibility, inevitably folks are making comparisons against vehicles in various categories, pointing out where they perceive the Territory falls short but I don’t believe there is any other vehicle out there at present that melds value for money, functionality and road manners so practically and a lot of car buyers seem to be casting their votes accordingly in Ford showrooms.
My experiences with the Territory to date have been all good, (plus thanks to an earlier thread in this forum I applied for and just received my $1,000 voucher – yee ha). My Territory is a 2Wd 7 seater TX that has now covered 2700km, my business partner has the same spec Territory and he has covered about 2500km, both vehicles have had no dramas and remain tight as drums.
Fuel consumption seems to be a major point of contention. I use premium fuel and my fuel consumption has averaged between 12.4 to 12.7 litres per 100k, my manual calculations at the last three fill ups have been within 0.2 litres per 100k of the computer. I do 90% urban driving though I usually manage to avoid rush hour traffic. I have had her up to 150kph with no dramas and don’t hesitate to nail it at intersections if there’s a gap in the traffic, while I don’t drive like a spotty youth with a backward facing baseball cap, I haven’t ‘babied’ it either.
The only two niggles I can report are no fault of the vehicle. One morning this week I found the right rear tyre was totally flat, the side wall had two hefty punctures in it, I don’t recall hitting any kerbs etc and the Tyre man tells me it doesn’t look like vandalism so a bit of a mystery there – it was beyond repair so cost me $290 for a replacement, they didn’t have that size tyre on their computer yet and tracked one down for delivery the next day.
My dog has successfully chewed the right rear seatbelt for the optional seats so God knows what a replacement seatbelt will set me back.
The only reservation I have now, due to some comments in earlier threads, is what sort of service I will get from my Ford dealer, this will determine the likelihood of a repeat purchase as much as my experiences with the car.
As for future versions I hope Ford don’t depart too radically from a sound platform, the turn in seems quite sharp, another gear or two and some weight reduction would have obvious benefits but evolution rather than revolution would see me trading in for a later model Territory in two or three years time. If I had a magic wand I would turn it into a Porsche Boxster or my beloved but departed Peugeot Gti6 for those weekend runs on tight twisty roads but in the meantime the Territory is a very enjoyable vehicle for such a practical two tonne monster.
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