2018 Ford EcoSport

Ford EcoSport

Ford’s EcoSport played in a jam-packed B-segment SUV field, giving city drivers the raised ride they craved without needing something the size of a bakkie. Think of it as the pragmatic answer to the Vitara Brezza, Kiger, and Venue, with the Blue Oval tossing in everything from the honest 1.5-litre N/A petrol and punchy 1.5 diesel to the quirky but frugal 1.0 EcoBoost three-pot. Manuals, automatics, even a dual-clutch for the brave — you had options. Now, with Ford SA pulling the plug, all 75 EcoSports out there are pre-loved, prices running from R109,500 to R329,900. That’s a huge gulf, and it’s down to the EcoSport’s ten-year run and the mixed bag you get with condition and spec. Average mileage hovers just north of 106,000 km, so you’d better have your wits about you — not every cheapie is a bargain. The 1.5 TiVCT Ambiente dominates the classifieds, with 11 up for grabs between R109,500 and R219,900. That’s proper starter-pack money and, on paper at least, you’re shopping the same price bracket as brand-new Venues and Kigers, so it’s not a slam dunk. The 1.0T Titanium pushing R329,900? That’s a jaw-dropper for a car that’s seen plenty of tarmac. What really sold South Africans was the EcoBoost’s real-world thrift, and the rear-mounted spare — a small nod to our rougher regional roads. Spot a clean 2020-or-newer model under R220k and you’ve found the sweet spot; any higher and you’re better off looking at something fresh with a warranty.