2014 Ford Everest

VEHICLE HIGHLIGHTS

Ford Everest

Ford’s Everest is for families who want more than just a badge for the school run. It’s got legit off-road chops, but most owners are just as likely to spend hours crawling through Rivonia traffic or blasting down the N3. It’s up against the usual suspects—Fortuner, MU-X, Pajero Sport—and every Everest in the classifieds burns diesel. Manuals exist, but you’ll be lucky to spot one; automatics rule here. Right now, there are 95 up for grabs, priced anywhere from R112,900 for a well-used old-timer to a whopping R1,310,331 for the glitzy Platinum. The median is R829,900, so no, this isn’t a budget buy anymore. Twenty-eight are new stock, the rest are used, which suggests Ford dealers aren’t exactly sweating to shift them. The 3.0D V6 Platinum AWD is the one most buyers want, and you’ll find 32 of those listed, ranging from R789,890 to that dizzying R1,310,331. That’s the full-fat twin-turbo V6, 184 kW, and AWD you can trust in the Drakensberg. If you pack smart and keep an eye on the budget, the 2.0D Bi-Turbo Sport (R649,900 to R1,110,831) gets you into the current-gen Everest without feeling short-changed. Used models average around 56,679 km, and there are workhorse 2.2 and 3.2 TDCi XLTs from as far back as 2010, with some decent options under R500k. What the Everest manages, and what the Fortuner just can’t seem to match—on paper at least—is a more settled ride and a cabin that won’t leave your ears ringing after a long haul. For folks racking up mileage on South African roads, that matters.