Reliability and fuel consumption

[normie616]

Hi There
I am hoping to get some advice from this site as to whether I should purchase a Ford Territory or a Kia Sorrento 6 cylinder only.Both would be a couple of years old max and have low kilometres around 20k-30k .would be reluctant to purchase anything higher;as my car knowledge (mechanically) is very limited and just want trouble free motoring that's all
At present I have a Suzuki grand Vitara 2.4 8 years old but only 60k on the clock.So you can see we don't drive too much ;but this may change
As I am retired 67 sometimes i wish we had a bit more power.Most of my life i have driven company cars mainly Commodores and Fords and I always had a preference for the Fords mainly for comfort on long hauls and the guts in the 4litre motor
I know the motor in the Ford territory is tried and proven and has been around a long time.But what about the fuel economy around town ? saw somewhere it was about 14lt to the 100kls ?The Suzuki is not that great around town about 11-12 depending but on the open road around 9 litres per 100klm.mainly because of it's 4 speed auto gearbox.So i would like the extra power in my "twilight years" for interstate driving etc
The Suzuki has never let me down by the way
Friends say go for the Kia Sorrento, it will be around for a long time whereas Ford Territory has finished;and has had some problems with recent models Little things like functionality of on screen touch panel and the like from what I have read does not worry me;it's the big things i basically want a car that is reliable.Not interested in a diesel at all;as do not pull vans or the like.Have a friend retired engineer for Mitsubishi and he says forget them ; he is yet to be convinced of the extra outlay and costs in saving

I also see that the Territory does not hold it's value about 34% after 5 years that does not worry me as I will keep the car for 10 regardless


I probably won't change till the end of the year but thought I would get some feedback from Ford owners out there.Would also look interstate to purchase as well as South Australia is not the leading state in car sales for competitive pricing
Cheers

[Seasoned One]

My Terry had from new , 07 2wd, 180000 on it now, never let me down, wife getting about 11.5 /100 mixed driving, regularly sees 9/100 on highway, can be up 13/100 if she gets into the 'I'm in a hurry routine' rear bushes need doing, and I think a starter motor soon too, other than that, extremely versatile , roomy, pulls trailers whatever with easy, parts cheap, service cheap, and with the value holding side of things, well, better for you when buying used, my two cents, good luck

[Sprintey]

Similar to Seasoned One, 2007 Territory, took family round Oz and 10 years of loyal service from the inline 6, which at 250,000km is about 1/2 worn in.

That said, it's probably heading toward time to upgrade, but how did it fair? Still solid build quality - no rattles or squeaks. That doesn't include the brakes, which occasionally squeak in winter on startup and initial moving.

Rust formed under rear rubber seal under tailgate. Ford never really got on top of this. I would oil, but had warranty repair. After about 100K? We live near coast.

Set of tyres about every 70,000. We used the factory recommended Forteras each time. (AWD)

The inline 6 and ZF is a brilliant combination. Powerful, and economical. When new, 11.2 combined easy, it's now out to 12.9 with lots more urban stop-start as the kids need lifts into town a lot.

Exhaust manifold piping join will crack perhaps after 150K.

Suspension: Ford put a 2100kg car on a 1700kg car's suspension. Probably the only real flaw. We had control blade IRS rebuilt at about 180K (rear bushes: factory parts are rubbery, nolathane in rebuilt should save). Front balljoints just done at 250km, probably done once before.
Just had front driveshaft boots done, had tailshaft done at about 200K as well.
When tightened and all wheels balanced, a Territory is a very sweet steer. It's something that needs maintenance, however.

No probs from ZF, no milkshaking. Still shifts beautifully, better than many new cars including all the DSGs and CVTs I've driven.

So our Terry is well primed for its next milestone, 300,000Km. One owner never any accidents. Probably the best product FOA ever made.


So yeah, where do I go after this if I like a SUV that handles and prefer full time AWD and a 6 speed torque converter auto? Jag, F-Pace, RRS, Velar, BMW X3, X5... pricey stuff. Suby (CVT though) and Mazda (no full time AWD though). This might put into perspective just what a good deal Ford offered Australia with the Territory.

Edit: it's a brilliant interstate tourer Normie, one of the best. And with that 34% at 5 years, maybe a slightly newer Terry should be on my replacement list, haha!

[normie616]

I guess the answers tell me most of what I wanted to know.Interesting though the issues you have had for replacement "Sprinty" around 150-200k would probably never happen to me as i think I would have moved on to another vehicle even if we increase our mileage from around 8k a year to 12-13k if we do a bit more interstate

The above is assuming I can get a 2nd hand Territory with around 20-30k on clock.I notice there are quite a few on Car Sales .com with around 50k 2 years old I take it these are company cars with 2 or 3 years lease plan .I worked for the brewery for 30 years and this was the general operation in fleet sales for us.

Having said the above I don't like the way Company cars are driven ! as i drove one myself (not the best)

Oh by the way were any of these major repairs (rear bushes;cracked manifold;ball joints,tailshaft) you had done at the higher mileage prohibitively expensive ? and does the timing chain need doing as well or is this only for diesel ?

[normie616]

Originally Posted by Sprintey

Similar to Seasoned One, 2007 Territory, took family round Oz and 10 years of loyal service from the inline 6, which at 250,000km is about 1/2 worn in.

That said, it's probably heading toward time to upgrade, but how did it fair? Still solid build quality - no rattles or squeaks. That doesn't include the brakes, which occasionally squeak in winter on startup and initial moving.

Rust formed under rear rubber seal under tailgate. Ford never really got on top of this. I would oil, but had warranty repair. After about 100K? We live near coast.

Set of tyres about every 70,000. We used the factory recommended Forteras each time. (AWD)

The inline 6 and ZF is a brilliant combination. Powerful, and economical. When new, 11.2 combined easy, it's now out to 12.9 with lots more urban stop-start as the kids need lifts into town a lot.

Exhaust manifold piping join will crack perhaps after 150K.

Suspension: Ford put a 2100kg car on a 1700kg car's suspension. Probably the only real flaw. We had control blade IRS rebuilt at about 180K (rear bushes: factory parts are rubbery, nolathane in rebuilt should save). Front balljoints just done at 250km, probably done once before.
Just had front driveshaft boots done, had tailshaft done at about 200K as well.
When tightened and all wheels balanced, a Territory is a very sweet steer. It's something that needs maintenance, however.

No probs from ZF, no milkshaking. Still shifts beautifully, better than many new cars including all the DSGs and CVTs I've driven.

So our Terry is well primed for its next milestone, 300,000Km. One owner never any accidents. Probably the best product FOA ever made.


So yeah, where do I go after this if I like a SUV that handles and prefer full time AWD and a 6 speed torque converter auto? Jag, F-Pace, RRS, Velar, BMW X3, X5... pricey stuff. Suby (CVT though) and Mazda (no full time AWD though). This might put into perspective just what a good deal Ford offered Australia with the Territory.

Edit: it's a brilliant interstate tourer Normie, one of the best. And with that 34% at 5 years, maybe a slightly newer Terry should be on my replacement list, haha!

Your comment from the Kia editor I do not quite understand it .I he saying the Kia is better than the Territory as it is a 2 wheel drive???

[Sprintey]

Hi Normie don't think I mentioned anything about the Sorrento in my post. Saying that, a good mate has a 2007 model with the petrol AWD setup and honestly it's quite a good car. It seems a little more "offroadable" than the Terry, but I'd give the handling/ride comfort/power/space gong to the Terry. Don't know much about the mechanical of his car, but you'd generally think it would be pretty good.

Those higher mileage fixes, yep, exxy! The control blade IRS rebuild goes somewhere from $1200 to double that depending on who you know, and at the mileage of our one, it would be really debatable if you want to keep shelling out on it. No timing chain worries on the Terry, the inline 6 is unbustable. A Holden V6... not so much. You should be OK, if you buy much lower mileages and don't keep through like we have done.

[chizzy86]

I'm wondering why you have discounted the 2.2 4 cylinder diesel sorento. My parents have one with the 6 speed auto and it is excellent. The engine transmission combo is very sharp, fuel economy is about 7.5 l/100. There's has 120 000 on it since they bought new in 2010 and they've had no issues.

For performance, it would walk all over the the petrol.

[flightstrike]

The girlfriend has a '07 2WD TX. It drives well and I'd say we get about 11-12L/100 around town with a mix of start/stop and freeway.

218k on it and the biggest issue I've noticed is the brakes. She's had the rotors and pads replaced at least once since she's had it, they're still not great.

It's just come out of a service and they've provided a nice list of parts that need "urgent attention". Includes engine mounts, basically every front susupension/steering component and tyres. The damn thing is very smooth to drive and I'm thinking we'll replace this one with a later example.

[glimmerman]

I have a territory, I think unless you go a diesel one, your wasting your money on petrol, now if you don't do much driving then great, but ours is daily driven for work, you're looking at 17-20 litres per hundred, love the car but wish I could have afforded a diesel alternative. It's a bit heavy car with higher diff ratios to make it get off the line from factory and it is no slouch by any means but you pay at the bowser, out of a 75 litre tank we fill up each week and see around 300kms for the tank, Mrs is probably a bloody lead foot but still, save cash where you can and if it's the fuel bill then why not and if you're retiring soon you'll probably want more cash in the pocket.

Sent from my Blade S6 using Tapatalk

[Brazen]

I can imagine it being bloody annoying filling up the car every 300km

[roddy1960]

G'day , On reliability..A good friend is a Territory tragic...He's had two.. One was brand new 2WD (petrol) and he had it about 8 -9 years..Nothing other than a manifold gasket went wrong..Traded it on a a AWD TD and same results so far..It had about 20,000 k's on it (wasn't a brand spanker) and several years on it's about 200k's.
.Last time I asked him how it was going it was excellent..No issues at all other than brakes needed doing.. His only other issue was whether a Ranger or Everest or something would match up to his Territory when it started to let go at some stage...At least with Territory you know it has a pretty good reputation whatever you buy.. Re the Kia , I have no idea...I don't know anyone who has one.. Good luck with whatever you end up buying...Cheers Rod..

[glimmerman]

Originally Posted by Brazen

I can imagine it being bloody annoying filling up the car every 300km

That's if we even get that many from it, it's filled up every week and she drives it for work in real estate so it's short 10 minute trips all day long, she gets a fuel allowance which is good, but honestly they are one of the thirstiest cars to not have a V8 in them, reliability, it's a heavy car based on a vehicle that wasn't that heavy, mine is an AWD, it's been air bagged at the rear for towing, needs bushes done and stuff but it's as reliable as a falcon and definitely a comfortable car for sure, I would love a diesel for the pulling power and economy

Sent from my Blade S6 using Tapatalk

[lra]

Originally Posted by Seasoned One

My Terry had from new , 07 2wd, 180000 on it now, never let me down, wife getting about 11.5 /100 mixed driving, regularly sees 9/100 on highway, can be up 13/100 if she gets into the 'I'm in a hurry routine' rear bushes need doing, and I think a starter motor soon too, other than that, extremely versatile , roomy, pulls trailers whatever with easy, parts cheap, service cheap, and with the value holding side of things, well, better for you when buying used, my two cents, good luck

I second the comments above. But I find it hard to offer an opinion to the questions posed, there are too many variables to consider..
If you don’t care much about your car, the Kia is very attractive, as I presume that it will have the remainder of the 7 year warranty, just drive it and forget it when it’s use is over. Parts and reliability? Dunno.
Fuel consumption ...... what is ‘around town’ ? Sitting in a city’s peak hour traffic going nowhere, or just a couple of kms to the supermarket in a country town ? Our Terri (petrol 2wd) is in the latter category, and gets 11.5, never more than 12, then on a trip over a few hundred kms can be in the low 9s. Very dependent on how your use and drive it.
Turbo diesels need to be used on longer trips. Short trips will clog them up, something that a lot of potential owners may not consider.
Reliability ...... 7 years, only 82K, (we have 3 cars to play with). Never been on an unsealed road and the rear bushes had to be replaced at 65K, not happy about it, but.
A new battery every 2.5 years. No other problems.
How second-hand is the ‘new’ car going to be, and how long are you going to keep it ?
There are still new Terris available at really good prices, but then if you buy second hand, the depreciation is done, and you will not cop a big hit.
If you intend to keep it, parts are plentiful, but Ford-expensive new. Plenty of second-hand bits available now and into the future. And Ford dealers and Terris are pretty common all around the country.

[normie616]

Originally Posted by chizzy86

I'm wondering why you have discounted the 2.2 4 cylinder diesel sorento. My parents have one with the 6 speed auto and it is excellent. The engine transmission combo is very sharp, fuel economy is about 7.5 l/100. There's has 120 000 on it since they bought new in 2010 and they've had no issues.

For performance, it would walk all over the the petrol.

Thanks for your info I haven't discarded anything at this stage as I am not in a hurry.Having said that I have not shown much interest in Diesel as your parents have for the following reason

I am under the impressions that Diesels need a bit of working out .As we are both retired (6 years ago) live in the Adelaide hills most of our mileage is across the freeway to do shopping around 5 clicks each way & maybe 140 kilometres once a month to our sons down south all open road by the way 100kph

If the Suzuki was a big 6 (which they have stopped) I would probably consider one again ;but do not want a smaller car or motor

That is why our average mileage is only 8000 kilometres a year
HAving said all that we do plan to do a bit more interstate driving 2 or 3 times a year to Queensland/Victoria/NSW but mostly around where we live

I remember when I bought the Suzuki they turned me off the Diesel version as people had too many problems with them when not giving them a workout

I want a bit more comfort and a bit more power but I do not want a car that is going to give me trouble.If it costs me 5 or so more dollars each week in fuel ;that is not a problem (less for our kids to inherit!!!)

My son has a Prada diesel but does a lot of driving to work and back also

Services with Diesel are more expensive so that in fact might negate the extra cost in fuel we spend each week (not much around $25 average)
Someone commented here from Penrith NSW that they were chewing 14-17 litres per 100klm for the petrol Ford.I consider that a bit vicious even if I can afford it

The Kia Sorrento's are a more premium price than the petrol territory in any case for a model around 2 years old
Am also a bit reluctant to get anything turbo charged; as if anything goes wrong they cost big time

[normie616]

Originally Posted by lra

I second the comments above. But I find it hard to offer an opinion to the questions posed, there are too many variables to consider..
If you don’t care much about your car, the Kia is very attractive, as I presume that it will have the remainder of the 7 year warranty, just drive it and forget it when it’s use is over. Parts and reliability? Dunno.
Fuel consumption ...... what is ‘around town’ ? Sitting in a city’s peak hour traffic going nowhere, or just a couple of kms to the supermarket in a country town ? Our Terri (petrol 2wd) is in the latter category, and gets 11.5, never more than 12, then on a trip over a few hundred kms can be in the low 9s. Very dependent on how your use and drive it.
Turbo diesels need to be used on longer trips. Short trips will clog them up, something that a lot of potential owners may not consider.
Reliability ...... 7 years, only 82K, (we have 3 cars to play with). Never been on an unsealed road and the rear bushes had to be replaced at 65K, not happy about it, but.
A new battery every 2.5 years. No other problems.
How second-hand is the ‘new’ car going to be, and how long are you going to keep it ?
There are still new Terris available at really good prices, but then if you buy second hand, the depreciation is done, and you will not cop a big hit.
If you intend to keep it, parts are plentiful, but Ford-expensive new. Plenty of second-hand bits available now and into the future. And Ford dealers and Terris are pretty common all around the country.

Hey thanks for all your informative advice.I think you may have solved the decision of buying Petrol V Diesel ;as i knew that they can get clogged quite easily .As I replied to someone else our milage is low .Old farts like us retired 6 years ago we only average 8000 kilometres a year mostly 5 or 10 kilometres each way to town in hills.So we would not be doing the diesel justice

As I said in one of my earlier posts 2 people close to me said "Do not buy a diesel" One a close friend retired engineer from Mitsubishi and my cousin in Sydney who had his own panel Beater business for over 40 years out West

I appreciate your comments on buying one new while they are still available but may still wait till end of year ;mainly because of Suzuki has only done 60k and I really want to get a bit of "Value" out of a car that cost me 38k new 8 years back (top of the range Prestige)

I will be keeping the Territory for around 8-10 years and if I make it that long (now 67) my last car! will be smaller.At my point in life I am not to fussed about what the Territory will be worth then in 8-10 years .(life is short and you only live once)

One last point I will be very fussy when i do buy the Territory if used and will have a RAA inspection plus car facts report.No more than 30k is my preferred milage and NO company vehicles (I know how they are driven like myself!)

When you say your Territory is a late model 2wd. (are all petrol versions 2WD now?)I take it a few years old? and the fuel consumption you are saying it never chews up more than 12 litres per 100ks ? correct

Cheers thanks for your help

[normie616]

Originally Posted by lra

I second the comments above. But I find it hard to offer an opinion to the questions posed, there are too many variables to consider..
If you don’t care much about your car, the Kia is very attractive, as I presume that it will have the remainder of the 7 year warranty, just drive it and forget it when it’s use is over. Parts and reliability? Dunno.
Fuel consumption ...... what is ‘around town’ ? Sitting in a city’s peak hour traffic going nowhere, or just a couple of kms to the supermarket in a country town ? Our Terri (petrol 2wd) is in the latter category, and gets 11.5, never more than 12, then on a trip over a few hundred kms can be in the low 9s. Very dependent on how your use and drive it.
Turbo diesels need to be used on longer trips. Short trips will clog them up, something that a lot of potential owners may not consider.
Reliability ...... 7 years, only 82K, (we have 3 cars to play with). Never been on an unsealed road and the rear bushes had to be replaced at 65K, not happy about it, but.
A new battery every 2.5 years. No other problems.
How second-hand is the ‘new’ car going to be, and how long are you going to keep it ?
There are still new Terris available at really good prices, but then if you buy second hand, the depreciation is done, and you will not cop a big hit.
If you intend to keep it, parts are plentiful, but Ford-expensive new. Plenty of second-hand bits available now and into the future. And Ford dealers and Terris are pretty common all around the country.

Hi again

Forgot to ask are the rear bushes a big cost for replacement $300-400 is acceptable or are they more ?

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Hi normie,

We went through a similar decision process about 2 years ago, whereby I was looking at replacing our 2008 TX Tez with just over 100,000km on the clock. I was pretty keen on another Tez (Ford fanboi through and through ) but the missus was keen on a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

After talking to a few guys at work who owned the JGC, hearing some other first hand reports, and test driving one, we both ruled it out.

Feeling a little lost, I decided to do some research and that is when I found the Kis Sorrento. Booked in for a test drive and gave it a go (never know to you try, right?) I didn't mind it, but the missus felt really uncomfortable with the seating position. In particular, she felt like her head sat too close to the roof of the windscreen as compared to the Tez. Given that 'she who must be obeyed' (SWMBO) was going to be the primary driver, it was important for both of us that felt comfortable. So that ruled out the Kia for us.

We ended up with a new (to us) Tez, as per my signature.

As for the Tezs, personally, in your situation, I don't think there's any financial gain to be had having the diesel. For a starter, the purchase price between the diesel and equivalent petrol model is probably worth a couple $k. $2k buys a lot of extra petrol, especially when you don't do many kms (as you do). Also, as you have pointed out, the diesel will cost more to have serviced.

Some (most) of that additional purchase price for a diesel could be re-couped when you sell the car, but it seems to me as though you are intending to keep whatever car you buy for a while. Therefore, you are not likely to see a return on that investment.

So, IMHO, unless you do lots of kms, a diesel is not worth the additional investment.

Those of us who have the petrol know that the engine is a great aussie engine. It has been around for a long time and has had most of the bugs ironed out in that time. It is powerful, reliable, relatively cheap to maintain and the fuel economy is not that bad if you don't push it too much. As an example, our Tez averages just under the 13l/100km mark, with an average speed over its 28 odd thousand kms of about 40km/h. The car is primarily used as a Mum's taxi with mum dropping number one daughter off to school each day and to and froing from her work in town, with the odd (say, once a week to once a fortnight) longer trip of around 100km return thrown in. For a car that weighs in at over 2,000kg dry, that really isn't too bad.

The Tez is a great car; it handles the around town stuff with ease (albeit at slightly higher consumption than some others) but really handles the open road with aplomb. If you are not aware, when FoA first designed the Tez, the benchmark vehicle they measured against was the BMW X5, and the Tez is renowned for having car-like handling in an SUV style vehicle (hence some of the original ads for the Tez where the mum was driving a Tez with other soccer mums whose SUVs sounded like trucks )

Irrespective of the above though, my suggestion is that both you and your wife go and test drive a model of each that you are thinking about so you can both get a feel for what you like and don't like about each. Whilst things like fuel consumption may be a comparison on paper, they may just pale into insignificance once you test drive the vehicle(s). Things like ease of access, sitting position, handling, ease of operation, etc are things you can only experience by driving the cars. I think that the financial savings mean nothing if you don't feel comfortable in the end.

Good luck with your situation/decision and I hope whatever you buy ends up suiting you and your wife's needs. Make sure you drop back in here from time to time and let us know how you end up!

Craig

[Raptor]

When you say your Territory is a late model 2wd. (are all petrol versions 2WD now?)I take it a few years old? and the fuel consumption you are saying it never chews up more than 12 litres per 100ks ? correct

Yes, since the SZ model which introduced the diesels the petrol AWDs were no longer available, which is a real shame IMHO. Though having said that if I were to buy another Territory it would be a petrol RWD.

But I really can't see the point as my 13yr old SX AWD is still going fine anyway, at 275 k kms. I never really expected to hang on to this one for this long (I bought it new) but if it ain't broke why spend money when you don't need to.

Get a Territory, it'll be the best car you've ever had




.

[lra]

Our Terri is a Dec 09 SYseries2 RWD with the bullet-proof 4 speed auto.
The problems with the front suspension was sorted with this model, so no worries with ours.
Rear suspension bushes cost $1150 for nolathane-type bushes (fitted, not happy Jan, Ford just shrugged off my dissatisfaction) which should last our life with the car.
Preventative medicine ...... got rid of the heat exchanger for a transmission cooler, $690 fitted.
Fuel consumption has never been over 12. That’s driving 1km to local shops, 16km to nearest large town, or 40km to big smoke (not Sydney). On resetting the trip computer, (usually accurate) a trip to Sydney, 350km return will see mid 9s, Brisbane return 1700km low 9s.
At 70, old farts like us average about 15,000 a year between our cars. We were in SA in Nov ‘15, knocked over Victor Harbour to Newcastle in one day, not in the Terri but.
My V8 coupe, our AWD ute, and her Terri get used for different purposes and enjoyment, and like you, have no plans for any new car.

[Mechan1k]

On my 2nd petrol Territory now.

04 TX AWD ... traded with 265,000km on it. Average fuel consumption was 13.5L/100km with the old 4-speed around Sydney. Had things done over time mainly for maintenance ... the suspension was a bit underdone for a large vehicle like this. But it still drove like a car with awesome visibilty. And comfort in spades.

My wife wanted something newer to last a lot longer as we still have young kids and need the room. No need for AWD anymore as we are in suburbia. And love the petrol engine (now mated with the lightweight ZF - 6HP21). We only have about 6000km on it now ... so it's not run in really. We are getting 10-11L/100km average at the moment in it in traffic and school runs.

Work colleague has an 18month old Diesel Sorrento ... and was interesting to see what one was like .... I think he has the top model ... has leather and a bunch of pretty cool tech in it. But. The seats were awful (worse than the Craptiva's parkbench seats). It was uncomfortable, loud, rattly, laggy ... and drove like pooooo. And he used to do Sydney to canberra commute in it a lot.

Was a shame though ... the Kia looked promising really ... and their HID headlights are not really that great either compared to the Territory halogens in the SZ.

If using the vehicle for long distance travelling ... I'd want one that was comfortable for the entire trip as a main priority.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by Raptor

Get a Territory, it'll be the best car you've ever had

Agreed here ... my original one still drove really nicely (even though it was a little tired) with the age and kays on it. Bec and myself both miss it and someways ... and use it as a benchmark to the new one ... LOL

Happy to be back in another Territory though ... would have been a shame to not be able to get another one again.

[vztrt]

If you want a suv that drives well then the territory would be the one. Also sz onwards the mechanicals were better then the previous models.

The letdown is the quality inside the cabin is still ordinary.

The petrol models are good buying as they cheaper then the diesels and they have a better auto then the diesel model. Also the engine is better...yes it uses more fuel but for your situation thats a null point.

If you can extend yourself you could probably get the sz2 model with the global touch screen. At least there would still be support for the unit.

As long as you maintain these cars they're not really gonna give you any issues.

[normie616]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

On my 2nd petrol Territory now.

04 TX AWD ... traded with 265,000km on it. Average fuel consumption was 13.5L/100km with the old 4-speed around Sydney. Had things done over time mainly for maintenance ... the suspension was a bit underdone for a large vehicle like this. But it still drove like a car with awesome visibilty. And comfort in spades.

My wife wanted something newer to last a lot longer as we still have young kids and need the room. No need for AWD anymore as we are in suburbia. And love the petrol engine (now mated with the lightweight ZF - 6HP21). We only have about 6000km on it now ... so it's not run in really. We are getting 10-11L/100km average at the moment in it in traffic and school runs.

Work colleague has an 18month old Diesel Sorrento ... and was interesting to see what one was like .... I think he has the top model ... has leather and a bunch of pretty cool tech in it. But. The seats were awful (worse than the Craptiva's parkbench seats). It was uncomfortable, loud, rattly, laggy ... and drove like pooooo. And he used to do Sydney to canberra commute in it a lot.

Was a shame though ... the Kia looked promising really ... and their HID headlights are not really that great either compared to the Territory halogens in the SZ.

If using the vehicle for long distance travelling ... I'd want one that was comfortable for the entire trip as a main priority.

Thanks for that info .So the ZF model you have is the latest one (model) I take it; which is supposed to have better fuel economy because of the lighter gearbox ?from reading .The older 4 speeds would be a similar scenario to my Suzuki thus they use more fuel.It averages around 11 lt per 100kl but still around 9 on the open road

One thing I will be doing is not buying a Territory with a tow bar as from what i can see some of the inherent problem can be caused by towing loads

Probably will dismiss the Sorrento after reading all these comments on the forum. They are as I mentioned a more premium pricing as well.Would definitely pay close to 40k but think I can save a bit by purchasing a Territory petrol Thanks again for your feedback cheers

[normie616]

Originally Posted by psychobimbo

Hi normie,

We went through a similar decision process about 2 years ago, whereby I was looking at replacing our 2008 TX Tez with just over 100,000km on the clock. I was pretty keen on another Tez (Ford fanboi through and through ) but the missus was keen on a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

After talking to a few guys at work who owned the JGC, hearing some other first hand reports, and test driving one, we both ruled it out.

Feeling a little lost, I decided to do some research and that is when I found the Kis Sorrento. Booked in for a test drive and gave it a go (never know to you try, right?) I didn't mind it, but the missus felt really uncomfortable with the seating position. In particular, she felt like her head sat too close to the roof of the windscreen as compared to the Tez. Given that 'she who must be obeyed' (SWMBO) was going to be the primary driver, it was important for both of us that felt comfortable. So that ruled out the Kia for us.

We ended up with a new (to us) Tez, as per my signature.

As for the Tezs, personally, in your situation, I don't think there's any financial gain to be had having the diesel. For a starter, the purchase price between the diesel and equivalent petrol model is probably worth a couple $k. $2k buys a lot of extra petrol, especially when you don't do many kms (as you do). Also, as you have pointed out, the diesel will cost more to have serviced.

Some (most) of that additional purchase price for a diesel could be re-couped when you sell the car, but it seems to me as though you are intending to keep whatever car you buy for a while. Therefore, you are not likely to see a return on that investment.

So, IMHO, unless you do lots of kms, a diesel is not worth the additional investment.

Those of us who have the petrol know that the engine is a great aussie engine. It has been around for a long time and has had most of the bugs ironed out in that time. It is powerful, reliable, relatively cheap to maintain and the fuel economy is not that bad if you don't push it too much. As an example, our Tez averages just under the 13l/100km mark, with an average speed over its 28 odd thousand kms of about 40km/h. The car is primarily used as a Mum's taxi with mum dropping number one daughter off to school each day and to and froing from her work in town, with the odd (say, once a week to once a fortnight) longer trip of around 100km return thrown in. For a car that weighs in at over 2,000kg dry, that really isn't too bad.

The Tez is a great car; it handles the around town stuff with ease (albeit at slightly higher consumption than some others) but really handles the open road with aplomb. If you are not aware, when FoA first designed the Tez, the benchmark vehicle they measured against was the BMW X5, and the Tez is renowned for having car-like handling in an SUV style vehicle (hence some of the original ads for the Tez where the mum was driving a Tez with other soccer mums whose SUVs sounded like trucks )

Irrespective of the above though, my suggestion is that both you and your wife go and test drive a model of each that you are thinking about so you can both get a feel for what you like and don't like about each. Whilst things like fuel consumption may be a comparison on paper, they may just pale into insignificance once you test drive the vehicle(s). Things like ease of access, sitting position, handling, ease of operation, etc are things you can only experience by driving the cars. I think that the financial savings mean nothing if you don't feel comfortable in the end.

Good luck with your situation/decision and I hope whatever you buy ends up suiting you and your wife's needs. Make sure you drop back in here from time to time and let us know how you end up!

Craig

Many thanks for all your info.I think i will be investing in the Territory

My memories of company cars over the last 40 years plus has come back to me .I always had a preference for the fors mainly because of ride and handling whereas the commodores ?Holdens were harder on suspension and motors were noisy

In hindsight the 2 most memorable cars I had were

1.a 253 V8 holden 1978-9 from memory Boy did it go but was awesome with chewing up the juice around Sydney cbd where i lived at time

2.The best car I ever had and most memorable was the 1999 Ford FAlcon with the Batman slatted grill.The one that sent them backwards for a while
That car had just as much punch when the Brewery got rid of it at 150k mind you pretty well all country driving.
We had our relatives over from UK beginning of 2000 and we drove to Melbourne then Sydney where they flew home.I remember our rellies did some of the shared driving and his comment of
"Norman this is a beautiful car to drive" purring along the interstate highways effortlessly eating the hills and like .The car was just brand new a few months old at the time
Obviously the motor is still the same trusted and proven one that is used in the Territory?
I suppose I will sell the Suzuki privately as I did the Mazda we had rather than trade it in

I am pretty sure they will only give me book value even with low klms and immaculate condition .I think we got a grand more for the Mazda than what the dealers offered as trade in
Only annoying part is you have to be strong! as people (naturally) will try vigorously to beat you down

Thanks again Cheers

[normie616]

Originally Posted by normie616

Thanks for that info .So the ZF model you have is the latest one (model) I take it; which is supposed to have better fuel economy because of the lighter gearbox ?from reading .The older 4 speeds would be a similar scenario to my Suzuki thus they use more fuel.It averages around 11 lt per 100kl but still around 9 on the open road

One thing I will be doing is not buying a Territory with a tow bar as from what i can see some of the inherent problem can be caused by towing loads

Probably will dismiss the Sorrento after reading all these comments on the forum. They are as I mentioned a more premium pricing as well.Would definitely pay close to 40k but think I can save a bit by purchasing a Territory petrol Thanks again for your feedback cheers

Forgot to ask when did they put the latest gearbox into the Territory the german built one that is rated as one of the best ?and lightweight

[Mechan1k]

6HP26 (stronger one started from SY - late 2005/early 2006 AWD models)
With SZ (2011 ... the petrol got the 6HP21 in RWD only)

All Diesels get the 6R80 transmission found in the current Mustangs.

The 6R80's are pretty strong ... and some performance places are building hybrid ZF/6R80 transmissions using the stronger parts and mixing/matching them. As their design is pretty much the same anyway.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by normie616

Thanks for that info .So the ZF model you have is the latest one (model) I take it; which is supposed to have better fuel economy because of the lighter gearbox ?from reading .The older 4 speeds would be a similar scenario to my Suzuki thus they use more fuel.It averages around 11 lt per 100kl but still around 9 on the open road

One thing I will be doing is not buying a Territory with a tow bar as from what i can see some of the inherent problem can be caused by towing loads

Probably will dismiss the Sorrento after reading all these comments on the forum. They are as I mentioned a more premium pricing as well.Would definitely pay close to 40k but think I can save a bit by purchasing a Territory petrol Thanks again for your feedback cheers

Mine is a Sept 16 build ... so one of the last ones.

The 4-speed was OK ... as long as your cruised around 80-90km/h most of the time when it comes to economy. In reality with the same driving styles now ... I'm looking at a difference of about 3L/100km or there abouts.

I had a towbar on my old one ... and I did tow a fair bit ... but over time though the rear bushing wears ... Ford had it setup soft for comfort and quietness from factory all in the name of NVH .... this is good for the first 100,000km or so (and it was really good).

With pricing ... I was lucky to get my TS for $39K DA (new/10km on odometer) before trade .... took a bit of hunting and dealing. But it was a case of dealers not being able to get rid of Petrol models anyway. And I was happy with the trade I was given ... and the free delivery/pickup of old car (500km from the dealership).

[normie616]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

Mine is a Sept 16 build ... so one of the last ones.

The 4-speed was OK ... as long as your cruised around 80-90km/h most of the time when it comes to economy. In reality with the same driving styles now ... I'm looking at a difference of about 3L/100km or there abouts.

I had a towbar on my old one ... and I did tow a fair bit ... but over time though the rear bushing wears ... Ford had it setup soft for comfort and quietness from factory all in the name of NVH .... this is good for the first 100,000km or so (and it was really good).

With pricing ... I was lucky to get my TS for $39K DA (new/10km on odometer) before trade .... took a bit of hunting and dealing. But it was a case of dealers not being able to get rid of Petrol models anyway. And I was happy with the trade I was given ... and the free delivery/pickup of old car (500km from the dealership).

Sounds good from what you say.We have a Ford dealer in the Adelaide hills not far from us so I will keep my ear to the ground for what they are selling close to end of year.They say they have enough stock till September.Hopefully the petrol will hang around! and maybe i might take it up.If not will look early in the year for your model with some warranty left ;even if only a year would not worry me plus definitely NO TOW BAR!
The ex fleet cars always worry me as you can pick them usually 20-30k in one year.As I said i did not treat my fleet cars that well.
It hurts me to give away about three quarters of the value of my Suzuki ; but my son who lives not far away said to let him know as he has many contacts who are always looking for the perfectly maintained car "like mine"
anyway we will see

By the way I thought you did not have to worry about running a car in these days?.Just take off and drive as normal

I always let the needle on temp gauge move slightly before taking off ; carry over from my grandfather and a RAA mechanic (on talk back radio) who said this is beneficial beleive it or not.
cheers

[Sprintey]

Agree on the warm up. When we bought I'd spent some time understanding this article:

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

and so with about 25kms on the clock warmed up, took a circuit accelerating and decelerating very strongly in gears. From memory it ate 1/4 of a tank in about 5 minutes. 250,000km later, the motor is strong and does not consume a drop of oil.

This is really a topic (could get heated with the mechanical expertise on these forums) that could have it's own separate thread...

And I note that 2010-11 SYII AWDs (last of the AWD petrols) can be had with under 100,000km for about 15-18k, wow. Also didn't mention Normie that my brother's family has the SZ RWD petrol Territory, and they absolutely love it - came from an Escape to the Terry.

[WPR1]

Definitely the Territory the inline 6 is a brilliant engine and I would think cheaper to repair over time than the Kia.