The 2018 model represents a substantial update but not a full redesign of the nameplate’s second generation, sold internationally since mid-2012. Its recent stateside debut notwithstanding, the Ford EcoSport is no spring chicken. But as drivability and utility annoyances add up, its appeal is fleeting. Versus the competition: The EcoSport feels like a bona fide SUV, not a jacked-up hatchback like some of its rivals, and Ford offers a first-rate multimedia system to boot. shoppers a subcompact Ford SUV, but its many drawbacks leave us questioning whether it was worth the wait. The display is bright, large, easy to read, and the split quadrants that maligned Sync are no more.The verdict: At long last, the new EcoSport gives U.S. The home screen button has moved to the top left corner of the screen, and when pressed will turn up a display that splits the screen into half for the map on one side and audio and vehicle info on the other. We affectionately called it Dark Helmet, the Vadery villain from “Spaceballs.” It’s hooded with a black lid that also has one of those CD player things, and is flanked by vents and underscored by the odd tuner pad and volume dial. The 8-inch touch screen is still a reach for drivers who don’t like to steer with their teeth, and it’s in a deep recess clad on all sides by the hard black molding and softer black dash material of the Titanium trim. The biggest technological change happened for the 2016 model, when the much anticipated Sync3 infotainment system replaced the much ballyhooed Sync predecessor. Drivers will know within a few rides what that the car is doing and why. The clunky parking brake has been replaced with an electronic button, the gear shifter has been moved closer to the driver for better access to the climate control buttons, a perfect and obvious blend of buttons and dials.Īll the newfangled driver assist systems, from adaptive cruise control to lane keeping assist, work really well without being obnoxious in their warnings or unclear in their intent. On the inside the cabin is snug but the storage space is smart, with clever pockets and depressions to stow everything from a purse in the door to two phones under the center stack. Handling and steering is spry enough to feel more like a hatchback than a minivan. The Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV-4 hybrid all do better. Our speculation is that Ford had to revise it as part of its internal fuel economy audit in 2014 that resulted in downgraded mpg figures for its hybrid and subcompact vehicles. Perhaps we needed a feather touch.įord said the downgrade was due to changes in EPA testing, but we have been unable to corroborate the nature of those changes. Turbocharged engines work against fuel efficiency for lead-footers more so than naturally aspirated engines, but we weren’t aware of being overly heavy on the throttle. It gets a respectable 26 mpg combined on paper, but we averaged 24 mpg in mixed driving. Improved fuel economy is conceivably why a buyer would opt for the smallest engine instead of the punchier 2-liter turbo four or the base 2.5-liter. For an additional $1,295 the 2-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder provides the most torque in this class, according to Car and Driver, while sacrificing only 1 mpg across the board. There is little advantage to the 1.5-liter as far as we can tell.
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