Practical experience Ford EcoSport – owners about small SUV with huge rear door

The Ford did not have as much success as its competitors, but just over 9,000 copies were sold in our country.

Soon after its introduction, Ford freshened up the EcoSport by, among other things, removing the spare wheel from the tailgate. “The engineers have lowered the EcoSport by 10 mm and adjusted the suspension. In combination with a recalibrated ESC and other power steering software, this should significantly improve the handling of the European EcoSport,” we wrote at the time. In 2018, the car was reworked and, among other things, received a Kuga-like nose. In the vast majority of cases the drive is provided by the well-known 1-liter EcoBoost with 100 or 125 hp.

Space offering Ford EcoSport

A crossover promises to have some practical features, and the Ford EcoSport is no different. We’ll start with trunk space, which riders are quite short on. “The luggage compartment is not oversized but it is spacious enough for us, if you have a family the luggage compartment is on the small side,” we read, as well as “since there are two of us, the space is also more than sufficient.”

More distinctive than the space itself is the way you reach the trunk: via a side-hinged door. This solution received quite a few hits in tests, but in practice users can actually use it well. “What I later saw in tests, not every car journalist found this useful,” reports the driver of a 2017 EcoSport Titanium, “but I think it is ideal. Especially when loading groceries, I can reach it more easily and I don’t have to bend down as much.” The driver of a 2019 Ford EcoSport is also satisfied with it. “The opening tailgate turns out to be ideal, my wife can now also reach it,” he writes. “The hinged door doesn’t bother me. In the garage I can get into the luggage compartment without the flap hitting the ceiling,” emphasizes a third rider.

Seating comfort front and rear

The seats receive positive reviews, including from the next Ford EcoSport ST-Line owner. “You can sit in that for a long time without experiencing any problems,” reports an enthusiastic rider who actually tested it, “and that for 960 km, with one refueling and a sanitary stop. They provide good support, especially for the back.” An experience shared by an EcoSport Titanium rider. “Great seats, even after longer journeys.” But an article like this isn’t complete without criticism, even mild. “Long distances are no problem, the seats are very comfortable,” writes the owner of a 2015 Titanium, “the seats could have been a little longer, but that is personal.”

Little is written about the space in the back. We do read: “It’s nice to be in the back seat, with plenty of legroom.” And the driver who did not find the trunk space oversized reports: “With five adults in the car, no problem.”

Handling Ford EcoSport

Ford has a reputation to uphold when it comes to driving, but how does the high EcoSport fare? The owner of a used 125 hp EcoSport Titanium is very enthusiastic from the first moment. “As soon as I drove off to take the test drive I thought: ‘this drives like a Ford!’. A Ford almost always drives well. Steers well, shifts well, is predictable, has very good road holding and you can actually drive away in no time. Exactly right!” It is not the only compliment for his EcoSport: “It is also remarkable that the car is wonderfully quiet. While I wrote in the review of the Focus that the noise level was disappointing, in the EcoSport it is wonderfully comfortable, even above 100 km/h!”

The owner of an EcoSport ST-Line is also quite pleased with the handling of his mini SUV. “The ST-line has a fairly stiff suspension and extra stabilization to keep the car straight. The driving behavior is excellent, nice steering wheel to steer the Ford through bends and roundabouts. It is a real driver’s car for its class.”

An owner who is in his second EcoSport writes about his 2019 copy: “Big improvement compared to the 2017 model. The seats provide more support, the car is much quieter thanks to the sixth gear, but what I especially enjoy is the straight-line stability. That may be due to the tires. Now Continental, was Firestone. You can now tour in a really relaxed way without minor steering corrections.”

And indeed, another 2017 driver also experiences limited straight-line stability. “On mountain roads in Kent, Burgundy and the Sauerland it is even, don’t be alarmed, sporty,” he notes. “The ease of handling does have a downside. There is a complete lack of understeer, which reduces directional stability. Don’t text or knit, because the guardrail or verge is unexpectedly close. Is it possible that the broad ties contribute to this?” The choice of tires could indeed have an influence, as the owner of a 2015 EcoSport does not seem to experience this phenomenon. On the contrary. “The handling of the Ford is predictable, the car is willing to be guided through the bends and continues to follow its path neatly,” he says.

Maintenance, malfunctions and annoyances

The Ford EcoSport seems to be holding up well for the time being, although we must mention that we have not yet found any examples with extremely high mileage in our reviews. The highest mileage is for the used EcoSport, which has reached 94,000 kilometers. After purchase, the rider only reports an empty key battery and replaces brake discs and pads.” Other drivers do not report any significant problems either, so we conclude with the update that a driver writes about his second EcoSport. “No beeps, oil consumption or other inconveniences. Why a report then? In the reviews of some competitors I read that ‘nothing to report’ is not always self-evident, and praise for reliability can also be given from time to time.” Whose deed.