Looking to buy a stellar SUV that's powerful enough to haul heavy loads and offers first-class comfort and safety, making it ideal for family road trips? The Everest, in Platinum guise, may not come cheap, but it should be near the top of your list if you're looking for a vehicle to meet all of these needs, and then some.
The Platinum variant sits at the top of the Everest food chain, but perhaps a Wildtrak model will work well for you too.
Here's why the Everest Platinum is a star on long journeys:
The comfortable cabin takes things to the next level. Front seats can be heated and cooled too.
Comfort and Convenience:
- Spacious and luxurious interior: The Everest Platinum boasts a well-designed, luxurious interior with ample space for passengers and luggage, along with enough USB ports to power everyone's devices. The seats are comfortable and supportive, even on extended drives. Just bear in mind that the rearmost seats will offer the least space and is best suited to younger kiddos.
- Advanced technology: The SYNC4 infotainment system with a 12.4-inch touchscreen provides easy access to navigation, music, and other features. The digital instrument cluster keeps you informed about vital vehicle information.
- Driver-assistance features: Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping System, and Blind Spot Monitoring (to name but a few) make highway driving more relaxing and safe, keeping road rage (or just general irritation) to a minimum, and reduce driver fatigue too.
- Panoramic sunroof: The sunroof provides a sense of openness and can help alleviate motion sickness.
Is the Ford Everest Wildtrak good for new drivers? Find out here.
Whether you're the driver or passenger, every need is catered to in the Everest Platinum.
Performance and Capability:
- Powerful V6 engine: The 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine delivers ample power for effortless cruising and overtaking and helps the Everest tow like a charm.
- 10-speed automatic transmission: The smooth and responsive transmission ensures seamless gear changes—you won't even know that they're happening.
- All-wheel drive: The Everest Platinum's all-wheel-drive system provides good traction on various road surfaces, making it suitable for long drives in different weather conditions, even with those large tyres!
- Decent fuel economy: Despite its size and power, the Everest Platinum offers relatively frugal fuel economy for its class; it is a big, heavy vehicle and also a 4x4, so 10–11 litres per 100 km is actually not bad at all.
Related: Ford Everest Wildtrak & XLT (2023) First Drive Review - Everest range expands offering more choice
Whether on the asphalt or in the mud, the Everest performs like a rockstar.
Additional factors:
- Quiet cabin and ride quality: The Everest Platinum is well-insulated from road noise, making the cabin quiet and relaxing and allowing the perception of better sound quality from the sound system. In short, everyone hears the podcast better. Despite its ladder frame chassis, it rides like a Rolls. Its suspension is very, very good.
- Multiple driving modes: You can choose from various driving modes, including Eco, Normal, and Sport, to optimise performance for different driving conditions. (We recommend sticking to Eco to conserve diesel.)
- Towing capacity: The Everest Platinum can tow up to 3,500 kg, making it suitable for towing a sizeable caravan or trailer.
It's luxe living in the second row as well.
The middle row occupants have their own USB ports and somewhere to recharge a laptop—and heated seats too!
Overall, the Ford Everest Platinum offers a comfortable, convenient, and capable experience for long drives. Its combination of space, technology, performance, and safety features makes it an excellent choice for families and adventurers alike.
Practical storage binnacles provide a secure place for all your smaller items.
Here are some additional points to consider, however:
- The size of the Everest Platinum can make it challenging to manoeuvre in tight spaces, but thank goodness there are cameras everywhere!
- The fuel consumption may be higher than some smaller SUVs - but if you can afford an Everest in Platinum trim, surely you can afford the diesel and other running costs too.
- The price of the Everest Platinum is higher than some competitors, but I personally find that it's so refined and in a different class altogether. This variant is more along the lines of the Toyota Prado and Jeep Grand Cherokee now.
We compared the Ford Everest Wildtrak to the Hyundai Palisade and Toyota Land cruiser, here.
Verdict
In short, yes, the Ford Everest Platinum is excellent for long drives. Its spacious and comfortable interior, powerful engine, and numerous on-board driver assistants make it a perfect companion for road trips.
