Tough and capable is the name of the game with the Ford Everest, but it is also something that's an upmarket luxury item too. Now, with the Wildtrak derivative, you get some of the best bits of what the Everest range can offer. My colleague Sean Nurse had the Everest Wildtrak on test, and you can read his thoughts here.
Related: Top 3 things you need to know about the Ford Everest Wildtrak
The Everest Wildtrak comes with some in-and-out styling elements, but one of the standout features in our view is the engine offered with the Wildtrak derivative. You get the 3.0 litre V6 turbodiesel mill pushing out 184 kW and 600 Nm. Power is sent to all four wheels via Ford's 10-speed automatic transmission. The format utilises a permanent four-wheel drive with an electronically controlled 2-speed electromechanical transfer case. Your usual 4WD selection states are available to use, like 4H, 4L and 2H, but there is a 4A mode that automatically adjusts the power sent between the front and rear axles. With all this tech, though, is the Everest Wildtrak expensive to maintain? Is it even reliable?
Service Plans and Warranties
Optionally, the Everest Wildtrak is available with a 6-year/90 000km service plan, which you can purchase when ordering an Everest Wildtrak or buy the plan separately. The same rule applies to the Ford Protect maintenance plan options, too, which can go up to 8 years /165 000km. As standard, however, the Everest Wildtrak comes with a 4-year /Unlimited km roadside assistance plan, a 4-year /120 000km comprehensive warranty and finally, a 5-year / Unlimited km corrosion warranty. Service intervals are 15 000km.
The service plan covers consumable items, whilst the maintenance plan additionally covers wear and tear items like brakes and mechanical breakdown. The differences between a service and maintenance plan can be found here.
Ford Everest Wildtrak Maintenance
It's worth mentioning that a majority of Ford's dealerships in South Africa are either independently owned or are under a dealer network of sorts. Generally, with the nature of this setup, there isn't a hard and fast regulation of pricing on service schedules, and as such, pricing will vary from dealership to dealership. There's a good chance to shop around and head to a dealership you prefer.
Let's also keep in mind that the Everest Wildtrak is also a reasonably new vehicle at the time of publishing this article, so not a whole lot of mileage has been covered. Should you opt for the service plan, your services will be covered for either 6 years or 90 000km, whichever comes first.
Minor Service
If you don't opt for optional service/maintenance plans, depending on the mileage of the vehicle, a minor service can cost anywhere from R3500 - R4000. The minor service consists of an oil change, new oil filter and air filter. The vehicle is also checked accordingly to see if there are other areas that may need addressing.
Major Service
Once again, If you don't opt for optional service/maintenance plans, depending on the mileage of the vehicle, a major service can range from R7500-R8000. This service includes the items changed on the minor service and changes out the fuel and pollen filters. In many instances, this could also include a coolant and brake fluid flush. The vehicle also goes through a check and diagnostics as well, and you are advised if items like brakes, for example, need to be replaced.
Are you sold on an Everest Wildrak? You can search AutoTrader for the latest used and new offerings, and you can sell your car, too.
