Should I buy the new 2023 Ford Everest or the old Ford Everest?

Does the next-generation Ford Everest do enough to justify the additional spend? We crunch the numbers and specs on the two models.

The Ford Everest comes with a strong pedigree here at Drive after picking up overall honours in the 2017 Drive Car of the Year awards. That was the first-generation Everest model, which first launched in 2015 and followed on from the T6 Ranger that appeared some years earlier (2011).

It’s not the first time Ford has adopted its four-wheel-drive ute into a wagon (who else remembers the Raider of the ’90s?), but the first-generation Everest was a real flag in the sand for Ford.

The Toyota LandCruiser Prado has always dominated this part of the world from a sales point of view, but new contenders like the Toyota Fortuner, Isuzu MU-X and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport have always kept things competitive.

For the first time, the Prado felt like it had a real competitor in the Australian-engineered Everest: something that offered similar overall dimensions, but could offer more in terms of technology and powertrain options.

This time around, the Everest is looking to not only take on the LandCruiser Prado, but take it down entirely. Development has been in lockstep with the Ranger from day one, along with the Ranger Raptor (and US market Ford Bronco). Mostly, this centres around the next-generation T6.2 ladder chassis platform.

The recipe has stayed (mostly) the same: turbo diesel power, permanent four-wheel drive, independent front suspension, and a Watt’s link rear end. There’s room for seven inside, along with an enticing combination of comfort, off-road ability and load-hauling utility.

There are some important changes to wrap your head around with this new Everest, however. Let’s have a closer look at what sets these two generations apart.

How much does the new Ford Everest cost in Australia?

The next-generation Ford Everest is priced from $53,290 before on-road costs for a base-specification Ambiente in rear-wheel-drive format. Opting for a four-wheel-drive system (including a low-range transfer case and automatic four-wheel-drive system) adds $5000 to the asking price for a total of $58,290 (before on-road costs).

At the top of the tree, you’ve got the new Platinum specification, which replaces the old Titanium moniker. The price tag here is $77,530, and it’s available in four-wheel drive only. Mid-spec models are called Trend and Sport, with the latter being the first model to shift to V6 power. Trend and Ambiente stick to a less powerful (but more efficient) 2.0-litre twin-turbocharged diesel engine.

For the previous-generation model, your cheapest Everest was a two-wheel-drive Ambiente powered by a 3.2-litre five-cylinder diesel engine at $50,090 before on-road costs. This stretched up to $73,190 before on-roads for the top-spec Titanium model (with the 2.0-litre twin-turbocharged diesel model), which means prices have moved north across the board for the new-generation model.

Note: All prices exclude on-road costs.

Model / variant	2023 Ford Everest	2022 Ford Everest
Ford Everest Ambiente 4×2	$53,290 (2.0 BiTurbo)	$50,090 (3.2 Duratorq)
Ford Everest Ambiente 4×4	$58,290 (2.0 BiTurbo)	$55,090 (3.2 Duratorq)
Ford Everest Trend 4×2	$60,590 (2.0 BiTurbo)	$57,090 (2.0 BiTurbo)
Ford Everest Trend 4×4	$65,590 (2.0 BiTurbo)	$60,890 (3.2 Duratorq)
Ford Everest Sport 4×2	$62,790 (V6)	$60,090 (2.0 BiTurbo)
Ford Everest Sport 4×4	$69,590 (V6)	$64,390 (2.0 BiTurbo)
Ford Everest Platinum (née Titanium)	$77,530 (V6)	$73,190 (2.0 BiTurbo)

The underpinnings

T6.2 is what Ford calls its next-generation platform, which is an evolution of the previous 2011 set-up. It’s still a ladder chassis with familiar suspension set-ups front and rear. The wheelbase has been stretched by 50mm (to 2900mm), which was done by pushing the front axle forward relative to other frame hardpoints.

This was done for future hybrid powertrains (open the bonnet and see how much space there is at the front of the engine bay), and doesn’t make a huge difference for the end user. The longer wheelbase will give a slightly bigger turning circle and slightly worse off-road rampover angle, but the approach angle is trimmed.

Otherwise, dimensions are mostly similar. The new Everest is 37mm longer and 54mm wider (along with a 50mm increase in wheel track), as well as being incrementally taller.

The increased dimensions improve the availability of space inside, with a third row that is – although still tight for larger adults – an improvement for the breed. It’s suitable for kids, and one of the best for an off-roading wagon.

There has been more attention paid to practical touches in this new Everest, with pop-out cupholders and a second glovebox adding to a well-designed cabin. And unlike the Ranger, the Everest gets these additions across the range.

There has also been an effort to maximise interior space wherever possible to make the most of that modest increase in size and footprint. You can see the increased levels of storage in each increment of seat-folding, which also translates to improved levels of space and airiness in the cabin for passengers.

While the general specifications don’t vary much between generations, there is a clear improvement in driving experience between old and new. It’s not a seismic rift, because the old Everest was quite a tidy driving experience overall. However, there are good and noticeable improvements to the ride quality, refinement and powertrain performance overall.

Although, the large 21-inch alloy wheels on the top Platinum specification do have a negative effect on the ride quality. We’d opt going for the no-cost option of 18-inch wheels for the top spec, or saving some money and sliding down the ladder somewhere.

	2023 Ford Everest	2022 Ford Everest
Seats	Five or seven	Five or seven
Boot volume	259L: Seven-seat 898L: Five-seat 1823L: Two-seat	249L: Seven-seat 876L: Five-seat 1796L: Two-seat
Length	4940mm	4903mm
Width	1923mm	1869mm
Height	1841mm	1837mm
Wheelbase	2900mm	2850mm

Does the new Ford Everest have good technology?

It’s no surprise that the next-generation Ford Everest ups the ante significantly on the tech front in comparison to the old model. Infotainment is a top-line upgrade, with Ford’s new Sync 4 operating system (in vertical format) replacing the dated 8.0-inch system.

Whereas the base-level Ambiente uses a smaller 10.1-inch infotainment system (still a big improvement), Trend and upwards get the 12-inch system. All have native navigation and digital radio, as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (both wireless and wired). There are also high levels of connectivity (with elements like Ford Pass Connect and a modem for internet connection) in this new system.

This connectivity allows for things like remote starts, location tracking and services, maintenance tracking and remote locking/unlocking. The old Ford Everest was capable of similar things, with FordPass technology arriving for the previous generation in the middle of 2020.

This is a clear and major improvement for the Everest, although we have noted some instability in Apple CarPlay connections in the new system at times.

This system is backed up by an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster (surrounded by an analogue tachometer and speedometer), which upgrades to a fully digital 12.3-inch system in the top-spec Platinum.

Is the new Ford Everest a safe car?

Standard safety fare for the new Everest includes autonomous emergency braking, low-speed reverse autonomous braking, intersection detection, lane-keep assistance, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera and automatic headlights. Not bad, especially across the range.

There are also nine airbags, which includes a driver’s knee airbag, full-length curtain airbags and a front centre airbag. The only elements not included as standard fare (except for the top specification) are a 360-degree camera system and (arguably not safety equipment) parking assistance technology.

Once again, this is a solid improvement over the previous-generation Everest. The old model had good safety features of its own, but blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were only available on the top-spec Titanium. The old model has seven airbags, which includes full-length curtain airbags, but misses out on a driver’s knee and front centre airbag.

And while the old Everest got a five-star ANCAP safety rating back in 2015, it’s not a match for the more recent five-star result in 2022 for the new model. Under ANCAP’s rating timeline, the old Everest’s rating is now ‘expired’ and the authority’s evolving test criteria means that these two five-star scores are directly comparable.

Although, it’s worth noting that the new-generation Everest was not crash-tested by ANCAP to get its five-star rating. Instead, the results and data of the platform-sharing Ranger were used and supplemented by ‘technical information’ provided by Ford.

	2023 Ford Everest	2022 Ford Everest
ANCAP rating	Five stars (tested 2022)	Five stars (tested 2015)
Safety report	ANCAP report	ANCAP report

Is the new Ford Everest affordable to own?

Servicing costs for the new Everest have been reduced, when one compares the capped-price service schedule against the old model. Whereas the previous generation was set to cost either $2455 or $2485 over five years (depending on your powertrain), the new model lops a meaningful amount from this (and helps some way against the increased asking prices).

The new V6 is a little more expensive to service overall, costing an extra $85 over five years. It’s a little heavier on fuel as well, with a claimed average of 8.5 litres per hundred kilometres compared to 7.2L/100km on the same combined cycle for the smaller 2.0-litre diesel engine.

This makes the new BiTurbo Everest slightly thirstier than the old-gen model (which was rated at 7.0L/100km), while the older 3.2-litre engine (with 147kW/470Nm) was a bang-on match for the new 184kW/600Nm V6 at 8.5L/100km.

Services are kept at every 15,000km or 12 months, and servicing through a Ford dealership also gets you roadside assistance.

	2023 Ford Everest	2022 Ford Everest
Warranty	5 years, unlimited km	5 years, unlimited km
5-year service costs	V6: $2275 BiTurbo: $2190	BiTurbo: $2485 Duratorq: $2455

Ford Everest towing capacities and payloads

The Ford Everest has historically been well placed in terms of payloads, which is an important facet for those looking to do some four-wheel driving and countryside touring.

The new Ford Everest has a payload of between 658kg and 733kg with four-wheel-drive powertrains, with the base-spec Ambiente getting the highest figure. Opt for two-wheel drive and you can get up to 741kg of payload. It also tells us that adding four-wheel drive to an Everest takes around 108kg, because the four-wheel-drive model also gets a 100kg increase in GVM (3100kg).

The towing capacity has been increased to 3500kg with this new Everest, up from 3100kg on the previous generation. An extra 400kg of braked towing capacity is still very good, and it’s almost matched by an increased Gross Combination Mass (GCM) of 6250kg.

It’s not a figure that allows you to traipse through total GVM and braked towing capacities at the same time. If you’ve got a 3500kg trailer on the back, the payload is effectively limited by the combination of available Gross Combination Mass and kerb weight.

Our advice here is that towing the full 3.5 tonnes with a vehicle like the Ford Everest probably isn’t a great idea, especially in higher-specification grades and when you include some accessories.

And when you are towing heavy amounts, dust off the calculator, head to the weighbridge and crunch the numbers. The important tip here is to remember to account for the ball weight in the GVM and payload of the tow vehicle, something that is often forgotten.

Some better options in this regard include the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, Land Rover Defender and Discovery and Nissan Patrol. Larger US-style utes – like the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Siverado – are also worth considering for serious towing duties.

Still, the 6250kg GCM of the Everest puts it ahead of key competitors like the Pajero Sport (5565kg), Isuzu MU-X (5900kg), Toyota Fortuner (5550kg) and LandCruiser Prado (5990kg).

The powertrains and driving experience

Gone is the Everest’s old 3.2-litre, five-cylinder Ford diesel, which had 143kW and 470Nm available, sent to the wheels via a six-speed automatic gearbox.

The newer 2.0-litre ‘BiTurbo’ four-cylinder diesel, which spouts better figures and runs through a 10-speed automatic gearbox, remains. Although, it’s been overhauled for this new-generation Everest. Figures have been slightly tweaked to 154kW and 500Nm, but the big news is focussed on the new V6.

It’s not a new engine, this Ford 3.0-litre V6. It’s been used in a wide variety of applications and guises over the years, but this is the first time Ford has used it in a T6 platform. It makes 184kW and 600Nm, giving comfortably the best outputs of its class. One would need to step up into more expensive options like a Toyota LandCruiser or Land Rover Defender to get a seven-seat four-wheel drive with more grunt.

There’s more power and torque than ever with this new 3.0-litre V6, but there’s also more relaxed refinement at the same time. Put simply, the old Everest was good in this regard, but the new model is significantly better.

The 10-speed automatic gearbox is said to be improved with this new-generation Everest as well. Our experience points to improved decorum and decision-making, but it’s still imperfect. Perhaps this is a symptom of having 10 ratios to choose from, but the gearbox can feel slightly busy at times.

The four-wheel-drive system

While the four-wheel-drive system might look the same at first glance, we’ve effectively got a next-generation application of similar technology in this new Ford Everest.

It’s a clutch-based four-wheel-drive system with a wet-style clutch pack that can actively connect and disconnect the front and rear wheels. It’s more complex and sophisticated than a traditional centre differential, allowing two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, and an actively variable mix between the two. And as the vehicle senses different levels of traction, grip and acceleration, it will tailor the drive split accordingly.

And importantly for a four-wheel drive, this system can properly lock into a 50/50 split like a proper 4×4 should. Combine that with a locking rear differential, some off-road driving modes and a low-range transfer case, and the Everest can hold its head high off-road. It’s not as outright capable as something like a Toyota LandCruiser Prado or Land Rover Defender, but it’s quite close.

Key details	2023 Ford Everest V6	2023 Ford Everest BiTurbo	2022 Ford Everest BiTurbo	2022 Ford Everest 3.2
Engine	3.0-litre diesel V6	2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel four-cylinder	2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel four-cylinder	3.2-litre diesel five-cylinder
Power	184kW @ 3250rpm	154kW @ 3750rpm	157kW @ 3750rpm	143kW @ 3000rpm
Torque	600Nm @ 1750–2250rpm	500Nm @ 1750–2000rpm	500Nm @ 1750–2000rpm	470Nm @ 1750–2500rpm
Drive type	Four-wheel drive w/auto mode	Four-wheel drive w/auto mode	Four-wheel drive,	Four-wheel drive
Transmission	10-speed automatic	10-speed automatic	10-speed automatic	Six-speed automatic
Fuel claim	8.5L/100km	7.2L/100km	7.0L/100km	8.5L/100km
Fuel tank size	80L	80L	80L	80L
Adblue tank size	18.5L	18.5L	18L	18L

Should I buy the new Ford Everest?

While the old Ford Everest was adept at combining family comfort with off-road competence and a good degree of utility, this new Everest does move the game forward in many respects.

It’s not just all about the optional V6 engine, as impressive as it may be. The rest of the powertrain has been improved, as well as the steering and suspension.

The interior is bigger, more practical and more tech-laden, all of which pays dividends for everyday family usage. The third row – even though being a little short on headroom – is one of the better in its class and is well suited for kids.

There’s plenty of nice attention to detail in this new Everest, with some examples that were absent in the previous-generation model: better entry/egress to the third row, more interior storage, room to fit a tablet in the third row, and the so-called ‘apple catcher’ in the back (a small but useful lip in the rear to stop things rolling out).

And while pricing has gone up, the increase in features, technology and end quality feels commensurate. It all adds up to be an impressive vehicle overall with good details both large and small.

If your family SUV needs a serious dose of adventure-ready capability, then the new Ford Everest should be right in the middle of your considerations.

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