Mom approved: discover why the Ford Territory is our family's new favourite ride

IOL News

5 days ago

During our time with the Ford Territory, we used it for typical suburban errands, including the twice-daily school run, various extra-curricular activities, and grocery shopping for our large family.
Image: Louanne Chamberlain
'What a lovely-looking car!' was my first thought on seeing the Ford Territory that had been delivered while I was out.
First impressions were very good; a once-over glance showed a generous cabin size in the back, a well-sized boot, and, in general, the car looked modern yet still suitable for more mature drivers as well as families with children and pets.
My opinion
So who am I? I am a wife and mom with teenagers still in the home, I run and administrate a business or two, and have a little side hustle going on that requires loading gazebos, tables, chairs and merchandise on random weekends.
I am by no means a petrol head, so all the amazing specs on the car will have to be found elsewhere. This is my opinion of the vehicle that I had the pleasure of driving for a week.
Driving
During our time with the Ford Territory, we used it for typical suburban errands, including the twice-daily school run, various extra-curricular activities, and grocery shopping for our large family.
We did two highway runs from the southernmost area of Centurion (I know, I had to go and prove it to Johannesburg Water at their Giskey office many years ago), once to Colbyn, Pretoria North, and then to Elspark, Germiston.
In both suburban driving and on the highway, the car handled smoothly, steering was light and responsive, fuel consumption was great, and once I got a handle on the alarms that occasionally sounded (mostly for being too close to another vehicle on initiating an overtake), my driving experience was one to remember.
Acceleration and braking were good and handled as one expects them to.
What did we really love about the car, you ask?
What we didn't like
Well, let me first tell you the one thing we did not like, and the two things that were not deal breakers, but we noticed.
First, we didn't like the door handles on the inside. If you have larger fingers, you will have to open the door using your fingertip, as the space to put your fingers in the handle to pull on it is too small for a car that is so large and spacious in every other way.
The two things that were not deal breakers, but we noticed, suspension over speed bumps is a bit hard, and you feel the bumps more than expected in such a high-end car (we felt it was in the luxury vehicle class).
The other thing was that we just could not figure out the boot mechanism from inside the car – sometimes the boot opened when the car was idling, other times we had to switch the car off to get the boot to open. I am sure the boot frustration was operator ignorance, but there you have it.
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In both suburban driving and on the highway, the car handled smoothly, steering was light and responsive and fuel consumption was great,
Image: Louanne Chamberlain
What we loved
Now, let me share the many things we loved about this car, and I really do mean we LOVED them.
The general look of the car is beautiful, modern and sleek. My teenagers felt like royalty arriving at school each day – I was instructed to park where everyone could see them climbing out of the car.
The interior was very unexpected, beyond generously spacious. With two drink holders in each door and two in the centre console, it is highly unlikely that anyone should go thirsty.
There was an open space under the gear mechanisms/buttons in the front cabin that could hold a couple of "Harry Potter" books, then there was a tray for keys and wallets, with another compartment behind it that could hold a large handbag – this is a bonus safety feature against potential smash-and-grab.
The front cabin area would comfortably accommodate a tall man, with ample leg and head room; the front console was not overbearing and gave the sense of 'added' space around you. The back seat cabin area was large and would again accommodate a tall person with extra leg room if needed.
Then there was the boot capacity, which was also enormous.
While it is not required in this review to compare the Ford Territory to another vehicle make, for context, I must mention that my usual ride is an older Land Cruiser 200, so I am used to feeling like I am driving around on my couch, with the space to go with it.
The boot space in the Ford Territory is large enough to carry everything needed for a day out with the children's kit and more.
Image: Louanne Chamberlain
When we usually pack the Cruiser to go and work on my aforementioned side hustle, we have to "tetris" the gazebo between the boot and one of the front seats, and it looks and feels very full with 3 chairs, a table, my two little crates for merchandise, and our sports bags (we participate in archery tournaments).
Imagine my surprise with the Ford Territory, when the gazebo fitted in between the boot door and front seat with enough space left for us to fit a table and chair between the driver's seat and the gazebo itself.
This left ample space for the remaining two chairs, our merch crates, and our archery bags. This, for me, is a major win for the car.
Having left the best for last, we cannot do a review without mentioning the front console.
The large touch screen was well placed on the vehicle and was very user-friendly; we connected our phone in seconds without needing to open multiple apps and settings to get it done.
The sound system was awesome – the teenagers could not sing its praises highly enough, and it was definitely the highlight of every school run. Eventually, we had to manage it so that everyone got turns to play their favourite music or stories.
The navigation/GPS worked well on all our trips. And then, as if it could not get any better, the one time we went out in the evening, the cabin lit up with the most delightful blue trim – another wow factor for the teenagers, enough to be noticed, but not so bright as to distract the driver.
In a nutshell, we really did love this car. The week after it had been returned, a teenage voice piped up from the back seat asking, 'So, mom, when are we getting the Territory back?'
'What do you mean by 'getting it back'? We only got to drive it for a week, so it has been returned.'
The immediate response, 'Oh, I thought we were going to buy it,' followed by a thoughtful pause, 'So, when are we buying it?'