Considering a Territory

[arronm]

For me territory is a great vehicle. I have 2010 SY2 TTG. Shame they dropped this model as you get car performance from a truck. And AWD is awesome, especially for towing.

7 seats are great for those extra people. Kids no worries. Adults 1 hour tops then it gets uncomfortable.

If the SZ had a petrol turbo I would have bought a new one of those.

You need to weigh up what you want and need to use the vehicle for.

Go drive the petrol and diesel and then decide. That's what I did. I drove all 4 , both SY 2 models and both SZ . I found the SZ petrol slow and hated the diesel.

I just imaged all with over 2T towing and the the decision was easy.

Mine was thirsty at first , but once the engine and gearbox were tuned I get 9.0-9.5 at 110kph and 13-14 around the city. Car only runs on 98.

But that's just my opinion.

[chich]

I’ve had a few over the years and unless you’re driving almost exclusively on the freeway I wouldn’t recommend a diesel. While the V6 is torquey it’s extremely laggy, noisey, smelly and expels plumes of soot. Petrol RWD is the way to go if most of your driving is stop/start or around town.

If you absolutely must have a diesel try to find a SZII as the lag in these is not as bad as the SZI.

For the record I’ve had a SYII petrol TS, SZI diesel TS, SZII diesel TS and currently have a SZII petrol Titanium for the wife.

In terms of alternatives we found the Mazda CX-9 is a good fit. The older versions are a bit slow and thirsty but the current model with the turbo 4cyl drives very well and is quite a decent package. We were close to pulling the trigger on one but changed our minds as the dealer was a bit of a dick.

Another alternative is the Subaru Outback. Very well built (for a Subaru), very reliable and the 6cyl is effortless.

[BENT_8]

Arrived home in ours a couple of hours ago.
I'll be honest and say i was a bit unsure if i was doing the right thing on my way down to pick it up, by the time i was half way home i was like, Falcon who?

I love it, the Wife loves it, the kids love it, wish i'd made the switch years ago.

[peaterj]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Arrived home in ours a couple of hours ago.
I'll be honest and say i was a bit unsure if i was doing the right thing on my way down to pick it up, by the time i was half way home i was like, Falcon who?

I love it, the Wife loves it, the kids love it, wish i'd made the switch years ago.

That's exactly how i felt when i bought mine, except i was coming from a Holden.

[EDManual]

I'm looking at one too, thinking diesel rwd. I notice that the diesel needs a timing belt change at 160k, so think i'll get one that has just had that done rather than one that has a few km less (like 130 or 140). Surely these diesels should be good for 300,000? I am wanting to keep one for a good few years.
And yes I do tow a boat and a race car on a car trailer. awd and rwd seem to be the same price, would I be right in saying the awd would average 1 extra litre per hundred?

[prydey]

Originally Posted by chich

it’s extremely laggy, noisey, smelly and expels plumes of soot. Petrol RWD is the way to go if most of your driving is stop/start or around town.

you must drive different to me. mine doesn't expel plumes of smoke, and I wouldn't say its overly smelly. the noise is just diesel noise, but that is only really evident from outside. Yes it will emit 'plumes' of smoke if you bury your right foot all the time, but if you drive it like a diesel and let the engine do the work, it rarely smokes.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Arrived home in ours a couple of hours ago.
I'll be honest and say i was a bit unsure if i was doing the right thing on my way down to pick it up, by the time i was half way home i was like, Falcon who?

I love it, the Wife loves it, the kids love it, wish i'd made the switch years ago.

did you look up my thread in the SZ section and copy what I said? its almost word for word

Originally Posted by EDManual

I'm looking at one too, thinking diesel rwd. I notice that the diesel needs a timing belt change at 160k, so think i'll get one that has just had that done rather than one that has a few km less (like 130 or 140). Surely these diesels should be good for 300,000? I am wanting to keep one for a good few years.
And yes I do tow a boat and a race car on a car trailer. awd and rwd seem to be the same price, would I be right in saying the awd would average 1 extra litre per hundred?

this engine has been around for some time, esp in LR discovery, and many high km examples around. i'm hoping for my sake they are good for at least 300k.

As for mileage, the official combined figure was 8.2 for RWD and 9.0 for AWD (or 8.8 for TX AWD), so not a lot in it.

I went with RWD as I don't need the added complexity of AWD.

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by prydey

you must drive different to me. mine doesn't expel plumes of smoke, and I wouldn't say its overly smelly. the noise is just diesel noise, but that is only really evident from outside. Yes it will emit 'plumes' of smoke if you bury your right foot all the time, but if you drive it like a diesel and let the engine do the work, it rarely smokes.

I call it the "anti-taligater" shield...they soon know they are too close and a breath of diesel soot teaches the science of keeping your distance.

[Mr Brooksy]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Arrived home in ours a couple of hours ago.
I'll be honest and say i was a bit unsure if i was doing the right thing on my way down to pick it up, by the time i was half way home i was like, Falcon who?

I love it, the Wife loves it, the kids love it, wish i'd made the switch years ago.

Glad you and the family like the Terry. What did you end up buying? Petrol or diesel? AWD or RWD? What spec? 5 or 7 seats etc?

Personally, most of the time I wish we hadn't bought the Territory, I dislike it compared to Falcon. Hate high riding cars, dislike the cruiseliner handling and the box profile annoys me in windy conditions. But we are all different and everyone has different needs/likes etc from a car. But my wife likes it and really wanted something with 7 seats so it was a Terry (or similar SUV) or mini van (hell no!).

[ford71V8]

We had our BJs and arms replaced on our 06 AWD Territory yesterday.
It was expected and we bartered a good price when buying to compensate for it knowing we would likely hang on to it for a good while.


I'm the same as Brooksy, I'm not a fan of the high-ride either but its the wife's car so I'm not driving it enough to bother me. And she loves it, so happy days. I expect she will request a newer Territory when we start talking about moving this one on. Roomy, good power and not an ugly box, I'm glad we considered one.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Arrived home in ours a couple of hours ago.
I'll be honest and say i was a bit unsure if i was doing the right thing on my way down to pick it up, by the time i was half way home i was like, Falcon who?

I love it, the Wife loves it, the kids love it, wish i'd made the switch years ago.

Yep, thats how I still feel about my 2013 SZ Titanium diesel RWD after just on two years now having it. I love the car.

The diesel Territory loves the country and freeway driving, it cruises effortlessly up and down hills, its comfortable, quiet, relaxing, smooth, and I'm at my destination before I realise.

Overtaking is effortless as well, there is absolutely no lag when accelerating to overtake which is done smoothly, quickly and easily. And at the lights, there is no lag at all when accelerating the instant the lights change. Not even for a split second. The computer is currently showing 8.2 litres/100kms, don't know the average speed with that though. The exhaust smoke is only noticed when I accelerate briskly, which is not very often. In shopping centres, I find the SZ Territory is much easier to manoeuvre into parking spaces with the EPAS steering system, than the FG Falcon I had.

However for people looking at buying a SZ or SZII Territory, if its going to be used mainly for city and/or short distance stop-go driving I would recommend the petrol version.

[FoxtrotGolfXray 5.0]

Was in our Tez last night and checked the figures (all from the car's computer - not validated at fuel pump):

13.5l/100km average fuel consumption

35 km/h average speed.

As you can tell, it is mum's taxi and does a lot of low speed runs around town. Having said that, we generally use the Tez for doing any family trips as the missus (being the geriatric she is at 48 ) can't stand getting in and out of the XR8. So, the average speed would be a lot lower without those trips. And the average consumption a bit higher.

[Raptor]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Arrived home in ours a couple of hours ago.
I'll be honest and say i was a bit unsure if i was doing the right thing on my way down to pick it up, by the time i was half way home i was like, Falcon who?

I love it, the Wife loves it, the kids love it, wish i'd made the switch years ago.

The Territory was the best Falcon (derivative) that Ford Australia ever made

Glad you all are enjoying yours.



.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by prydey

did you look up my thread in the SZ section and copy what I said? its almost..

Pretty much, lol.
Nah, its just the truth to be honest.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by Mr Brooksy

Glad you and the family like the Terry. What did you end up buying? Petrol or diesel? AWD or RWD? What spec? 5 or 7 seats etc?

2013 SZ TX diesel RWD.
Seat configuration wasnt a concern for us as we really only have 2 kids who go anywhere with us and so i figured it was just a 5 seater, however, after reading the owners manual last night ive noticed it has the easy access lever on the passenger side middle row so without having investigated yet, it may very well be 7 sest.
It doesnt have belts in the rear pillars etc. So im assuming if it is 7 seats they are incorporated into the 3rd row?
I'll have a suss later.

[arronm]

Originally Posted by Mr Brooksy

Glad you and the family like the Terry.

Personally, most of the time I wish we hadn't bought the Territory, I dislike it compared to Falcon. Hate high riding cars, dislike the cruiseliner handling and the box profile annoys me in windy conditions. But we are all different and everyone has different needs/likes etc from a car. But my wife likes it and really wanted something with 7 seats so it was a Terry (or similar SUV) or mini van (hell no!).

Come for a drive in mine will change your mind. Handling sorted with springs and shocks. 400HP at the tyres.

I hated territories , thought they were boxes on wheels. Now I luv it, and so does my wife. She drives it most of the time and she usually couldnt care less about cars as they are just A-B. BUT wait for the freeway on ramp, when she brings it on boost and we get pinned in the seat. I look over and she is smiling ear to ear...... Makes me feel all warm inside.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

2013 SZ TX diesel RWD.
Seat configuration wasnt a concern for us as we really only have 2 kids who go anywhere with us and so i figured it was just a 5 seater, however, after reading the owners manual last night ive noticed it has the easy access lever on the passenger side middle row so without having investigated yet, it may very well be 7 sest.
It doesnt have belts in the rear pillars etc. So im assuming if it is 7 seats they are incorporated into the 3rd row?
I'll have a suss later.

If there is no belts in the pillars then it is a 5 seat. There is some good storage in the rear floor in a 5 seat though.

2013 should be free of all the icc glitches of earlier models as well as the updated brake booster.

Sounds like a nice one.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by Raptor

The Territory was the best Falcon (derivative) that Ford Australia ever made

Glad you all are enjoying yours..

Interesting snip from an article our friend Joshua Dowling wrote in todays Carsguide about the new Kia Sorrento which they have for a longer term road test:

Its a big call but I reckon the Sorrento is the closest vehicle at this price point to how the highly regarded Ford Territory drove.

Its now late 2018 and my take from this, is that the Territory is still the benchmark for this type of vehicle.

[prydey]

An observation for the OP - since I bought mine roughly 12 months ago, it appears the market has dropped maybe 3-5k here in SA. By the time you are ready to buy, a $20k budget should get you something pretty decent.

[roKWiz]

I know nothing about Territory's.
Some schooling would be nice on the diesel engine specs and origin.

[Raptor]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

I know nothing about Territory's.
Some schooling would be nice on the diesel engine specs and origin.

Start here; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Territory_(Australia)

At launch, the diesel engine was a seven-year-old Ford AJD-V6/PSA DT17 engine, which debuted in Australia with the Jaguar XF and Land Rover Discovery 3.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by Raptor

Start here; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Territory_(Australia)

Took awhile to get to the diesel part but didn't realise its a Dagenham diesel product.

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by prydey

If there is no belts in the pillars then it is a 5 seat. There is some good storage in the rear floor in a 5 seat though.

2013 should be free of all the icc glitches of earlier models as well as the updated brake booster.

Sounds like a nice one.

Thanks Rob, saves me mucking around looking for it, as i said, having 7 seats isnt an issue to the point that we didnt even factor it into the purchase, the car just felt right and was at the right price for how it presented.

[chich]

Originally Posted by prydey

you must drive different to me. mine doesn't expel plumes of smoke, and I wouldn't say its overly smelly. the noise is just diesel noise, but that is only really evident from outside. Yes it will emit 'plumes' of smoke if you bury your right foot all the time, but if you drive it like a diesel and let the engine do the work, it rarely smokes.

They all expel plumes of smoke.. the two that I've had and every other one!Next time you're on the freeway have a look at the exhaust of a diesel territory and then look back at the smoke cloud it leaves behind. Not acceptable for a car less than 10yo in my opinion.

As for the noise it's definitely evident in the cabin and apart from the lag, this would have to be one of my biggest bugbears. Having said that i get annoyed with little squeaks and rattles so maybe it's just me

[Mr Brooksy]

Originally Posted by arronm

Come for a drive in mine will change your mind. Handling sorted with springs and shocks. 400HP at the tyres.

I hated territories , thought they were boxes on wheels. Now I luv it, and so does my wife. She drives it most of the time and she usually couldnt care less about cars as they are just A-B. BUT wait for the freeway on ramp, when she brings it on boost and we get pinned in the seat. I look over and she is smiling ear to ear...... Makes me feel all warm inside.

Not my thread, but I'm guessing if I put the same amount of money into a Falcon model you put into your Terry I'd probably like that Falcon more than the Terry equivalent. Like for like.

But the Territory does its job pretty well, not knocking it for its purpose or even it's capability when modded. I just prefer a performance sedan over an SUV.

And being it is Bent_8s thread, it sounds like he loves his TX and that's all that matters here.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by chich

They all expel plumes of smoke.. the two that I've had and every other one!Next time you're on the freeway have a look at the exhaust of a diesel territory and then look back at the smoke cloud it leaves behind. Not acceptable for a car less than 10yo in my opinion.

As for the noise it's definitely evident in the cabin and apart from the lag, this would have to be one of my biggest bugbears. Having said that i get annoyed with little squeaks and rattles so maybe it's just me

I own one so, like I said, you must drive different to me. Mine will smoke if I drive it like a petrol or use excessive throttle percentage, but otherwise it doesn't. It's never a race for me.
It was never designed for higher than Euro 4 either so just like every other diesel without dpf or some urea additive like adblue. These just make the nasty stuff less visible. Ever been near a dpf equipped car when it's doing a dpf burn?
The lag in these is often attributed to the engine but it is mostly the gearbox calibration. It does catch you out now and again but most of the time its easy to drive around it.
They may not be as refined as some newer cars but the engine noise is only really evident under acceleration and its a lot better than most other diesels. Given the lack of budget Ford had to work with, I think they did an amazing job, especially considering it's still thought of as a benchmark for driving dynamics in this vehicle class.

[whynot]

As others have pointed out, there is a wealth of information on the Territory in the territory sub-forum.

I have had two; an SY AWD petrol and a SZ RWD diesel. The fuel savings of the diesel need to be balanced against the higher price of diesel fuel and the higher maintenance costs of diesel engines. In my view, unless one is doing a lot of towing, the petrol engine is the better choice. The other issue with diesel is the turbo lag from a standing start. If you do a lot of city work, having to scuttle across intersections and into traffic, the diesel can be a pain in the backside.

As the Barra petrol engine is very torquey, it does mask the momentum of its 2000 kg curb weight. It accelerates particularly well for a SUV. However, the laws of physics dictates that additional fuel must be burnt to have the same acceleration as, say, a 1600 kg vehicle. A heavy foot and city traffic will easily see 20l/100km from the petrol. A bit of common sense with the right foot will see a more reasonable 13l/100km around town, and just below 10l/100km on the open road. Diesels can easily get below 7l/100km on the open road.

Yes, front ball joints are a known issue. Restrict your purchase to an SYII or later (May 2009) when the design was changed. Like any Falcon, suspension rubbers should be considered a maintenance item (like shock absorbers). Have them checked before purchase as ones like in the rear differential can be worn out in as little as 40,000 km.

(As an aside, I was reading complaints in the Mitsubishi Outlander electric vehicle forum about electric motor mounts having to be replaced around 20K. Issues with bushes and mounts affect most vehicles.)

In terms of vehicle dynamics, a 2004 Territory will drive rings around most 2018 cars. The ride + handling combination is still the benchmark for any SUV to aspire to. When it was released it was at the front of active safety (e.g. first vehicle with ESC across the range, and one of the first with reversing camera). However, later models fell further and further behind the pack (e.g. lack of lane assist etc).

In terms of what to look out for … most issues with the Falcon are also prevalent on the Territory. If you know your Falcons well, look for the same type of problem on the Territory. Once that come to mind include aforementioned ball joints and also “milkshake” in the transmission fluid, electric window winders that break, lack of sufficient paint under the bonnet and around welds, rust under the seals (particularly the rear hatch). Check out the Territory sub forum for more issues.

That said, the Territory is a solid vehicle that, with just routine maintenance, will often give high mileage service until it is run into the ground.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by chich

I’ve had a few over the years and unless you’re driving almost exclusively on the freeway I wouldn’t recommend a diesel. While the V6 is torquey it’s extremely laggy, noisey, smelly and expels plumes of soot. Petrol RWD is the way to go if most of your driving is stop/start or around town.

If you absolutely must have a diesel try to find a SZII as the lag in these is not as bad as the SZI.

For the record I’ve had a SYII petrol TS, SZI diesel TS, SZII diesel TS and currently have a SZII petrol Titanium for the wife..

Having owned one SZ diesel doesn't mean all SZ diesels drive the same way. Mines not noisy at all inside the car, its got quite a pleasant subdued sound actually, which is only mainly heard when accelerating at lower speeds.

Regarding the smells. A good friend of mine was recently looking at a 2011 diesel Territory to buy, after a test drive was asking me questions about it including that he found it smelly. I suggested to find something newer and a petrol version which would suit their usage better. They ended up with a SZII petrol TX which they are very happy with. A couple of weeks later I drove him in my diesel Territory (2013 SZ Titanium), he remarked that he could not smell anything and that the car he was looking at must have had something wrong with it.

And regarding the lag thing, as prydey says its easy to drive around the issue. As I mentioned in my earlier post, mine responds instantaneously to the pedal.

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by whynot

I have had two; an SY AWD petrol and a SZ RWD diesel. The fuel savings of the diesel need to be balanced against the higher price of diesel fuel and the higher maintenance costs of diesel engines.

The price of diesel must be a regional thing. The price of diesel in my area is consistently the same or cheaper than 91 octane petrol.

Regarding higher maintenance cost of the diesel version, I have found the servicing cost in fact is exactly the same as for the petrol engine version except:

- The fuel filter needs replacing at 45,000km intervals instead of 90,000km for the petrol, and more expensive (around $90 each, maybe a little more depending where you buy it from).

- The timing belt needs replacing at 165,000kms, and the HP fuel pump drive belt at 240,000kms.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by whynot

In my view, unless one is doing a lot of towing, the petrol engine is the better choice.

I tend to agree. I bought mine because I also bought a camper van (Jayco swan). I towed it with my falcon a few times but for legal reasons, I needed more payload capacity in the vehicle. Falcon was a capable tow vehicle, but the territory is significantly better in that regard.
If I wasn't towing, I wouldn't even have looked at a territory to be honest, but the petrol version is a lot simpler, esp if things go wrong. Thankfully they seem to be pretty reliable in this regard. I'm the sort of person that always thinks about the 'what if' scenario's so the thought of big expensive repairs is always in the back of my mind. Injectors are about $1kea. Turbo is in the region of $4k, HP fuel pump is another very expensive exercise... Then there is the threat of contaminated fuel... could also be expensive (as with any common rail diesel with fuel contamination).

Like I said, thankfully reports of these failing are very thin on the ground.

The petrol will be cheaper to fuel, but will be thirsty to the tune of 3-5L/100km. Depending on your usage, this isn't a big cost in the big picture.

there are pro's and con's for each vehicle that the individual has to work out for themselves. Disregarding the 'what if' scenarios I mentioned earlier, my diesel is 1.5L/100km better than my FG around town, and about 0.5L/100km better on the highway, so even without towing, i'm happy to own a diesel.

Originally Posted by whynot

and also “milkshake” in the transmission fluid,

I don't want to hijack this thread but the 'official' reason (people can choose to believe whichever reason they like) for the heat exchanger failure was residual casting sand in the block finding its way in to the exchanger and gradually wearing away over time. whether its the only cause, this isn't the thread to argue that, but the fact that the only failures seem to occur in falcon with the cast iron block, and not in territory diesel, or ecoboost falcon, suggest these cars 'could' be free of that issue. It was also a small factor in me choosing a diesel, even though i'm not aware of any failures in SZ petrol territory.