A Nitpicker’s Guide to the Ford Territory

It is undeniable that the new Ford Territory is amazing in its own right. A crossover SUV with all the great features, with the looks and the power, it is a good steal as it is also very affordable to own one. First car owners can be surprised to find the Territory on their short list, as well as loyal Ford owners who have bought several vehicles from the Ford line-up in the past.  The Territory is truly a car for everyone, or is it?

When Territory owners have gone over their and their car’s ‘honeymoon phase’, let’s see what the superb vehicle has to improve in the future, or not, in this nitpicker’s guide.

It’s just a big car

Every Filipino family would love to bring their family members on vacations to their home provinces or even quick holidays outside the metro. This is the reason why certain SUVs or crossover vehicles have been offering a 7 to 8 seating capacity as compared to the typical 5. The Ford Territory is a 5-seater, and to most Filipino heads of the family, this means owning another car to bring all of their family members out of town or perhaps to take turns when going out. Now, as Covid restrictions are easing up, everyone is itching for a beach trip or a glamping weekend. The Territory can bring you everywhere and anywhere with its high ride height and awesome 143-horsepower, 1.5L EcoBoost engine, but if you are a bigger family and you won’t trust your teen to drive the second car for the road trip, consider buying a bigger vehicle.

(un)Ease of Access

The 10-inch infotainment system in the Trend and Titanium+ models have been the highlight of the new Territory’s interior. The digital controls are a true mark of modern-day vehicles, with ultra-modern feels. (“The future is now, young man!”) The infotainment system acts like a central control panel which could be accessed via the right panel buttons of the steering wheel and via touchscreen display. The system is designed to show four particular windows, and it allows for the control of vehicle audio, air-conditioning, seat heating and cooling, ambient lighting (for the Titanium+), accessibility for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, and more. It is supposed to show a smart system but using its quadrant interface which requires sliding from one window to another, can become tricky as it needs some time for one to get use to. The Territory has a driver seat with lumbar support adjustments so it prioritizes ergonomics but imagine having to swipe and slide on your screen while driving, or even tapping on the steering wheel buttons, just so you can tweak a little setting, which can be accessed before using old school knobs and buttons.   

Some users also complain about the intermittent, often disconnecting, wireless Apple CarPlay connection. The Territory has a wireless charging area which also doubles as your way to connect your iPhone to the infotainment system. Some users say that it needs to be set-up every time as the connection is often disconnecting. This, however, might be an issue to the phone and not to the car. A more secure connection via Android Auto and old school wires may be set-up, if you have an Android phone. What is validated on this nitpicking is that the Territory does not have its own navigation system, so having to use Waze or Maps in Android Auto or CarPlay is required in finding the best route from point A to point B. With cars nowadays offering the same thing regarding navigation, this might not be a bad thing after all.

The “Rubber Band” Effect

One common criticism for the CVT transmission is that they have a sort of “rubber band” effect, or the different feeling when the engine speed and acceleration does not particularly match. For example, when the accelerator is pressed and the driver hears the engine purr and roar, but the transmission does not show positive acceleration, thus no increase in speed and the power the driver expects. Well, the Territory can sometimes give this feeling. Other modern CVTs have a workaround where the transmission tries to mimic a traditional torque converter; the Ford Territory’s CVT does not.

Maintenance Woes (a waaay further down the road)

They say more moving parts are more causes for worry, and the Territory with all its bells and whistles, can give a panic attack to the anxious owner. Applying Murphy’s law can surely show how the electronics can fail at some point. Imagine the infotainment system shutting down and suddenly, even your access to some of the basic switches are now gone. The moonroof which is the highlight of the car can be another cause for worry, as Philippine summers can be way too hot and the heat coming from the moonroof could be too much at some point. The heat could also make the rubber on the moonroof brittle, and without proper maintenance and problem detection, the moonroof can also give rain showers inside the car during the monsoon season. (Here, experience with cars with a sun or moonroof is the best teacher.) Perhaps, however, these causes for concern are nothing regular maintenance cannot prevent so make sure the vehicle is always in tip-top condition.

It's a Ford, but it ain’t pure American

To be able to sell in the largest car market in the world – China – a car manufacturer has to tie up with a local car manufacturer. In this case, Ford paired up with the Chinese car manufacturer JMC, to produce the Territory. This might be the reason why the Territory’s looks and features can remind one of a Geely. While this is NOT a bad thing, loyal Ford customers who expect an American-bred car can be a little disappointed. Besides, the Titanium+ is a lot far away from the simple and rugged Ford DNA.  But great news, Ford fans, because the lot-simpler Trend variant shows a lot more of this Ford identity. Some reviews show that the 17-inch wheels ride better than the Titanium+’s 18 inches. The Trend also has less chrome and less distractions inside the car (if you consider the ambient lighting and the three-mode dash to be distractions). To end, there is still a Ford for everyone!

All cars can be nitpicked. There is no perfect car out there, as the criteria for perfect is often and always subjective. As the saying goes, the best car is the one you’ll choose, and if I may add, no matter what kind of vehicle car manufacturers come up with, there will always be little devils in the details.