Ford Everest 2020 review: Ambiente RWD

The Everest was never meant to win any beauty pageants. It's big, it's butch, and it looks suitably tough, if that's what you're after.

The front is wide and bullish, there's no real sense of refinement on the exterior and it looks like you're about to take off into some rugged, rocky driving, even though you'll probably be doing the school run.

The interior feels similar - with a smidge more sophistication. Everything is well laid out with a clearly designed centre console area but it doesn't look at all luxurious, which you're not expecting on this car anyway.

So the seats are fabric and the steering wheel isn't leather, but strangely it's not disappointing because that's exactly what you're expecting from a Ford Everest.

It looks like it can take in some dirt and without completely ruining everything. Great for a family which doesn't keep its car pristine.

The third row seat is exceptionally easy to pop up and down, and it's light enough for virtually anyone to do, so you will be able to configure your car the way you need it for that moment.

It's not particularly easy to climb into, but children will love the challenge.

The car is very high off the ground and my children (aged five and seven) really had to hike up and climb in even just to the second row. They did love this, and the big jump out of the car.

The third row was tight even for me, but you can move the second row forward to distribute the space more evenly between the two rows. (image: Dean McCartney)

The front seats are manually adjustable which is always a bit of a pain, but the park brake turns on and off automatically (big bonus points for this) and keyless entry is standard.

There are six cupholders in total, two in each row, and the front row gets a storage spot to throw keys and a phone, a large centre storage bin, plus bottle holders in each door.

The second and third rows each have extra air vents in the roof, with climate-control adjustment in the second row.

The seats are fabric and the steering wheel isn't leather, but strangely it's not disappointing because that's exactly what you're expecting from a Ford Everest. (image: Dean McCartney)

The Everest's exterior belies how it drives. It's loud, with a diesel engine that chugs along like you're in a small truck, and that's certainly what it feels like because it's quite bouncy and you need extra effort to press down on the accelerator to go fast - it's not a light press.

Once you're underway, though, it goes well. There's a 3.2-litre, five=cylinder diesel engine that bangs down highways and gets up hills - with effort, yes, but you know it's got the power to get there.

The car is very high off the ground and my children (aged five and seven) really had to hike up and climb in even just to the second row. (image: Dean McCartney)

It's high off the road and you do feel confident, if not a little arrogant at such high altitude relative to others on the road.

Yes, it's big, but I was driving it in narrow suburban streets and didn't have too much of an issue manoeuvring through parked cars.

Once you choose a park big enough it's easy enough to get in with a reverse parking camera. It does have a large turning circle but that is expected of a car this size.

There are airbags to cover the driver and front passenger, and side curtain airbags that extend down to the third row, making it usable long term and for long distances.

Advanced safety includes all the big ones - auto emergency braking, blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control... among other things.

There are five top tether points across the second and third rows and two ISOFIX points in the second row to fix kids car seats in safely.

It received a maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2015.

The Ford Everest Ambiente RWD costs $49,190, before on-road costs with fuel consumption coming in at a claimed 8.4L/100km.

It's covered by Ford's five year/unlimited km warranty. and servicing is recommended every 15,000km or 12 months.

The Everest's exterior belies how it drives. (image: Dean McCartney)