Live Tall.

In the segment Endy sits in; there is no better alternative! I have been an auto enthusiast all throughout and Toyota Fortuner is one of the cars performing duties in my family. The few cars that come to mind in this price bracket are a) VW Tiguan b) Ssangyong Rexton c) Toyota Fortuner d) Hyundai Tucson e) Ford Endeavour & f) an SUV from ISUZU whose name I don't know. For most of us, an SUV is an ego booster to start with and hence the size matters the most. The idea of towering over fellow mates on road gives you an edge as a more powerful and sought after individual. This ideology in itself negates the Tiguan and Tucson from this equation and I am left with the Fortuner, Endy & the Isuzu. The Isuzu hardly holds any brand value in our country or service network to boast of, which definitely makes it a white elephant of future. The two final contenders are then as different as chalk & cheese when it comes to living with. The amazing ease of drivability is what marks the first point in favour of an Endy. The steering geometry makes it super agile for its size and manoeuvring in tight situations are much easier than in a Fortuner. Then there is the 5 cylinder Diesel engine that sounds and pulls so much smoother and harder than the typical clattery 4 cylinder from the Toyota. The fuel efficiency figures would make you sit up though when compared to the Fortuner. The dashboard scores another brownie with its leather cladding on top and the digital display in your instrument console. The centre console with its voice activated sync 3 and the Terrain response system takes the Ford another step ahead. The overall ride quality lets you run over any and everything and its much less choppy & wriggly than the Fortuner. My favourite gizmos- the panoramic sunroof and the electric last row seats. Talk about the front end and the Ford offers presence that dominates everything around costing twice as much. That said, the brakes doesn't instill confidence in you and it takes some time to trust it in case of last moment stomping. Also some plastic bits like the rear AC vents and its switches which takes away from the premiumness whatsoever. I know if its genuine usability and quality you desire, you buy yourself a Tiguan or an even better looking Tucson but then for me, the SUV is for either enjoying off road antics which is greatly helped by the low ratio transfer box or to zoom into that private party and earn those million dollar glances. Whichever it is, I would prefer doing it with the Endy this side of 4 million bucks.