Buying a used Ford Territory (2004-2009)

The Ford Territory was big news when it went on sale in May 2004. Back then the term 'softroader' had not yet been coined. The closest vehicle to this interesting new concept was Germany's BMW X5 and Japan's Toyota Kluger, both of which arrived at the turn of the century.

But nothing like it had been built in Australia and the Territory rewrote the rulebook on local automotive norms. It picked up the coveted Wheels Car of the Year award in 2004 -- the first time in the magazine's history the gong has gone to a 4WD.

Although Holden had beaten Ford to market by releasing an all-wheel-drive version of the Commodore wagon called the Adventra in October 2003, the Ford Territory was Australia's first, new-from-the-ground-up softroader. It remains so today.

Territory was designed from a clean sheet of paper [Ed: almost, it had to be based on Falcon] for families who wanted the functionality of a large four-wheel-drive wagon -- but with car-like handling and, hopefully, car-like running costs.

Ford was instantly onto a winner. Sales for the first few years were strong as buyers migrated from conventional wagons, people movers, and commercial-style four-wheel-drives (such as the Toyota Prado, Mitsubishi Pajero and others).

The Territory immediately shot to second place in the medium-SUV market in 2004 despite being on sale for only the last seven months of that year. It then went on to become Australia's biggest selling medium-SUV for the next three years (2005 to 2007).

A clever tactical move, Ford offered Territory customers the choice of four-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive. As one newspaper motoring writer put it when the Territory went on sale: "Australia is about to find out if motorists really need 4WD".

The subsequent six years of sales would show a massive preference for rear-drive, which now accounts for 70 per cent of Territory sales. This proves that Australians love the look and practicality of four-wheel-drive vehicles -- but don't always need all-wheel drive ability.

The Territory's body was a triumph of design. Even though the Territory was shorter overall than the Falcon, it had much more cabin and cargo space because Ford stretched the Territory between the front and rear wheels. The taller, more open body style also created acres of space.

The tall driving position gave a commanding view of the road ahead. Mums and dads felt invincible on the school run in their two-plus-tonne machines.

All Territory models were available with five or seven seats. The third-row seats stowed cleverly (but cannot easily be removed) to create a flat floor so that when both the second and third row seats are folded down there is a long, flat load space.

The third row seat was designed with children and teenagers in mind, but small-framed adults can squeeze in for short trips. If you must carry adults in the back row, try to get in there yourself before signing up to buy the car.

There are three models in the mainstream Territory range: TX, TS and Ghia. All are available in rear-drive or four-wheel-drive. Turbocharged performance models would follow in July 2006 but are not covered in this report.

Standard fare on the original Territory TX range included air-conditioning, an electrically adjustable driver's seat, power windows, auto headlamps, steering wheel audio controls, a tissue box holder (which came with a box of tissues back then) a single CD player, trip computer, height-adjustable pedals (via a button on the steering column), and three 12-volt power sockets (front console, second row seat console, and rear luggage area).

Ford also boasted that the Territory had 30 storage compartments in the seven-seat model, and 32 storage compartments in the five-seat model, including massive door pockets with adjustable drink holders, and a cubby on top of the dash.

All models came with the same, trusty 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine found in the Ford Falcon of the day, with 182kW of power and 380Nm of torque. And the same trusty four-speed automatic transmission. Originally, the four-speed auto was the only transmission on both rear-drive and all-wheel-drive models.

Drivers who craved a manual were asked to make do with the auto's Sports Shift mode. That is, flick the lever to one side and change gears manually.

Ford copied the BMW philosophy of, once in this mode, pushing the lever forward to change down gears, and pulling the lever back to change up. The theory being that this follows the inertia of the car when braking or accelerating. (JD: interestingly, the motoring world was -- and still is -- divided on this subject and some believe that the actions should be reversed. The industry is evenly split on this debate, judging by where the plus and minus symbols are placed on new cars these days. Of course, it's a rather pointless discussion given that most drivers wisely leave the transmission to its own devices: in 'D' for Drive.)

Originally, rear-drive Territory models came with traction control, while all-wheel-drive models had stability control (which can prevent a skid in an emergency swerve manouvre). This made the Territory the first Australian-made car with stability control.

It was also the first Australian made car with side curtain airbags, which were standard on the flagship Ghia and middle-of-the-range TS model, and optional on the base TX model.

Rear parking sensors and cruise control were only standard on the top-of-the-range Ghia models, and were optional on others. Incredibly, cruise control and curtain airbags would not become standard on all Territory models until May 2009.

The Territory was widely praised for how well it drove. It disguised its mass well, even though it weighed almost as much as the other popular medium-sized 4WD wagons of the day.

It steered well and was comfortable over bumps. On all-wheel-drive models, 62 per cent of the power goes to the rear wheels, while 38 per cent of the power is sent to the front. This makes the Territory sure-footed on slippery surfaces such as a wet road or a dirt trail.

Ford worked with Goodyear to develop two tyres specifically for the Territory. So specific, in fact, that merely mentioning the tyre size to a tyre retailer tells them instantly that you own a Ford Territory.

The all-wheel-drive models came with a Goodyear Fortera while rear-drive models came with a Goodyear Integrity. The dimensions for both are 235/60 R17.

Other companies now make a tyre in this size, but Territory owners would be well advised to stick with the original Goodyear rubber when it comes time to replace the tyres, given that they were designed to work best with the Territory's suspension and steering -- and anti-lock brake and stability control systems.

Another good reason to stick with the original rubber: Territory owners typically get up to 60,000km on a set of Goodyear tyres if they've been rotated regularly and always properly inflated.

At around $300 each for the Fortera and $270 each for the Integrity, they're not the cheapest tyres available -- but they last longer than average. As a reference, genuine replacement tyres for the Toyota Kluger come at a similar cost.

A rear view camera became standard on the flagship Territory Ghia and an option on the middle-of-the-range Territory TS. But the rear view camera was not available on the base TX model because it didn't come with a full colour display screen at that time.

The Territory's six-cylinder engine was reworked slightly. It went from 182kW and 380Nm to 190kW and 383Nm. This change also improved the figure on the fuel economy rating label, although this alone didn't reduce real world economy by much if at all.

Territorys typically average between 13L/100km and 17L/100km, depending on driving style and conditions, which is not exactly frugal, so be sure to budget for this when buying.

The biggest reduction in fuel consumption came from the fitment of a six-speed automatic transmission in the all-wheel-drive models. (The four-speed auto carried on in rear-drive models.)

Ford introduced an updated Bosch ABS and stability control system (from Bosch 5.3 to Bosch 8.0), which monitors vehicle stability parameters 25 times per second and anti-lock brake parameters 200 times per second -- and chose to make it available on more models. Stability control (previously exclusive to the all-wheel-drive models) became standard on the flagship rear-drive Ghia -- and optional on the TS and TX rear-drive models.

Ford also fitted what it called a "smart" alternator, which delivered a higher output at lower rotational speeds.

The Territory remained unchanged for another two years, until a minor update known simply as 'SY Upgrade' in July 2007, which saw stability control become standard on all Territory models.

Curtain airbags wouldn't become standard until May 2009 when the SY Mark II was released. Unlike other model updates, this one could be identified without looking at a compliance label. It had a new front bumper, a large chrome strip under each headlight, a new bonnet with a creased bulge in the centre section, new wheels and new seat trim.

In March 2009 Ford announced a recall of more than 90,000 Ford Territorys -- including 83,500 on Australian roads -- to rectify a potential leak in a front brake hose. Ford says the problem occurred on less than 2 per cent of Territorys -- about 1800 vehicles.

The problem came to light through a 'Mr Fixit' motoring column in one of Australia's daily newspapers, which received 15 complaints of brake failures from Territory owners. The voluntary recall involved vehicles manufactured between February 1, 2004 and December 31, 2008 and affected 83,534 Territorys in Australia, 7739 in New Zealand, 3612 in South Africa and about 60 in Thailand and Brunei, reports said at the time. Turbocharged Territory models are not affected, as they have a different braking system.

The Ford recall notice said in part: "Under certain operating conditions it is possible for the vehicle to develop a front brake fluid leak, which can result in reduced braking effectiveness from the front brakes. In these cases, the rear braking system will still bring the vehicle to a halt within Australian Design Rule requirements. If the vehicle continues to be operated in this condition, a warning light will appear on the instrument cluster to alert the driver that the vehicle's braking system requires attention... Ford's investigation shows that a combination of high time in service, along with frequent cornering at full steering lock, can lead to the issue."

To find out if a Territory has had the recall work completed, check for a silver foil adhesive label on the inside of the driver's door jamb. If the work has not been done, the vehicle can still be taken to a Ford dealership and the repair will be completed free of charge even if the vehicle is out of warranty.

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