Ford Endeavour vs Mahindra XUV 500: Battle of the behemoths!

Can the Mahindra XUV500 outclass the Ford Endeavour 4×2 AT?

The Mahindra XUV500 has been a huge hit with buyers going by the initial round of bookings. Over 8,000 vehicles were booked in the first week after launch, forcing Mahindra to stop taking orders for a while. The reason it’s popular is because it’s seen as much better value than more expensive SUVs. But can the XUV500 really challenge the big brute SUVs such as the Ford Endeavour 4×2 AT?

We compare the XUV500 with the Endeavour 4×2 AT so you can figure out their capabilities and identify the one that suits you the best.

Driving and handling

Outright, the XUV500 is a lot smaller than the mighty Ford Endeavour, and it is also significantly lighter, giving it an edge in agility. In terms of power – the XUV500 is powered by a 2.2 litre common-rail diesel engine that puts out 140 bhp of power and 330 Nm of torque, mated to a six-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels.

The Endeavour is powered by a 3-litre diesel engine that puts out 155 bhp of power and 380 Nm of torque, mated to a five-speed automatic transmission that powers the rear wheels. The Endeavour needs that kind of brute power as it is a significantly heavier vehicle compared to the XUV.

The XUV feels faster in pick up as it is lighter and there’s no lag compared to the Endeavour’s automatic transmission. Even though the XUV has lesser power than the Endeavour, it feels faster. On corners, there’s less body roll in the XUV compared to the Endeavour and braking is better as well. Over rough patches, the XUV tends to pitch and bounce a bit, but the Endeavour feels more planted and better built for rough roads.

Overall, the Mahindra XUV500 has an edge over the Ford Endeavour in driving and handling, despite the latter being the more powerful of the two.

 

Space and comfort

The Ford Endeavour, however, has a significant advantage over the XUV500 when it comes to space. The Endeavour is the longest among all Indian SUVs at over 5 meters in length. This translates to better legroom in all three rows, as well as enough luggage space even when all three rows of seats are in use. That said, under-thigh support in the Endeavour is not that good because of the high floor, but it’s pretty comfortable. The XUV500 has great space and comfort in the first two rows, but the third row is cramped and luggage space is non-existent with all three rows of seats in place.

The all-wheel independent suspension set-up of the XUV is great for handling and highway comfort, but it does tend to unsettle rear passengers on bends, more than the Endeavour does. The Endeavour has a relatively simple leaf-spring rear suspension set up and torsion bar suspension for the front.

Overall, the Endeavour has more space and is slightly more comfortable in all three rows than the XUV500.

Looks

As far as fit and finish goes, the Endeavour is a well-built SUV in the traditional sense. It sports a full body-on-frame construction, with straightforward lines and looks like a traditional SUV. It has an inbuilt aggression in its design and the huge ground clearance also gives it an aggressive stance. The XUV on the other hand relies heavily on design cues to give it its aggression. It’s pretty compact otherwise.

Overall fit and finish are good even on the XUV, except for some plastic bits on the interiors. Both the Endeavour and the XUV feel plush and luxurious inside, thanks to the use of leather upholstery and subdued lighting.

Looks are subjective, so we’ll leave it to you to decide what fits your need more – traditional aggressive looks of the Endeavour, or modern, curvy, ferocious looks of the XUV.

Features

As far as the list of features goes, the XUV500 is far more loaded than the Ford Endeavour. The W8 variant has six airbags, all-round disc brakes and electronic stability program, much more in terms of safety compared to the Ford Endeavour which has only two airbags (four in the 4×4 variant) and ABS, with a regular disc/drum brake setup.

When it comes to convenience features, the XUV500 again has far more to offer. Cruise control, chilled storage box, automatic climate control, touch-screen navigation system, multi-information display, Bluetooth, voice commands are some of the features that the XUV500 has that the Endeavour does not.

Clearly, when it comes to features, the XUV500 is far more loaded than the Ford Endeavour.

Price, mileage and overall value for money

With the kind of feature list that the XUV500 offers, you would expect it to be priced far higher than it is. The XUV500 W8 two-wheel drive variant is priced at Rs. 11.95 lakh ex-showroom Delhi, which is nearly Rs. 6.3 lakh cheaper than the Ford Endeavour 4×2 AT priced at Rs. 18.29 lakh ex-showroom Delhi. Even if you compare the XUV500 with the base Ford Endeavour, the Ford Endeavour 2.5 MT, priced at Rs. 17.06 lakh, the XUV500 is still Rs. 5 lakh cheaper than the Endeavour.

In terms of mileage as well, the XUV500 delivers better mileage than the Ford Endeavour. The automatic Endy has a claimed mileage of 10.7 kmpl, while the XUV500 has a claimed mileage of 15.1 kmpl. In real world conditions, the Ford Endeavour automatic gave us 9.8 kmpl overall in our road test, while the XUV500 gave 14.3 kmpl in the city and 16.4 kmpl on the highway.

Overall, looking at the features offered and the mileage, the XUV500 seems better value for money than the Ford Endeavour.

Pros and Cons

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Verdict

Choosing between the Ford Endeavour and the Mahindra XUV500 depends on what you are looking for in an SUV. The Endeavour has all the traditional, old-school values of an SUV and it’s far more spacious. So if it’s space and ruggedness that are your primary concerns, as well as ease of driving (as the Endy is an automatic), the Endeavour will satisfy those needs.

But if you want more car-like handling and plenty of equipment and features, while saving a few lakhs of rupees in the process, the XUV500 actually seems like a much better deal.

Technical Specifications comparison

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