Ford

As a driver and passenger experience, superior to Fortuner and a real rival to Prado.

Huge dimensions can be a bit tricky to master in city traffic or covered parking garages. Everest excels as an all-terrain cruiser, especially with its safe, smart adaptive cruise control.

Third-row seating submerges into the floor, creating a huge luggage storage area. Sync4 rivals the best Chinese infotainment systems, and standard safety spec is comprehensive.

Very capable as an off-road touring vehicle and handles heavy loads with ease. Platinum V6’s huge wheels limit its off-road ability. Wildtrak 2.0 is the one to have

Ford’s most iconic model and the only naturally aspirated V8 two-door you can buy new in South Africa.

Cabin quality isn’t amazing, but the performance-to-price ratio is. Linear acceleration and throttle response from that 5-litre V8 is unrivalled at the price. Very liveable in daily traffic, too, thanks to the smart and slick-shifting 10-speed automatic transmission.

Ford’s extensive dealer network and distribution make it one of the easiest performance cars to own and keep running, if you aren’t in a major city. Naturally aspirated engine is less vulnerable to local fuel quality issues than any comparable turbocharged V8.

Successor to the Fiesta, in crossover form, with a very distinctive design.

Built on one of the best compact vehicle platforms, engineered by Ford’s European division. Puma is one of the best-handling and most agile compact crossovers you can buy, and it's very confident at high cruising speeds.  

Ford’s Sync3 infotainment system is good, but it’s a generation behind the Sync4 available on locally built Fords like Everest and Ranger. Puma is expensive, especially when considering the optional extras.  

Only one engine option and Puma’s 1-litre turbocharged triple isn’t light on fuel, because it’s always high on boost.

Australian engineered and locally built, this is South Africa’s most popular double cab range.

Tough frame, terrific cabin and excellent Sync4 infotainment make Ranger excellent at long distance highway cruising. And off road adventuring. Better driving experience than Hilux or any Chinese bakkie.

Lots of factory accessories and prewired aux switches make Ranger an amazing overlanding platform.

The 2-litre BiTurbo engines can have temperamental cambelt lubrication issues, so strict maintenance intervals and OEM lubricants are a must.

Raptor version is possible South Africa’s best value family performance car, offering tremendous performance on all terrain types. With utility and pothole strike survivability that no traditional performance car can rival. Best buys are 2.0 Wiltrak or Tremor.

Ford’s mid-size crossover is a rebadged JMC. Specious cabin design and lots of digital tech, as you’d expect from a Chinese platform vehicle.

Curiously the Territory does not use Ford’s proven and excellent Sync infotainment system. Device syncing and digital functions run through a Chinese system, instead. But like everything Chinese and digital, the screens are excellent and the UX is fluid if you are a tech type.

The 1.8-litre EcoBoost engine and 7-speed dual-clutch transmission operate best in Eco mode. Throttle responses can feel a touch overactive in other modes.

Ground clearance is decent at 190mm, but road biased tyres and front-wheel drive mean its not meant for Karoo gravel travel.