Ford Everest 2023 review: Platinum long-term | Part 2

The saying goes, the bigger the better, but the Ford Everest might just be too big for our family's needs.

Don't get me wrong, its great to have all that size and space, especially when loading up the car with all the gear a toddler and newborn baby need, but there's just something too clumsy and awkward about the packaging of the Everest – especially evident in Melbourne's inner-city.

Take for example, the glove box, which we usually use to tuck away snacks on longer trips with our toddler, but the shelf on offer from the Everest is a bit too tight for the bananas, crackers and rice cakes we need.

Even the underarm storage cubby feels small and cramped, especially next to the Hyundai Santa Fe large SUV we had prior to the Everest that would fit a box of the aforementioned crackers standing up!

The cupholders are also just a touch shallow for large coffee cups (an essential for parents), while the wireless smartphone charger and storage tray found forward of the shifter can get a bit tricky to load and unload if overstuffed (which is all-too-easy to do with just keys and a wallet).

This isn't helped by the fussy centre console that has to fit the shifter and all the 4WD toggles for off-roading, which have on more than one occasion been accidentally hit to change the drivetrain set-up.

To be fair, the Everest also has a set of pop-out cupholders for the front passengers, but they are a little too flimsy and light to confidently hold onto a large flat white.

The door trims are also quite chunky, making it difficult to put my full-sized bottle into the door pocket, but there is ample room for other bits and bobs.

The in-cabin storage and space ends up being just okay, which is a surprise given how big the Everest is, and I'd like to see Ford put some more thought into it.

But, where the Everest really shines is in the rear, with a boot space that is cavernous, hard-wearing and practical.

With only two kids, the third-row is full-time folded down, but that means the full-size pram, nappy bag, groceries and everything else can be secured.

The boot measure 898 litres with five seats up, and there's no way you could hope to fill that space as a family even with camping gear and fishing rods in tow.

We've yet to try it, but it looks like even a full-sized bike could fit in the Everest's generous boot. But the flip-side of that capacity is the Everest's substantial size.

I've already talked in the first part of my review about how the brawny Everest barely fits in my garage, but the sizing is also a hinderance when using on-street parking.

Spaces feel tight with the Everest, likely because its near 2.0-metre width fills out the painted white lines very easily, but it also means you have to often pass up convenient car parks for spots further out and easier to navigate into.

Look, this isn't an admission that I am a terrible driver, I am a motoring journalist after all, so I'd like to think my skill behind the wheel is a bit better than the average person, but when faced with either a multi-point manoeuvre to squeeze the Everest between a pillar and a Polestar, I'd rather just head to the back of the car park where I have the space to swing it in first go.

And going for a space without a car either side means you can swing the rear doors open wider to get the kids in and out more easily. But still, a ute-based family SUV is about as awkward at a shopping centre as a teenager on their first date.

And on the theme of big, the Everest Platinum will return a fairly hefty fuel bill, too, as the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 isn't exactly the most frugal.

This month we averaged 11.8L/100km, and it was just a touch over $130 to fill up from nearly empty to full.

That's not an insignificant chunk of change, so it's definitely something to bear in mind if you won't take advantage of the Everest's off-road or towing capabilities on a regular basis.

So, the Everest more than fits the bill as a family hauler, but then again, so do many other models in the large SUV category.

Where it truly shines is its ability to navigate nearly any terrain with ease, and thanks to its unique four-wheel automatic mode, it is pretty much a set-and-forget feature.

We'll dive more into the oily bits in our final long-term review next month, but for now, the Everest is just fine for our family.

Acquired: June 2023

Distance travelled this month: 885km

Odometer: 13,456km

Average fuel consumption this month: 11.8L/100km