Ford EcoSport: Manual vs Automatic

Compact SUVs are now a rage in town. Not only do they give one the elevated stance while driving around in town, but there is also the aura of an SUV albeit a small one. They are economical to run, don’t prove to be a hassle while parking, have enough intimidation on the road and general go anywhere capability. Well, Ford was one of the first manufacturers to understand this concept and as they say, the rest is history. Ford not only built the EcoSport but there are also derivatives of its hatchback platforms. The first-gen EcoSport came out in 2012 and the facelift came in late last year. For us in the Philippines, we are still waiting for the new version to drop in. While there are no major changes with respect to the powertrains in the new EcoSport, we do get questions on whether the manual is better than the automatic or the other way round. We explain all in this story.

For those who will be relegated to the chores of getting milk from the store or, dropping/picking kids from the school,  groceries and more, the EcoSport automatic makes sense. The 1.5-litre TiVCT engine not only makes ample amount of grunt but is also backed by good fuel efficiency. If 110 PS at 6,300 rpm of power and 142 Nm at 4,500 rpm of torque will not tingle your urban senses, we wonder what will. That being said, the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission isn’t Volkswagen fast. It, however, though is reasonably fuel efficient at 13 kmpl. 

Those who like rowing the gears of their own compact SUV and have a couple of twisties added to the mix, the 5-speed manual makes sense. However, the transmission itself isn’t smooth and personally, we feel that it could have been a tad less notchy as well. Needless to say, it is more fuel efficient than the automatic at 14.1 kmpl. In the city, the lack of low-end grunt from the engine means constant gear shifting and it could become tiring for some.

Ford though has very smartly piled in all the goodies one will expect into the top-spec Titanium trim of the EcoSport. This trim though is available only with an automatic and not with the manual. The niceties one will miss out include auto headlights, rain sensing wipers, power sunroof, automatic climate control, leather steering wheel, lumbar support, armrest for the driver, 12V power socket both at the front and rear, map lights and auto dimming rear view mirror. The keyless entry and push-button start too are available only on this top model.

All in all, we believe that it makes sense to go in for the automatic trim as it is not only feature loaded but also a convenient option for the city as well as occasional highway jaunts. Ford recommends changing the transmission oil once in every 10 years. That’s almost the average the Philippines would use his/her vehicle. So, it is the Ford EcoSport automatic that you guys should buy.