2025 Ford Everest Trend review – Top 5 Pros & Cons

Built to leave the asphalt behind, the 2025 Ford Everest is an SUV that holds secrets beyond its bold exterior. A body-on-frame construction, heavy-duty 4WD system, and impressive towing capabilities all point to one thing: it’s ready for anything – except maybe a life spent on smooth tarmac.

Looking at pros and cons, let’s see what makes the 2025 Ford Everest Trend a standout in the popular 7-seat SUV market segment. During 2024, Ford Australia delivered 26,494 examples of the Everest, easily placing it as the best-seller, in front of the Prado (9802 units) and Isuzu MU-X (17,978), according to VFACTS figures.

2025 Ford Everest Trend: Pros

1. Off-road capability

The Everest is a serious off-roader at heart. With a 1620mm track width, 229mm of ground clearance, a body-on-frame construction borrowed from the Ford Ranger ute, and underbody skid plates, this SUV can pretty much smash over anything the terrain throws at it.

A combination of a rear diff lock, low range gearing, optional all-terrain tyres (as tested), and selectable driving modes means you can tackle mud, snow, sand, or rock with ease. In that sense, even in lower-spec Trend form, it is one of the best off-roaders in this specific class in our opinion.  The Trend also comes with the ‘4A’ mode like upper variants, so you can drive on tarmac with the security of four-wheel drive.

2. Fuel economy

For a big 7-seat SUV, with a ladder-frame chassis and live axle rear suspension, the Trend’s official fuel consumption rating of 7.2L/100km is excellent. With its 80-litre tank, it means the theoretical average range is an impressive 1111km. We averaged 8.3L/100km in the real world in this test vehicle, which is still quite good for class and this amount of power.

Although the V6 might be more desirable in upper trim levels, this 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder goes alright and is surprisingly smooth and quiet. Peak power is 154kW and max torque is 500Nm. Both of these figures sit well in this class for a diesel four-cylinder. In the recentl past, we’ve timed 0-100km/h in 10.47 seconds in the base Ambiente 2.0L.

3. Interior layout and features

Inside, Ford has made the Everest Trend feel upmarket for a lower-spec model. The interior presents a blend of rugged durability and thoughtful functionality. Piano black finishes and black leather seats add some class, while the sheer amount of storage options around makes this perfect for a busy family.

While there are some hard plastics, they’re tough and practical – perfect for an SUV that might get a bit dirty on those weekend adventures. Dual cup holders in the front, bottle holders in all doors, and power sockets in the back (including 12V socket in the third row) further enhance practicality. Although there is a flip-down centre armrest in the back, it doesn’t feature cup holders unfortunately.

4. Modern technology

The Trend comes with the full-size 12-inch portrait-style touch-screen runnings Ford’s Sync 4 operating system, offering everything from climate settings to media, and we’re glad to see wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay included. Even when using wireless app connectivity, you can still see the air-con settings split out at the bottom of the screen, with some physical controls mounted below.

5. Spacious interior

With one of the most spacious interiors in this class, with an upright glasshouse helping to maximise visibility for all passengers, the latest Everest cabin is perfect for a big family. Third-row seating legroom is decent for this class, and the middle row slides on rails so you can adjust accordingly. Second-row legroom is abundant.

And then up at the back the boot capacity is listed at 259L with all three rows up, and then 1823L with both rear rows down. It might not be the absolute largest in this class, but it is very close. We like the square boot opening as well, so you can easily squeeze through bulky or awkward items.

2025 Ford Everest Trend: Cons

1. Steep price

Although the cheapest Everest Ambiente starts from a reasonable $54,240, this Trend example kicks off from $67,040. The influx of newcomers from China are proving you can get pretty much the same package for a lot less. Even the Toyota Fortuner rival is cheaper actually, with the equivalent mid-spec GXL starting from $58,895. Although, it isn’t as well kitted out as this. At least with Ford, unlike some of the newcomers, there is a certain deal of heritage and long-term experience that comes with the Everest.

In terms of servicing (not part of this ‘Cons’ list), the first four services are advertised to cost $379 each on the Everest if completed by a Ford service centre. Servicing is required every 15,000km or 12 months. Or you can pre-purchase five services upfront for $1516, which cuts the price of each service down to $303.20 each.

2. Shift-by-wire

While the ‘e-Shifter’ gear selector is a modern touch, it’s a bit too easy to accidentally slide too far forward into the Park position when you’re trying to select reverse. This can be a little frustrating if you’re in a hurry, especially when trying to quickly reverse park in tight spots and holding up other traffic.

3. Ageing design, already?

There is no doubt that the Everest is one tough-looking SUV from the outside. Especially in Tremor form with the blacked-out grille, black elements, and chunky wheels and tyres. But in Trend form, with chrome detailing, the design can seem a bit tired when put alongside emerging entrants breaking into the market. Even though this generation has only been out since 2022. At least it still looks rugged and adventurous, unlike some of the swoopy, coupe-like crossovers in this class.

4. Payload at max towing

The Everest Trend offers a full 3500kg braked towing capacity, putting it at the top of the class with some rivals. However, factoring the gross combination mass (GCM) of 6250kg, and the kerb weight of 2383kg, the leftover payload with a 3500kg trailer is 367kg. You’ll need to keep that in mind if you have a large family to haul around and/or heaps of luggage and gear.

5. Not class-leading warranty

With five years, unlimited kilometre coverage, the Ford Everest offers good peace of mind. But if we were to be picky, Mitsubishi offers 10 years with its Pajero Sport rival, and many of the newcomers are offered with seven years.

2025 Ford Everest Trend: Specifications

Engine: 2.0-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder
Output: 154kW@3750rpm / 500Nm@1750-2000rpm
Gearbox: 10-speed auto
Drive type: RWD/4WD with 4A mode
Wheels: F & R: 18×7.5, 255/65
ANCAP: Five stars
Tare weight: 2336kg

Power-to-weight: 15.16:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 7.2L/100km
Our consumption: 8.3L/100km
Fuel tank/Fuel type: 80L/Diesel
Power efficiency: 21.38kW:L/100km
0-100km/h: 10.47 seconds*
Starting price: $67,040

*Based on previous Ambiente 2.0TTD test