Ford C Max reviews

As a self-employed person who need tools and some equipment I was pleased to be offered this car by our local independent dealer. The semi-manual/automatic I really like (It has seven gears and no clutch, or one can leave it in auto) and the more upright position gives just that little better visuals thanks to a better driving position, particularly as both myself and wife have back problems. The radio/CD player is very good (essential) to blast the 'Eagles', 'ELO', 'Beatles', 'Allman Brothers Band' etc out at '11' on the dial (not quite true as the dial is marked up to 30!) and the radio will maintain good reception. The aircon/heater works well. The boot is usually big enough for all my kit and if I need a step ladder then one seat can be tipped forward. If more space is needed then the squab can tip as well. All three rear seats can do this of course. Most of my journeys are relatively local, nevertheless it consistently returns a fraction under 40 mpg which is fair, particularly as I enjoy 'booting' it and let the incredibly smooth auto make its own mind when to change! I use the manual more on journeys and then push it back to auto in traffic or built up areas. The only niggle I have had is the daft position of the electronic controls allowed some water to cause all manner of craziness when it got wet during heavy rain when I drove through standing water. This could have been a lot worse save for our garage spraying a few pints of WD40 (or equivalent) on it and saving the day. I paid £5k or thereabouts for the vehicle (in blue - not a fave colour) over 12 months ago and am very pleased with it, my first Ford for 39 years. It really has brought some fun back into motoring - and no-one is more surprised than me!

Had for 2 years with few problems, considering age and lack of servicing. Clutch needed to be replaced but was original. Few electronic problems e.g. some window controls (but I left windows open & they got v wet), drivers side widescreen defroster doesn't work - but window had been replaced after damage .... Drives well over rough and icy surfaces, high clearance makes all the local speed bumps easier to drive over at reasonable speed. Excellent space for me - gardening, tip trips, furniture removal ... and particularly a boot that is comfortable for a big German Shepard + a collie and my constant in car bag - all without it being a large car to park and maneuver. Good acceleration etc from lights,or to avoid other drivers and very happy to cruise .. faster than one should. Forgiving gears. Better than any other diesel I have had. Good turning circle. Efficient fuel economy in relation to previous cars of similar engine size. e.g. costs less for a journey than the AA predictor. Still going fine despite not much tlc.

Very good "all round" family car. Pros: Reasonable to insure, low road tax, very good on fuel, good mid height driving/ride position, light to handle. Cons: Legendary Ford build quality ! We bought the car with 40k on the clock and a full Ford dealer service history. In 60k miles we have had both front driveshafts replaced, all 4 wheel bearings replaced, all 4 injector seals replaced, replacement tailgate lock mechanism, and a replacement reverse light wiring harness - all under the extended warranty from Ford. The cd/radio has never worked correctly, and the rear visibility is partially obscured by the C and D pillars and daft "big" head restraints. Shockingly poor level of customer care from the dealership involved...... Also, just had the turbo replaced - a common fault on all these 1.6 TDCI engines apparently, and not under warranty so carried out by our good local independant garage. But, when this C-Max eventually expires, we will buy another !

Diesel Titanium bought new. Nice car and enjoyable to drive but just a few niggles lets it down. Fuel consumption well below what is claimed by Ford but has got better over 16000miles. Windscreen a long way forward so the pillar and quarter light creates blind spots on both sides which can be dangerous. No automatic door locking once car is moving. Drivers seat position difficult to get right. Headrest too far forward for front passenger and unable to adjust. The design of the alloy wheels on the titanium makes them a real pain to clean as they have so many odd shaped spokes. Didn't come with spare wheel as standard but negotiated a deal to get one free. Sat nav upgrade was too expensive at £700 so didn't bother. Uses no oil at all and has been reliable so far and very enjoyable to drive. Very stable on corners unlike other people carriers and drives like a normal car. Plan to keep it for as long as I can.

I chose the ford c-max as i needed a car that would accommodate three adult size kids in the back and also allow luggage/dogs to be transported in the rear. The car has been reliable however needed new shockers after the first year which was largely paid for by Ford. There have been a few issues, the interior finish of the car is poor with trim falling off and not being fitted snugly but nothing serious. My main annoyance is the turbo lag that quite often occurs when pulling out of junctions where the engine just seems unresponsive for a few seconds then bursts into life so you are wary of pulling out in a hurry! The rear seat belt set up is a design fault with the belts coming from the boot, which means the dogs have chewed them three times and the cost of replacing them has been substantial. The running costs of a new car seem extortionate to up keep the warranty which often doesnt cover the problem anyway.

I bought the C-MAX new in March 2011 from a Ford Main Dealer. The service and deal were very good.I find the car very reliable and good on snow due to the heavy front end.The economy is good on a long run, as I am getting 48-50mpg of diesel. As the engine is a newish design the emissions are low and my RFL is £30 per year.The last annual service was £190.I am only covering 6000 miles per year therefore my fully comp insurance with protected no claims was £169.60 last year.This gives me an annual running cost of £1017,which is acceptable. This does not include depreciation.I find the vehicle suits my needs as I am retired and enjoy the odd day out.I also have the flexibility to move items of furniture as required. Overall I have been happy with my purchase and will probably keep the vehicle for a few more years unless Ford bring out a Diesel Electric hybrid C-MAX.I won't however hold my breath!

Fuel consumption well below what is claimed by Ford. Windscreen a long way forward so the pillar and quarter light creates blind spots on both sides which can be dangerous. No automatic door locking once car is moving. Drivers seat position difficult to get right. Headrest too far forward for front passenger and unable to adjust. The design of the alloy wheels on the titanium makes them a real pain to clean as they have so many odd shaped spokes. Didn't come with spare wheel as standard but negotiated a deal to get one free. Sat nav upgrade was too expensive at £700 so didn't bother. Uses no oil at all and has been reliable so far and very enjoyable to drive. Very stable on corners unlike other people carriers and drives like a normal car. Plan to keep it for as long as I can.

This is my second C Max. It has proven to be very reliable over my three years of ownership, admittedly with lowish annual mileage. Nothing has gone wrong in or out of warranty, it handles well, comfortable front and rear and capacious enough for most needs. Does everything I require. My only quibble is that Ford cost-reduced the original vehicle when updating it, so that little storage touches have gone and some things look cheap (e.g. fastenings for rear shelf and lack of trays for rear seats). Lack of front parking sensors annoying since you cannot see the front of the car from the driving seat. And why oh why get rid of the spare wheel? Overall MPG around 49 MPG including local journeys and long 'A'-road journeys at the posted speed limits.

We bought the Grand C Max to carry the two of us, three big dogs and luggage on regular trips across country of 260 miles. The car does its job well with a roof box for most of the luggage. Two dogs travel in the actual luggage compartment behind the rear seat and the other one travels on the back seat itself. Space on the depth of this back seat has been sacrificed to allow more room in the load area. This makes it unstable for our dog but the problem is solved by loading the two foot wells and putting his bed across this and the seat. He then has a huge area to lie on and it works well. As for us, we find the car very comfortable and great to drive. We are very pleased with our purchase.

Have had the car from new, a few minor niggles, one major one. Had good service from the Ford main dealer where I live. The car is the 125hp Eco Boost 3-cylinder model and performs quite well. Fuel economy is not quite as good as expected but is better than my previous Focus. The car is easy to get in and out of and the ride is generally quite relaxing. It carries me and my golf clubs and trolley backwards and forwards to my golf club with relative ease, and is capable of carrying five adults in reasonable comfort when necessary. I would be quite happy to recommend this to others, and am considering getting another new one next year.

This is an early model Focus C-max, before "Focus" was dropped from the name. It is an excellent family-orientated car. It is tall enough to comfortably fit my tall relatives and has easy access to the "boot" from the rear seats. It still sometimes surprises me how much space there is inside the car. It is comfortable to drive and has more natural sitting positions than shorter cars. Reliability has been generally good. The worst fault was a split pipe in the power steering system - an inconvenience rather than a disaster. The only downside is that the 1.6 engine is a bit small - 1.8 would be better for this size of car.

After having had a 1.6 petrol Ford Focus for 9 years I bought this 1 year old C-Max. I have had no problems with it and found it has plenty of oomph and is extremely frugal with fuel. It is also cheap to tax. However, we are now told that as a diesel the car is a worse polluter than a petrol one and this worries me. Why does the government continue to encourage Diesel cars through the tax system when - even if they are are more economical to run - they are doing more to destroy the planet for our grandchildren and harming people's health?

Practical and very spacious without feeling like you're driving a tank. A definite 'mummy' car which is fine if you want something that hasn't got bags of added extras or too much of a fun element but one that will happily get you from a to b without any stress. This isn't a criticism at all, just a fact. Having owned one and moved to a smaller hatchback which is a bit more fun I am considering going back to a C Max for that reason. It's easy, practical and reasonably cheap to run. (Didn't find it that economical on fuel costs)

The Ford C-Max is one of the best cars I have driven. I am really impressed with the ride and handling. It has little or no body roll and goes smoothly over bumps. The turning circle is so good and it is good even in tight spaces.The specs on the Zetec model is also reasonable and the car is very spacious and practical. The parts and servicing being a ford is also affordable. The only negative I have is the fuel economy around town which is reasonable for a 2.0 engine but still not great.

I need a car with a fairly high seating position as at my age I have shrunk! It needs to have space to put my wife's wheelchair and Zimmer and sometimes luggage as well and it has to be reasonably easy to get my wife into. On the whole the C Max fulfills these requirements. Performance is as good as I need and it is capable of sharp acceleration when required. It has not let me down in the three years since I bought it second hand with 16,000 miles on the clock.

Although I do not have a family, I do have two elderly relatives that I need to take to appointments etc. Both of them find the car easy to enter and exit and the space and position of the seats makes it easy for them to move about. The car fits in well with the rest of my lifestyle and many friends pass comment about the amount of legroom and boot space. Manouvering and parking are straightforward, and all the dials and switches etc are easily to hand.

I've had 3 of these and they suit my needs very well in terms of cost, comfort and practicality. I can arrange the seats in order to carry different loads, seat 5 people with luggage and also install child seats. The layout is good with CD player, USB connection for MP3 DAB radio, bluetooth and phone recognition as well as automatic emergency connectivity. Rear sensors are really useful as are the automatic tailgate and rear blinds

I bought the car to accommodate my new dog and also wanted more doors so that my elderly parents could get in and out easily. It is a very comfortable ride on long distances, e.g. over to France and back. It is a good steady performer but I'm not looking for a racing car. The next time I would like a slightly higher spec, e.g. Zetec, but overall I am very pleased with it and would consider another one as my first choice.

Bought my C-Max when 3 years old, very pleased with every aspect, wanted a diesel to keep running costs down, pleased with only £30 road tax, good level of comfort, equipment and car is well designed, plenty of space for passengers and luggage. Looking forward to keeping it for some years to come as I infrequently change my cars. Used to drive Ford cars then changed to Mazda and now back with Ford and the C-Max.

Very practical vehicle I like it a lot. Except for poor turning circle . Not easy to park I think it may be something to do with the electric power steering. All the previous cars I have had hydraulic power steering. It came without a spare wheel and tyre so I bought a space saver tyre. Manufacturers should be prevented from selling cars without a spare wheel. The current situation is ridiculous.