Ford S-Max reviews

I have owned my car from new and it is now 7 years old with 102000 miles on the clock. There were a couple of minor issues with a leak in the air conditioning system early in it's life which my local garage corrected. The car then gave years of problem free motoring travelling the length and breadth of the country, generally returning MPG figures in the mid-40s. I recently had to replace the starter motor due to wear but, other than the usual consumables replaced during services, the car has required no other components replaced. The car is the Titanium X, so a very comfortable car with all the bells and whistles, and the 7 seats are easy to handle, folding flat into the floor to leave a huge area - resulting in it's use as a van on occasions and it is amazing how much t will hold. The S-Max is very easy to drive with a superb view all round, although care has to be taken with the thick windscreen pillars which can, if the position is right, hide an entire van, never mind a car. However when I have had to use a 'normal' saloon car, I found the driving position much more limited and uncomfortable, having to stop and walk around much more often than I would have with the S-Max. I also have a large single axel caravan and I have to say that the S-Max is a superb towing vehicle, handling the caravan easily with power in reserve allowing swift and easy overtaking when needed. Motorway cruising at the legal limit with the cruise control switched on leads to a very relaxing and comfortable journey, and the car returns 32-35 miles to the gallon which compared to previous tow-cars I have owned is, to my mind, exceptional. In essence, the main thrust of any review is whether the reviewer would recommend the car. I would, and a friend has just bought one having spent some time with mine, as has the owner of a local body-shop who has also had my car recently (it was bumped when parked - honest). Lastly, would I buy another. Even though I have had vehicles from the same manufacturer, I have never bought the same car twice and, having taken everything into account, I am about do change that - an identical new one is on order !!!

I have had this car 6.5 yrs. it was 8 months old when purchased from a main dealer. I have travelled over 70k miles, with many long distances in mainland Europe. It is very comfortable and practical with large load and people capacity ie on family outings with grandchildren, the 7 seats are great. It has excellent economy, over 50mpg on longer journeys and 45 - 47 mpg driving locally. The power is very adequate for comfortable cruising on motorways. The Titanium spec is very good except the CD GPS which is poor compared with Tom Tom and updating CDs cost approx £130. Reliability has been good. The ABS system was replaced under warranty. The only annoying repetitive fault is failure of the bonnet catch release mechanism. Twice it has been to main dealer for repair but still eventually failed - i think corrosion is a major factor given the location of the mechanism. The last repair was carried out by a small local garage I use; no problems since. Car serviced regularly at reasonable cost. Main dealer disappointing in performance and cost. After guarentee expired have used local garage above. Thinking of replacing car with same model about 6 months old. Would recommend model to anyone.

Very useful car. Done 84k and has only cost a set of rear brake pads so far apart from tyres, servicing etc.. Came with Continental tyres which achieved 16k on the front, changed to Goodyear all-season tyres now getting 25k per set on the front. MPG is 52 according to the computer - not tested its trustworthiness. Tow's a caravan very competently. Bought it through a on-line broker for a good price, but can't seem to find such a good deal now 4 years on. I would go for the twin plate automatic next time. Would not consider a saloon/estate again after this, I like the more upright higher driver position - maybe a age thing. Plenty of grunt and stability when towing. Kids enjoy the space in the rear seats and according to them are less prone to feel queezy in this car than previous cars. Seats 6 & 7 only suitable for children/short adults. Overall its a good car and would recommend.

Very practical car, lots of space, plenty of ooomph, averaging 51mpg over the last 6 months with hardly any caravan towing. Done 86k miles in 4 years and repair costs so far has been a few bulbs, one set of wiper blades and a set or rear brake pads and thats it...brilliant. Servicing at main dealer has been £150 - £190. Last set of tyres which were Goodyear allseason tyres lasted 25k miles on the front.. would have lasted a little more but the car was due an MOT and winter was coming. Good car for towing a caravan. The replacement SMax seems expensive. Heater/air con not as powerful as previous cars but there is a bigger space to heat up/cool down. Like the more upright seating position than a saloon and higher seat height when getting in and out of the car now that I am in my fifties.

This is my second S-Max. Whilst it is has 7 seats, the rear two are folding and really only for children, it drive like an ordinary saloon - none of the wobble that you can get on some other MPVs. My current one is a 2200cc diesel which I found is better for pulling a large caravan than my last 2000cc diesel. Fuel economy is fine, not brilliant. Handling is superb - except for on mud and compacted snow, when the front wheel drive does not grip very well. In the 4 1/2 years I have owned S-Max's I have only had one minor fault, so reliability has been excellent. It is a big car so takes lots of gear and I like the flexibility of being able to drop the rear seats flat and pile loads of things in it - useful for moving furniture or even sleeping in it!! A GREAT FAMILY CAR.

If you're looking for a car that can handle a family of 5 for everyday use and then manage 6 people for a drive to the South of France with a roof box the Ford S-Max should be under serious consideration. It drives like a car, offers exceptional comfort for all occupants and is very comfortable. The only criticism is that it's a big vehicle and the turning circle is horrendous, other than that it's a great family car for those with more than 2 kids. Economy is also very good for a vehicle of this size and when driven sensibly I can get around 800 miles out of a tank on motorway driving, around 700 on a combined cycle.

Great designed car which is fun and comfortable to drive copes fantastically with family life. Let down by: Intermittent starting, sometimes takes 6 or 7 times to fire up - no one has been able to cure. Built in sat nav has lost memory feature this 'feature' started happening when car was under 3 years old - doesn't stop you using, but frustrating as it seems the only available solution is to send unit to Germany (hundreds of pounds), or replace... If you look at forums this is not a unique problem.. Tyre costs, just a fact of running a heavy car on 18" wheels.

We bought this car as family own a version. We were sold on the practicality, the space and comfort. Sadly, in less than a year of ownership (not from new, one previous owner with just 20k on the clock) it has had numerous issues, including having to call the fire-brigade out! I think this must be a Friday afternoon car as it seems more susceptible that most. I am not impressed nor pleased, either with the car or with the dealer.

The S-Max is a large and roomy car and does carry 5 adults in spacious comfort. The extra 2 seats are for smaller children only as the rear-most legroom is cramped. With the middle seats down there is room for a double matress so is quite large. If driven carefully the 2l diesel can achieve 48mpg but if leaden footed it will drop to 40mpg. Good vehicle if you need the space but a non MPV would be cheaper to run.

My S-Max has a turbo engine. Petrol consumption is about 30 round town and 37/38 on motorways. Visibility is very good and all controls are at hand and effective. It has 20 in wheels and tyres are expensive...18s would be fine. The turning circle is terrible. I used to run a Galaxy and it was much better. Plenty of space and the slightly higher driving position are a big advantage.

I enjoy driving the S-Max - it has enough power to accelerate even under a full load, it's comfortable and reasonably economical. I have had no technical problems with the car over the past 4 years. My only reservation would be the comfort of the third row of seats, which is poor, and the lack of any option to remove the rear seats and thereby create additional boot space.

An exceptional car with all the comforts and equipment to enable you to enjoy your driving, BUT : A car that you hope that you never get a puncture or if you do it will cost you a new tyre -£130 plus!! A car that you should never specify in built sat/nav (£1200) as it is confusing and unreliable although Ford think it is perfect. Buy a TomTom - (£75)

A comfortable, spacious, well designed MPV that carries four adults and three children under 10 with ease! Versatile and adaptable interior layout with good all round vision. Economical for a largish vehicle with moderately expensive servicing and spares and reasonable insurance costs. Very good performance, a great motorway cruiser.

Was looking for an S Max having previously owed one before present car, looked on AA cars web site and found an S Max Vignale not to far from home address at Windsor. Contacted dealer through web site and made appointment to view, car was just what I wanted. Car is a joy to drive the Vignale comes with every extra you would need.

A spacious, comfortable, well equipped vehicle with many modern driving aids. Economical for its size with excellent response when overtaking safely is required. Only criticism is the thickness of the front door pillars that reduces visibility slightly under certain circumstances!

My Ford SMax has proved a very satisfactory car in terms of performance and space. I regularly get into the upper 40s mpg and friends are always surprised at how roomy it is both for passengers and with the seats down for load carrying.

Ford S Max is a 7 seater that drives extremely well. I have now owned 2 of them and have found them 100% reliable. For a family size of 4 or more they are so spacious and once you have owned a car of this type you are a convert.

Superb model.Sporty yet a people carrier.All things to all men (and women). This vehicle is not a compromise.Adaptable for all purposes.

Like the car but it does have a bad blind spot caused by the front pillars. Also should have a spare wheel, puncture kit rubbish

My second ford S-Max It ticks all boxes for me. Carrying Band equipment, grand children, comfortable and economical