FORD C-MAX MPV REVIEW

My car

I have owned a 1.8 TDCi Ghia for the past 2 years. Vehicle of a good quality. Plenty of torque, handles okay for a car of this size.

Very heavy on tyres and brakes to date.

Get 10k out of a front set of tyres and about 25k out of the rears.

Just had new pads all round and new rear discs with only 38k on the clock.

With seats removed is like a small van, excellent for the family. Ghia provides very high spec.

My car

I've had my 2.0 TDCi Titanium for nearly 2 years. It's very comfortable, versatile and easy to get in and out of, with loads of leg- and head-room. You can really pack a load in it, too, but the back seats don't fold particularly flat and for many are too heavy/difficult to remove. The optional panoramic roof is a real feature, but mainly benefits the rear passengers - it isn't a distraction (or much of an advantage) for the driver.

Handling is fine - not as sporty as Ford would have you believe (no surprise there then!), but enjoyable and reassuring. The 2.0 TDCi is a great engine - very flexible, fine when driven hard, but generally gives a very relaxed power delivery and loads of mid-range torque. It gives me 43 mpg commuting and 55+ mpg on a gently-driven long run.

Warranty - Be warned, Ford's "3-year" Warranty is only for major items. Trim problems, squeaks & rattles, water leaks and loads of other things are only covered by a single years warranty. So don't leave them to the first service, and then find that they aren't covered because the service is 366 days since you picked your nice new car up. A dirty trick, but one played by most manufacturers

My car

I was looking for a high driving position, auto transmission and lots of load space. Those were the priorities. I found all three in the 2-litre auto C-Max. But now, 5000 miles in, I'm not really happy with my choice. Good points: absolute reliability and good build quality, except for a faulty alarm which was fixed in the first two days; nice handling; nice cabin, equipment and dash; love the removable seats. Weaknesses: disappointing fuel consumption yet not really a very powerful engine (especially poor 50-70 acceleration); appalling forward visibility in bright sunshine (reflection from top of dash - why doesn't anyone mention this?); the awful dark privacy glass that I didn't want but had to have on a Zetec(thanks for nothing, Ford); and uncomfortable seats, especially the passenger seat (small, hard, cheap and nasty). I wouldn't really recommend this car, and the diesel auto, though undoubtedly much more economical, would take the price up about £2,500, and into a different bracket where there is more competition. If you don't mind the reflection, the seats and the privacy glass I would advise you go for a manual with a more economical engine.

My car

Had this car for 5 months now (57 plate with 28000 miles on the clock). Great to drive - I like being sat up that little bit higher, but still drives better than most hatchbacks due to is Focus under-pinnings. Like most fords, you don't get a lot of extras unless you pay for the higher spec'ed cars like the Titanium, and even then the extras don't match the japanese cars. My biggest gripe with this car is its running costs. The book says I should manage a combined 57mpg and get 68 on a long trip at 56mph. I am not heavy footed and no matter how I drive it, I can't get above 43mpg. SHOCKING when compared with the official figures. My last car, a 2.0 skoda diesel managed 50+ easily with more power and a bigger car to pull. I've done some searching in the Ford forums, and I am not the only one getting this. 40 to 45 mpg is quite common, and even my local Ford garage checked it out and said it was within specs. Its put me off owning a ford diesel, or for that matter, any other car based on the Peugeot-citroen engine. I think I'll be reverting back to a VAG diesel in the near future.