Ford Galaxy review

Climb inside and the Galaxy feels supremely spacious. In fact, it's one of the most spacious seven seaters on the market. Its front seats offer loads of head and leg room, and there's enough space separating them to provide clear water between you and your passenger. There’s plenty of storage, too, from the decent door pockets to a good-sized glovebox, plus various cubbyholes, cupholders and compartments.

The middle row of seats has room for three six-foot adults. Large door openings mean the seats are easy to get in and out of, and the seats can individually recline and slide for enhanced practicality and comfort. With a low central floor hump and lots of foot space under the front seats, even the middle passenger can get comfortable.

Pull a lever on the top of the outer seats and they tilt and slide forward to allow easy access to the third row. As is the case for the Seat Alhambra and Volkswagen Sharan, these sixth and seventh seats will fit even taller adults; neither the Volkswagen Touran or Citroën Grand C4 Spacetourer can provide such generous third-row seating. Each passenger gets a cubby box and their own cupholder, and there’s enough glazing back there to prevent claustrophobia.

The Galaxy's boot is also huge. According to Ford’s figures, there's 300 litres of boot space with the third-row seats in place, which is impressive – the Mercedes V-Class (standard wheelbase) has much less luggage room than that. Convert the Galaxy into a five-seater and the boot is good enough for multiple large suitcases, and there's a van-like 2339 litres of load volume with only the front seats in use.