SWMBO and I made an impromptu stop at the local Ford dealer this afternoon, and ended up taking a test drive in an S-Max off their used forecourt. It was a 10,000 mile 56 plate 1.8 TDCi 125PS Zetec model.
This was doubly interesting for me, being able to directly compare it with a Ford from 7 years ago, and a direct competitor that we had driven there. Here are my impressions which I hope might be useful to someone:
The first thing that struck me in comparison to Fords of old is the finish. The plastics are of high quality, the seats nicely trimmed and comfortable, and the weighty doors shut with a reassuring clunk. Panel gaps are tight and perfect, paint glossy and even, and the overall impression is of a car that is more than a match for a VW in terms of fit and finish. On the move, this 10,000 mile car was completely rattle and squeak free too, including a drive along a particularly Third World standard road that has the Scenic creaking a bit. I did notice that the material quality is directly proportional to the level of visibility - for example the plastics in the footwell and rear passenger compartments are cheaper than those on the upper dash, but overall it felt expensive and solid. When you look at Ford interiors a decade ago, it's impressive how far they have come.
The 1.8 TDCi engine uses the same basic mechanicals as those fitted in my old Mondeo, but of course it now sports common rail injection and all manner of electrickery to improve power output and driveabilty. The result is very impressive. A lovely smooth idle with just a slight diesel rattle, and a responsive, muscular delivery which shrugs off the weight of the car. The only slight disappointment is right at the bottom end where the engine seems to "bog" slightly, and then take off with a surge as the boost comes in unless you give it a few more revs off the mark than feels entirely natural. Nevertheless, I can drive around the problem in the Mondeo where it's a thousand times worse, so I don't see any problems here, but SWMBO thought the engine a little disappointing low down compared with the Renault unit. It's not quite as quiet as the Renault unit either, with a distinctly "rumblier" quality at higher revs, but again it's nothing excessive. Kept on boost, and in the middle of its rev range, it's an absolute gem, and the gearbox is just delightful to use, but if we were seriously looking, a drive in the 2.0 model would be required though.
Onto the bit I was looking forward to - the handling. It is, in a word, impressive. It's firmer riding than the Renault, has stacks more steering feel, and handles like a car half the size. Body control is impeccable, the way the nose darts into a corner in faithful response to steering inputs makes you wonder how it manages its weight so well. I didn't push the car to its limit, but at eight tenths, it's enough to embarrass the Scenic. Don't get me wrong, the Scenic can be driven quickly, but on fast direction changes you tend to need to let the weight settle slightly and for the damping to sort itself out. You just chuck the S-Max in and it obeys faithfully and with remarkably little body roll. Judging by the feel from the tail, I wouldn't be at all surprised if there's a little lift off oversteer to play with at the limit too. It's good by hatchback standards, and astonishing for an MPV. You can really enjoy yourself in this car.
As you can probably tell, we liked this car a lot. It's a more entertaining drive than the Scenic, which we expected but what blew us both away was the finish of the thing. OK, you could argue our standards are not high with our existing cars, but I travel quite a lot in BMWs, Mercedes and Audis, and I know how these things feel, and the Ford is definitely in the same ballpark. It feels like it will still be working perfectly in 10 years time. It also seemed a little more spacious inside than the Renault, particularly in terms of rear seat legroom, although I found the "split" A pillars a little weird at first. Combined with the deep windscreen it felt a little like looking down a tunnel. A minor gripe though.
Oh, and its subjective I know, but SWMBO and I both thought what a pretty thing it was as well, particularly in the Panther Black of our demo car.
It's undoubtedly a better car than the Scenic (although I still prefer the Scenic's engine), but not enough to warrant chopping it in now and finding the extra cash. That said, if both had been available for similar money when we were looking, the S-Max would have been our choice. Certainly, if we still need an MPV when the Scenic's up for replacement, I reckon we've found our car.
I liked it because even as a self confessed Ford fan, it was far better built and finished than I'd ever expect of a Ford, and far better to drive than I'd ever expect of an MPV. Just a thoroughly pleasant, entertaining and practical car that was very very hard to fault.
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
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