Titanium 2.0 TDCi 140 5dr People Carrier

Does the job really rather well

This will be our 4th year with the S-Max, and so far it's been a great, reliable workhorse. After a few issues with a dodgy Ford Main dealer on purchase, it's been a fairly trouble free time. There have been a few niggly issues, but nothing that has left us out of pocket (well except for a tyre, but more on that in a bit).

As a family car, it's held up extremely well to the abuse young kids throw at it, the seat fabric is hard wearing, although not stain resistant. The middle 3 seats can be moved fore and aft, and also reclined slightly, helps with tired kids on a long journey, the rearmost two are ok, they're fixed, and like most mid sized 7 seaters suited mainly to kids, although the will take 6foot 2" adults. Unlike the Zafira, there is still boot space left with the rear most seats up where you'll get a couple or 3 hold alls in. They're also not that easy to fold up or down, the back rest is a simple affair and can be done one handed, however, getting in to flip the base over usually involves having to then go in through the back doors to reach them, unless you have long arms. There's a useful cubby hole under the boot floor that's exposed with rear seats up, but it's hidden with the seats down, so not that easy to use all the time, unlike the 2 underfloor cubbies in the rear, although one side houses the (useless) tyre repair kit. The only downside is no 12v power outlet in the back of the centre console, should kids there need a charger, you either have to run a lead from the front, or the back, just under the rear pillar, neither of which is as easy as one in the middle.

Not much has broken, the only tell tale signs of use on ours is a couple of the chrome tabs on the air vents fell off and disappeared down the air tubing, never to be seen again, and one broke the plastic tag that connects the two halves so it doesn't open and close as easy as it should. Other failure is 2 broken tabs on the centre top dash cubby hole, meaning it no longer springs open, you have to lever it up with a credit card or similar. Oh and some of the plastic chrome has peeled off the handbrake lever and button. The rest is spot on still.

Only problems have been a snapped bonnet cable thanks to a seized bonnet lock, £17 for a new cable that needs the battery, airbox, glove box and fuse box removing to replace, and £40ish for a new lock. It does like to go through tyres however. Which brings us neatly on to the problem mentioned earlier, which nearly ruined a family holiday to Disneyland. Thanks to Ford not equipping the S-Max with a spare, or even making room for a space saver should you wish to add one later or as an option, they come with a tub of useless goo. It's even more useless when a puncture renders you immobile at 9pm and the sealing kit fails to work, and just blocks up the valve. A call to the RAC saw a patrol come out, who lambasted me for not removing the insert of the valve. So I showed him the kit, the instructions, and the handbook which makes no mention of removing valve, and besides, there's no tool included with the kit to do so, so he agreed, a totally useless repair kit. Now, after a repair, to be told 50mph max, for no more than 50 miles wouldn't have been an issue, but when you're booked on a 9am ferry from Dover 150 miles away, makes it a bit awkward finding a tyre depot open 24 hours...

Only other niggle is a slight hesitation when cruising around 30-40mph. I have fitted an EGR blanking plate which has improved the car no end indeed, a very worthwhile mod for a fiver.

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