Ford S-Max

I'm 40+ with a young family and kids because of family needs, going the MPV route is inevitable. I am a die hard auto lover and driving pleasure is very important to me. In Singapore because of the cost of owning an automobile, it is not possible and not economical to own more than one vehicle. I tell myself when I'm looking for an MPV my fun days of driving is over. I was wrong!

The S-Max Titanium Ecoboost is a dream come true. Its practical and its a 7 seater with a very easy to use fold flat system that makes the car extremely flexible. The build quality of this car is easily as good as any Merc or Audi. The cabin is well insulated and extremely comfortable. I have the 18'optional rims and the ride is still incredibly comfortable. The drive is just amazing. The engine is very powerful and incredibly responsive. If you are heavy footed you will find spinning the wheel is not hard. The Powershift gear box is super smooth. IMHO drives better than most sedan.

In all honesty, I have never thought that I will be so happy driving around day to day on an MPV but this car really is the car. It is a rare car that will keep you happy and keep your family happy as well.

Got the S-max right before cny & the next day drove to port dickson and melaka for the long long weekend (mileage 1162km covered). With 2 kids (on child car seat), mom & dad, ma wife, the maid and 6 bags for the trip, i could quite said its fully loaded. Quiet & comfortable drive, my kids age 1 & 2 sleep soundly and conversation with all passenger during the drive was quite pleasant due to low noise. The car has enough power to overtake from 100km/hr speed (running in period controlling at <3000rpm) even on long uphill ns-highway without making the engine "grunt". The center and back individual seat was really great to have and both my parents appreciate it. Handling was pretty easy and precise, give you lots of confident. The brake assist was really strong and need to some getting used to especially crawling in traffic jams. Driving view was excellent. Both me and my wife got slight sun-burn due to the large front glass, just need to get a good tinting will help us prepare for the next long trip. Average petrol consumption is 10.1 l/100km, with some area of the highway was congested and driving speed was from 0~40km/hr. Now the car is on 16" wheel, intend to upgrade to 18" soon. It didn't have any spare wheel so make me a little nervous if got a flat, although it comes with euro tire repair kit. Anyway its all safety related! And most important things of all.... That i like the car! And its cool driving it!

Did a test drive on this car. First impression is, this car is BIG. Nice look, spacious interior, good ride and good value for money compared to Estima and Pressage.

Only setback is no sliding doors for car at this size.

I'm based in the UK, where until recently the only automatics available were the turbo diesels, with their awful turbo lag and narrow power band which ruined driving pleasure. I have to have an auto-box and waited a long time for this petrol automatic to come along, and I'm so glad I did: it's terrific to drive.

The good points: Wonderfully sharp steering, well damped suspension on every road surface, precise neutral handling with just the tiniest hint of understeer and one of the best and smoothest auto boxes I've experienced, which when used in tiptronic mode is pretty quick too. The front "sport style" seats on my Titanium version provide excellent support.

The bad points: Ludicrous gimmicky handbrake design that's an ergonomic nightmare. Unlike the main review here, I find the large obtrusive LCD screen distracting, overly bright in daylight, and rather pointless. It pushes the far more important rev counter to the very edge of the instrument cluster. Had I spec'd this display as an option (I didn't - my car came with it included) I'd have thought it an expensive waste of money. The bright silver finishes on the interior look nice for a few days.... thereafter they scratch easily and look cheap and tacky.

Ford's ESP safety system is good too; effective but not overly intrusive. On damp roads, burying the throttle early out of tight corners will give just the slightest hint of wheelspin from the inside front wheel, thereafter the ESP does your thinking for you - the lazy man's way of making progress quickly but unobtrusively. Switch the ESP off and you'll get wild wheelspin and probably convince yourself that you're some sort of hero, but in reality there's nothing to be gained.

All in all this car is a delight. It looks sharp, for an MPV it drives incredibly well, for those that need an auto-box its tiptronic mode allows for a lot of driver involvement, and it's quiet and smooth when ferrying passengers on long journeys. Ditch the stupid handbrake design and you'd have the perfect MPV.