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Ford S-Max 1.8 TDCi Titanium
by elchivo
This relationship didn't get off to the best of starts, as I had to sell my sporty little number as I couldn't fit the kids in the back. No matter how hard I tried. So to say I was a little unenthusiastic is a bit of an understatement.
So we had to go down the family route - and all I could think of at the time was something ... Jeremy Clarkson said about MPVs. "I've done my breeding, and now I am waiting to die".
But I have to say, as far as MPVs (what does MPV stand for anyway?) go, this 'aint all that bad. Depending on the engine you opt for, the performance is actually quite good. And the efficiency is OK for a car this size.
The interior is nice and comfortable, and suprisingly spacious. The cup holders hold cups well, the radio does indeed play music, and the seats are suitable for sitting on. Plus, and this is one of my favourite features, we have a 'mystery button' that doesn't seem to do anything. I think it makes the car sportier. My wife thinks it does nothing. She's probably right. But I will never admit it. And I will continue to switch it on every time I drive it.
From the outside, I think it's one of the better looking MPVs out there. Cardigan not required.
All in all, it's a decent car, it looks nice, drives OK, and fits 2 young children in very well. Happy owner.
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Ford Galaxy Ghia 2.3
by jimcal
I bought my Ford Galaxy 2.3 Ghia 9 years ago. It had only had 1 owner and was 2 years old when I bought it. As I have a lot of children, I needed a large car so this 7 seater was an excellent thing to own. I bought it from Carcraft it was priced at just over £18.000 but with H.P I think it came to around £22.000 which seems quite a bit, ... and I also paid £2000 for a guarantee/warranty which I would NOT recommend anybody buying as it was not worth the paper it was written on.
However on the plus side, this car has been a workhorse. The high seats give for a comfortable drive and when folded down give a little"tray" compartment for the children to eat their dinner from. You can fold the seats down or take them out if you need the empty space to put furniture in, with it being a people carrier it has lots of room to move those bits of furniture that you need to get from A to B. I was able to bring a double bed, no problem 53 miles. I also moved furniture for a friend, and it accomodated a washing machine, a tumble drier, and a fridge freezer plus all other items without a problem. The passenger doors are wide too, so easy access. With it being 7 seats, the boot is only small, but when the back two seats are dropped, there is ample room, it also has a boot shelf cover.
The engine size is 2.3 so its a fast engine, and its a petrol car, so I find it seems to run away with the miles on short journeys sadly with all the stopping and starting, but on motorways it is very economical. The electrics are underneath the front seats, which can be a bit of a pain as the children in the back can spill things and it can get under the front seats and into the little well. The carpet under the seats tends to move also,as it is only on by small black studs, leaving the electric loom open.
Another problem I found with this car is the cup holders. They are ABOVE the radio and if you have been to McDonalds and have put fizzy drinks there, it tends to seep through, and down into the radio and heater compartment, I have had to have two heaters put in, and also a new radio.
The car has air conditioning which is really useful for the summer, especially with small children, but not a lot of people know that the air conditioning uses your PETROL and is only efficient when the windows are CLOSED, so I would only use it when really needed. The very back windows open sideways to about 4 inches approximately, which is really good as small children cant climb out, or throw things out. I had a child with neuro problems and used to sit her in the back where she can do no harm to herself or anybody else. The windows are also slightly tinted, which helps keep the sun off the childrens faces. All the windows and doors can be safely locked from the drivers door, and there are child locks also. When you get out of the car and realise the children have left some windows open, all you have to do is put your key in the lock and turn and hold in the locking position and the windows will automatically close. There is also a little port at the back of the car, for plugging in lighters or such, however I bought a box from Maplin, which converts a household plug to fit into this port, so we could take a small fridge and plug it in on long journeys to keep drinks cold. Also it could accomodate the dvd players which we had in the seats at the back for the children to each watch their own, (with the ear phones in) sheer bliss aaaaaaaaahh.
Good car to be used for towing also.
This is a brilliant car and I really dont want to part with it, however, its getting old now and Im finding the parts for it are getting very expensive, but I would buy another.
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