No its not chocolate , its a car (Ford Galaxy LX 1.9 TDi (115ps) 6-speed)

Member Name: deb10

Product:	Ford Galaxy LX 1.9 TDi (115ps) 6-speed
Date:	03/06/05 (3042 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great on diesel, good driving position, safe and reliable

Disadvantages: complicated bulb changing system, extra's too expensive

I'm not going into details of just how Henry Ford became a house hold name and how he earn't all his millions.
I'm also not going into detail of all the mechanics of the vehicle. I haven't a clue how to change an oil filter or what the ins and outs of a breaking system should be . So please don’t expect me to write details of whats lurking under the bonnet, as long as it goes that’s all I worry about.
I'm just going to review my new baby, my silver 1.9 LX Tdi, manual gear box 2005 model and get down to the nitty gritty of what makes this car so good for mums and kids. Sorry lads no techie stuff here, I'll leave that to Top Gear Magazine!

I have owned my P reg Galaxy since new and even though it has only reached 50,000 on the clock, we thought it was time to treat ourselves to a diesel.
.
When we changed our mortgage we added a bit extra on (as you do) to cover the cost of a car and a holiday. I wasn't expecting to get a brand new car with delivery mileage only but we did. At the cost of no holiday but heh ho, at least I've got a pukka car. So that's the reason behind us spending out so extravagantly.

That extra money in the account was making me uncomfortable so on one of my many return trips to London; we stopped off at Dagenham Motors in Uxbridge to just have a look. We bought our original Galaxy here and it's done us proud so I have confidence in this dealership.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Well not quite. We arrived at the Uxbridge site on a quite Sunday afternoon. Dagenham Motors doesn't have much parking so if you ever consider driving to the Uxbridge site this is the best time to do it.
The forecourt was filled with smaller Fords, such as the KA but I could only see one Galaxy. One of the sales guys came out and offered us his wealth of knowledge, well sort of! We were shown the Galaxy Tdi at the back of the forecourt in Midnight Silver which was brand spanking new. Both hubby and I agreed this was what we wanted and returned to the office to make our order. We couldn't take this one so had to wait two weeks for a similar model to be delivered.
The car has changed over the years, the bodywork is sleek and streamlined, it still resembles a bus but it’s an elegant family bus. The headlights look wicked, totally revamped but look complicated to change and that’s before I lift the bonnet catch. They have added a break light over the years and overall is quite pleasant on the eye.

THE DAY OF DELIVERY
I am not that impressed with the Customer Service care we received but that's another review. My car was waiting for us in the petrol station and it has been waxed to perfection. We never had many colour options offered so went for midnight silver which is ok for not showing the dirt. My old Galaxy was white and that was a nightmare to keep clean. I wanted black but that would have cost us a further £800 on top. Dagenham Motors didn't fill the car with diesel; they only gave us £10 worth, enough to get to the nearest pump. It costs us £55 for a full tank.

NOW THE INSIDE TOUR
The car is opened by remote alarm keypad of which you are given just one. You can also turn the alarm off by normal key. This unlocks all the doors, as this is a central locking car. The boot catch is also released. When the doors are open, the internal lights all come on, a total of 10. Looks like Wembley Arena at night! If you find the lights too much, they can switch off to tailor your needs. Handy if you have kiddies that play with buttons.
I love the new car smell and that's very apparent as you sink your bum into the spotlessly clean seats. How long they stay like this with three kids is another matter.
The front dash has dual airbags for safety and the interior we have is black with dark grey cloth. To have leather seats will add a further £2,500, so be warned. If you go for cloth you can it have it Scotch guarded as we did for £30.
The seats are deep and very comfortable with armrests for the front seats. These wind up and down by a lever under the handle to tailor to your own needs - nifty eh. In the back and front there is plenty of room for passengers (three in the middle, two in the boot) with loads of leg space all around.
Each seat, including those two in the boot (the ejector seats as my son calls them) has removable head restraints. There are levers everywhere to tilt the seats, recline them and lift them out completely. They are heavy and cumbersome to lift out, it's not easy. The car can become a "van" inside by removing some of the seats or just reclining them flat. My hubby did this with my old Galaxy and is sure as not going to be doing it to this one.
The aircraft style lap trays are still there but much stronger and with an indent for a cup if you're that brave to let anyone drink inside your new car.
The carpets are black and Ford never gave us floor mats so buy your own if you're purchasing from a "tight" dealership. Floor mats are a must if you want to try and keep that new feel as long as possible.

YOUR CONTROLS
The controls are excellent, easy to reach. Nothing too complicated, its been made for those who just want to drive a car not programme a computer. If you want Satellite Navigation that's an additional extra, we were quoted £2,500 for that. So I bought a Sony Clie, put it in and the cost, a lower £350.
Sitting in the drivers seat, you can move up and down by the height adjuster lever. The steering wheel is more sporty than my older model and smaller. Its here you will find the horn. Not too loud but good enough.
Indicators and main beam are still on the indicator stick on the left. The wipers are all controlled on the right stick, which includes rear wash wipe (not your bum the car!). Usual speeds, nothing out of the ordinary for the wipers.
Hazards, heated front and rear windows, the heater controls and air conditioning buttons are all within hands reach on the left above the CD Radio. We have just the normal CD which I must admit is damn good quality. If we wanted the "in car pack" with 6 CD auto-changer, well guess what …… it costs a further £2,000.
Its not a digital radio but the quality is very good, clearer than my Kenwood. Easy to operate and it comes with traffic updates. There are 6 pre set buttons for your favourite stations. With six speakers its quite loud and you turn the volume up to out shine the kids screaming. I like the fact I can still listen to Kiss FM and Capital Fm whilst living in Hampshire, it helps with my homesickness when I hear about the congestion around the North Circular.
The air con is wicked, very quick and powerful. Just wish I was told that when you get out of the car after using it, you will find water dripping from near the engine. I thought the radiator had a hole in it and went into panic mode. You can control the heating separately from the back so if you have fussy passengers that find it too hot or cold, they can sort themselves out. Oh talking of heating, there are no bum warmer buttons on this model. I'm not bothered as I always forgot to turn it off and ended up sore.
Windows are electric but wing mirrors are manual, which is flaming awkward. The knobs (sorry for not being techie) that control the direction of the mirrors are large and bulky. Just a great size for a seven year old to play with if they are sitting in the front. Its when you are on the motorway you realise they are all out of line and you cant do anything about it.
The doors can be locked from inside and there are child locks on the back.

WOT NO CUP HOLDERS ………….
Well that's not true, there are two, at the front buts that's it. Compared to my old galaxy there were too many and they were all snapped off by the kids eventually. I prefer having just two and they are pushed inside the dash, tucked away nice and neat till you want them. If you have the air con on, it keeps your coke bottle chilled, as the vents are right behind the holder.
There are more glove boxes though, which is handy. There are two CD glove boxes on both front doors, and then the normal door panel with loads of space for maps and magazines etc. Above the rear view mirror is a push button box just for sunglasses but they have a tendency to fall out so be careful.
No coin holders just an ashtray but there is a large glove box in the boot, ideal for a first aid kit and brolly.

OLD BOOT!
Well here is where the car lacks room. With all seven seats inside, there is no boot. There is just enough space for a stroller buggy to lie on its side and a baby bag to sit on top. If you are doing a Tesco shop then you have to fold down the two seats in the boot in order to accommodate your bags. I find this a real pain and Ford's haven't changed this yet, something they need to if this car is aimed for the family market.
One new addition is the boot visor, a shield that pulls out and covers your shopping bags up to stop any would be thieves. Good improvement except it retracts a bit quickly so mind your fingers.

NOW TO THE DRIVE
Bare in mind it's a diesel; there isn't so much pull as the petrol version. When you start off make sure the yellow light on the dash goes off before you pull away. You can't accelerate hard when pulling away, it will stall. Infact until it "gets going" it drives like a cart horse but once in 6th gear (yes you heard me right) the car comes into its own. You can hear that turbo and feel it kick in, it's a 2-litre engine and it's got some poke.
I don't drive like Jenson Button, more the speed of Dot Cotton. Probably because I always have my kids with their safety and me is my priority.
It winds me up with the stupid boy racers and teenage girls on heat that drive so far up your rear end they can almost suck your tail pipe. They are only trying to make you speed up or race you, well I slow down even more and keep my side lights on so they think I'm breaking. As they pass by in their little Fiesta or Fiat Panda I know I could trash them on the motorway and give a Audi or Merc a run for its money, but I don't want to. I just know I can do it and that's enough.
The car drives like a dream, it steers well and there is good all round view. Not perfect mind you, there are a few blind spots but on the whole it's good.
The sixth gear is intended for motorway driving, you will never use it on the school run. I forget its there and my son reminds me to change up!
The headlights are very bright as is the dash when driving at night. The main beam is like a floodlight! There is a break light in the boot door and door reflectors in the rear.

CONCLUSION

Whether driving day or night it's a pleasure, you will not be let down by the comfort of this vehicle. Its strong and robust with good safety features you would expect from a reputable MPV.
It would be a great passion wagon for the single man or woman but its intended for families.
What lets it down is the boot space or lack off and all the additional extras you have to pay for. Basically what you get for £20,000 is:

A single CD/Radio
Metallic Paint
Heated front and rear windows (electric)
Air Con
Alloys
Alarm
Immobiliser
Tinted windows except the front

A DVD player that has screens that come out of the top of the roof will set you back £2,500. ToysRus do a package for £299 with double screens.

Even a parking sensor will cost £300. I am considering this going in when I have its first service and will report about it if and when I have it done.

All these little extras soon add up and if you want a fully loaded Galaxy Tdi in black, it will cost around £30,000. If like us your budget doesn't go that far, put in the little extras yourself and save a mint.

The diesel version is saving us money. Instead of spending £50 each weekend just to go home to London, I now spend £27. A full tank lasts a good fortnight and it costs me £60 to fill right up.

The warranty gives you peace free driving for three years as long as you service the car every 5,000 miles and its done by Ford of course.

Thanks for reading;.

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