Thinking of buying a used Ford S-Max?
The style of the car
The S-Max is a large seven-seat MPV that looks a bit sleeker and more sporty than most rivals. Despite this it’s no less practical, with an interior that’s hugely spacious and versatile. Some models have a glass roof, for a light, airy feel; all versions make great family cars.
How it drives
The S-Max is good to drive by any standards and remarkably good for an MPV. Whereas many rivals feel a bit cumbersome around corners, the S-Max is agile and responsive. You sit quite low for an MPV, but the large windows give a great view out and many models have parking sensors and an automated parking system that makes parking such a big car much easier. The S-Max has a 2,000kg towing capacity, so it’s a great choice if you regularly tow a small caravan or trailer.
The Ford S-Max s one of our favourite used cars for towing, check out our list.
The interior
The S-Max is a big car, being slightly longer than a Citroen Grand C4 Space Tourer. It’s a fraction shorter than the Ford Galaxy it shares many parts with, and has a much lower roofline. It remains a hugely practical MPV, with five doors, seven seats and a very roomy and versatile interior. Each of the middle-row’s three seats can slide back and forth, recline and take a child seat with ISOFIX attachment points, and there’s enough room for everyone to stretch out. Two additional seats pop out of the boot floor. With those two seats folded down, there’s room for at least four large suitcases. Entry-level Zetec trim includes front and rear parking sensors and an infotainment system with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Titanium trim adds sat nav, ST-Line gets a sportier look and top-tier Vignale trim comes with leather trim and electrically adjustable seats.
Running costs and reliability
The S-Max is good value when you consider how much practicality you get for your money. It costs less to buy and run than many seven-seat SUVs, the engines are efficient and service intervals are comparatively long, at 18,500 miles for diesel models and 12,500 for petrol versions. The S-Max is as safe as you’d want a family car to be, with a maximum five-star rating from safety organisation Euro NCAP.
How the Ford S-Max compares with similar cars
The S-Max is significantly larger than Ford’s C-Max MPV and a fraction shorter and lower than the closely related Ford Galaxy MPV. It’s larger and more practical than the Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer and Volkswagen Touran but slightly smaller than the Volkswagen Sharan.
Looking for an MPV? Here’s our guide to the 10 best used MPVs.
