Ford S-Max For Sale

Why buy one?

There are plenty of good reasons. For starters, we can't think of another MPV that's as good to drive as a used Ford S-Max. Under the skin it's a close relative of the Mondeo, which certainly helps. It's a practical choice, too, with seats which quickly fold into the floor when not needed to leave a large load area.

There's a wide choice of engines. Our choice would be the excellent 2.0-litre diesel, although the more powerful 2.2-litre diesel is also tempting.

Why think twice?

There's not a huge amount of space in seats six and seven, and luggage room with all three rows upright is very limited. If you need all seven seats to offer plenty of room, the larger Ford Galaxy is a better choice.

How safe?

Any second-hand S-Max should prove a safe family car. It comes with a long list of safety equipment and scored five out of five for adult occupant protection in Euro NCAP crash tests.

What might go wrong?

Owners report too many problems with the car's exterior and are disappointed by the customer service from Ford dealers. This contributed to a lowly finish in the JD Power Customer Satisfaction Survey in 2009.