S Max or what other options?

rodenal · 25 Jun 2015 at 21:49

Alibaba99 said:
So a Discovery has old in the tooth technology which appears to be a problem for you but an XC90 which is also positively ancient (the platform it is based on came out in '98) with equally old technology isn't a problem.

The S-Max really does drive very well for what it is (it is after all a Mondeo underneath) and certainly is better than an XC90 from that point of view, helped by lugging substantially less weight around.

I struggle a bit with that. It's a barge of a thing - tidier than most other barges its size, but I really don't find them remotely enjoyable to drive.

Relative to its class I can kind of see the point, but people who have never driven one end up expecting somthing genuinely enjoyable to hussle along. It's certainly nothing like as decent as a Mondeo (appreciate you were just saying it's a shared platform).

Tinders · 25 Jun 2015 at 22:20

My 22k would go on a Q7, its a cut above the S max and has a more usuable rear seat setup. Whilst the Smax is better in the rear most seats than stuff like the Zafira, its still pretty cramped and not particularly comfy.

Disco and i think they do the Lancruiser in 7 seat format aswell, failing that buy a skoda superb estate and convery it into a minibus

George Hincapie · 25 Jun 2015 at 22:30

rodenal said:
I struggle a bit with that. It's a barge of a thing - tidier than most other barges its size, but I really don't find them remotely enjoyable to drive.

Relative to its class I can kind of see the point, but people who have never driven one end up expecting somthing genuinely enjoyable to hussle along. It's certainly nothing like as decent as a Mondeo (appreciate you were just saying it's a shared platform).

The new Mondeo came last in a three car comparison I read in Auto Express a few weeks ago.

rodenal · 25 Jun 2015 at 22:35

Not really the point, it still drives better than an S Max (or rather it will, not been in a new one yet)

It might not matter to the op, it would matter to me though. I'd probably just rather have a 4x4 if a 7 seat estate was out of the question

Conanius · 25 Jun 2015 at 22:36

We had a 4.4 V8 Petrol Discovery 3 HSE 7 Seat model (2005 vintage) and now have a 2012 2.2 TDCi (200PS) Titanium X Sport S-Max Powershift etc etc etc. The S-Max has a remap (Bluefin from Superchips).

We had the Discovery for about 7 months, and I really, really liked it. It was comfy, relatively quick considering it weighs more than my house, and generally a nice car.

We got the S-Max back in January, and I've since done about 8000 miles in it. It's pretty well spec'd out (on top of usual Titanium X Sport refinements I think its got a few extras like heated seats, tray tables, in door blinds in the back, pano roof and nav with reversing camera.

I like it. Its nice, its very functional, and its a good family car. The 3 middle row seats are all 'real' seats, and all 3 can have Isofix base car seats on. With an Isofix base car seat on one of the seats, you don't end up squashed in the back. 2 adults can be in there in good comfort. It's not like other smaller cars like a 3 series BMW where the rear seats are really for 2, but someone theoretically can go in the middle.

The rear row 2 seats are perfectly fine for children up to early teens, but after that, you're going to be aware of people wanting more room. All 3 seats in the middle row slide independently, so you can offer rear passengers a bit more room by sacrificing space on the middle row. With the rear seats up, we can still fit in some bags and our pushchair (iCandy Peach). With the rear set of 2 seats down, the boot is a great size. If you want to make constant use of the rear row, you should be looking at a galaxy. The roof doesn't slope down, and it makes a good difference to rear seat comfort.

I did get mine remapped, and I guess looking back on it, its offered a nice boost in performance (30bhp and 100NM tq) but does it need it? probably not. I wanted to find a good 2.0 240PS Ecoboost petrol, but simply put, this one was a good price (19k from a local Ford Main Dealer with 16,000 miles and 1 previous owner, in unsurprisingly pristine condition. It was a couple of hundred below book) and a lot of the other s-max's I'd seen were absolutely ruined inside. Put simply, I realised having a 2.0 240BHP petrol engine in a 7 seat people carrier wasn't needed. Again, why did I bother remapping? not sure.

I did drive a 1.8 TDCi S-Max yonks ago, and was actually pleasantly surprised with the performance. You don't need a big engine in these. I'd agree with previous comments that a 2.0 TDCi would be adequate.

I like the drive. Its good enough round corners, and in reality, unless its empty, your passengers will complain before your talent runs out in a car like this. It's no nimble sports car, but equally is perfectly capable on the backroads.

Hope that helps

FirebarUK · 26 Jun 2015 at 08:55

I suggested the E-class 7 seater as I just bought one

We have 4 kids, a C4 Grand Picasso already (looked at the S-max, wasn't worth the premium) and needed something with the space in the second car for convenience. But, primarily this car is for work purposes and I didn't want to drive around in a kiddie-wagon. I was pleasantly surprised at the 7 seater E-class, even with the seats laid out (which is very easy btw) it doesn't feel cramped. It's also lovely for long journeys

I went for the E350, so it has a the 6-cylinder diesel with 265BHP, which matches the car nicely. I drove an E220 mind and it wasn't that bad but not my cup of tea

Alibaba99 · 26 Jun 2015 at 13:17

Tinders said:
My 22k would go on a Q7, its a cut above the S max and has a more usuable rear seat setup. Whilst the Smax is better in the rear most seats than stuff like the Zafira, its still pretty cramped and not particularly comfy.

Disco and i think they do the Lancruiser in 7 seat format aswell, failing that buy a skoda superb estate and convery it into a minibus

The beauty of the S-Max is that it offers 3 full width rear seats without the extra size and bulk of a full sized people carrier (Galaxy etc) or a stupidly unnecessary 4x4.

I co-drove a 2.5T S-Max down to Le Mans this year. 4 up (average weight probably North of 15 stone) full to the roof with stuff, middle seat down so the large tent could slide forwards. No one was cramped for room. The 3rd row seats are really for occasional use though.

rodenal said:
I struggle a bit with that. It's a barge of a thing - tidier than most other barges its size, but I really don't find them remotely enjoyable to drive.

Relative to its class I can kind of see the point, but people who have never driven one end up expecting somthing genuinely enjoyable to hussle along. It's certainly nothing like as decent as a Mondeo (appreciate you were just saying it's a shared platform).

They will go down a B road at a speed that is determined by the acceptable level of chunder from the rear and other traffic long before the chassis gives up. If you want something properly enjoyable then get something with 2 seats. If you have a family then something competent will do.