Ford S-Max, diesel vs. petrol - talk to me
Discussion
Not an S-Max but a mondeo driver here, I had the choice of diesel or petrol. Went petrol 2.3, which some say is as fast as the 2.0 with the fuel consumption of the 2.5!!!!! However it is silent and does 30mpg as a proper auto, and if this is what a 2.0 manual goes like, I'd be impressed. Petrol engines give you warm heaters in much less time than diesel, the overall experience is much nicer, filling up is expensive but smells cleaner. The big bonus is far less to go wrong. And the purchase price was excellent...
Off topic - apologies, but anyone here got the leather/alcantara trim?
I'm looking for an S-Max for the wife and ideally want leather seats but all the top of the range cars are alcantara. How resistant is it to spillages? My wife treats the car like a bin and cloth seats would be trashed in minutes - in fact I got so fed up of washing the seats in her current car I installed a leather interior to make my life easier.
Is the alcantara easy to clean, does it stain, can sticky stuff be removed?
Cheers
I'm looking for an S-Max for the wife and ideally want leather seats but all the top of the range cars are alcantara. How resistant is it to spillages? My wife treats the car like a bin and cloth seats would be trashed in minutes - in fact I got so fed up of washing the seats in her current car I installed a leather interior to make my life easier.
Is the alcantara easy to clean, does it stain, can sticky stuff be removed?
Cheers
JQ said:
Off topic - apologies, but anyone here got the leather/alcantara trim?
I'm looking for an S-Max for the wife and ideally want leather seats but all the top of the range cars are alcantara. How resistant is it to spillages? My wife treats the car like a bin and cloth seats would be trashed in minutes - in fact I got so fed up of washing the seats in her current car I installed a leather interior to make my life easier.
Is the alcantara easy to clean, does it stain, can sticky stuff be removed?
Cheers
Ours has it. It hasn't had anything sticky spilled on it yet, but it did have mud on it today which cleaned off just fine! Hope that helps!I'm looking for an S-Max for the wife and ideally want leather seats but all the top of the range cars are alcantara. How resistant is it to spillages? My wife treats the car like a bin and cloth seats would be trashed in minutes - in fact I got so fed up of washing the seats in her current car I installed a leather interior to make my life easier.
Is the alcantara easy to clean, does it stain, can sticky stuff be removed?
Cheers
I've also got a 2.0 Ecoboost petrol S-Max and it's got plenty of go. One thing to bear in mind is the 2.5T versions are all pre-facelift I think.
There are 2 versions of the Ecoboost - 203bhp and 237bhp.
MPG figures for my car are here: http://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/s-max/2010/furtive/...
As for the alcantara trim, mine still looks like new - it cleans up easily enough
There are 2 versions of the Ecoboost - 203bhp and 237bhp.
MPG figures for my car are here: http://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/s-max/2010/furtive/...
As for the alcantara trim, mine still looks like new - it cleans up easily enough
Edited by furtive on Wednesday 14th January 10:05
furtive said:
I've also got a 2.0 Ecoboost petrol S-Max and it's got plenty of go. One thing to bear in mind is the 2.5T versions are all pre-facelift I think.
There are 2 versions of the Ecoboost - 203bhp and 237bhp.
MPG figures for my car are here: http://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/s-max/2010/furtive/...
As for the alcantara trim, mine still looks like new - it cleans up easily enough
Correct, the Ecoboost came with the facelift (LED rear lights, cleaner bumper design, etc). The Titanium X Sport initially came with the 203bhp engine then was superseded with the 240 bhp unit (you can tell the later car as the buttons and surround to the climate control etc are matt black not silver) and is a better engine but they would be post 2011 closer to £20k, even for the earliest cars. There are 2 versions of the Ecoboost - 203bhp and 237bhp.
MPG figures for my car are here: http://www.fuelly.com/car/ford/s-max/2010/furtive/...
As for the alcantara trim, mine still looks like new - it cleans up easily enough
My leather / alcantara also cleans up nicely (I have 3 kids under 7 and I hoover the car out when I can no longer see the floor). It's also a much nicer place to sit than Ford's leather.
It really is a spankingly good family car. Get the top spec if you can stretch to it. Ford spec levels tend to be "Poverty", "Dismal", "Basic", "70's Soviet Bloc" and then "top of the range, toytastic electrically heated everything". The jump to the top spec is huge!
Dapster said:
Correct, the Ecoboost came with the facelift (LED rear lights, cleaner bumper design, etc). The Titanium X Sport initially came with the 203bhp engine then was superseded with the 240 bhp unit (you can tell the later car as the buttons and surround to the climate control etc are matt black not silver)
Mine is is 2010 car and is not silver, it's gloss black. I hate the silver! I've got nav though so maybe that is why.I've also got the optional heated and cooled seats which are brilliant
One thing to bear in mind if you are looking to buy - the new model is due out later this year which could bring prices of used ones down
2015 model: http://www.carbuyer.co.uk/news/114989/new-ford-s-m...
Edited by furtive on Wednesday 14th January 12:08
furtive said:
Mine is is 2010 car and is not silver, it's gloss black. I hate the silver! I've got nav though so maybe that is why.
I've also got the optional heated and cooled seats which are brilliant
One thing to bear in mind if you are looking to buy - the new model is due out later this year which could bring prices of used ones down
Strange, I have a 2010 with nav and it's got the silver buttons like this...I've also got the optional heated and cooled seats which are brilliant
One thing to bear in mind if you are looking to buy - the new model is due out later this year which could bring prices of used ones down
I too have the heated/cooled seats and they are indeed amazing!
We have a 2007 Galaxy and though its the last car I would consider normally, for the family duties it has been utterly brilliant, Ford nailed it when they built the S-Max and Galaxy, we had the earlier Sharan and it wasnt a patch on this, a bit of a revelation after the old model.
I think a lot of people gravitate to SUV's when a Galaxy or S-Max would do the job better, certainly more cost effectively, they just arent "posh" enough for a lot of people, image is none existent/airport taxi but they are comfortable, fast enough for what they do, they handle well and can carry a similar amount to a small van.
I can see why people go SUV with nicer interiors, bigger engines and more prestigious badges but they never have quite as much space, use more fuel and have more to go wrong.
We are coming to the end of needing one but I will miss it I think, being able to carry seven, take a years worth of junk to the tip in one go, carry building materials or a single bed is quite useful.
I think a lot of people gravitate to SUV's when a Galaxy or S-Max would do the job better, certainly more cost effectively, they just arent "posh" enough for a lot of people, image is none existent/airport taxi but they are comfortable, fast enough for what they do, they handle well and can carry a similar amount to a small van.
I can see why people go SUV with nicer interiors, bigger engines and more prestigious badges but they never have quite as much space, use more fuel and have more to go wrong.
We are coming to the end of needing one but I will miss it I think, being able to carry seven, take a years worth of junk to the tip in one go, carry building materials or a single bed is quite useful.
We have had our 56 plate 2.5T for nearly three years now so I will give you my experiences.
When I resigned myself to buying one, coming from a supercharged MX5, there was no way it was going to be anything else but the 2.5T 5 pot.
3 years down the line do I regret the choice? In some respects yes.
I find the engine is characterful but ultimately it still struggles to get 2 tonnes of MPV going. Despite the turbo there is no real surge of power and it steadily and linearly rises up the rev range without any fuss or drama.
I would disagree with the poster above and say the exhaust note is pretty non-existent, although the engine itself sounds good at high revs.
MPG - try as you might, you won't get anywhere above 25mpg on mixed driving.
We were lucky with spec (Titanium X with glass roof) but the choice is limited.
Ultimately, it is an lovely engine in the wrong car - you can't really enjoy it how it should be when you have your wife moaning at you and your children feeling sick in the back!
The flexibility and pulling power of the diesel makes more sense to me.
The car itself for family duties is unbeatable IMO.
Good luck!
When I resigned myself to buying one, coming from a supercharged MX5, there was no way it was going to be anything else but the 2.5T 5 pot.
3 years down the line do I regret the choice? In some respects yes.
I find the engine is characterful but ultimately it still struggles to get 2 tonnes of MPV going. Despite the turbo there is no real surge of power and it steadily and linearly rises up the rev range without any fuss or drama.
I would disagree with the poster above and say the exhaust note is pretty non-existent, although the engine itself sounds good at high revs.
MPG - try as you might, you won't get anywhere above 25mpg on mixed driving.
We were lucky with spec (Titanium X with glass roof) but the choice is limited.
Ultimately, it is an lovely engine in the wrong car - you can't really enjoy it how it should be when you have your wife moaning at you and your children feeling sick in the back!
The flexibility and pulling power of the diesel makes more sense to me.
The car itself for family duties is unbeatable IMO.
Good luck!
I know I'm a bit late to the party but I'll post my thoughts anway 
I've had my 07 2.5T smax for nearly seven years now. Love it to bits.
It was bought at a time when we only had room for one car and so needed something that would cater for 2 working adults and 3 kids, school runs, commuting, holidays, runs to the tip, bikes, shopping etc etc but also cater for my need to have something fun to drive when I'm out on my own. But it has handled so capably that we've just kept it.
Mpg is about 23 on short trips with a not especially heavy foot. Rises to 27/28 maybe on motorways. When the 'low fuel' alarm goes, I make haste to the nearest garage as that last bit of tank can run out quicker than you expect.
No major mechanical / engine problems thus far. Had to muck about with the bonnet release catch a few times as it does like to get stuck open - usually when it's raining / cold / very late at night / you are in a rush. The electrics can get a bit funky when it's icy outside (Hello this is your car! I see that you are trying to close the window. Allow me to open it again for you! Also, I shall sound the parking sensor beep continuously when you reverse, regardless of whether there is anything behind you!)
I've replaced the Ford battery with a uprated Bosch Silver one as short runs left the battery flat a few times.
Interior has coped very well with messy kids in it. We have cloth seats and they are a bit grimy in places but clean up well.
Front tyres - haven't kept track of mileages for each change, but I'm on my fourth set in 40k miles. Back tyres last forever.
Always had mine serviced at a Ford dealership - costs about £125 or so for minor and £250 for major - something like that.
Boot space is great with the middle seats folded down. Seats 6 and 7 are for people with very small legs or children only. We did fit my 6 foot 3 tall sister in there once but we had to kind of fold her legs around her head(no filthy comments!)
It's the most powerful car I've driven for any length of time (I'm sorry), so I can't objectively compare it's performance to anything interesting. But mine does surge a bit when the turbo kicks in at about 2.5 / 3k revs then smoothly and effortlessly increases in speed upto motorway limits. The first time I drove it the acceleration did take me by suprise but my previous car was a 1.9 focus
. Engine / exhaust sounds lovely when you put your foot down. I would agree that that the car is best enjoyed when one is driving alone, but on the other hand the performance is very welcome even with a car full of kids and bikes (especially living in a rural area with lots of tractors to overtake).
There used to be a fairly active owners club and forum - I've not been a member for a while so not sure if that it still the case.
I've no idea what these liners are that someone mentioned ... something I need to worry about?
Anyway - great family car, won't get rid of it until the wheels fall off or Ford bring out a better one
I've had my 07 2.5T smax for nearly seven years now. Love it to bits.
It was bought at a time when we only had room for one car and so needed something that would cater for 2 working adults and 3 kids, school runs, commuting, holidays, runs to the tip, bikes, shopping etc etc but also cater for my need to have something fun to drive when I'm out on my own. But it has handled so capably that we've just kept it.
Mpg is about 23 on short trips with a not especially heavy foot. Rises to 27/28 maybe on motorways. When the 'low fuel' alarm goes, I make haste to the nearest garage as that last bit of tank can run out quicker than you expect.
No major mechanical / engine problems thus far. Had to muck about with the bonnet release catch a few times as it does like to get stuck open - usually when it's raining / cold / very late at night / you are in a rush. The electrics can get a bit funky when it's icy outside (Hello this is your car! I see that you are trying to close the window. Allow me to open it again for you! Also, I shall sound the parking sensor beep continuously when you reverse, regardless of whether there is anything behind you!)
I've replaced the Ford battery with a uprated Bosch Silver one as short runs left the battery flat a few times.
Interior has coped very well with messy kids in it. We have cloth seats and they are a bit grimy in places but clean up well.
Front tyres - haven't kept track of mileages for each change, but I'm on my fourth set in 40k miles. Back tyres last forever.
Always had mine serviced at a Ford dealership - costs about £125 or so for minor and £250 for major - something like that.
Boot space is great with the middle seats folded down. Seats 6 and 7 are for people with very small legs or children only. We did fit my 6 foot 3 tall sister in there once but we had to kind of fold her legs around her head(no filthy comments!)
It's the most powerful car I've driven for any length of time (I'm sorry), so I can't objectively compare it's performance to anything interesting. But mine does surge a bit when the turbo kicks in at about 2.5 / 3k revs then smoothly and effortlessly increases in speed upto motorway limits. The first time I drove it the acceleration did take me by suprise but my previous car was a 1.9 focus
. Engine / exhaust sounds lovely when you put your foot down. I would agree that that the car is best enjoyed when one is driving alone, but on the other hand the performance is very welcome even with a car full of kids and bikes (especially living in a rural area with lots of tractors to overtake).There used to be a fairly active owners club and forum - I've not been a member for a while so not sure if that it still the case.
I've no idea what these liners are that someone mentioned ... something I need to worry about?
Anyway - great family car, won't get rid of it until the wheels fall off or Ford bring out a better one
One major gripe I have is you can't easily carry bikes on the Titanium X. The rear tailgate is composite so not strong enough to hang a bike rack on. You can now get a tow bar fitted but they have to cut an ugly hole in the rear bumper, and because of the glass roof I'm not keen on trying to lift my bikes onto roof bars.
The Don of Croy said:
We had a 1.8 diesel (boggo LX trim) for three years and 46,000 miles.
Must have been lucky as it was good - never let us down and came out at 15pence per mile (ignoring fuel but all other costs inc depreciation included).
Quiet at tickover - even compared to my ex-bosses 330d. Only complaint was sudden boost in 1st gear when pulling away - took some getting used to.
Only other fault was the alarm went mad but was covered by warranty.
Nice car to drive/be driven in, bags of space, well specced even in LX, cheap to run (49mpg average).
But, if you can afford a 2.5t with whistles and bells also check out a Mazda CX7. Only 5 seats, though, and 25mpg.
1.8 is a proper ford engine, none of that french rubbish. Far less emissions controlling crap bolted on, far less to go wrong. I can understand why it is considered underpowered for an Smax however. Must have been lucky as it was good - never let us down and came out at 15pence per mile (ignoring fuel but all other costs inc depreciation included).
Quiet at tickover - even compared to my ex-bosses 330d. Only complaint was sudden boost in 1st gear when pulling away - took some getting used to.
Only other fault was the alarm went mad but was covered by warranty.
Nice car to drive/be driven in, bags of space, well specced even in LX, cheap to run (49mpg average).
But, if you can afford a 2.5t with whistles and bells also check out a Mazda CX7. Only 5 seats, though, and 25mpg.
Matthen said:
The Don of Croy said:
We had a 1.8 diesel (boggo LX trim) for three years and 46,000 miles.
Must have been lucky as it was good - never let us down and came out at 15pence per mile (ignoring fuel but all other costs inc depreciation included).
Quiet at tickover - even compared to my ex-bosses 330d. Only complaint was sudden boost in 1st gear when pulling away - took some getting used to.
Only other fault was the alarm went mad but was covered by warranty.
Nice car to drive/be driven in, bags of space, well specced even in LX, cheap to run (49mpg average).
But, if you can afford a 2.5t with whistles and bells also check out a Mazda CX7. Only 5 seats, though, and 25mpg.
1.8 is a proper ford engine, none of that french rubbish. Far less emissions controlling crap bolted on, far less to go wrong. I can understand why it is considered underpowered for an Smax however. Must have been lucky as it was good - never let us down and came out at 15pence per mile (ignoring fuel but all other costs inc depreciation included).
Quiet at tickover - even compared to my ex-bosses 330d. Only complaint was sudden boost in 1st gear when pulling away - took some getting used to.
Only other fault was the alarm went mad but was covered by warranty.
Nice car to drive/be driven in, bags of space, well specced even in LX, cheap to run (49mpg average).
But, if you can afford a 2.5t with whistles and bells also check out a Mazda CX7. Only 5 seats, though, and 25mpg.
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