Ford S-Max, diesel vs. petrol - talk to me
Discussion
Ok, update time:
I discounted the diesels early on, as research I'd conducted (plus some of my own experiences) showed that the 1.8TDCi Ford lump was actually worse than the 2.0HDi in our ratty old Picasso! The 2.0TDCi seems to be much better to drive, but I was concerned with reliability issues (the engine in the Picasso is an older generation of HDi, which are pretty tough - these later PSA units I'm not so sure about!) Basically took some of the advice here with some of the advice elsewhere and decided that the extra cost of a petrol in fuel and tax was more than outweighed by the additional cost to buy a diesel (about £2k more, spec for spec whether comparing with 2.0 or 2.5T) and one potential mechanical failure, of which either the 1.8 or 2.0 could easily spring.
The S-Max has an owners club (really), and it's literally ram-packed with info. Possibly the most detailed of all owner's forums I've seen, but then the old Mondeo one used to be when we had our ST200. Loads of guys on there also suggested the petrols, being that our mileage was going to be so low. They also admitted that Ford's fuel figures are optimistic, with the diesels often struggling to better 40mpg. So a petrol it was, and I also knew it had to be a Titanium model. Ideally a late-07 model, but I'd take each car on its merits.
Between 2.0 and 2.5T, I never actually made a decision. I just decided that I'd worry more about condition/value for money and the engine is what it is. The 2.5T would obviously be the nicer one; faster, more character, better soundtrack and the fact that the top of the range models always just feel.....better, in some way anyway! On the flip side, the 2.0 would be more simple, very slightly cheaper to tax (£20 a year) and very slightly cheaper to run (most guys average 30mpg in a 2.0, versus 25mpg in the 2.5T.....pittance, in the real world).
And then on Friday, boom! A red S-Max 2.5T Titanium pops up. It's cheap, and though it's 160miles away, I know a guy who runs a used car place in that town. I ring him, and it turns out he knows the guy running the place it was for sale at. Manage to get him to agree to a trade sale (ker-ching!) and I hired a Chevrolet Spark to get me there yesterday (cheaper than the train, but my back paid for it last night!).
Brought it home to my wife's complete surprise (it's a 30th birthday present) and haven't regretted a thing:
What did I learn about the S-Max over the 160 miles home? I learned it's not just hype. I was worried it would all be a load of fuss over nothing, having agreed to buy it blind, and having paid for it without even driving it (I also worried it would be a dog, but sometimes you just have to take a chance)! But there was nothing to worry about, it's awesome. Genuinely, awesome, in my opinion anyway. It handles and grips like a nearly 2tonne car has no earthly right to. I wouldn't call it fast, but it gathers pace very easily, with zero drama or fuss. In fact when I first drove it hard, I immediately just thought it felt sluggish, but it has very tall gears and very long legs. You don't get pinned back in your seat, but the speedo whips round to 90 pretty quickly! I didn't realise how quick I was going until I saw the A4 behind me disappear coming out of the M6 toll booths. It's kind of funny the fastest car we have in the house is probably the family wagon!
The ride? Good. The performance? Good (if not earth-shattering. The noise? Good. The handling? Excellent. The interior space? Good. Build quality? Good. Comfort? Good. Exterior looks? Good. And it did 32mpg on the way home at around 75mph.
It's hard to believe the company who gave us the mk5 Escort has given us this. I'm truly stunned, the S-Max is actually a perfect car!
I discounted the diesels early on, as research I'd conducted (plus some of my own experiences) showed that the 1.8TDCi Ford lump was actually worse than the 2.0HDi in our ratty old Picasso! The 2.0TDCi seems to be much better to drive, but I was concerned with reliability issues (the engine in the Picasso is an older generation of HDi, which are pretty tough - these later PSA units I'm not so sure about!) Basically took some of the advice here with some of the advice elsewhere and decided that the extra cost of a petrol in fuel and tax was more than outweighed by the additional cost to buy a diesel (about £2k more, spec for spec whether comparing with 2.0 or 2.5T) and one potential mechanical failure, of which either the 1.8 or 2.0 could easily spring.
The S-Max has an owners club (really), and it's literally ram-packed with info. Possibly the most detailed of all owner's forums I've seen, but then the old Mondeo one used to be when we had our ST200. Loads of guys on there also suggested the petrols, being that our mileage was going to be so low. They also admitted that Ford's fuel figures are optimistic, with the diesels often struggling to better 40mpg. So a petrol it was, and I also knew it had to be a Titanium model. Ideally a late-07 model, but I'd take each car on its merits.
Between 2.0 and 2.5T, I never actually made a decision. I just decided that I'd worry more about condition/value for money and the engine is what it is. The 2.5T would obviously be the nicer one; faster, more character, better soundtrack and the fact that the top of the range models always just feel.....better, in some way anyway! On the flip side, the 2.0 would be more simple, very slightly cheaper to tax (£20 a year) and very slightly cheaper to run (most guys average 30mpg in a 2.0, versus 25mpg in the 2.5T.....pittance, in the real world).
And then on Friday, boom! A red S-Max 2.5T Titanium pops up. It's cheap, and though it's 160miles away, I know a guy who runs a used car place in that town. I ring him, and it turns out he knows the guy running the place it was for sale at. Manage to get him to agree to a trade sale (ker-ching!) and I hired a Chevrolet Spark to get me there yesterday (cheaper than the train, but my back paid for it last night!).
Brought it home to my wife's complete surprise (it's a 30th birthday present) and haven't regretted a thing:
What did I learn about the S-Max over the 160 miles home? I learned it's not just hype. I was worried it would all be a load of fuss over nothing, having agreed to buy it blind, and having paid for it without even driving it (I also worried it would be a dog, but sometimes you just have to take a chance)! But there was nothing to worry about, it's awesome. Genuinely, awesome, in my opinion anyway. It handles and grips like a nearly 2tonne car has no earthly right to. I wouldn't call it fast, but it gathers pace very easily, with zero drama or fuss. In fact when I first drove it hard, I immediately just thought it felt sluggish, but it has very tall gears and very long legs. You don't get pinned back in your seat, but the speedo whips round to 90 pretty quickly! I didn't realise how quick I was going until I saw the A4 behind me disappear coming out of the M6 toll booths. It's kind of funny the fastest car we have in the house is probably the family wagon!
The ride? Good. The performance? Good (if not earth-shattering. The noise? Good. The handling? Excellent. The interior space? Good. Build quality? Good. Comfort? Good. Exterior looks? Good. And it did 32mpg on the way home at around 75mph.
It's hard to believe the company who gave us the mk5 Escort has given us this. I'm truly stunned, the S-Max is actually a perfect car!
Edited by Kitchski on Tuesday 27th January 13:21
Yep, Ford have come a long, long way since the mk5 Escort.
I have an Elise and the 2.5T Mondeo. I am more impressed with the handling on the Mondeo, not because it is better than the Elise, but because you expect the Elise to be good. But, because Ford managed to get such great steering, damping and body control into what is a sizeable family barge.
I have an Elise and the 2.5T Mondeo. I am more impressed with the handling on the Mondeo, not because it is better than the Elise, but because you expect the Elise to be good. But, because Ford managed to get such great steering, damping and body control into what is a sizeable family barge.
Well done on a great purchase! We had an S-Max on loan for three weeks a few years back (thanks to Mumsnet of all places - don't ask!). It was the 2.2 163bhp diesel and was by far the best family wagon I've driven. Ford really nailed it with this one.
Even better you've got the 2.5T, you lucky bugger! Plenty of go faster mods if you're that way inclined too
Even better you've got the 2.5T, you lucky bugger! Plenty of go faster mods if you're that way inclined too
Kitchski said:
Ok, update time:
I discounted the diesels early on, as research I'd conducted (plus some of my own experiences) showed that the 1.8TDCi Ford lump was actually worse than the 2.0HDi in our ratty old Picasso! The 2.0TDCi seems to be much better to drive, but I was concerned with reliability issues (the engine in the Picasso is an older generation of HDi, which are pretty tough - these later PSA units I'm not so sure about!) Basically took some of the advice here with some of the advice elsewhere and decided that the extra cost of a petrol in fuel and tax was more than outweighed by the additional cost to buy a diesel (about £2k more, spec for spec whether comparing with 2.0 or 2.5T) and one potential mechanical failure, of which either the 1.8 or 2.0 could easily spring.
The S-Max has an owners club (really), and it's literally ram-packed with info. Possibly the most detailed of all owner's forums I've seen, but then the old Mondeo one used to be when we had our ST200. Loads of guys on there also suggested the petrols, being that our mileage was going to be so low. They also admitted that Ford's fuel figures are optimistic, with the diesels often struggling to better 40mpg. So a petrol it was, and I also knew it had to be a Titanium model. Ideally a late-07 model, but I'd take each car on its merits.
Between 2.0 and 2.5T, I never actually made a decision. I just decided that I'd worry more about condition/value for money and the engine is what it is. The 2.5T would obviously be the nicer one; faster, more character, better soundtrack and the fact that the top of the range models always just feel.....better, in some way anyway! On the flip side, the 2.0 would be more simple, very slightly cheaper to tax (£20 a year) and very slightly cheaper to run (most guys average 30mpg in a 2.0, versus 25mpg in the 2.5T.....pittance, in the real world).
And then on Friday, boom! A red S-Max 2.5T Titanium pops up. It's cheap, and though it's 160miles away, I know a guy who runs a used car place in that town. I ring him, and it turns out he knows the guy running the place it was for sale at. Manage to get him to agree to a trade sale (ker-ching!) and I hired a Chevrolet Spark to get me there yesterday (cheaper than the train, but my back paid for it last night!).
Brought it home to my wife's complete surprise (it's a 30th birthday present) and haven't regretted a thing:
What did I learn about the S-Max over the 160 miles home? I learned it's not just hype. I was worried it would all be a load of fuss over nothing, having agreed to buy it blind, and having paid for it without even driving it (I also worried it would be a dog, but sometimes you just have to take a chance)! But there was nothing to worry about, it's awesome. Genuinely, awesome, in my opinion anyway. It handles and grips like a nearly 2tonne car has no earthly right to. I wouldn't call it fast, but it gathers pace very easily, with zero drama or fuss. In fact when I first drove it hard, I immediately just thought it felt sluggish, but it has very tall gears and very long legs. You don't get pinned back in your seat, but the speedo whips round to 90 pretty quickly! I didn't realise how quick I was going until I saw the A4 behind me disappear coming out of the M6 toll booths. It's kind of funny the fastest car we have in the house is probably the family wagon!
The ride? Good. The performance? Good (if not earth-shattering. The noise? Good. The handling? Excellent. The interior space? Good. Build quality? Good. Comfort? Good. Exterior looks? Good. And it did 32mpg on the way home at around 75mph.
It's hard to believe the company who gave us the mk5 Escort has given us this. I'm truly stunned, the S-Max is actually a perfect car!
Thanks for the update. We're about to go down a similar route, so glad to hear your car lived up to its hype!I discounted the diesels early on, as research I'd conducted (plus some of my own experiences) showed that the 1.8TDCi Ford lump was actually worse than the 2.0HDi in our ratty old Picasso! The 2.0TDCi seems to be much better to drive, but I was concerned with reliability issues (the engine in the Picasso is an older generation of HDi, which are pretty tough - these later PSA units I'm not so sure about!) Basically took some of the advice here with some of the advice elsewhere and decided that the extra cost of a petrol in fuel and tax was more than outweighed by the additional cost to buy a diesel (about £2k more, spec for spec whether comparing with 2.0 or 2.5T) and one potential mechanical failure, of which either the 1.8 or 2.0 could easily spring.
The S-Max has an owners club (really), and it's literally ram-packed with info. Possibly the most detailed of all owner's forums I've seen, but then the old Mondeo one used to be when we had our ST200. Loads of guys on there also suggested the petrols, being that our mileage was going to be so low. They also admitted that Ford's fuel figures are optimistic, with the diesels often struggling to better 40mpg. So a petrol it was, and I also knew it had to be a Titanium model. Ideally a late-07 model, but I'd take each car on its merits.
Between 2.0 and 2.5T, I never actually made a decision. I just decided that I'd worry more about condition/value for money and the engine is what it is. The 2.5T would obviously be the nicer one; faster, more character, better soundtrack and the fact that the top of the range models always just feel.....better, in some way anyway! On the flip side, the 2.0 would be more simple, very slightly cheaper to tax (£20 a year) and very slightly cheaper to run (most guys average 30mpg in a 2.0, versus 25mpg in the 2.5T.....pittance, in the real world).
And then on Friday, boom! A red S-Max 2.5T Titanium pops up. It's cheap, and though it's 160miles away, I know a guy who runs a used car place in that town. I ring him, and it turns out he knows the guy running the place it was for sale at. Manage to get him to agree to a trade sale (ker-ching!) and I hired a Chevrolet Spark to get me there yesterday (cheaper than the train, but my back paid for it last night!).
Brought it home to my wife's complete surprise (it's a 30th birthday present) and haven't regretted a thing:
What did I learn about the S-Max over the 160 miles home? I learned it's not just hype. I was worried it would all be a load of fuss over nothing, having agreed to buy it blind, and having paid for it without even driving it (I also worried it would be a dog, but sometimes you just have to take a chance)! But there was nothing to worry about, it's awesome. Genuinely, awesome, in my opinion anyway. It handles and grips like a nearly 2tonne car has no earthly right to. I wouldn't call it fast, but it gathers pace very easily, with zero drama or fuss. In fact when I first drove it hard, I immediately just thought it felt sluggish, but it has very tall gears and very long legs. You don't get pinned back in your seat, but the speedo whips round to 90 pretty quickly! I didn't realise how quick I was going until I saw the A4 behind me disappear coming out of the M6 toll booths. It's kind of funny the fastest car we have in the house is probably the family wagon!
The ride? Good. The performance? Good (if not earth-shattering. The noise? Good. The handling? Excellent. The interior space? Good. Build quality? Good. Comfort? Good. Exterior looks? Good. And it did 32mpg on the way home at around 75mph.
It's hard to believe the company who gave us the mk5 Escort has given us this. I'm truly stunned, the S-Max is actually a perfect car!
Edited by Kitchski on Tuesday 27th January 13:21
rejn said:
Kitchski said:
Ok, update time:
I discounted the diesels early on, as research I'd conducted (plus some of my own experiences) showed that the 1.8TDCi Ford lump was actually worse than the 2.0HDi in our ratty old Picasso! The 2.0TDCi seems to be much better to drive, but I was concerned with reliability issues (the engine in the Picasso is an older generation of HDi, which are pretty tough - these later PSA units I'm not so sure about!) Basically took some of the advice here with some of the advice elsewhere and decided that the extra cost of a petrol in fuel and tax was more than outweighed by the additional cost to buy a diesel (about £2k more, spec for spec whether comparing with 2.0 or 2.5T) and one potential mechanical failure, of which either the 1.8 or 2.0 could easily spring.
The S-Max has an owners club (really), and it's literally ram-packed with info. Possibly the most detailed of all owner's forums I've seen, but then the old Mondeo one used to be when we had our ST200. Loads of guys on there also suggested the petrols, being that our mileage was going to be so low. They also admitted that Ford's fuel figures are optimistic, with the diesels often struggling to better 40mpg. So a petrol it was, and I also knew it had to be a Titanium model. Ideally a late-07 model, but I'd take each car on its merits.
Between 2.0 and 2.5T, I never actually made a decision. I just decided that I'd worry more about condition/value for money and the engine is what it is. The 2.5T would obviously be the nicer one; faster, more character, better soundtrack and the fact that the top of the range models always just feel.....better, in some way anyway! On the flip side, the 2.0 would be more simple, very slightly cheaper to tax (£20 a year) and very slightly cheaper to run (most guys average 30mpg in a 2.0, versus 25mpg in the 2.5T.....pittance, in the real world).
And then on Friday, boom! A red S-Max 2.5T Titanium pops up. It's cheap, and though it's 160miles away, I know a guy who runs a used car place in that town. I ring him, and it turns out he knows the guy running the place it was for sale at. Manage to get him to agree to a trade sale (ker-ching!) and I hired a Chevrolet Spark to get me there yesterday (cheaper than the train, but my back paid for it last night!).
Brought it home to my wife's complete surprise (it's a 30th birthday present) and haven't regretted a thing:
What did I learn about the S-Max over the 160 miles home? I learned it's not just hype. I was worried it would all be a load of fuss over nothing, having agreed to buy it blind, and having paid for it without even driving it (I also worried it would be a dog, but sometimes you just have to take a chance)! But there was nothing to worry about, it's awesome. Genuinely, awesome, in my opinion anyway. It handles and grips like a nearly 2tonne car has no earthly right to. I wouldn't call it fast, but it gathers pace very easily, with zero drama or fuss. In fact when I first drove it hard, I immediately just thought it felt sluggish, but it has very tall gears and very long legs. You don't get pinned back in your seat, but the speedo whips round to 90 pretty quickly! I didn't realise how quick I was going until I saw the A4 behind me disappear coming out of the M6 toll booths. It's kind of funny the fastest car we have in the house is probably the family wagon!
The ride? Good. The performance? Good (if not earth-shattering. The noise? Good. The handling? Excellent. The interior space? Good. Build quality? Good. Comfort? Good. Exterior looks? Good. And it did 32mpg on the way home at around 75mph.
It's hard to believe the company who gave us the mk5 Escort has given us this. I'm truly stunned, the S-Max is actually a perfect car!
Thanks for the update. We're about to go down a similar route, so glad to hear your car lived up to its hype!I discounted the diesels early on, as research I'd conducted (plus some of my own experiences) showed that the 1.8TDCi Ford lump was actually worse than the 2.0HDi in our ratty old Picasso! The 2.0TDCi seems to be much better to drive, but I was concerned with reliability issues (the engine in the Picasso is an older generation of HDi, which are pretty tough - these later PSA units I'm not so sure about!) Basically took some of the advice here with some of the advice elsewhere and decided that the extra cost of a petrol in fuel and tax was more than outweighed by the additional cost to buy a diesel (about £2k more, spec for spec whether comparing with 2.0 or 2.5T) and one potential mechanical failure, of which either the 1.8 or 2.0 could easily spring.
The S-Max has an owners club (really), and it's literally ram-packed with info. Possibly the most detailed of all owner's forums I've seen, but then the old Mondeo one used to be when we had our ST200. Loads of guys on there also suggested the petrols, being that our mileage was going to be so low. They also admitted that Ford's fuel figures are optimistic, with the diesels often struggling to better 40mpg. So a petrol it was, and I also knew it had to be a Titanium model. Ideally a late-07 model, but I'd take each car on its merits.
Between 2.0 and 2.5T, I never actually made a decision. I just decided that I'd worry more about condition/value for money and the engine is what it is. The 2.5T would obviously be the nicer one; faster, more character, better soundtrack and the fact that the top of the range models always just feel.....better, in some way anyway! On the flip side, the 2.0 would be more simple, very slightly cheaper to tax (£20 a year) and very slightly cheaper to run (most guys average 30mpg in a 2.0, versus 25mpg in the 2.5T.....pittance, in the real world).
And then on Friday, boom! A red S-Max 2.5T Titanium pops up. It's cheap, and though it's 160miles away, I know a guy who runs a used car place in that town. I ring him, and it turns out he knows the guy running the place it was for sale at. Manage to get him to agree to a trade sale (ker-ching!) and I hired a Chevrolet Spark to get me there yesterday (cheaper than the train, but my back paid for it last night!).
Brought it home to my wife's complete surprise (it's a 30th birthday present) and haven't regretted a thing:
What did I learn about the S-Max over the 160 miles home? I learned it's not just hype. I was worried it would all be a load of fuss over nothing, having agreed to buy it blind, and having paid for it without even driving it (I also worried it would be a dog, but sometimes you just have to take a chance)! But there was nothing to worry about, it's awesome. Genuinely, awesome, in my opinion anyway. It handles and grips like a nearly 2tonne car has no earthly right to. I wouldn't call it fast, but it gathers pace very easily, with zero drama or fuss. In fact when I first drove it hard, I immediately just thought it felt sluggish, but it has very tall gears and very long legs. You don't get pinned back in your seat, but the speedo whips round to 90 pretty quickly! I didn't realise how quick I was going until I saw the A4 behind me disappear coming out of the M6 toll booths. It's kind of funny the fastest car we have in the house is probably the family wagon!
The ride? Good. The performance? Good (if not earth-shattering. The noise? Good. The handling? Excellent. The interior space? Good. Build quality? Good. Comfort? Good. Exterior looks? Good. And it did 32mpg on the way home at around 75mph.
It's hard to believe the company who gave us the mk5 Escort has given us this. I'm truly stunned, the S-Max is actually a perfect car!
Edited by Kitchski on Tuesday 27th January 13:21
Well, we've had the 2.5T for three years now. Overall very happy with it. Info you might want to know:
Regards living with it:
t anyway), steering rack, steering pump, coolant hose, PAS hose, front shockers, rear caliper and a handbrake cable. Some of it could be classed as wear and tear, but by contrast I've had an old Peugeot 407 HDi for 18months, with 215k on the clock, and I've changed bulbs (and fixed a water leak). Oh, and it needs a new aircon pipe (if I want the aircon to work again). Some cars wear out faster than others, and the S-Max is one to stay on top of if you want to keep it in good running order.
Great car though, I'm really impressed with it. Ours is 12years old and I see no reason to replace it any time soon.
- Not sure on clutch, but would think it'd be a few hundred quid labour. Looks a bit of a pig to do.
- Cambelt should be changed on 80k. Ford reckon 125k, but the Volvo interval is apparently 80k miles (bit of a difference!) I got our sorted not long after we got it, on 97k, just for piece of mind.
- They eat steering racks, though thankfully as a result the parts are fast moving, and therefore cheap. Ours did it the week after I picked it up (no joke!) The PAS still works fine, but you get a very slight 'stick' whenever you initially apply any lock. It's because of a nylon bush that breaks up in the pinion....I think. Think the rack was £125 exchange, plus whatever your garage charges to fit it.
- Ours has had advisories on rear trailing arm bushes since we got it. Apparently they're difficult to change properly (easy to bodge), and the only proper fix is a new arm. No impending doom from it though, as it's barely got any worse since I bought it.
- Biggest thing to look for is liner problems. I've not heard of an S-Max having it, but plenty of Focus STs have, along with the Volvo guys. Un-modified cars too. Only way to know is a disappearing coolant level over time, and lots of water vapour from the exhaust. Problem there is that the 2.5T produces a lot of vapour anyway! Speaking of the exhaust, they're £800 from Ford, and not available aftermarket unless you want a billy-boy version.
Regards living with it:
- Lovely to drive. Really, a good one will blow you away. Very quiet, very composed, very relaxed. Good steering feel, good ride, excellent body control and strong grip. Makes you wonder how Ford managed it (oh right, yes, they sacrifice tyres!)
- Economy is low 20's in town, though if you work at it you can get to high 20's (average). It'll pull from 1k rpm in any gear, and there's next to no turbo lag, so it's very easy to pootle around. All the controls are light, so easy in traffic. On a run you can get 35mpg if you keep the cruise off and don't exceed 70mph, or 30mpg if you do.
- Don't expect it to be fast, because it isn't. Lots of talk of them being a hot-hatch MPV - it's all BS. Think of a 2.5T Titanium as a Mondeo Ghia V6, but with a little bit of the tacky wood removed and a bit more silver paint. It's not sporty at all (and it's all the better for it, IMO). The 5-pot engine is more like a smooth, grunty V6 in its behaviour. In fact, it's smoother than some V6s I've owned.
- Be aware that it might not have TCS or ESP. You'd think it'd be standard fit, but amazingly it wasn't, and our scrabbles quite a bit at the front end.
t anyway), steering rack, steering pump, coolant hose, PAS hose, front shockers, rear caliper and a handbrake cable. Some of it could be classed as wear and tear, but by contrast I've had an old Peugeot 407 HDi for 18months, with 215k on the clock, and I've changed bulbs (and fixed a water leak). Oh, and it needs a new aircon pipe (if I want the aircon to work again). Some cars wear out faster than others, and the S-Max is one to stay on top of if you want to keep it in good running order.Great car though, I'm really impressed with it. Ours is 12years old and I see no reason to replace it any time soon.
So not one to procrastinate and hang about (yeah right!). I've gone and bought one.
57 plate Titanium X 2.5T with 64k on the clock.
First impressions: NICE! - Its all rather nice, in a friendly and inoffensive sort of way. The ride quality is good, it handles better than it has any right to. The gear change is reasonably positive and slick as are the rest of the controls and the engine pulls strongly from low revs.
It has a surprising turn of speed (not quick per se, just surprising), and it has great visibility, particularly at the front 1/4light position.
Where this car really comes into its own is in the packaging of the interior; its useful and clever in equal measure and for that I can forgo the slightly portly image you get with an MPV.
The folding seats and general amount of space is impressive. The doors open nice and wide and the height makes it easy to load kids into their car seats...... no more slouching down to get my head in under the a low roof line.
Is it perfect? Not quite; some of the build quality/materials are a little iffy..... the "leather" on the doors has come loose in places. The lid of the plastic storage bin in the centre of the dash no longer rises up at the press of a button, similarly the split centre cubby doesn't split so I only have access to the deep portion or storage rather than the shallow section under the arm rest, and some of the switchgear is wearing poorly.
Other than that its pretty much fully loaded with kit; Active Xenons, "leather/Alcantara" sports seats, heated seats, heated windscreen, auto lights, sat-nav, Bluetooth, cruise, panoramic sunroof, parking sensors..... etc...etc.
For shorterm intial thoughts, I'm happy with my purchase. The only thing likely to leave a bad taste in my mouth is fuel economy. I'm going from a 320d ED that regularly returned 700+ miles per 60 litres tank of diesel (and £20 annual road tax) to a predicted fuel range of less than 300 miles and £300 road tax. Urgh! the price of having kids eh?!
57 plate Titanium X 2.5T with 64k on the clock.
First impressions: NICE! - Its all rather nice, in a friendly and inoffensive sort of way. The ride quality is good, it handles better than it has any right to. The gear change is reasonably positive and slick as are the rest of the controls and the engine pulls strongly from low revs.
It has a surprising turn of speed (not quick per se, just surprising), and it has great visibility, particularly at the front 1/4light position.
Where this car really comes into its own is in the packaging of the interior; its useful and clever in equal measure and for that I can forgo the slightly portly image you get with an MPV.
The folding seats and general amount of space is impressive. The doors open nice and wide and the height makes it easy to load kids into their car seats...... no more slouching down to get my head in under the a low roof line.
Is it perfect? Not quite; some of the build quality/materials are a little iffy..... the "leather" on the doors has come loose in places. The lid of the plastic storage bin in the centre of the dash no longer rises up at the press of a button, similarly the split centre cubby doesn't split so I only have access to the deep portion or storage rather than the shallow section under the arm rest, and some of the switchgear is wearing poorly.
Other than that its pretty much fully loaded with kit; Active Xenons, "leather/Alcantara" sports seats, heated seats, heated windscreen, auto lights, sat-nav, Bluetooth, cruise, panoramic sunroof, parking sensors..... etc...etc.
For shorterm intial thoughts, I'm happy with my purchase. The only thing likely to leave a bad taste in my mouth is fuel economy. I'm going from a 320d ED that regularly returned 700+ miles per 60 litres tank of diesel (and £20 annual road tax) to a predicted fuel range of less than 300 miles and £300 road tax. Urgh! the price of having kids eh?!
Congrats on the purchase! Didn't even know they did a Titanium X with the 2.5T engine, thought it came later on. Everyday is a school day!
Have to confess I didn't really think about the 'image' of it, as it's not a concern of mine. Likewise the build quality - it's still in one piece, ergo it's built well enough! But our armrest upper section has broken too, and the centre cubby in the top of the dash is also broken, so it can't be opened unless you use a Tesco clubcard to lever it. Small niggles though. I'd fix them if I was that bothered.
Forgot to mention - check to see if it still has the original windscreen fitted. If it's been replaced, sometimes they're not bonded properly along the top where the heating element and auto wiper sensor pass through, and you can get a wet interior. In extreme cases, people have had dashboard fires! Obviously there's a chance that the screen could have still been replaced, only with a genuine one, but what can you do?
Ours is original, but most of the heating elements have died. I'm more worried about the replacement being poorly fitted than getting the elements to work properly again, so haven't changed it!
Have to confess I didn't really think about the 'image' of it, as it's not a concern of mine. Likewise the build quality - it's still in one piece, ergo it's built well enough! But our armrest upper section has broken too, and the centre cubby in the top of the dash is also broken, so it can't be opened unless you use a Tesco clubcard to lever it. Small niggles though. I'd fix them if I was that bothered.
Forgot to mention - check to see if it still has the original windscreen fitted. If it's been replaced, sometimes they're not bonded properly along the top where the heating element and auto wiper sensor pass through, and you can get a wet interior. In extreme cases, people have had dashboard fires! Obviously there's a chance that the screen could have still been replaced, only with a genuine one, but what can you do?
Ours is original, but most of the heating elements have died. I'm more worried about the replacement being poorly fitted than getting the elements to work properly again, so haven't changed it!
Kitchski said:
Congrats on the purchase! Didn't even know they did a Titanium X with the 2.5T engine, thought it came later on. Everyday is a school day!
Have to confess I didn't really think about the 'image' of it, as it's not a concern of mine. Likewise the build quality - it's still in one piece, ergo it's built well enough! But our armrest upper section has broken too, and the centre cubby in the top of the dash is also broken, so it can't be opened unless you use a Tesco clubcard to lever it. Small niggles though. I'd fix them if I was that bothered.
Forgot to mention - check to see if it still has the original windscreen fitted. If it's been replaced, sometimes they're not bonded properly along the top where the heating element and auto wiper sensor pass through, and you can get a wet interior. In extreme cases, people have had dashboard fires! Obviously there's a chance that the screen could have still been replaced, only with a genuine one, but what can you do?
Ours is original, but most of the heating elements have died. I'm more worried about the replacement being poorly fitted than getting the elements to work properly again, so haven't changed it!
Thanks, yeah the "X" was an additional pack for the Titanium, more kit I guess. Thanks for the tip regarding the screen. The people I bought it off said that the screen was replaced last year. No signs of any leaks but I did notice a slightly less than perfect contact between the screen and the rear view mirror mount (appears to contain lots of sensors). I'll keep an eye on it though.Have to confess I didn't really think about the 'image' of it, as it's not a concern of mine. Likewise the build quality - it's still in one piece, ergo it's built well enough! But our armrest upper section has broken too, and the centre cubby in the top of the dash is also broken, so it can't be opened unless you use a Tesco clubcard to lever it. Small niggles though. I'd fix them if I was that bothered.
Forgot to mention - check to see if it still has the original windscreen fitted. If it's been replaced, sometimes they're not bonded properly along the top where the heating element and auto wiper sensor pass through, and you can get a wet interior. In extreme cases, people have had dashboard fires! Obviously there's a chance that the screen could have still been replaced, only with a genuine one, but what can you do?
Ours is original, but most of the heating elements have died. I'm more worried about the replacement being poorly fitted than getting the elements to work properly again, so haven't changed it!
Thanks
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