Buying advice, used S-Max Diesel engines
Discussion
Hi everyone,
I'm in the market for a used S-Max to see us through the next few years. We will have 3 kids under 4 and the car seats that go with that, hence the need. The S-Max seems the best bet for practicality and a bit of style, so have narrowed it down.
We will be getting a c2010/2011 model for the budget, and so I want to make sure we buy wisely so we minimise any future problems.
Looking at the market, Diesel is by far and away the more popular choice, outnumbering petrol c10:1 for whats out there and so that seems like the obvious choice.
However, we do between 8k and 10k annually, mainly a short school run each day, trip to supermarket etc, which suggest Petrol is the obvious choice. Weekends it would get more use and longer runs. I was concerned about short runs and issues with the DPF, and so looked at Petrol. But like I say, fewer models to choose from and most reviews suggest the Diesel is better equiped to cope with the S-Max day to day.
Would anyone be able to help me on this in terms of the Diesel engines and whether I should be concerned or if there are particular models to go for?
Thanks in advance
I'm in the market for a used S-Max to see us through the next few years. We will have 3 kids under 4 and the car seats that go with that, hence the need. The S-Max seems the best bet for practicality and a bit of style, so have narrowed it down.
We will be getting a c2010/2011 model for the budget, and so I want to make sure we buy wisely so we minimise any future problems.
Looking at the market, Diesel is by far and away the more popular choice, outnumbering petrol c10:1 for whats out there and so that seems like the obvious choice.
However, we do between 8k and 10k annually, mainly a short school run each day, trip to supermarket etc, which suggest Petrol is the obvious choice. Weekends it would get more use and longer runs. I was concerned about short runs and issues with the DPF, and so looked at Petrol. But like I say, fewer models to choose from and most reviews suggest the Diesel is better equiped to cope with the S-Max day to day.
Would anyone be able to help me on this in terms of the Diesel engines and whether I should be concerned or if there are particular models to go for?
Thanks in advance
Can't comment specifically on those diesel engines but I do very similar trips to yours and I've completely discounted diesels. I see too many horror stories about blocked DPF's and the issues they cause. I would have thought the 200bhp and 240bhp petrol would be fine in the S-Max, however obviously won't be as frugal but offset any higher fuel costs against the costs you'll need to spend fixing DPF issues.
Obee72 said:
Can't comment specifically on those diesel engines but I do very similar trips to yours and I've completely discounted diesels. I see too many horror stories about blocked DPF's and the issues they cause. I would have thought the 200bhp and 240bhp petrol would be fine in the S-Max, however obviously won't be as frugal but offset any higher fuel costs against the costs you'll need to spend fixing DPF issues.
Thanks. I think i came to the came conclusion as you but just wondered if there were any without a DPF. Trouble is the lack of Petrol engines out there on this model. It'll be dependent on how often you do the longer journeys if it is really every weekend then you'll be fine but if those trips won't be that often then the 2.0T Petrol.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
ZX10R NIN said:
It'll be dependent on how often you do the longer journeys if it is really every weekend then you'll be fine but if those trips won't be that often then the 2.0T Petrol.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Thanks for the link. Unfortunately out of budget for us at the moment. I think on a weekend we do several 30 Min plus journeys so should be ok. I actually fancy the petrol more, just lack of choice.https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
I did a bit of research Into S-Max’s a few years ago. FWIW as far as I could tell from internet research..
The 1.8tdci is a pig. Quite old tech, under powered and possibly hesitation issues.
2.0tdci is obviously the most common unit in difference states of tune/power. Fairly decent by all accounts, pokey, frugal and well suited to the car.
The 2.2tdci would have been my choice. The thick end of 200bhp, seems reliable, but the power comes at the cost of economy which on the combined cycle seems to sit at about 40mpg which is fairly tragic for a diesel really.
As for DPFs, you might get away with it for your use as long as it’s getting a run every so often. The big risk of course is buying used you don’t know what the previous owner did with it... you could do everything right, but if you buy it with a dpf that is already pretty clogged it doesn’t matter what you do, it’ll need sorting.
The 1.8tdci is a pig. Quite old tech, under powered and possibly hesitation issues.
2.0tdci is obviously the most common unit in difference states of tune/power. Fairly decent by all accounts, pokey, frugal and well suited to the car.
The 2.2tdci would have been my choice. The thick end of 200bhp, seems reliable, but the power comes at the cost of economy which on the combined cycle seems to sit at about 40mpg which is fairly tragic for a diesel really.
As for DPFs, you might get away with it for your use as long as it’s getting a run every so often. The big risk of course is buying used you don’t know what the previous owner did with it... you could do everything right, but if you buy it with a dpf that is already pretty clogged it doesn’t matter what you do, it’ll need sorting.
littlebasher said:
I've got the 163bhp derv in mine (powershift)
Tens of thousands of miles and no issues with DPF's or regens.
Real world 40mpg and i drive it hard.
Same here - 163/powershift.Tens of thousands of miles and no issues with DPF's or regens.
Real world 40mpg and i drive it hard.
MY2012, got it around 16 months ago on 39k miles, now on 53k ish.
No problems at all - my daily commute is all of 3 or 4 miles, sometimes I use it, sometimes it stands all week and I use my wife's car. Plenty of longer weekend/holiday trips.
Goes well enough but if driven at 50-60mph, 50mpg+ is possible. As stated above, drive it harder and 40mpg is just about do-able.
Don't really use the extra seats so the boot is huge. It's a really dull creature to drive, and I really wish I could get by with a nice, manual, interesting to drive 'car' (rather than feeling I'm driving a minibus/van around).
But as a tool for the job you can't really beat it (I sit typing this 200 miles from home, having just transported the wife, 2 kids and the most ridiculous amount of luggage/pointless c**p up north for the half term hols).
While diesels do need a run the biggest issue with dof’s is the owners. Yes they need a run to burn the soot out, I would also suggest good quality diesel and not the supermarket crap, they need servicing every 12 months or 10,000 miles, any fault codes,warning lights they need looking at straight away and not when they finally break.
wiliferus said:
I did a bit of research Into S-Max’s a few years ago. FWIW as far as I could tell from internet research..
The 1.8tdci is a pig. Quite old tech, under powered and possibly hesitation issues.
2.0tdci is obviously the most common unit in difference states of tune/power. Fairly decent by all accounts, pokey, frugal and well suited to the car.
The 2.2tdci would have been my choice. The thick end of 200bhp, seems reliable, but the power comes at the cost of economy which on the combined cycle seems to sit at about 40mpg which is fairly tragic for a diesel really.
As for DPFs, you might get away with it for your use as long as it’s getting a run every so often. The big risk of course is buying used you don’t know what the previous owner did with it... you could do everything right, but if you buy it with a dpf that is already pretty clogged it doesn’t matter what you do, it’ll need sorting.
I think that makes a lot of sense. I was looking at one which was pretty low mileage for its age, but that signals it may have done lots of shorter trips. Will keep my eye out for a decent 2.0l or 2.5l petrol then.The 1.8tdci is a pig. Quite old tech, under powered and possibly hesitation issues.
2.0tdci is obviously the most common unit in difference states of tune/power. Fairly decent by all accounts, pokey, frugal and well suited to the car.
The 2.2tdci would have been my choice. The thick end of 200bhp, seems reliable, but the power comes at the cost of economy which on the combined cycle seems to sit at about 40mpg which is fairly tragic for a diesel really.
As for DPFs, you might get away with it for your use as long as it’s getting a run every so often. The big risk of course is buying used you don’t know what the previous owner did with it... you could do everything right, but if you buy it with a dpf that is already pretty clogged it doesn’t matter what you do, it’ll need sorting.
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