Ford S-Max Titanium

PH Long Term - 7,000 miles in and several surprises

By RacingPete / Wednesday, 17 October 2007 / Loading comments

Fast, fun, MPV. Not words you would expect to see in the same sentence, but our long-term Ford S-Max is putting a big smile on our faces. It shares the engine from the Focus ST - all 217bhp of it - and takes everyone by surprise (especially at the lights), not least because of the long first gear which will see 30mph before it bounces on the limiter. We chose the S-Max more for lugging than hooning, but this is one genuine stealth bus.

On delivery, the car had the Titanium X pack fitted, which included 18in alloy wheels, adaptive headlights and panoramic roof. Though the wheels looked good, we felt we needed a mild PH makeover to make sure it looked right in the car park.

The bumblebee look

So, back to Ford for the addition of the concept kit with exclusive 'PH yellow' chin. This upgrade, which costs £3100 plus fitting, adds side skirts, rear wing, concept grille and massive 20in alloys, filling the arches well if messing somewhat with the steering. Crossing the Croydon tram link last week I was slightly unnerved as they veered left and up the line.

Of course, there is a downside to all this performance. You don't order a petrol-engined MPV that can hit 60mph in under 8sec without suffering the consequences and after 7000 miles of spirited driving we are looking at an average of 21mpg; 1260 litres used and £1197 spent. Picking myself back up off the floor after doing the maths, that works out as 17 of my English pence per mile.

Still room for a cupboard...

The S-Max was intended to carry PH's stuff around the country and in this regard the car is amazingly capable. You can fold the rear seats flat to create a nice bed, or pop them all up to carry the extended family. Our fast Ford has carried everything, from the whole PH Shop, the contents of Garlick's house and a cargo of seven to Le Mans. It's even towed the race car.

A quick scan of the Autocar back pages reveals that the 2.5 is one of the top three most powerful Fords and, as something we thought would just be the PH workhorse, we've found ourselves fighting over the keys. Move over Focus ST, I can hoon just as quick - between petrol stations - and then go to sleep in the back when it all tires me out!