Ford Galaxy MPV

Drive

On the outside, the Galaxy is a big, boxy MPV, yet behind the wheel it feels more compact. Thanks to accurate steering, supple suspension and a commanding driving position, the Galaxy is surprisingly easy to thread through winding roads and narrow city streets. Like most modern Fords, it gets the mix of driving enjoyment and ride comfort spot on. It also smooths out all road surfaces well, but doesn’t suffer badly from body roll in corners like rival MPVs - which is what makes it so good to drive. There's even a sporty, powerful 2.0-litre EcoBoost turbo petrol engine in the range plus a new, more efficient 1.6-litre turbo petrol unit. Unless used mostly in towns and cities, any of the 2.0 TDCi diesels will prove more economical though, and all are quiet.

Comfort

The quiet cabin and enormous amount of space add to the sense that the Galaxy is a luxury car. Seats front and rear are comfortable, while optional extras include TV screens for those in the back. Only excessive wind noise at motorway speeds lets the side down. Ride comfort is one of the Galaxy's foremost strengths, with the big car gliding over all kinds of road surfaces - including the worst of the UK's potholes.

Reliability

First released in 2006 and recently revised with a new look and updated engines, the Galaxy has been subject to a handful of recalls – but no more than any of its rivals. Safety features include stability and traction control, plus front, passenger, side and curtain airbags. Its sister car the S-MAX fared quite poorly in the 2009 Auto Express' Driver Power car reliability survey, placing 59th overall, and was marked down for high running costs.

Practicality

Developed alongside the S-MAX MPV, the Ford Galaxy is supposed to be the more practical and luxurious choice of the two. In reality they’re very similar, although the Galaxy has more rear headroom and boot space. A word of warning, though. If you plan to regularly move seven people and all their luggage, roof-mounted storage would be well worth investigating. With the rear chairs in place, boot space is only 308 litres – which is about the same as offered by a supermini. Ultimately there's no lack of practicality, with the large boot housing two fold-flat chairs and accessed by a big hatchback. Both rows of rear seats fold into the floor, giving a total load space of 2,325 litres - much bigger than any estate car on the market.

Value for money

There's no getting away from the fact that the Ford Galaxy is expensive when compared to rivals - most notably Ford's own S-MAX, which is hardly any smaller and costs around £2,500 less. However, the Galaxy feels like a quality product, and is well equipped across the range. It also holds its value well.

Running costs

The range of diesels all offer good economy of around 45mpg combined and reasonable Road Tax. Insurance costs are fair, too. The three petrol engines - a 1.6 turbo with 158bhp, a 2.0-litre with 143bhp and the 200bhp EcoBoost - won’t get near the diesels for fuel efficiency over longer distances, and cost-wise are best avoided. The Galaxy's bulk means you will also struggle to match official fuel consumption figures if you drive briskly.