In-depth Reviews

Ford S-MAX owner reviews

Name: Ford S-MAX MPV
Brand: Ford

“The Ford S-MAX is a stylish seven-seat MPV that’s also good to drive, without scrimping on practicality”

by Carbuyer team

16 Jul 2020

Carbuyer Rating

3.8 out of 5

Owners Rating

4.4 out of 5

Buy used for less at Buyacar

100%of people would recommend this car to a friend.

Owner Rating

3reviews
1reviews
1reviews

Common Problems

I would recommend this car to a friend

Version

2.0 litre 150 bhp diesel Titanium

Year of registration

2015

Average annual mileage

0 – 4,999

Owned

1 - 2 years

Bought Car

Used

Typical MPG

Review

Motability vehicle replacing Volvo v70, far superior in every way to the Volvo, more comfortable and quieter, Sync 2 a little fiddly but voice control is excellent. Handles like a much smaller car and front and rear sensors make it easy to park. stop/start is infuriating but with this car you can turn it off, thank goodness!! A couple of small niggles but overall an excellent car

I would recommend this car to a friend

Version

2.0l TDCi Titanium

Year of registration

2016

Average annual mileage

More than 20,000

Owned

Less than a year

Bought Car

Used

Typical MPG

Review

I have this as a company car, replacing a BMW 320d due to needing more family space. The car impresses with space over anything in its class, until you want to use it for 5 adults and 2 child seats. The leg room in the third row is not as good as a galaxy, especially when using an isofix base for a maxi cost. The ford sync navigation system is not the best, it will take you down narrow lanes as these are faster than major A-roads? Also a very bad point of interest directory, and so many submenus you'll have no idea where to find anything. I now don't use it, instead sticking with the Garmin mobile Nav. I have had mine since March, and am not at all impressed with the level of materials used in the boot. The grooves that hold the parcel shelf in place, have worn so badly already! The materials scratch very easily, and the boot look like the car has already done 100,000 although I am at 7000. The Diesel engine is no match for the twin turbo BMW engine for how smooth it is to pull off, however the Ford unit is much quieter. The overall noise levels in the Smax when new were amazing, however now the engine has bedded in the levels have increased somewhat. The lane assist was a nice feature, until I drove on B-roads where it constantly wants you to move away from the edge, so you end up fighting with the car, or let it try crashing into oncoming traffic. This definitely wasn't made for European roads. One other thing that niggles me, is that the overall fit and finish levels are very low compared to other vehicles, I am not sure how ford want to compete with the premium brands using vignale if the levels are as bad as on their main vehicles.

I would recommend this car to a friend

Version

180hp Titanium Diesel

Year of registration

2016

Average annual mileage

15,000 – 19,999

Owned

Less than a year

Bought Car

Used

Typical MPG

Review

Good overall. Sync2 is a little frustrating with applink not working. Voice control is surprisingly good. Space in front and rear is epic.

Reliability

5 out of 5

2k miles good so far

Performance

5 out of 5

1st gear a little lumpy, excellent on faster roads.

I would recommend this car to a friend

Version

2.0 Titanium

Year of registration

2016

Average annual mileage

5,000 – 9,999

Owned

1 - 2 years

Bought Car

Used

Typical MPG

Review

This is our second S-Max and we are very pleased with it. We added to the standard spec with: tow bar (much cheaper than after market); heated seats (fantastic); front and rear cameras (helpful but not essential); Sony radio (magnificent); and leather electric seats (really good). The ride quality is excellent and I am glad we have the standard 17' alloys rather than the firmer 18' on our previous s max. Mechanically it has been flawless and the electrics are perfect. The SYNC2 is ok, but I gather that the 2017 version has an upgraded SYNC3 which has good reviews. If you have three children and need occasional 7 seat capability this is a very good option. We tried but didn't like the C4 grand Picasso (too many gadgets and noisy ride). More expensive options (e.g. Audi Q7 and Discovery) seemed very poor value.

I would recommend this car to a friend

Version

180 Titanium Auto

Year of registration

2018

Average annual mileage

More than 20,000

Owned

1 - 2 years

Bought Car

Used

Typical MPG

Review

Having owned the car for just over a year and 26,000 miles it's time for a review. I test drove all sorts of cars before settling on this as it was by far the quietest and most comfortable. We specced the X pack to get the heated seats and electric tailgate. The smart matrix LED headlights didn't concern me, but once used, they are truly awesome and I still get a kick out of seeing them blank off a car ahead while staying on full beam, really sci-fi stuff. Plenty of power from the 180 diesel, but still averaging 43 mpg without sparing the horses. The car has been totally reliable and on our longer 2000+ mile trips, the most comfy I have owned, certainly better than the C4 Grand Picasso that preceded it. Quieter, better seats and more room for the drivers legs. The Sony upgraded stereo is awesome, well worth it for me as I spend hours in the car every day on my long commute. The seats are very comfy and supportive without the full bucket effect - big thumbs up from my wife. And, of course, its humongous , which has come in handy on a few Ikea runs and garden centre trips. So, a reliable and supremely comfy car that handles very well, is huge and you rarely see another. Sadly to be killed off by Ford in a frenzy of SUVism.

Reliability

5 out of 5

Very reliable, no faults at all in 26,000 miles

Performance

5 out of 5

The 180 picks up and goes very well, plenty of oomph for quick overtakes. Effortless powershift, no hesitation off the line.

Running Cost

5 out of 5

Decent economy at 43mpg,