I don’t know anyone who downloads videos or watches TV on their mobile phones, do you? Video phones remind me of the programmable timer on your DVD Recorder or the defroster programs on your microwave or even the manual functions on your digital camera. Who has the time to be fiddling with this stuff? I’m quite sure they’re ingenious and I’m sure they work fantastically if you take the time to learn how to use them properly, but they’re just a bit pointless out in the real world.
The Ford S-Max 2.5 T falls into the same category. I can tell you right now that it’s a deeply brilliant car, both as a hugely versatile and comfortable MPV and as a rapid and engaging driver’s car. But who is ever really going to use it as Ford intended? Anyone who’s impressed with the S-Max as an MPV will opt for a torquey and frugal diesel model (after all, there are lots of mouths to feed) while those who are looking for their jollies aren’t going to buy an MPV, even one as good as the S-Max. Unlike the Zafira OPC, the S-Max is sprung like a warmed over version of the basic car rather than a hardcore track car. As a consequence it’s real-world fast, capable of skipping over all but the worst bumps and putting its power down through bumpy corners without igniting the inside tyre or torque steering into orbit. The ride is firm but not so bad it jolts your little darlings’ fillings loose, while body roll and longitudinal movements are kept to an absolute minimum, too. It’s quite amazing how well this big MPV handles on even the worst of roads.
The only problem is that the diesel S-Max is better in a point-and-shoot, one-touch-record, 10-mins-at-hi-power kind of way. Not as fast or quite as accurate, perhaps, but for 99 percent of the time you’re driving your MPV the S-Max TDCi is more than enough car for any of us. To really see how much better the 2.5T you either need a racetrack or some very understanding kids, not to mention some deep pockets both to pay for it (it costs €40,000) and to run it (it averaged 11 l/100km in my hands). Like I said the S-Max 2.5T Titanium is really quite a brilliant car. It’s just that it’s a bit superfluous given how good the default settings are.
Verdict: The 220 hp S-Max is swift, sure, but still a comfortable and hugely capable MPV. Not thrilling enough to warrant the outlay, though.
Read more Ford reviews here.
See all used Ford cars on Car Buyers Guide here.
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