Skip advert
Advertisement
Long-term tests

Ford S-MAX 2010 - long-term test

Seven-seater has been crowned our Best MPV three years in a row – so our man is making room in his trophy cabinet

Pros
  • THE 2.0-litre TDCi engine is an absolute peach. It’s available with 113bhp, 138bhp or 161bhp – ours is the most powerful, and blends strong pace with excellent refinement. The figures make sense, too, with CO2 emissions of only 152g/km and predicted fuel economy of 49.6mpg. New to the range, the unit makes the S-MAX more attractive than ever.
Cons
  • AT this stage, there’s not much about the S-MAX that grates with me. My only quibble concerns the number of alarms and alerts that sound – a consequence of the raft of equipment the car comes with (such as the parking camera). At times, it feels as though my daughter has been let loose on a Bontempi organ, such is the array of sounds!
Find your Ford S-MAX
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

I’VE never been much of a prize guy. I once won an award for being top pupil academically at my secondary school. There were a couple of minor successes in golf competitions a few years ago. And Harry Ramsden’s in Manchester gave me a certificate in 1999 for eating a haddock the size of a whale.

Advertisement - Article continues below

As a roll of honour, it’s pretty ropey. But now the Hope household has taken delivery of a 100 per cent, bona fide award-winner in the shape of Ford’s S-MAX. Back in Issue 1,126, you may remember, it took the Best MPV prize in Auto Express’s Cars of the Year special – a feat it also achieved in 2008 and 2009.

So what’s all the fuss about? Well, first impressions have been very positive – despite some scare stories from my colleagues. Our road test team had all cast eyes on EF10 VCU before I did, and a couple were quick to warn me the colour “was an acquired taste”.

I seem to have acquired it pretty quickly. The £745 Ice White shade is best described as an ultra-pale whitey-silvery-blue, and I think it makes the freshly facelifted S-MAX look pretty distinctive. Coupled with the menacing blacked-out privacy windows, the car cuts quite a dash.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

S-Max

2017 Ford

S-Max

63,350 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £11,800
View S-Max
S-Max

2019 Ford

S-Max

30,821 milesManualPetrol1.5L

Cash £19,300
View S-Max
S-Max

2019 Ford

S-Max

41,233 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £15,858
View S-Max
S-Max

2022 Ford

S-Max

4,553 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L

Cash £23,999
View S-Max

There’s been no skimping on kit, either. Titanium trim brings a host of equipment as standard, but it’s the optional extras that really stand out. Among the goodies are heated and ventilated front seats, bi-xenon cornering lights, DVD touchscreen sat-nav, a rear camera blindspot info system, adaptive cruise control (with forward alert and hill launch assist) and keyless entry.

Advertisement - Article continues below

I’m not really what you’d term an enthusiastic early adopter of technology, so I daresay I’ll spend the car’s six-month stay with us struggling to get to grips with that little lot! The S-MAX has only been with us for a couple of weeks, so I haven’t had much of an opportunity to put many miles on the clock, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time behind the wheel so far.

A motorway blast was dispatched effortlessly, with the muscular diesel engine – a 161bhp 2.0-litre TDCi which is new to the S-MAX range – really impressing. It’s refined, too, most noticeably at the low speeds in the city where the Ford will spend most of its time.

Crucially, though, the S-MAX is also involving to drive. While other MPVs deliver a practical package well, there aren’t many you relish taking the wheel of. The Ford is the exception, and gives the sort of agility that has become a feature of the blue oval range from the Ka upwards. Our car’s responses are further sharpened by Ford’s optional IVDC three-stage adaptive damping.

Inside, it couldn’t be more comfortable. The seats come with extensive electrical adjustment, so finding the optimum driving position is simple, while there’s plenty of space. And even when all seven seats are occupied, at no time does the interior feel cramped.

The easily wiped clean leather upholstery will come in handy when my one-year-old daughter Isla decides to toss her milk away, while freeing up boot space could not be more straightforward thanks to the fold-flat rearmost seats.

All in all, then, it’s been a very good start for the S-MAX on our fleet. Little wonder it’s still picking up prestigious prizes four years after its launch!

Second Opinion

“I’m not surprised by Graham’s enthusiasm for the S-MAX. Few cars manage to meet such a practical brief as effortlessly without sacrificing their dynamic ability. The fact it also looks so good only adds to the appeal.”
Ross Pinnock
Road test editor

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Ford S-Max

Ford S-Max

RRP £28,445Used from £3,990
MG MG4

MG MG4

RRP £26,995Avg. savings £7,541 off RRP*Used from £11,895
Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £38,140Avg. savings £3,019 off RRP*Used from £11,995
Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,495Avg. savings £1,672 off RRP*Used from £16,100
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment
Xiaomi YU7 - front cornering

New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment

BMW or Mercedes would do anything to keep the new Xiaomi YU7 from sale in the UK and Europe, and this is why
Road tests
14 Jul 2025
New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range
MG IM5 - Goodwood front

New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range

The all-electric IM5 brings new technology and design to the MG line-up
News
10 Jul 2025
The EV grant is back: Government's new £3,750 electric car discount in detail
Auto Express creative director Darren Wilson charging the Lexus RZ

The EV grant is back: Government's new £3,750 electric car discount in detail

The government has set out its plan to help reduce the cost of affordable EVs by introducing a new £3,750 grant for new EVs sold
News
15 Jul 2025