19 Apr 07
I'm not really a fan of MPVs, they're unwieldy and never as good to drive as an estate, and come with far too many seats that I can find use for. But one benefit is that they make a good impersonation of a van.
My Dad has recently bought a narrow boat to while away his retirement on, and needed some help shifting some things up to the boat to make it more homely. So with the rear and middle rows of seats lying flat, the void left over was soon filled to the brim will all manner of furniture, clothes and plenty more besides.
The S-Max rode a little low at the back due to the extra weight onboard, but with the fancy IVDC suspension in 'Comfort' mode, things felt fine from the steering wheel. With the long motorway slog from east Kent to Shrewsbury over with, the S-Max felt a little out of its depth on the narrow twisty country roads - the drive back with an empty boot was much more confidence inspiring.
My main criticism of the S-Max is its thirst - no matter how you drive, it's extremely difficult to return anything better than 25mpg. It may have a hot hatch engine, but the S-Max is a tall, heavy car and neither the engine nor the fancy suspension with its 'Sport' mode can get overcome the rules of physics.
