Category: Compact MPV 
Price Range: £14,145 to £21,395
Handling, car-like driving characteristics, manoeuvrability, diesel engines, neat looks and attractive, understated interior
Narrow-feeling cabin, tiny central rear seat, no revolutionary features, flexible sliding rear seats only optional
The compact MPV for the driver that really wants a normal hatchback
It's a Ford, so running costs should be reasonable. Demand for compact MPVs keeps residual (resale) values strong, so it should make a good investment, and costs such as servicing and insurance should be well contained. The engines promise good fuel economy and carbon-dioxide emissions - and hence taxation levels - are correspondingly low. The C-MAX is competitively priced, though not available with the same sort of discounts, cashbacks and incentives as the Citroen Xsara Picasso. It is well-equipped, however, and an accomplished, competent all-rounder... like the normal, also roomy, Focus estate, which comes up cheaper. However, the C-MAX has the advantages of the higher seating and larger windows (which children love), easier entry through the larger doors (as liked by older buyers), the extra entertainment options, the optional flexible rear seats and all the kudos that compact MPVs seem to have - they're the fashionable choice for families these days.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Ford C-MAX
wrote on 10 10 2007
wrote on 01 10 2007
wrote on 21 07 2006