Buying a Ford S Max - looking for advice..!
Discussion
So,
little one number 3 is on the way shortly, and we need to change up to a bigger car - welcome some advice on best options etc... having done my homework i'm going to go for an S Max; just need to whittle it down further.
The Situation.
- £8k budget (6k cash, plus approx 2k value for our current car, will either PX it or private sell).
- 2 adults, and 3 kids (4, 2, newborn) all in Isofix seat currently.
- Currently have manual, but happy to opt for automatic.
- Car mainly used for short trips around London, but will be used for trips down to the West Country on a monthly basis.
Questions:
1. Which model - from Zetec to Titanium Sport would you recommend?
2. Petrol or Diesel?
3. Manual or Auto / Sport version
4. Do i opt for the newest version i can get for the budget - even if this means high milage, or is there another way to approach this?
5. What nasty things (read expensive replacement costs) need to be changed at certain mileage, that would influence a price / buying decision?
6. Anything else i should take into account when looking for this car, at this budget?
7. Happy to travel to pick it up, so any recommendations on where to buy from (otherwise will likely be Gumtree / eBay / Autotrader)?
Thanks guys - much appreciation in advance for you assistance!
A.
little one number 3 is on the way shortly, and we need to change up to a bigger car - welcome some advice on best options etc... having done my homework i'm going to go for an S Max; just need to whittle it down further.
The Situation.
- £8k budget (6k cash, plus approx 2k value for our current car, will either PX it or private sell).
- 2 adults, and 3 kids (4, 2, newborn) all in Isofix seat currently.
- Currently have manual, but happy to opt for automatic.
- Car mainly used for short trips around London, but will be used for trips down to the West Country on a monthly basis.
Questions:
1. Which model - from Zetec to Titanium Sport would you recommend?
2. Petrol or Diesel?
3. Manual or Auto / Sport version
4. Do i opt for the newest version i can get for the budget - even if this means high milage, or is there another way to approach this?
5. What nasty things (read expensive replacement costs) need to be changed at certain mileage, that would influence a price / buying decision?
6. Anything else i should take into account when looking for this car, at this budget?
7. Happy to travel to pick it up, so any recommendations on where to buy from (otherwise will likely be Gumtree / eBay / Autotrader)?
Thanks guys - much appreciation in advance for you assistance!
A.
When I was buying 3 years ago I found most popular was the Titanium, so bought that. Try the sport if you like the looks and make sure you find the ride ok on the bigger wheels.
They can be quite scruffy, so look at a few. I didn't entertain any before the 2010 facelift cars and they still look good to me.
I don't especially need diesel, but 90% of them were and I bought one. Powershift box is ok, but needs the oil changed every 3 years. Mine was much better after the new oil went in.
I'm at about 60k miles and the other one in the family (manual diesel) has turned 100k miles. No real shocks along the way and the more leggy one will be replaced by another one.
They can be quite scruffy, so look at a few. I didn't entertain any before the 2010 facelift cars and they still look good to me.
I don't especially need diesel, but 90% of them were and I bought one. Powershift box is ok, but needs the oil changed every 3 years. Mine was much better after the new oil went in.
I'm at about 60k miles and the other one in the family (manual diesel) has turned 100k miles. No real shocks along the way and the more leggy one will be replaced by another one.
We have a 2013 C-Max Titanium with 2.0 TDCI 138bhp engine. Not an S-Max obviously but very similar in many ways.
Overall the car has done it's duty well. It handles well and is comfortable and reliable, and the manual box is great. I'm not a huge fan of the engine though. It gives me very poor economy figures (mid 40s at best on long runs), and feels under powered when the car is fully loaded.
The S-Max is available with the same engine, although there is also a 2.2l Diesel which I understand is much better. I'd go for that engine if you can find a good one in the price range.
With cars like this, you're looking for something that's been well serviced and not used exclusively for taking the kids to school and Tescos. The ones to avoid are probably the ones where the owner clearly couldn't care less about it as long as it starts and moves. Missed service intervals are a classic sign of that, as you probably already know. A high-miler shouldn't put you off as long as the service history is sound, there are no ominous noises and the price is right.
Overall the car has done it's duty well. It handles well and is comfortable and reliable, and the manual box is great. I'm not a huge fan of the engine though. It gives me very poor economy figures (mid 40s at best on long runs), and feels under powered when the car is fully loaded.
The S-Max is available with the same engine, although there is also a 2.2l Diesel which I understand is much better. I'd go for that engine if you can find a good one in the price range.
With cars like this, you're looking for something that's been well serviced and not used exclusively for taking the kids to school and Tescos. The ones to avoid are probably the ones where the owner clearly couldn't care less about it as long as it starts and moves. Missed service intervals are a classic sign of that, as you probably already know. A high-miler shouldn't put you off as long as the service history is sound, there are no ominous noises and the price is right.
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