S Max 2.5t vs X Type V6

[Malinois6303]

Hi Guys

Further to an earlier question on the forum I’ve narrowed down my hunt for a 3 year, 6000 mile a year practical daily, big enough to carry my two children and two Malinois.

I’ve seen a 2004 X Type V6 AWD Estate described as immaculate 1 over car, 110,000 mile for £2500

Or

S Max 2.5t (Volvo 5cyl lump) with 118000 miles, two owners and partial history for around £3300.

What would you go for, reliability and putting another 18000 miles on?

Cheers

[Mad Maximus]

Malinois6303 said:

Hi Guys

Further to an earlier question on the forum I’ve narrowed down my hunt for a 3 year, 6000 mile a year practical daily, big enough to carry my two children and two Malinois.

I’ve seen a 2004 X Type V6 AWD Estate described as immaculate 1 over car, 110,000 mile for £2500

Or

S Max 2.5t (Volvo 5cyl lump) with 118000 miles, two owners and partial history for around £3300.

What would you go for, reliability and putting another 18000 miles on?

Cheers

Probably the x type but it’s close ish. The jag stuff is pretty bullet proof just check for rot on the sills.

Don’t like big fords. When they work they are lovely but overall have been a bit st for me. Mondoes and a galaxy = garbage.

Plus the x type estate is a great looking estate in the right spec.

[trevalvole]

Mad Maximus said:

Probably the x type but it’s close ish. The jag stuff is pretty bullet proof just check for rot on the sills.

I gather you need to remove the sill covers to check. This is what could be hiding: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Also, I have some recollection that part of the awd system often requires repair/replacement.

[Summit_Detailing]

As long as the sills aren't completely f%*ked and the rear subframe is ok I'd choose the X-type over a partial history 2.5 Volvo/Ford.

How does the MOT history read on it?

[Time4another]

Yeah not much between them. I'd go S-max just becasue of the X-types Mondeo-ness and rotting sills.

Have a Focus ST with that engine and it's thirsty, always thirsty. Tried nursing it along once, low revs, coasting down hills, slip streaming trucks and got into the low 20s. High teens for mixed driving without going too nuts.

Also think the 2.5 turbo in a people carrier would be helarious and sounds superb but that's probably not the reason most would be looking at them.

[GeniusOfLove]

Right I can post on this from recent experience.

Do not, DO NOT but a 2.5 X-Type particularly with an automatic gearbox. They are comedically, laughably gutless, even more than the rather pathetic book times would suggest. All while getting 25mpg.

Honestly, if you're thinking about it and you're near GLoucester PM me and you can come and try the one I bought, it'll put you off them for life.

I'd have a 2.2d one over a 2.5 petrol, that's how crap they are. I think the only petrol X type worth buying would be a 3.0 manual, that 5 speed transverse auto is woeful.

I used it for maybe 150 miles and it got 3mpg more than my 510bhp XKR, and I raced my friend in a 2008 Mini One and it was pathetic how slowly it walked away from him.

Seats are crap too.

[culpz]

Rev the post above, if it is the auto in the Jag, I don't think they're the most reliable of things either. Another "sealed for life" job, which is advised by the manufacturer but ZF says otherwise. So, make sure it's smooth and maybe look at it getting serviced at some point.

Also, on the 2.5 Volvo engine; I briefly owned a Focus ST with the same one and had never-ending oil leaks and boost issues that just couldn't be rectified. Useless garage may have played a part in that but I've heard other people having similar issues. Make sure it's boosting as it should.

[Pablo16v]

I looked at a couple of 2.5 S-Max’s before upping the budget and getting a 2.0 240 Ecoboost instead. Those S-Max’s do handle well for their size and the engine is still quite punchy even in something much bigger than a Focus ST of that era. Nice sound too. Partial SH wouldn’t put me off at all as at that age, as long as the gearbox and engine feel ok, and the general condition seems decent then it should be a relatively safe buy. Consumables and servicing costs for our 2.0 one were generally pretty cheap, although it went through front tyres quite quickly if regularly driven hard or spend a lot of time on twisty b-country roads, like ours did. Rear rubber suspension doughnuts needed replacing on ours at around 60K miles IIRC, but in 4.5 years from 9K miles to 84K miles it didn’t need much doing to it at all. My wife still misses it and would have another one tomorrow.

Is it in the £695 tax bracket?

[GeniusOfLove]

Good point Re the 2.0t 240bhp later S-Max, are they all autos though? I tried a new one with the powershift box in 2016 and it was great, and avoids the comedy fuel economy of the 5 pot 2.5t.

None of these mid sized/mid power petrol cars offer a great economy to performance return though.