Ford C-MAX 1.6 TDCi Titanium review
by David Finlay (29 March 2011)
Spending time with the new Ford C-MAX within a few weeks of reviewing its seven-seat sister, the Grand C-MAX, proved to be an interesting exercise. On the face of it, the smaller and cheaper of these MPVs is the one to go for unless you desperately need to be able to carry seven people (mostly children, since the Grand isn't large enough to accommodate seven adults).
The C-MAX is more than £1200 cheaper, like for like, and its maximum luggage capacity - with the rear seats folded - of 1723 litres is so close to the Grand's 1742 litres that you might as well say they offer equal amounts of space.
These are probably the most important comparisons, but for ease of driving I'd go for the Grand every time. Despite being longer and heavier, it's every bit as capable through corners, and its ride quality is substantially better. I'm not sure why this is the case (intuition suggests it should be the other way round) but there we are.
Visibility in both cars is equally terrible, but according to Euro NCAP the safety arrangements are equally good: each was given five stars overall, while the "short" C-MAX was given a slightly inferior (though still excellent) mark for adult occupant protection, and a slightly better one for child occupant protection. Whiplash protection was given a "good" rating, the highest available.
The C-MAX reviewed here was fitted with Ford's 1.6-litre TDCi turbo diesel engine, as opposed to the 2.0 TDCi used in the Grand we tested previously. That led to another interesting comparison, since although the 1.6 is significantly less powerful (113bhp versus 138bhp) and naturally gives less impressive performance if you're driving flat-out, there is very little apparent difference in the effect of the two engines when you're driving gently, as most owners no doubt will.
A 1.6 TDCi C-Max costs £1000 less to buy than a two-litre, it has official combined fuel economy of 61.4mpg as opposed to 55.4mpg, and thanks to CO2 emissions of 119g/km it's going to cost £80 less to tax each year. The 2.0 TDCi is a fine engine, no question, but the 1.6 makes far more sense.
The Titanium trim level of the test car is the higher of two available for the C-MAX, the lesser Zetec being available with only two engines (but including this one). Titanium models come as standard with automatic headlights and wipers, an auto-dimming interior mirror, dual electronic temperature control air-conditioning, Hill Launch Assist, keyless start, cruise control, a speed limiter, tyre deflation detection and a better Sony audio system, all for £1500.
The test car also came with several option packs which include such items as Active Park Assist (you control the pedals while the car steers itself into a parking space), a useful powered tailgate, foldable door mirrors and a Towing Pack consisting of a retractable towbar, trailer stability programme and blind-spot monitoring.
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