Overall verdict

The Ford S-Max is a bit like a rucksack designed for long-distance runners – it’s roomy and practical, yet much sportier than your typical hiking bag.

Part of this is down to the way it looks. It might not look quite as futuristic as the eye-catching Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer, but it certainly turns more heads than the rather staid and sensible VW Sharan. This is partly thanks to an update in 2019 that gave the S-Max lower, sportier bumpers, a bigger grille and a range of new alloy wheels.

Unfortunately, while it might look a fair bit faster than most practical MPVs, the Ford S-Max’s styling loses some momentum when you climb inside. Its rather plain dashboard and drab black and grey colour scheme don’t look anywhere near as modern as the Citroen Grand C4 Spacetourer’s cabin and the various plastics dotted about the place aren’t as plush as those in a VW Sharan.

Pick a model with the latest SYNC 3 touchscreen system and you do at least get sat-nav and smartphone mirroring – although Ford’s own menus are pretty tricky to navigate compared with the intuitive system you get in a BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer.

Thankfully, the Ford S-Max gains some ground in terms of practicality. There’s ample space for tall adults to get comfy in the front (especially in models with 18-way electrically adjustable seats) and those in the middle row can slide and recline their seats to let them stretch out.

As in most MPVs, the rearmost seats are a little too cramped for adults but spacious enough for kids and there’s a decent amount of space left in the boot with all seven seats in place. Flip all of the Ford S-Max’s rear seats down – using handy buttons by the bootlid – and it turns into a seriously spacious van-like load-lugger.

The S-Max is the perfect car for the keen driver with a large family

If carrying plenty of luggage – or passengers – sounds like your kind of driving, the more powerful 190hp 2.0-litre diesel is the engine to go for. It’s fairly economical and will think nothing of hauling heavy loads to the tip.

The 150hp diesel is still well worth considering, however – especially if you tend to do shorter journeys. That said, both engines make good motorway cruisers – especially if you go for an S-Max with the optional eight-speed automatic gearbox instead of the standard six-speed manual unit.

Whichever gearbox you pick, you’ll find that the Ford S-Max’s light controls and large windows make it easy to drive in town, but it isn’t quite as comfortable over bumps as the likes of the VW Sharan thanks to its firmer suspension.

The upside to this, however, is that the Ford S-Max feels impressively nimble for such a large car on a twisty road. Sure, it’s no Ford Fiesta, but it’ll nip from corner to corner without a great deal of unpleasant body lean.

It’s pretty quiet too, so you won’t feel too tired after long motorway journeys, and you can get adaptive cruise control to further reduce the stress of long stints behind the wheel.

It might not come with quite as many high-tech driver assistance systems as some more expensive seven-seaters, but if you’re looking for a practical MPV that’s easy to live with and surprisingly fun to drive, the Ford S-Max is well worth a look.

See how much you can save by heading over to our Ford S-Max deals pages or read on for our detailed interior, practicality and driving review sections.