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Ford C-Max - I wouldn't have a present of one.
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michaelb   
Sat Mar 19 2011, 03:52pm
Joined: Nov 17 2009
Member No: #14
Location: London
 I'm in France at the moment driving around in a rental C-Max.

What a great big pile of manure it is. It suffers like many current cars from overly-firm steering; especially at motorway speeds where it seems to firm up to the point of not responding. It feels like it is locked solid. You wouldn't even say the powered system has failed because no non-powered cars I've ever driven where anything like this. No, this is deliberate firming up. No one-armed cruising in this car.

In 1,600cc petrol form it is as dead as a very dead thing. Nice smooth engine noise but nothing happening. Pull out to overtake and you wonder if the throttle has become disconnected from the engine. Then on the other hand with gentle driving on the motorway it's failing to better 36 mpg.

The gearstick is so far back from the dash that I can't get it into second (LHD) without lifting my elbow in the air to clear the seat side - and I have long legs so the seat is fairly far back already.

The only good things I can say about it is it is well screwed together, no rattles, and the cabin silence matches the C6 - yes I checked it on my phone's dB app. And the seats are more comfortable than the C6's.
C6Dave   
Sat Mar 19 2011, 06:15pm

Joined: Oct 01 2009
Member No: #1
Location: Northumberland
 Interesting, a C4 owner whose wife has a Focus doesn't like it either and feels the C4 is miles ahead, especially with the seat comfort.
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ciao_chao   
Mon Aug 15 2011, 09:25pm
Joined: Jun 15 2011
Member No: #518
Location: Buckinghamshire
 Sorry to exhume this thread, but rented a Galaxy over easter, with a 1.9 diesel. Also noticed the weighting up of the wheel, but nowhere as bad, in fact the C6 weights up far greater.

Maybe the rental was a Euro spec car, remember that over here we have lots of tight twisty b-roads and a fast rack is favourable, but expecially if you're Bahnstorming you want something which slows considerably. The C6 is does much the same as it's designed with autoroutes in mind.

On the other hand, Ford UK are known for their sharp and easy to drive cars. I'd imagine their market here is large enough that their right hookers are set up considerably differently.
BruceB   
Tue Aug 16 2011, 09:08am
Joined: Sep 13 2010
Member No: #234
Location: Hampshire
C6Dave wrote ...

Interesting, a C4 owner whose wife has a Focus doesn't like it either and feels the C4 is miles ahead, especially with the seat comfort.


I have recently bought a very basic 1yo Fiesta, for my 17yo to pilot, and have been profoundly impressed by it. The absence of soundproofing made the road noise somewhat wearying on a recent 200-mile round trip, but the general standard of equipment and comfort is remarkable for such a simple, built-to-a-price vehicle. It's only an 'Edge' variant, the lowest of the low, but it's comfortable and has lekky windows and mirrors, air-con and an MP3 jack. I was given a more than fair trade-in on my shockingly abused C5, and the net price was a steal. It takes 4 (with 3 of us >6ft) with ease, although admittedly I wouldn't want to go Continental touring like that! For general duties, however, I find that the Fiesta is an absolute joy to drive.
ciao_chao   
Tue Aug 16 2011, 09:38pm
Joined: Jun 15 2011
Member No: #518
Location: Buckinghamshire
BruceB wrote ...

C6Dave wrote ...

Interesting, a C4 owner whose wife has a Focus doesn't like it either and feels the C4 is miles ahead, especially with the seat comfort.


I have recently bought a very basic 1yo Fiesta, for my 17yo to pilot, and have been profoundly impressed by it. The absence of soundproofing made the road noise somewhat wearying on a recent 200-mile round trip, but the general standard of equipment and comfort is remarkable for such a simple, built-to-a-price vehicle. It's only an 'Edge' variant, the lowest of the low, but it's comfortable and has lekky windows and mirrors, air-con and an MP3 jack. I was given a more than fair trade-in on my shockingly abused C5, and the net price was a steal. It takes 4 (with 3 of us >6ft) with ease, although admittedly I wouldn't want to go Continental touring like that! For general duties, however, I find that the Fiesta is an absolute joy to drive.


Oh yeah, definitely! Basic cars can be good fun. Drove a C1 earlier this year, and driving a base model DS3 right now as courtesy cars, they've both enthusiastic little things. They're not cruisers, more like go-carts, and the odd thing is I find the bigger the car, the slower it wants me to go. I want to set a speed at which I don't need to change. The small car encourages me to go up and down a lot more.
 

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