Car Statistics: Ford - C-Max Series 10 (4 stars)

Styling (3 stars)

The C-Max is a four-star design, and is as dynamic (or 'kinetic' as Ford calls it) as anything in its class. However the rear half of the Grand C-Max is frankly a bit of a mess.

Handling (5 stars)

It is not a Focus ST, but it handles better than any other compact MPV and better than you would think possible for this type of car. You actually enjoy driving it, which is quite an achievement for an MPV.

Comfort (4 stars)

As long as you are not in the third row of the Grand C-Max, this is a very comfortable car. The seats are excellent, the ride is extremely good with a perfect balance between comfort and good body control, and the driver and front four passengers have plenty of room.

Quality (4 stars)

Fords are now more reliable than their image would suggest. Interior quality is generally of a very high standard - at least for the bits you can see. While the dashboard is excellent, the door bins in the test cars had some very sharp and unpleasant plastics.

Performance (4 stars)

A new range of engines, including a 150 bhp 1.6 litre Ecoboost petrol mean performance is above average. Our pick would be the 115 bhp diesel for economy or the 1.6 Ecoboost for performance.

Roominess (3 stars)

This is the controversial one. The C-Max deserves four stars, but the Grand C-Max is not quite Grand enough. Someone at Ford wanted to protect the bigger S-Max.

Costs (4 stars)

Ford servicing, economical engines and relatively mild depreciation mean the C-Max is going to be as cheap to run as any competitor.

Value (4 stars)

List prices are more competitive than the previous model, and reasonable against direct competitors.

Stereo (4 stars)

The top of the range sat-nav is no longer touch-screen. That seems strange, but the new Sony system works well, with a very intuitive menu system. The stereo is also very strong.