Ford Galaxy Review

Rating

Quick Summary

Recommended. Big, stylish and sensible - Ford's new full-sized people-carrier is about the best around.

Road Test

A seven-seat people carrier is unlikely to induce a warm ownership tingle in anyone but a seasoned minicab driver, but Ford has worked hard to give the Galaxy a quality edge over more utilitarian rivals.

With styling inspired by that of a high-speed train, the Galaxy is closely related to the lower, sportier S-Max and shares the same mechanical underpinnings - although it's pitched as the more sensible of the duo.

The impressively vast cabin is definitely the main attraction. Front and mid-row passengers enjoy an abundance of space and good visibility from the deep glassline and all seats slide and recline. The occasional third row seats are raised and collapsed from beneath the boot, although the process is fairly laborious compared to the similar-deal Vauxhall Zafira, thanks to the need to reclip the floor covering each time. Limited space for the rearmost seats mean they will only suit smaller kids over longer journeys. With them stowed the Galaxy boasts an impressively large boot.

The Galaxy is dripping with useful touches - stowage compartments and neat design details abound. We were disappointed by the optional airline-style drop down overhead storage bins, though. They are poorly designed and hard to operate. Most of the cabin is finished to a commendably high standard - but some areas of cheap, flimsy-feeling plastics on the dashboard knock the impression of quality.

Smooth suspension and excellent driving manners make the Galaxy an accomplished mile-muncher, with impressively good refinement at motorway speeds and a compliant, well-damped ride. Performance has been improved with uprated diesels introduced in mid-2010, offering a choice of power outputs of 115 bhp, 140 bhp and 163 bhp. In a car this large we would give the 115 bhp engine a miss, though.

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