Ford Focus C-MAX (03-10) - Review

Review by David Ross on
Last Updated: 24 July 2008
Ford was a little late in launching a compact people carrier but the Focus C-MAX (rebadged as just the C-MAX in 2007) made a big impact in the market. Neatly styled, well built and comfortable, it's based on the excellent Focus and shares its keen driving prowess. However, the big drawback is that it's not available with seven-seats - a feature that many compact people carriers offer. It's not particularly flexible either and lacks features such as fold-flat chairs. That doesn't prevent it from being useful family transport though and the diesel engines are particularly good.
3.5 out of 5

Other Ford reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

Diesels provide eye-catching mpg figures, but all models offer good economy. Ford's warranty is for three years, but unlike some competitors, it's not unlimited mileage. Mechanical parts are fairly cheap, because they're shared with the Focus hatchback, and insurance is competitive and servicing reasonable.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,461 - £1,805 *

Diesel

£1,034 - £1,364 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

12,500 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£30.00 - £250.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

4 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
    119
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
    194
  • K
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The Focus C-MAX performs very well on the eco front. With an average of 156g/km CO2 across the model line-up, its emissions are relatively low for a people carrier. Eco-conscious buyers should consider the 90bhp 1.6-litre diesel, which is one of the greenest models in the range emitting 119g/km of CO2 (making it cheap to tax) and returning 60mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2