• Aging design isn’t as user-friendly as it could be
• Plenty of storage spaces
• Good driving position

The C-Max comes with Ford’s typically near-perfect driving position, not always a given in a tall MPV. You sit high, but with lots of adjustment in the driver’s seat and steering wheel all shapes and sizes should be able to get comfortable.

There’s good visibility out of the front, too, while the high-mounted gear selector is nice and accessible for the driver.

Above it, however, the dashboard feels a generation or two behind. The climate control panel on high-end models is a mess of confusing buttons, with symbols that only really become clear when lit-up at night. The infotainment screen, though fairly large and responsive, is set quite a ways back from the dashboard surface, and the area where you’d naturally rest your hand is covered in controls. It’s much harder to use on the move than the flush-fitting screens you’ll find in a Volkswagen Touran or Citroen C4 Spacetourer.

Comfort

Refinement in the C-Max is a strong point, and the seats are comfortable throughout. Ride quality strikes that typical Ford balance – firm enough to ensure good handling, but still pliant and supple. 

These aspects make it a great long-distance cruiser, and long trips with all the family aboard are a cinch. It’s also good round town, where speed bumps, potholes and the like prove not to upset things too much. This is aided by sensibly-sized wheels on all models, unlike the Renault Scenic with its vast 20-inch items.