French jaunt was the longest; Read how our mega road test Ford S-Max had to contend with flooding, blizzards, freezing temperatures and sunshine and didn't missed a beast

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), Jan 11, 2008

MOST of our time in the S-Max was spent on motorways where it proved to be an excellent cruiser.

Its longest jaunt was to the south of France where the engine showed it was most efficient at a constant high speed just above our 70mph limit but legal on French auto routes.

At such speeds wind and road noise in the front are acceptable but there is a slight booming in the rear of the car.

Regardless of temperatures outside - and we experienced everything from - 7C to 38C - the climate control was beefy enough to keep everyone inside perfectly comfortable.

There are additional vents for the middle and back row passengers.

The S-Max suffered minor damage in a fierce hail storm which caused small paint chips on the front spoiler and also cracked the lens in one of the fog lamps but that was more down to the severity of the weather rather than a fault in the paint finish.

It also suffered a puncture from a dropped screw which set us back the best part of pounds 300 because a tyre repair kit is fitted instead of a spare wheel. Had we not had to use the repair kit gunge we would have been able to have the wheel repaired instead of being replaced.

Apart from that our S-Max experience was faultless and the car demonstrated itself as one of the best all-round vehicles money can buy.

Not only is it good looking, stylish and modern inside and out but its performance and flexibility for virtually any everyday use you can think of puts this car at the top of the tree.

For once the Car of the Year judges got everything right.

Facts and figures

Make: Ford

Model: S-MAX Titanium 2.5. (model as tested over 24,901 miles)

Price: pounds 28,445 Mechanical: 217bhp, 2,522cc, 5cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 6speed manual gearbox Max speed: 143mph

0-62mph: 7.4 seconds

Combined mpg: 28.1

Insurance group: 14

CO2emissions: 224g/km

BiK rating: 31%

Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles, 3 years paint, 12 years anti-rust

Service interval: 12 months or 12,000 miles

CAPTION(S):

NO PROBLEMS - except for a puncture which set them back the best part of pounds 300; MODERN INTERIOR - this is the dashboard of the Ford S-Max