Driving at night
The Ford C-MAX is a new people carrier that can seat five or seven. There is a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines. As the C02 emissions are low this also means low road tax which is certainly a plus when budgeting.
You can plug in all manner of technology if you wish, such as an iPod, MP3 player or USB stick – all of which work via the audio system. It has hand free calls and voice recognition that means the audio and climate can be controlled by speech alone.
There is plenty of room in the back, which helps as climbing into cars can be tricky at the best of times and the seats are slightly raised so you can see the view clearly.
A power-operated tailgate and rear view camera help enormously to make driving an easier experience.
If you want to use it for travelling, such as walking holidays, there is lots of storage and boot space. The suspension is also gentle so no joints will be jarred when going over bumps.
But the highlight has to be the Active Park Assist. As you drive along it spots a parking space and you simply take your hands off the wheel and it neatly parks itself. You still get to operate the foot pedals so feel you still have some control. There is no need to ever get in a pickle again about that reverse park in a tricky space.
The technical bits:
Model: Ford C-Max 1.6 Titanium Ecoboost
Price: £16,745 for the C-MAX Zetec and £18,745 for the Grand C-MAX Zetec.
Engine: 1.6 litres, 150ps
Performance: 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds, top speed 127mph
Fuel economy: 42mpg (combined) CO2: 154 g/km
Website: www.ford.co.uk/Cars/C-MAX