Thinking of getting a big people carrier next spring..need to start giving it some thought in the next couple of months though.
Yep – I need the seats sometimes.
Yep – I know a Skoda whatever will be cheaper (but I don't want one)
No – second hand isn't an option cos it's a company car

also need some idea of how big/small the boot is with all seats upright

Ta

or an S-Max

We're picking up a eurolease 5008 in France next sat for 6 weeks so i'll try and report in on it.

cool. cheers.

Im on my second new shape Galaxy (company car/workhorse) Very impressed with them, the last one did 135k in 26 months with no major problems.

Anything you want to know ask away.

5008 is just a Citroen C4 Picasso with new clothes

pacemaker – do the rear seats fold flat and/or can they be removed completely?
With all the seats up, can I get a medium-sized dog in the boot?

All the rear seats fold totally flat, and when up all can slide forwards and back, they also all recline which is useful of long journey with kids.

With the rear set of seats slid forward and the middle row half way forward we can seat 5 teenage size kids with plenty of room for 2 border collies.

The S max is the same vehicle internally as we use both along with C max's (for our London tech's)

The loadspace when flat is huge, almost as big as the SWB transporters we also run.
To fold the 5 seats flat takes less than a minute too.

If you need any photo's to see the sizes, let me know and i will take some.

Get an S-Max. Very highly rated amongst those who know these things. Facelifted version just been launched.

How to choose between an S-MAX and a Galaxy?

I really wanted to like 5008 but it felt too cramped on the drivers seat, on the C4 all the different buttons and dashboard thingies were all too annoying.
S-Max was highest on the list but the 3 different Ford dealers I visited were all lazy idiots and did not even try to make the sales (nor did they have cars to try).
Between S-Max and Galaxy the choice would be easily made by space requirements, the Galaxy feels way bigger even if they are almost the same car.

How to choose between an S-MAX and a Galaxy?

If you're going to have adults in the back back seats, get a Galaxy.
Otherwise get an S-Max

(We have an old-style Galaxy and would almost certainly replace it with an S-Max if we needed to do so tomorrow)

so…the rear space in an S-Max is the same? The only difference (that I can see) is headroom is it?

I do prefer the look of an S-Max but don't want no suburban trinket

I've had a s-max for two and a half years, and its been great. i rarely use the rear seats, and yes, its the headroom that is the difference, although if I remember correctly the galaxy is 40mm longer, which maybe just the bumber? I use the Thule Ford supplied brackets and bike mounts, which pick up on the front forks – QR only, although I have had a maxle compatible version made. If you only had a front seat passenger you could certainly carry four bikes in this way, front wheels and seatposts removed. Its very flexible, as with only the centre seat of the centre row flat I can get my bike plus the two kids' bikes running down the middle, with some luggage either side.

One thing I would say is that with my large frame and a 140mm fork, the bars only just fit under the roof lining with the bike upright and bars to the rear, so longer forks would be an issue. This is where the galaxy would be better. That said, you could put it in bars fist, canted over, as it would probably be alright upright under the taller part of the roof above the centre row of seats.

As a car, it drives superbly, much more like a car than a MPV, and I have had very few issues with it at all. Its not as refined as a big German estate, it's a Ford after all, but I think its a great car.

We have just looked at people carriers and everyone recommended the S Max. However all the motoring press slags it off for reliability issues, but that isn't born out from what people actually say.

We ended up going for a smaller Seat Altea XL, as its a bit different and the wife didnt want some quite as big as an S Max

What sort of MPG to large MPVs like these give?

A Galaxy will take bikes upright and whole where an S-Max will not. The latter is prettier though.

What sort of MPG to large MPVs like these give?

Our transport department do the maths and say my last one averaged 46.9mpg over it 135k with us.
This amazed me as it is fully loaded most of the time with heavy espresso machines, tools and spares etc.

It does go forever on a tank though!!

My present one doesnt seem quite as economical at the moment but it only has 30k on it at the moment, maybe it will improve.

The issues we have had on our fleet of Galaxy's, Smax and Cmax's (60 Cars) are premature clutch wear (some only managing 20k from a clutch on one of our central london guys)
My last Galaxy managed 130k on its clutch though so maybe it how you drive them as they all suffer from a strange lack of low down grunt when pulling away loaded. (you have rev above 2000rpm to get any sort of kick!) 😆

We are moving away from Fords now and going onto the new VW Sharan's and Touran when they are released later this year (we get good deals on VW and already use their van range)
I would rather keep the Galaxy as we had VW's previously and they were seriously unreliable as workhorses 🙄

Right we've done just north of a thousand k's in the lease 5008.
Good: diesel engine even in 1.6 form is smooth and torquey. Good level of gear and v efficient (did 670km on half a tank), comfortable mile eater. Fits 5 people in comfort.
Negatives: drivers seat feels a bit hemmed in, big blindspot, steering very light
must admit it's worked well for us so far.

Also just back from a hire of a 5008.

Ours was an 'upgrade' from a Zafira, which maybe it is in terms of quality/price, but it is the same size-wise. So, it will take 5 people and lots of luggage, or 7 people with no luggage. But it won't take 6 people and 6 cases. With all 7 seats deployed there is no space left for more than a few carrier bags. No chance of getting any kind of dog in.

The 1.6 diesel is a cracker though: smooth, torquey, and doesn't punish you at the pumps either. Despite that it isn't remotely interesting to drive.

Ours was well equipped. I quite liked it, but I'm glad I don't need a car like that in normal life.

A Galaxy/Sharan is from a class above, space-wise. Though still struggles with 6 people and luggage.

Had my 09 Galaxy for nearly 6 months now. 2.0TDCI Zetec. Seriously impressive, great to drive (power steering too light is my only gripe, though I've got used to it) shed loads of room, whether it be family holidays to Cornwall with my road bike, kids' body boards, dinghies etc as well as usual cases etc, or biking trips.

S Max is meant to handle better and be far more car-like, but I wanted space and versatilty over anything else and I havn't been dissapointed.