The Essentials

• Price from £24,955
• What Car? says:
• Fuel economy: up to 54.3mpg
• What is it? Takes seven adults in comfort and it's great to drive, too.

• Drive

  Great visibility and you feel like you're driving a much smaller car.

• Inside

  The styling is straightforward, as are the controls, and it's easy to find your perfect drivng position

• Safety

  Airbags everywhere - even on the the steering column, to protect your knees in a crash.

• Reliability

  You can always rely on Ford for affordable servicing

• Space

  Genuinely seats seven adults, rather than five grown-ups and two tiny toddlers

• Standard and extras

  Lots of kit for your cash: even the basic models have a heated front windscreen and air-con

• What's it like to drive?

  Considering its vast size, the Ford Galaxy drives surprisingly well: forget the fact you've got five strapping teenagers in the back and you could be driving a nimble hatchback. It's slightly taller than its sibling, the S-Max, but stays upright even through the sharpest of bends while the ride is comfortable - essential in a family wagon. We like the 2.0-litre diesel with 140bhp, which is gutsy enough to haul a full load. You might hear the wind whistle around the windows when you're haring along the motorway, but otherwise the Galaxy is remarkably refined.

• What's it like inside?

  The high driver's seat and slim windscreen pillars in the Ford Galaxy means you're master of all you survey, without feeling like a bus driver. Plenty of seat and steering adjustment will help any sized driver get comfortable. Seven (even adults) fit comfortably into the Galaxy (access to the back row is good, too) making it ideal if you're the unpaid family chauffeur. The boot is pretty small with all seven seats in place, but, with five on board, it's very generous. All five rear seats fold flat for serious removals  leaving over 2300 litres of space. Every Galaxy has climate control, all-round parking sensors, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity and electric windows. Upgrading brings a wide range of luxury extras.

• How reliable is it?

  Unfortunately, the Galaxy was rated 'below average' in the latest JD Power survey for mechanical reliability, coming bottom of the MPV class. Seven airbags are standard, including window airbags for all three rows and one for the driver's knees, but bear in mind you'll need to pay extra for the option to deactivate the front passenger airbag so you can fit a rear-facing child seat here.

• Should I buy one?

  The main question to resolve is whether you really need the bigger, more expensive Galaxy, when the cheaper S-Max will probably do the job just fine. If you do need the extra space, then the Galaxy is cheaper to buy and run than a Chrysler Voyager.