Ford B-Max

[ovener]

Does anyone have experience of the Ford B-Max please? I'm looking for a "tardis" style car - small on the outside but spacious/practical on the inside. The sliding rear doors of the B-Max look useful but I'm concerned it might actually be more difficult to strap a child into an ERF seat than a car with normal doors? (I have the excellent Axkid Minikid seat.) My car budget is £5k. Any advice?

I have one! I absolutely love it other than the look of it because it is, I have to admit, the ugliest car on the planet.

BUT

It can fit all 5 of us in it, the boot is great, it drives like a dream, the slidey doors are amazing and the fuel economy is incredible so I can overlook the fact that it’s a box on wheels

Honestly, I don’t regret buying it.

I don’t know about ERF seats but I can get a big Forward facing seat for my 3 year old in and 1 HBB in the back and I put a second booster for my 8 year old in the front. I can get an adult in the middle comfortably between the 2 car seats

Cheap to run, sliding doors are very practical. Boot is not as big as you’d think. Boring to drive but if you aren’t into cars and just want to get from a to b then it’s fine. They are ugly, I don’t see that many around. Got rid of mine 4 years ago and wouldn’t get another.

It has no B pillar and for some reason I just can't get past that.

It's brilliant! The best car ever. Love the slidey door. No pillar makes it so much easier to manage kids in & out of it. Good boot too, and not too big to park.
Don't know why everyone doesn't have one!

I agree about the no pillar making it easier with the kids. Also, we live near the beach. Go and buy your fish and chips, park sideways, open both the doors and watch the sea uninterrupted!

Thank you all for the helpful responses! I'm expecting baby number two so I feel it's time to surrender to full mum mode and get a really practical car. Currently driving a lovely (and amazingly cheap to buy) BMW 1-series but it's a 3-door so I'm climbing in the back each time to strap DS in, and the front passenger seat has to be so far forward it's only useable by very short people. Not ideal. I'm now wondering if a C-Max is the way to go.. I think I need to test drive both and see if our seat will fit.

C max is fab, fugly but worth it for the space.

If you go c-Max get a slidey door one! Honestly; amazing!

If you are going from a 1 series to a B Max - prepare for the regret .

@user1471449295 You are so right, I'm going to miss the build quality of the BMW! I'm still amazed how cheaply you can pick them up second hand. Feels wrong paying the same amount for a cheaper-feeling car. It will feel like luxury not to have to clamber into the back with a heavy boy though, I suppose.

@PotteringAlong The slidey door does look great. I love your suggestion of the in-car picnic! Good excuse to get chips too..

If it helps, when I got mine my 3 boys kept calling it “the taxi”. Who knew that, in their eyes, my ugly little B-max would be the coolest car I’d ever owned?!

Me and DH laugh because the last 4 cars we’ve had have all been cheaper than the previous one, as we’ve had more kids and budgets have tightened and, like you with the 3 doors, we’ve realised we just need different things from our cars for a bit.

I would say it’s not our big car - it’s good but it’s not 3 kids / 2 adults / all you need in the boot for a family of 5 to go camping good!

I love my b max. The slidey doors are great and at least I know the kids can't hit the car next to me when they get out in a car park. It's got a holder for my spare glasses and seat warmers (it's the little things that amuse me). The boot isn't as big as you think though so do check that out before you buy one.