Ford B-Max review (2012-2017)

Much like the outside, the B-Max’s interior is functional and attractive enough. 

It’s a little complicated, though, with too many buttons cluttering the dash, especially when you consider there's not a lot of technology within the car. 

Tech and features

The sat-nav screen is both small and nestled deep into the dash too, which makes it hard to read. 

Any frustrations the buttons and screens might create are completely counterbalanced by the actual clever elements in the car. 

Under-boot storage, a centre cubby and an armrest sit nicely along with the usual glovebox and door pockets.

Then there’s the front passenger seat. This can fold down to create a small table, a footrest for someone in the rear seat or even a baby changing station – that’s the kind of clever that we like to see. 

The Ford B-Max has no pillar behind the front occupants, so the safety belt is incorporated into the front seats.

It’s a big and bulky mechanism, which reduces forward visibility for the rear passengers.

It doesn’t affect the car’s safety credentials or the driver’s vision, so it works fine. 

You sit high in the Ford B-Max, looking down at little hatchbacks and over the top of saloon cars.

This lofty position gives you great confidence behind the wheel as you can see far into the distance, react early to any hazards, and more easily anticipate what other drivers and pedestrians might do. 

All of the B-Max’s engine options feel well-suited to the car's size and weight, and it feels far nippier than its boxy shape would suggest.

Handling and ride comfort

The B-Max offers up a bit of a surprise on country roads, too.

Tall van-like cars aren’t supposed to handle well, and there’s an unwritten rule that declares they simply shouldn’t be fun.  

But because it's based on the excellent Fiesta, it's more crisp than you might expect.

It’s not as composed as the well-sorted hatchback on which it's based, but it’s serviceable enough for most.

Providing ample space for absolutely anything you might need is why the Ford B-Max exists.

Boot space

The boot is big enough for a couple of prams, five large suitcases, or, at a push, shopping for your entire street (depending on where you live).

If you do find you need more room, perhaps to transport a bed or a couple of bikes, the rear seats fold flat, quadrupling the boot space. 

Rear seats

Then there’s the B-Max’s party piece – rear sliding doors. The rear doors swoosh down the side of the car – just like the door of a van but on both sides.

This allows you to open each door in tight parking spaces while still creating a big enough opening to slide in and out of easily.  

That’s not even the best bit, no. The pillar that the front door would ordinarily close on to just isn’t there. 

Opening up the front and sliding door at the same time creates a hole as big as the entire side of the car, allowing unobstructed access for child seats, elderly people or gigantic dogs.

You name it, whatever you want to get on to the back seats of a B-Max, you probably can. 

Fuel economy

There’s a substantial fuel saving to be made with the diesel Ford B-Max compared to the petrol version. 

More than 55mpg is achievable in the diesel-powered models, around 15mpg better than the alternative engines.

Reliability

The B-Max uses many of the Ford Fiesta’s mechanical components, so you can expect it to be sound and dependable.

The Fiesta is the UK’s best-selling car, not only because it's well-priced and good to drive, but thanks to its reliability.