Ford B-Max Review (2012-2017)

People carriers – also known as MPVs, or multi-person vehicles – had a moment in the early part of the millennium, as families turned to them for the convenience of carrying kids and all the paraphernalia that comes with them. But as people tightened their belts in the wake of the 2007-08 financial crash, compact MPVs started to become popular, as some car owners decided they didn’t need seven seats.

It was in this context that Ford launched the B-Max, sitting below the C-Max in the range, to compete against the likes of the Vauxhall Meriva, Nissan Note, Kia Venga and Hyundai ix20. While it was on sale, the B-Max was a car that was a clear class leader, with a lot of that pre-eminence down to something as basic as the rear doors.

Because the B-Max has a pair of innovative sliding doors at the back that turn the practicality dial of the car up to 11. Ironically, for a car called the B-Max, there’s no B-pillar (which is what the front doors close against and the rear doors are usually hinged on). Positioned in the middle of a car, the B-pillar normally supports the roof, but Ford found a way to dispense with it, while not compromising the car’s safety. Better still, it then fitted sliding rear doors, which are a boon when trying to get occupants in and out, particularly in tight parking spots.

Despite its clever layout, generous interior space and low running costs, the B-Max wasn’t a huge hit with buyers that were already having their heads turned by small SUVs. As a result, the Ford had a relatively short production life of five years, during which changes were kept to a minimum.

An Ultra-high-strength steel reinforced structure helped Ford remove the B-Max’s B-Pillar, so opening the front and rear doors creates an aperture of 150cm, which is double the usual 70-80cm opening you’d get in a car of this size. This wider opening makes access to the back of the car really easy for parents with youngsters in a child seat, or anyone who transports older friends or relatives in the back seats. There’s even enough room for two adults in the back (you can even fit in three at a squeeze).

Up front, the driving position is well judged, with good visibility and easy access to most of the controls - although the small buttons for the infotainment are a little fiddly. Although the interior is smartly packaged, there’s not quite as much storage as you’d expect in a car of this type. The glovebox is a decent size, the front door pockets will accommodate a 1.5-litre bottle and there are cupholders between the front seats, but that’s about it for oddments.

The same is true of the boot space, which lags behind key rivals such as the Vauxhall Meriva and Hyundai. With the rear seats in place there’s just 318 litres to play with, while folding the rear bench flat liberates a more useful 1,386 litres. On the plus side, the rear seats have a 60/40 split/fold function, while there’s some underfloor storage and the boot opening itself is wide and has a low load lip. What’s more, the front passenger seat also folds forward, which means you can fit in objects as long as 2.34m.

Another neat touch is the rear-facing child mirror that pops down from the roof and allows you to keep an eye on the kids without having to take your eyes off the road for too long.

Look past its upright MPV body and you’ll discover the B-Max was based on the same platform as the mk6 Ford Fiesta, which means that it’s better to drive than you’d ever imagine. The body roll is well contained – remarkable considering that it’s a taller car – and the steering is sharp and precise. Through a series of corners no mini-MPV can hold a candle to the Ford for driver satisfaction, its keen agility and strong grip actually making it fun.

What’s more impressive is that it combines this neat handling with a fairly grown-up ride and refinement. The extra heft of its body means it rides bumps better than the Fiesta, with even big undulations and potholes being swallowed with the composure of an executive saloon. It’s reasonably quiet too, with road and wind noise well-suppressed.

In contrast, the engine line-up is a bit of a mixed bag. Earlier cars were available with two petrol engines - a 75hp 1.4-litre and 105hp 1.6-litre. Given the B-Max weighs a fair bit for its size, it’s no surprise the smaller unit struggles to haul the Ford along, particularly when fully loaded. The larger engine is a better bet, but like the 1.4-litre it can sound a little strained when worked hard.

Better are the later turbocharged 1.0-litre EcoBoost motors, which could be had with either 100hp or 120hp. Both have much stronger mid-range muscle and are happy to be revved hard when in a hurry.

If diesel is your thing, then there was a choice of 1.5-litre and 1.6-litre TDCi units, both of which are decently refined with only some cold start-up clatter to remind you which fuel is in the tank. The entry-level version of the former delivered just 75hp and its performance is best described as ‘glacial’, although it feels a bit more sprightly than the 1.4-litre petrol.

Better is the 95hp unit, which feels brisk on the move and serves-up some seriously impressive fuel economy figures. This was a replacement for the slightly larger 1.6-litre, which delivered pretty much the same power and torque figures and so was all but identical to drive.

A slick and precise five-speed manual gearbox was standard on all B-Max models and it combined with a progressive clutch and light steering to make the Ford an easy-peasy machine to drive. A six-speed Powershift twin-clutch automatic transmission was also available, although only with the slightly breathless 1.6-litre petrol.

Ford was one of the mainstream brands that was an early adopter of the connectivity technology that we all now take for granted in our cars. Back in 2012, Ford fitted in some upper trim levels of the B-Max an early version of its SYNC infotainment system, which integrated voice control, Bluetooth, DAB, various connectivity options for mobile phones and MP3 music players (remember those?).

However, with the oldest examples now five years old, the B-Max pre-dates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And while the set-up is certainly packed with features, it’s a bit fiddly to use and the screen is small and hobbled by blocky, dated graphics.

The B-Max also featured an early version of the e-Call system that is now becoming a mandatory fixture in cars, with the emergency assistance function allowing the driver to contact a local emergency services operator in the event of a collision.

In terms of trim levels, Ford kept things simple with the B-Max, offering Zetec, Titanium and Titanium X models. The entry-level car was hardly short of equipment, offering air-conditioning, electric windows, Bluetooth connectivity and a Quickclear heated windscreen.

Splashing out on the Titanium meant you got larger 16-inch alloys wheels, climate control, cruise control, an upgraded Sony stereo and automatic lights and wipers. If you wanted wallow in the lap of luxury, the Titanium X obliged with part leather seats (heated in the front), a panoramic roof and keyless entry among other extras.

In 2017, Ford subtly revised the line-up, with each model now getting a ‘Navigator’ tag to its name which, as you can imagine, meant that sat-nav was standard across the range.

The B-Max scored highly in the fuel economy stakes when it was launched as a new car in 2012, thanks to a range of usable and efficient petrol and diesel engines.

The pick of the petrol engines is the perky little 1.0-litre turbo EcoBoost petrol unit, available in 99bhp and 118bhp variants, which was new at the time of the B-Max’s launch and one of the first of a new generation of three-cylinder engines that were introduced to offer more economical petrol options. The higher-powered version returned a 57.7mpg official fuel consumption figure, with the 99bhp variant having a lower economy of 55.4 mpg, as it didn’t have the stop-start function of the 118bhp unit. Of course these numbers were arrived at from the older, less accurate NEDC testing system, so were all but unachievable in real-world driving, where 40mpg was closer to what was possible.

For buyers who aren’t keen on having a three-cylinder engine under the bonnet, there are also 89bhp 1.4 Duratec and 104bhp 1.6-litre petrol TiVCT options, which we haven’t had the opportunity to test yet, but they have inferior power, emissions and economy to the EcoBoost engines, so they have little to commend them on paper.

There are also two diesels, a 74bhp 1.5-litre unit that was rated as achieving 68.9mpg, plus a 94bhp 1.6 engine that officially managed 70.6mpg. Again, the figures are inflated, compared to real-world driving conditions, but the differential between them and the petrol engines does exist and they will be cheaper to run.

Insurance should also be affordable, as all the B-Max variants sit in the low groups 7-13 (out of 50).

Residual (resale) values for the B-Max are pretty good, with the car worth between 41% and 47% after three years, so even the last cars sold as new in the UK will have already lost the largest chunk of their value and should make a good used car.

Servicing and maintenance costs should also prove affordable. The B-Max needs to be serviced every 12,500 miles or every year. There are three types of service – minor, intermediate and major – and are priced at around £179, £215 and £299, respectively. There’s also a discounted Motorcraft maintenance for cars over three years old, covering oil and filter changes for £159.

The B-Max didn’t sell in huge numbers, so its appearance in customer satisfaction surveys is sporadic. However, in those surveys in which it does appear, it managed to achieve mid-table respectability. It’s also worth noting that the mk6 Fiesta on which the B-Max is based was a solid performer, suggesting that the underlying mechanicals were fundamentally sound.

The fact that it doesn’t appear on the DVLA website that lists recalls is also a good sign: it means that there were no major issues that led to Ford having to ask owners to take their cars to a dealership to have a fault fixed.

The most common complaint surrounds the Powershift automatic gearbox (supplied by Getrag), which many owners have found causes a juddering through the car. This is by far the most mentioned problem in forums, with owners having serial issues. Indeed, the fault was so bad that legal action in the US forced Ford to compensate owners.

The only other significant problem is with the electrics, so buyers are recommended to check that the electric windows, powered mirrors and heated windscreen all work.

For parts that do need replacing, example costs include an air filter for around £10-£13; an oil filter at around £6-£8; a set of brake pads for £28-40; wiper blades are around £10; timing belts cost £35-45; and a water pump costs between £68 and £75.