The multi award-winning Ford Galaxy was hailed as the ultimate people-carrier when it first arrived and has been the subject of continuous improvement ever since. The latest incarnation keeps it comfortably ahead of the game in terms of build quality, practicality and versatility with the added bonus of Ford’s cracking engines to endow it with a satisfying combination of tremendous pulling power and impressive economy.
One of the most car-like of all people-carriers to drive, it also gets top marks for safety, which is reassuring for a family-orientated vehicle capable of carrying up to seven people.
All Ford Galaxy models have as standard equipment air conditioning, remote central locking, front electric windows and MP3 connectivity. All but one have alloy wheels whilst Ghia models come with cruise control. Options include metallic paint, panoramic roof, multi-disc CD player, Bluetooth, satellite navigation and leather upholstery.
The sturdily-built Ford Galaxy gets top marks for safety with a EuroNCAP rating of the maximum five stars for adult occupant protection and four stars for child protection. All models come with anti-lock brakes and ESP Electronic Stability Programme plus traction control and there are front, side and curtain air bags plus parking sensors on every model in the range to help avoid minor bumps. Emissions amount to 166g/km and 172g/km for the 1.8 and 2.0 diesel models. The 2.0 and 2.3-litre petrol models have CO2 ratings of 197g/km and 235g/km.
Despite its bulk it is possible to travel at more than 120mph in a Ford Galaxy and none of the models in the range takes more than 12 seconds to accelerate to 60mph. The diesel models average in excess of 40mpg economy. The 2.0-litre petrol model generates 143bhp and has a top speed of 121mph, with acceleration to 60mph in 10.7 seconds and economy of 34.5mpg. The 2.3-litre automatic reaches 118mph and takes 11.1 seconds to reach 60mph with economy of 28.8mpg. Economy rises to 44.8mpg in the case of the 1.8 TDCi 125, which has a figure of 236lb/ft for its torque, or pulling power. This endows the Ford Galaxy with a top speed of 116mph and a 0-60mph acceleration time of 11.3 seconds. The flagship 2.0 TDCi diesel 140 can reach 120mph and takes just 9.7 seconds to accelerate from standstill to 60mph with the bonus being economy of 43.5mpg. The Ford Galaxy can pull a trailer, caravan or horse box up to a weight of 2,505kg.
The 2.0 Ford Galaxy Zetec is £22,195 and the Ghia version is £1,500 more. The 2.3 Zetec Auto costs £23,695 plus £1,500 for the Ghia. The 1.8 TDCi with a five-speed gearbox comes in Edge and Zetec trim and is priced at £20,195 and £22,595 respectively, whereas the six-speed version is available in Edge and Zetec forms with prices of £21,195 and £23,195. The flagship diesel model is the 2.0 TDCi, which costs from £22,045. All models are very comprehensively equipped but there is still a decent range of extra-cost options including metallic paint and leather upholstery.