When i was looking at owners reviews on the B-Max the rear doors came up quite a few times, for two reasons. They are apparently very heavy to use, and the leading edge of the rear door, at the bottom has sharp edge. Not good if kiddies are involved!.

Odd though that for a, supposedly, very practical small car, it was less practical than its predecessor, the Fusion (which had a bigger boot and more spacious cabin). Also, the strengthening required for that enormous (front and rear door) aperture, means it is heavier than you'd think (about 200kg more than a Fiesta with that engine!). Which in turn means the 1.4 really has to earn its keep!.

Its a real pity that Ford didn't include a 1.6 manual in the range.

I failed to do proper research and went for a 2013 1.6 Zetec Powershift. The rest was history, and for six months I followed the well-trodden route of multiple visits to Ford dealers to get the notorious clutch problems fixed. I eventually got them to replace the clutch under warranty, but by then I'd lost all confidence in the car and traded it in for a Jazz.

I'd probably still have the B Max today, had it been a 1.6 manual. Everything about the car, other than the gearbox and the visits to Ford dealers was positive.

Edited by argybargy on 28/08/2020 at 16:07