Do you like travelling in the car with the kids?  I have learned to love our family travel time and have realised that it is actually getting easier.

A lot of this is down to the advance of technology in cars and also vehicles becoming much more family friendly.

I recently had my first experience driving a Ford Grand C-MAX and a Ford C-MAX.  Not only my first ever experience in a C-MAX, but my first go at driving on the righthand side of the road, when I was invited to test drive it in Mallorca and learn about the family friendly aspects of the car.

But before I get into talking to you about what I loved about the C-MAX, Let me provide you with some free kids travel printables for your kids on their next car trip.I have teamed up with the Purple Pumpkin Blog again and this time we have three amazing road trip free printables to keep the kids busy.  I would laminate these and then give them, to the kids with a washable felt tip.  Alternately slip them into a clear folder and they can write on that with a washable felt tip pen, making them usable again and again!

So back to the car!

Ford have really thought about what a family is looking for in the C-MAX and Grand C-MAX.   Integral window blinds in the rear are a great start!

As is the way the middle seat fold away in the Grand C-MAX giving great access to the two rear seats. It was simple to fold once you got the hang of it and folded in to the seat next to it.  I actually also loved this for long distances with just the boys in the back as they could put things next to them and have more space.

Lets move on to technology.  The car comes with two usb connectors, great for charging devices and also an SD slot for playing music from.  It also has an amazing satellite navigation system that is voice activated and it understood my Northern accent and also the german english accent of Peter who was demonstrating the car to us.

Which brings me to the boot.  Oh my the bout.  Yes it seems odd that I am getting excited about the boot of a car, but just you wait, so will you.  First off, you can open and close the boot from in the vehicle and using the keyfob, which is ace.  That means you could be dropping the kids off at football  and you can let them out of the car, open the boot for them to get their bags and then close it too!

Oh but it gets even better, imagine this..

You have been shopping, you have the baby in one arm and are pushing the shopping trolley with the other.  You have your handbag slung over your other shoulder with the car keys in.  What do you do?  Well actually all you need to do is simply wave your foot under the rear bumper of the car and the tailgate will automatically open or close for you.

As a mum the first thing I think of when looking at a family car is it’s safety record.  The Ford C-MAX is equipped with technologies that have previously received Euro NCAP Advanced Awards, the highest given by Europe’s leading independent safety organisation.

It also comes with Emergency Assistance. In the unlikely event of an accident, where the airbag is deployed or the fuel-pump deactivated, this technology can automatically make a direct call to the Emergency Services for you (you can cancel it is you need to).  Not only does it dial the emergency services, but it gives them your GPS location too.

Oh and the rear doors are sliding, perfect for making sure that your kids do not open the doors too wide in a parking space and smash them in to the cars next to you.

The second thing I look at is colour!  Oh yes, I am that shallow!  My current car is lime green.  I wanted a colour that stood out in a car park and was easy for the boys and me to spot.  I was really taken with the caribou colour choice and also all the work that goes into choosing the interior and exterior colours, materials and patterns.

So would I recommend a Ford C-MAX?

Yes I would.

Would I buy a Ford C-MAX?

Yes, when it comes to changing the family car, I would certainly look at purchasing one.  I was really that impressed.

Oh and look, this is me trying out a drink suit, which simulates having a drink or too.  I only managed to catch 3 out of five balls!

Let’s talk about car seats

At the moment, the boys are eight and ten and they are still in high backed booster seats.  There is no way you could get another car seat in with them on the seats, however, you could use the booster seats in the back row if you were to get a Grand C-MAX.

I no longer have little children or babies, so I asked Duncan, who was there on behalf on UKMums.TV (who has two under four and another on the way) his opinion on the C-MAX and Grand C-Max.

For those families considering buying a new MPV the C-MAX is certainly worth looking into especially the seven-seat Grand C-Max version. Equipped with sliding doors on both sides and the option to fold away the middle seat in the 2nd row making a very a handy ‘walk-through’ to the back seats. This provides an ultra-flexible interior making a six seat configuration that will help with everyday family life.

However those families that might have three kids still in car seats and want to have them on the 2nd  row may want to look at either the Ford S-MAX or Ford Galaxy for that kind of seating arrangement as this isn’t possible with a C-MAX as the middle seat is just too thin to accommodate a child seat. But it is worth noting that an S-MAX in an equivalent trim is around £4,000 more so families should be asking themselves “do we really need three full size seats on the 2nd row”.

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