What we're driving: Ford S-Max Titanium 2.0 TDCi As with most seven-seaters, the rearmost pair are really only suitable for children but those with longer legs shouldn't suffer unduly on short journeys. The remainder of the seats are comfortable and there's plenty of legroom. The three individual seats comprising the middle row fold flat to provide a van-like 2,000 litres of cargo volume. No, I can't picture 2,000 litres either, suffice to say there's more than enough space to avoid having to make more than one trip to the tip of a Sunday morning. Much of the credit is due to the well-damped suspension, which makes the car taut without being harsh. The steering lacks feel but is precise, while the clutch pedal and the lever for the six-speed transmission add to the driving pleasure. On the debit side, I found the engine rather noisy. I don't recall recent Ford diesels being so noisy, perhaps it's just the corollary of a large body and lots of glass, while having the seats down most of the time won't help. It pulls willingly from about 1,750rpm, with peak torque of 236lb ft from there until about 3,000rpm, so it's strong in the real world. Tractable, too, easily pulling fifth gear at 1,500rpm at an indicated 40mph. During the test I averaged 37.7mpg in predominantly urban driving. The official EU Urban economy is 39.2mpg (49.6mpg Combined), with CO2 emissions of 149g/km. Conventional wisdom is that you can't have your cake and eat it. On this evidence, I'm looking forward to devouring a large chocolate cupcake with my afternoon cup of tea. Ford S-Max Titanium 2.0 TDCi Price £25,060 Telegraph rating Four out of five stars