Best car I have ever had
Nothing major.
Galaxy's are hard on there front ends, ie, just had to have new drop links, but that's all.
Excellent economy given the size of this car.
Very versatile.
Great family car.
Tows the caravan brilliant.
Seats 7 in comfort (although, with all seats in, boot space is limited).
All round, excellent car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 5th March, 2006
A capable kid carrier with good performance
Clutch burnt out at 65000 miles, as the car had been an ex hire car then this was accepted.
Seats haven't taken to the rigours of being moved in and out of the vehicle with some scuffs and a couple of tears.
Fuel Mapping sensor needed replacing at 65000 miles at the cost of £175 + labour.
Pulls well for a big diesel MPV and drives like a car not a van. Comfy and great seat arrangements.
Would have liked some more "toys" but practically the Zetec looks good in black and handles well.
Interiors need toughening up a bit though.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 5th November, 2003
A good car, but expensive to run
Alternator failed at 3000 miles.
Replacement failed at 25000 miles.
Battery failed at 5000 miles.
Intermittent electrical faults persist - dealer does not accept that they are happening.
EATS tires.
DRINKS petrol - 18mpg best.
Very quick particularly on long journeys - which is just as well, since you have to refuel so often!
Very usable, with lots of space.
Seats uncomfortable - particularly driver's.
Handles like a jelly - not fun to drive.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 13th June, 2003
Better to buy a Transit van
* New windscreen wiper motor fitted.
* New headlight light bulbs fitted.
* Various rattles from the dashboard and passenger door.
* Complete electrical failure on two occasions.
* Bonnet lid would not close.
* Third row seats get damaged when folded forwards and are impossible to remove without taking out the middle row seats too (design fault on all new Galaxy 2000 models).
Things did not get off to a very good start when we went to pick up my wife's Galaxy from the dealership in Eastbourne. The car was not ready at the arranged time, the number plates had not been fitted and I doubt whether it had been PDI'd, as the bonnet lid was impossible to close after the salesman opened it. Also the washer bottle filler lid was left open and there was muck in the filter for it. We soon found out the reason why, as the wipers never worked properly and eventually failed completely.
This car has been a disappointment for many reasons. Firstly some car magazines in initial reviews of the new Galaxy 2000 model raved about the new VW stlye quality of this model. If this car of ours demonstrates VW quality, then they have only been dragged down to Ford's level.
Also reports that the Galaxy is the most 'car like' to drive is a gross exageration. A Transit van is now very good to drive and probably better made. The Galaxy drives like a van, full stop.
Although more powerful than the previous 110 bhp VW diesel engine, this new Pump Deuse unit is not as smooth and the economy has been disappointing. On a fast run in France it only averaged 31 mpg on the Autoroutes, and the best we have ever achieved is 36 mpg. The power band is quite narrow and it is pointless revving the engine. If I was buying this car again I would seriously consider the VW sourced 5 speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox, as you forever seem to be changing gears with the manual.
The new six speed gearbox is notchy and it is easy to select third gear by mistake instead of first. Sixth gear you hardly ever use, as speeds under 60mph in this gear cause the engine to labour. Until you get used to it, the engine is very easy to stall when pulling away.
The ride quality is generally good but rather van-like. It sort of nods and hops in corners if you encounter bumps.
There is a design fault with the seats made for this car which I demonstrated to the dealership on their identical showroom model. Because it is such a tight fit, the third row seats get damaged if forced forwards and are impossible to remove without first taking out the middle row. Ford say they are aware of this problem, but have been unable to tell me when it will be remedied.
Since this car will be mainly driven by women, it is not very lady friendly. What is a must though, are the parking sensors fitted as standard to the Zetec model. Never buy a secondhand "Shalaxy" without air conditioning, otherwise it will mist up all the time.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 31st December, 2000
I recently bought a 2001 Galaxy Zetec 2.3 petrol model, and have to say that I have not been as unfortunate as you seem to have been. I have no complaints regarding build quality, ride or handling, but would agree that the rearmost seats are not the easiest to remove. The headrest catches on the seat back tilt mechanism lever for the middle row seats, however this can be easily resolved by moving the middle row seats forward.
I suppose a lot of dissatisfaction comes down to expectation - if you buy a BMW and you experience 95% trouble-free motoring, you are more likely to be dissatisfied than if you buy a Skoda and have the same level of reliability.
I previously owned a 2000 model Alfa 156, which if the motoring press (and a number of colleagues who owned one) were to be believed, was a quality, reliable car. To my cost I found this was not the case, with a litany of major faults (including a replacement engine) that had the car off the road more often than on.
So by comparison, the Galaxy is a dream. And having driven arguably one of the finest-handling sports saloons in the compact exec sector, I certainly don't feel the Galaxy suffers by comparison in the ride & handling department. Yes, it's large, yes, it can be sluggish, but in no way does it feel van-like. Again, it's down to expectations - I expected the Galaxy to have poor ride and handling, but it exceeded those expectations, and therefore is not unacceptable.
I guess both our experiences show it's still possible to get a 'Monday Morning Car' just like the good old days of British Leyland.
Very adaptable and excellent economy
Nothing.
Very comfortable.
40+ mpg is terrific for this size of vehicle.
I would say to anyone thinking about buying a Galaxy, don't hesitate - it's best car I have owned!!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 20th December, 2000
15th Feb 2005, 10:02
Not my experience of this vehicle. If driven carefully I easily maintain a fuel consumption of 28mpg overall, which is excellent considering the size and power of the vehicle.
I have done 48,000 miles in my Galaxy 2.3 ghia petrol and have only had to replace 2 tyres, although two more require replacement in the near future.
As for the drive, I find it a very comfortable and easy to drive, it is not a performance vehicle, but it is not designed to be. It holds the road well, accelerates smoothly.
Only problem with my galaxy in 48000 miles has been a faulty relay on the cooling system, broken drive belt, and faulty aircon compressor. All were dealt with under warranty.