Ford Galaxy (2015-2023) Review

Ford didn’t invent the MPV, but the Galaxy has become a bit of a household name when it comes to people carriers, despite its departure. Unlike some rival models, it offered seating for seven full-sized adults, which makes it a firm favourite in the private hire and taxi sectors even today.

Put simply, it offered the kind of space, practicality and flexibility you still won't find in a modern seven-seat SUV, so it’s the used MPV to choose if your family is growing up fast. You won’t win any style points on the school run, but that’s hardly the point of the Galaxy.

The Galaxy came in a host of trim levels (more on that below) but it had a vast engine lineup suited for most needs. 

Being a rather weighty seven-seater, the petrol cars averaged 34.9mpg whereas the diesels, a respectable 38.2-46.3mpg. The hybrid offered mid-40s. To answer the question, it really depends on what you need from a family seven-seater. 

If you have petrol streaming through your veins but need to take the kids to school, there's the 240PS petrol engine, which will allow you to squeal your tyres from the lights if that's your thing. The 190ps was the sweet spot; it was an eco-performance cocktail. 

In a previous life, the Ford Galaxy shared much in common with the near-identical Volkswagen Sharan and SEAT Alhambra. Although the latest version was a standalone model, the Sharan and Alhambra remained as the Ford’s chief rivals.

The only other offerings that offered comparable levels of passenger and luggage space were van-based MPVs. There were quite a few of these around at the time, including the near-identical Stellantis group models; the Vauxhall Vivaro Life, Citroen Spacetourer, Peugeot Traveller and Toyota Proace Verso. There was also the Mercedes V-Class if you were after a more upmarket van-based model, plus the ever-popular VW Caravelle and Ford's own Tourneo Custom. Many of these have since been retired too, but you can still pick up decent used examples.

If you only needed access to a third row of seats on an infrequent basis, the smaller Ford S-Max and Volkswagen Touran were best suited, while the Citroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer and Renault Grand Scenic provided a little more flair.

Fancy a new car? You should also consider the increasing range of 5+2 SUVs, including the Skoda Kodiaq, Hyundai Sante Fe, Peugeot 5008 and Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.

You wouldn’t call the Ford Galaxy ‘premium’, but its cabin still feels reassuringly solid and upmarket. Unlike the smaller S-Max, there wasn't a Vignale trim available on the Galaxy, so it missed out on the full-fat luxury treatment.

No matter, because the interior was well screwed together, with the buttons and switches offering the reassuring qualities you’d associate with a so-called premium car. Little touches like the chrome surround on the air vents, centre console and inner door handles provided a touch of class, although the actual plastic used on the centre console itself had a hard and cheap feeling. 

The Titanium model didn't raise the perceived quality, but interior ambient lighting, keyless start and go, and a 10.1-inch digital instrument cluster did enhance the ownership experience. The Titanium Lux pack added adaptive LED headlights, heated leather seats with eight-way electric adjustment, plus an electric tailgate. This pack wasn't available with Zetec trim, so it’s one reason you might want to pick a Titanium trim car. 

Another reason is the third-row rear seats with an electric fold-flat, side and recline function. This provided easy access to the third row.

All versions of the Ford Galaxy came with an eight-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system as standard. Since the 2019 facelift, the Galaxy benefited from Ford’s Sync 3 software, which was superior to the Sync 2 system fitted to earlier models.

It wasn't perfect. The display looked dated, and while the top menu was clear and concise, there were a few too many sub-menus, which made it difficult to operate on the move. Fortunately, the voice recognition in the Galaxy was one of the best we experienced at the time.

The Zetec and Titanium models featured eight speakers, Bluetooth, voice control, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, two USB ports and emergency call. The Titanium trim added satellite navigation to the mix.

Beyond that, it was possible to upgrade to the Ford Sync Premium Sony DAB Navigation system, which added 12 speakers and FordPass Connect to the Titanium trim's spec.

Things were roughly the same on the pre-facelift Ford Galaxy, albeit with Sync 2. The Zetec trim featured an eight-inch touchscreen with DAB digital radio and Bluetooth, with navigation available as an option. Titanium and Titanium X models came with navigation and European mapping as standard.

Cavernous, capacious, commodious, voluminous and substantial. These were just some of the words used to describe the Ford Galaxy's interior. 

The Ford Galaxy's external dimensions gave a clue to the kind of space inside. It was 4848mm long, 1916mm wide and 1747mm tall, making it comparable to large MPVs such as the Seat Alhambra and van-based models of the era such as the Vauxhall Vivaro Life. 

Crucially, all seven seats were suitable for adults, which gave the Ford Galaxy the edge over many similar seven-seaters at the time, in particular SUVs. In the Galaxy, you didn't feel like you had been relegated to the cheap seats if you were in the third row. 

There were three individual seats on the middle row, each one able to slide back and forth independently if you fancied giving the passengers in the back a little more legroom. It also had three Isofix points along the middle row, which was brilliant if you need to fit child seats.

On the Titanium model, the seats in the third row featured an electric fold-flat, slide and recline function. This meant they could be operated at the touch of a button, and that included returning them to their upright position.

It got better because, with the five rear seats folded down, you were presented with a massive 2,339 litres of space, complete with a perfectly flat floor. This dropped to a maximum of 1,301 litres in five-seat mode, or a reasonable 300 litres if you required all seven seats. Likewise, there were four tie-down rings and a parcel shelf in the boot.

An electric tailgate was available as part of the Titanium Lux pack, but it took an age to open or close. A detachable tow bar was also available if you intended to tow a trailer or caravan.

It didn't stop there, because its cabin was loaded with useful storage areas. Frankly, we didn't think we’d seen a larger central storage bin – the bottom of the Galaxy’s bin was somewhere far, far away. Other Star Wars puns are available, but won’t be used.

There was a cupholder and a storage box in the third row, but although there wasn't a USB port, the rearmost passengers did have access to a 12v socket. Sunblinds were available if you specced the optional panoramic sunroof.

The Ford Galaxy was primarily powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine which was available with a choice of outputs. However, in late 2021 the diesel engines were removed and only a petrol-electric hybrid was offered. This decision reflected that, back then, most customers were private hire drivers who were after a bigger alternative to the Toyota Prius.

The 150PS version of the diesel engine was perfect for most family buyers, offering a 0-62mph time of 10.9 seconds and a top speed of 123mph. The 0-62mph time remained the same if you opted for the excellent eight-speed automatic transmission, but the top speed dropped to 122mph. The 0-62mph time was 9.6 seconds for the 190PS engine in front-wheel-drive guise, or 10.6 seconds if you opted for all-wheel drive.

It’s worth noting that the six-speed manual gearbox wasn't available on the 190PS version. It was a good transmission, but the eight-speed automatic seemed to suit the relaxed, smooth and comfortable nature of the Galaxy.

The Ford Galaxy was launched in 2015 with a good choice of engines. The pick of the bunch was the 150PS version of the older 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel, although the 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol was great if you spent most of your time in the city. Ford introduced the 2.0-litre EcoBoost diesel engine and new eight-speed automatic transmission in 2018. Both were superior to the units they replaced.

There was also a slightly bonkers 240PS 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine. Its 0-62mph time of 8.6 seconds and 140mph top speed were genuinely impressive for a car like the Galaxy. Alternatively, a twin-turbocharged 210PS diesel offered similar performance with the benefit of improved efficiency.

If you want the latest Galaxy, a used 'FHEV' hybrid version is the only option. It wasn't a plug-in hybrid; instead, the 2.5-litre petrol engine was boosted by a small electric motor, with a small battery that charged up under coasting and braking. It's a bit of an old-school system; it's smooth enough around town, but not all that pleasant once up to speed, and you'll find the engine is rarely off if you're moving. 

The Ford Galaxy felt remarkably refined for a humble MPV, with very little wind and road noise entering the cabin. Although the size of the interior gave it cathedral-like characteristics, you felt nicely isolated from the outside world.

It was quiet in the city and hushed on the motorway, regardless of the transmission. Having said that, the eight-speed automatic delivered the best refinement, with seamless shifts through the gears and a generally smooth and relaxed nature. It wouldn’t feel out of place in a vehicle wearing a premium badge.

The 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel engine was just as impressive. Likewise, the hybrid was pretty refined most of the time, but if you asked for full throttle things became noisy and strained. 

Even today, we can’t praise the Ford Galaxy enough overall. Little wonder it’s still the choice of countless airport taxi firms and chauffeur businesses. You have to question why so many people and some manufacturers are turning their backs on MPVs in favour of SUVs. On the evidence here, it’s a strange decision.

The Ford Galaxy was awarded a maximum five-star Euro NCAP safety rating in 2015. The individual scores were 87 percent for adult occupant protection, 87 percent for child occupant protection, 79 percent for pedestrian safety, and 71 percent for safety assist systems.

The latest Galaxy was fitted with multiple airbags, Curve Control to counter understeer running wide when cornering), electronic stability control with trailer-sway control and hill-start assist, active rollover protection and three Isofix points.

All models also came with cruise control, pre-collision assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection, front and rear parking sensors, and traffic sign recognition. The Titanium model received a lane-keeping system, which included lane-keeping assist, lane-keeping alert, automatic high beam, driver alert and automatic windscreen wipers.

Options included adaptive cruise control, blind-spot information, park assist, a front video camera with split view, and a rear-view camera.

Ford currently sits eighth from the bottom on the latest HonestJohn.co.uk satisfaction index. However, the Galaxy has done a fine job steering clear of the HonestJohn.co.uk Worst Car list with only the Kuga and Fiesta noted here.

However, modern cars are generally pretty reliable, and the fact that Ford sells so many cars means it's more likely that problems are reported. 

The Galaxy, meanwhile, has been around for ten years now and reported early issues such as cracking oil sumps and malfunctioning adaptive headlights should have been resolved by now. The mechanicals were used widely across Ford's larger car range, and the EcoBlue diesel engine was also found in found in the Transit workhorse.

Because the Ford Galaxy 2.0 TDCi Zetec slots into insurance group 17, it’s likely to be the cheapest version to insure. At the opposite end of the scale, the 240PS version of the 2.0 EcoBlue Titanium X will be the costliest Galaxy, thanks to an insurance group rating of 31.

The insurance groups of other models range from 19 to 28, so insuring a Galaxy is unlikely to break the bank.

For some context, the groups for the Seat Alhambra range from 13 to 25, while the groups are 15 to 25 for the Volkswagen Sharan.

With the latest tax rates, there's a massive potential to be stung here if you choose the wrong trim. The cheapest is the 2.0 TDCi Zetec Nav built from 1 May 2015 to 31 March 2017, costing just £160 for the first year and £150 afterwards.

The Galaxy sits between 2015 and 2023, meaning it awkwardly straddles two tax brackets. However, the most expensive trim levels in the latest cars are the Titanium Lux Pack EcoBlue 190PS FWD auto (1 Oct 2019 - 30 Dec 2021), and the Titanium X 190PS and 240PS auto. 

On the other hand, the hybrid guise emits 148g/km, putting it firmly in Band H. This means you'll pay £260 for the first year (a £10 saving) and £180 afterwards. 

As of mid-2021, Ford culled most of the trim levels and engine options in the Galaxy lineup. The only trim level available for the latest car was the Titanium trim.

The entry-level Zetec trim boasted 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic wipers, black roof rails, an eight-inch colour touchscreen media system, front and rear parking sensors, a start button, cruise control, pre-collision assist, dual-zone climate control, traffic sign recognition, sport seats and three Isofix points.

Upgrading to Titanium added different 17-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, a chrome finish on the upper door line, silver roof rails, rear privacy glass, automatic headlights, satellite navigation, lane-keeping system, interior ambient lighting, electric third-row seats, keyless entry and go, a 10.1-inch digital dashboard and rain-sensing wipers.

There were three option packs: Driver Assistance, Titanium Lux and Winter. The Driver Assistance pack was available on both trim levels, but you had to buy the Titanium to get the other two.

The Titanium X trim gets our vote for tech, as it packed some desirable options and accessories as standard. Highlights included leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, an electric tailgate, heated seats and a rear-view camera.