Ford B-MAX review - MPG, CO2 and Running Costs
New 1.5 TDCi diesel is clean, but you'll struggle to match EcoBoost petrol's claimed MPG figures
The 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder turbo petrol engine is the one to go for in the B-MAX. It comes in 99bhp or 123bhp guises, and while both deliver decent pulling power for a car of this size, its actually the more powerful engine we'd recommend, because it features stop-start and has claimed economy of 57.7mpg, which is 2.3mpg better than the 99bhp model. It also has CO2 emissions of 114g/km, while the smaller 99bhp variant emits 119g/km. In our experience, you're unlikely to get near the claimed economy figures, but the stop-start-equipped model will hopefully get closer to its claimed figure.
The entry-level 1.4-litre petrol is relatively economical at 47.1mpg, but CO2 emissions of 139g/km mean it's more expensive for tax. The auto-equipped 1.6 petrol is the poorest performer in the range, with emissions of 149g/km and claimed economy of 44.1mpg, which is on a par with auto-equipped rivals such as the Hyundai ix20 and Kia Venga, but slightly behind the auto Citroen C3 Picasso.
The 1.5 TDCi diesel is the best performer for fuel and tax costs. Whether you choose the 73bhp or 93bhp models, you get a claimed return of 74.3mpg, while emissions of 98g/km mean the B-MAX diesel currently qualifies for free road tax.
Service intervals for every B-MAX are one year or 12,500 miles, while Ford offers fixed-price servicing, although it's not the best value plan when compared to some rival schemes. There's a huge number of Ford dealers across the country, although they don't have the best form when it comes to our Driver Power satisfaction survey.
Insurance
Clearly the insurance firms see no issue with the B-MAX's pillarless sliding door layout, and insurance groups range from Group 7-13. The 123bhp EcoBoost engine gains the highest rating, with the lower powered version in Groups 9-10, while the 1.5 TDCi is in Group 11.
Depreciation
Residual values for the B-MAX are pretty good, as it seems buyers are attracted by the sliding door arrangement, as well as the extra space the B-MAX provides over the big-selling Fiesta on which it's based. Estimated resale values are in the 41-47 per cent range, which is slightly ahead of rivals such as the Hyundai ix20 and Kia Venga, and well ahead of the Citroen C3 Picasso.
