Before I get all you amateur astronomers reaching for your telescopes and directing them towards the heavens I must point out that I'm not referring to the interstellar kind of Galaxy but the exciting new Ford Galaxy. I apologise for any confusion I may have caused but to me the discovery of a vehicle that finally suits our family's needs is the cause for much celebration.

You see for years now we have shoehorned ourselves into all manner of estate cars and small MPV's often resulting in miserable journeys that involve everybody being cramped and arguing with each other. Family holidays should normally be a pleasurable experience for all but all too often ours seem to descend into petty bickering with each other and the dog usually joins in for good measure.

We finally arrive at our destination tired and hoarse from all the shouting and with the windows steamed up because my kids insist on the interior temperature to be more akin to a portable sauna Autel MaxiSys Pro. Sometimes I long for one of those Perspex screens that taxis have that I could just slide across to drown out the endless chorus of "I'm bored" or "Are we there yet?."

Then there's all the stuff you have to take with you, I vaguely remember in my younger single days I could go away for a week with nothing more than a spare pair of underpants and a toothbrush and could always jettison the pants if required. Nowadays it seems we have to transport every conceivable modern day luxury with us and frankly might as well just hook the house up to the back of the car and drag it with us down the motorway.

There have been a few times recently when I have lost the plot and said to my kids that I'm going to go to the builder's merchant and buy a few bags of sand and empty them in the living room so we can just pretend we are on the beach.

I am pleased to report that this is all behind us now as we are the proud owners of a new Ford Galaxy. I had driven a Galaxy a few years ago when my friend organised a stag party and in his wisdom turned up in a 2.3 petrol engine model much to our consternation as we had to drive it all the way to Amsterdam. Suffice to say that after satisfying the copious thirst for fuel this thing had there was very little left in the kitty for our drinking activities and certainly nothing left to fund a night in the arms of one of those nice ladies in the window which we had planned for him autel mx808 features.

Despite that I do recall the Ghia model which we had was luxuriously appointed with leather and wood although it did remind me somewhat of a gentleman's drawing room. I decided to opt for the Zetec model which is well equipped but has a more high-tech feel to the interior.

There was just a question of where to make my purchase. These days there is a bewildering array of different places to visit from the traditional franchised dealers to car supermarkets and such like. After spending what felt like a lifetime on the internet I finally opted for Ford Deals Direct. They purchase from Ford and by cutting out the middleman are able to offer big discounts on new Ford cars. We saved a few thousand on the new list price which is great as the money we saved will go towards next years' holiday to Wales. I can hardly wait as we now have dual zone air conditioning and a DVD system not to mention acres of space and room for seven. I might even have room for two pairs of pants!

The Ford Galaxy has proven to be a fantastic success for Ford and is one of the most popular MPV's on the market. Jon Barlow talks about the Galaxy which can be found at Ford Deals Direct
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