estating the obvious! (Ford Mondeo (1993-96))

Name: angusreid

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Product:	Ford Mondeo (1993-96)
Date:	18/05/02 (1168 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: cheap, economic, reliable

Disadvantages: stiff , slow to start, dated

“Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo
Put 'em together and what have you got
bibbidi-bobbidi-boo”

The Fairy Godmother from Disney’s Cinderella.

What’s this got to do with the Ford Mondeo 1.8 LX Estate I hear you ask? Well, absolutely nothing whatsoever, but don’t you feel perkier for singing it?

Blame CH for my posting of this workhorse, as she had the chance to stop me, although only a slight chance, an hour or two in fact, but that’s another story, so on I go.

Moving some 600 yards from one 3 bedroom house to another 3 bedroom house would have been a synch for any removal company you would have thought, a mornings work at the most, Not so!

Quotes of some £400 plus smacked my face like a cold trout in the hand of a fishmonger catching you in bed with his wife!

Nay, nay, nay lad, my northern accent coming to the forefront, although strange why it was Yorkshire when I am a Geordie!

For me to part with £400 the removal process would have to be performed by lap top dancers with sliver tassel’s glistening in the sunshine, not 6ft hairy arsed beer bellied ex pro-wrestlers and that one skinny lad who always seems to get the heaviest items to lift!

Therefore the options were to hire a van, or get an estate car.

I plumbed for the latter, a 1.8 lx at that.

Okay, the one in question is a 1996 state blue (kind of Royal blue) and has done some 126, 000 miles, not bad for a petrol car.

LOOKS/APPEARANCE/STYLE.

Ahem, it is an estate car, so excuse the fact that I may mention it is boxy at least once in this opinion.

At some 15ft 2 inches long, she is only 4 inches longer than her hatchback sister. For you metric guys out there, just go and ask the wife how long 4 inches is, she will know ;o)

Her width is 5ft 9” and height is 4ft 7” are exactly the same as the hatch/saloon versions,
so this obsession about I cant drive an estate is somewhat belittled by these facts and must be assumed to be within ones own head.

Although a now dated model, the mark 1 Mondeo was certainly not “square” in shape compared to similar cars from our continental partners such as the Citroen and Peugeot, and she does have a few little curves in all the right places.
The front/bonnet rises nicely at a slight angle, allowing you those few extra inches of visibility when parking, definitely and advantage with parking tight in most towns these days. Also, you notice the wheel arches are slightly bevelled, almost teasing you into believing she has a sporty nature within, but then not quite enough for you to don shell suit and run along side her.

Plenty of glass means plenty of vision, therefore manoeuvring becomes not quite the task that estate cars normally come hand in hand with, but actually reversing is easier in this than the hatch/saloon versions. She has a flat back, with the bumper sticking out the extra 4 inches, so you can almost touch a wall with the rear window. This distance is increased by the addition of a tow bar, which again protrudes about some 4 inches, making distance to wall/car parking some 8 inches, but still easier than parking other cars.

So overall her body may be slightly boxy, but not compared to similar cars her age, a few angles/curves add to her style, and she is not in the “hearse” appearance league, that’s for sure.


FEATURES/INSIDE&OUT/BRASS KNOBS.

Hardly all singing all dancing, nether the less, she has some notable features as standard

Power steering, a must for any car that is to be used as a road-hog/workhorse.
Electric windows, handy for asking directions when you are lost.
Remote Central locking stops those little scratches that you key makes on the drivers door.
Sun Roof, I like to leave this slightly open when it is hot, as the
car doesn’t get all sweaty and close when you get in.
Adjustable rack steering wheel means us long legged big bird characters can fit snugly into her grasp and stretch our gangly frames in and out of gear change with ease.

The deep-set headlights are prone to chips and moisture attacking the inner lens, making it an expensive changeover of some £55 plus fitting.
Another disadvantage to her design is the fact that the bonnet is very susceptible to stone chips, which if treated straight away will cause no harm, bur still look unsightly.

Headroom is ample, but only just!
Without the sunroof you get an extra two inches, so you can bounce up and down in time to your Kylie Minogue songs without fear of concussion, but with sunroof you have to be content with tapping your…………..fingers.

Passenger room in the back is quite good, and I have had three people in the back on regular occasions. Now stop that please! I usually drive on nights out, therefore I do the rounds picking up the quiz team etc, and they all fit in snugly.

Now the best feature of this “box” is the space the estate bit has.
Not a boast, but fact!
I moved the entire house in this car, double bed and all!
I also covered 200 miles in 6 separate trips to Bere Regis and back, carrying such items as settee’s tallboys and many other items.
The back seat folds down flat enabling you to slide wardrobes, couches, bed settees, fridge freezers, the works in, without much effort.
The low lying bumper ridge means that you don’t have too much of a lip to get things over, therefore minimal lifting required, which in its self was a godsend as I was lifting all this gear myself.
A removable carpet means you can protect the metalwork, and helps you to slide things along the base easier.

So overall, enough features to enable you to enjoy the car without feeling it is basic, but not enough to sp
oil you. Roomy and versatile interior, with more luggage space than a giant kangaroos pouch!

DRIVING/PERFORMACE/THINGUMMYS

Although sluggish to accelerate initially, once moving she kicks into life with an unexpected lunge. Gear changing is a bit jerky, but that is more down to the mileage than to the model as a whole. The clutch tends to be slightly jerky in all early models and steering has a tendency to pull to the left.
She holds the road very well and I always have a secure feeling driving an estate, makes me feel more protected. Cornering feel awkward at low speed but more natural at 50 mph. I did feel the rear end follow rather than lead, but Mondeo’s were never market leaders in control, what with the early wishbone problem.
Although easy to steer, I fight a bit with the car at low speed and feel I am doing the work at cornering rather than the car.

I mentioned earlier how good and easy she is to park, mainly due to the flat back window allowing maximum vision, and this is coupled with a very good fuel consumption of some 36.8 mpg combined, makes this the ideal town and journey car.

Some problems you may come up against are, again mentioned earlier, and they go every 50,000 miles average, costing up to £200 to replace.
Another common fault is the clutch, lasting no more than 30,000 miles and again costing £200 upwards.

Servicing is not so bad with main dealers asking £100 for normal service, £160 major service, £150 cam belt change, £400 complete service, cam belt change and other tidily things.
Servicing intervals are every ten thousand miles and a 96N with 126,000 miles on the clock cost me £1350 at auction, and should retail around the £2000 mark.

Check the engine for head gasket problems and also give the bodywork a good inspection before buying.

Expect to see stone chips, scratches and various marks. If not, it has probably been re-sprayed.

In my opinion
, this car is the best buy pound for pound on the used car market, and providing you check it out thoroughly, should hold few surprises.

Angus

Summary: