well......... (Ford Mondeo (2000 on) in general)

Member Name: jimbomcconnell

Product:	Ford Mondeo (2000 on) in general
Date:	26/03/01 (392 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good performance

Disadvantages: design and styling is annoying

The Ford Mondeo is hard to escape in the press at the moment. The weekly and monthly car magazines write about it all the time, there are adverts in the papers and a new one on TV. So, by now I will presume that you all know that Ford have an all-new Mondeo, unless, of course, you have been living in space for a while.

I may as well admit up front that I can’t stand Ford cars. I hate them more than Nissans, but less than Vauxhalls. Their “new-edge” design is about as cutting edge as a Phil Collins record and they have all the prestige of a banana. Obviously this means that I have a predetermined agenda to give this car a bad review. This is not so. Ford cars are reliable and they handle extremely well. It’s just that they are ugly with cheap interiors and everyone has one.

By the time my da got this car out for a test drive at the weekend, I was already sick of the look of the new Mondeo. It retains elements of the “radical” looking Ford Focus, but only a few. It is still the Mundano in terms of styling that I know and hate, albeit a Mundano that carries on little from its predecessor in terms of styling. The large family car sector is one in which innovation is usually ignored and where conservatism is favoured. The styling of the Mondeo adheres to this and what the former VW stylist J. Mays has delivered is an edgier looking VW Passat with a hatchback.

Inside the inspiration for the interior is pretty clear. The facia is far superior to that of the old car, but it is still a poor relation to the class-leading Passat. Ergonomics are faultless and the quality of the materials is very good. The steering wheel looks a bit ugly though and there is the added annoyance of the reminder that you are in a Ford and not a VW with the badge. The seats are comfy too and the back is on a par with the Passat for room. Headroom is not so generous in the hatch, though, but it manages a second-in-class grade for the i
nterior.

Time to get driving then. The engine noise is a bit disappointing to the ear, without the sporty growl of the Honda Accord, the Mondeo sounds to mechanical to me. Slot the car into first, however and it is very satisfying. If only VW could make gearboxes as smooth as this. It makes you wonder what the point is in ever having an automatic when the manual is so fluent and rewarding. The gearing on the 2.0 Ghia that I drove was well spaced out for motorway cruising, but not particularly sporting.

Ford has obviously learnt from the Focus about handling. This car is on a par with both the Accord and the Nissan Primera on the beaten track. The ride is firm without being harsh and the stiffened suspension set up seems to have eradicated any body roll. The car sticks to the road like glue and the handling is excellent. The steering wheel offers good feedback and you can’t hear much from the engine or the tires, such is the noise proofing. Ford have got the mix right to suit their potential buyers; the fleet market.

There is all sorts of technical computer assisted things that I honestly don’t have a clue about. I can tell you that the ABS and traction control works fine, having driven it on the ice! According to the propaganda the car has some sort of brain working, but don’t expect Kit from Knight Rider or anything.

Summary: