Ford Mondeo hatchback (Mk 3)
Chaka Ping
Posts: 1,451
No, I haven't mistaken this forum for the What Car one. Having a new baby daughter means I need to sell my impractical Honda Prelude and buy something more suitable.
So I'm looking at becoming a Mondeo man, but thought I'd check if any of you guys drive them - and how bike-friendly they are. Can you chuck a bike in the back without putting the seats down?
I'll probably get a towbar rack in time. Anyone done that? What did it cost?
Oh, and how do you rate it as a car? Nice to drive and all that?
So I'm looking at becoming a Mondeo man, but thought I'd check if any of you guys drive them - and how bike-friendly they are. Can you chuck a bike in the back without putting the seats down?
I'll probably get a towbar rack in time. Anyone done that? What did it cost?
Oh, and how do you rate it as a car? Nice to drive and all that?
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Why Mondeo? Have driven a few in my days and not found a 'nice' one yet! Not sure how bike freindly they are, but wouldn't say driver friendly!
All IMHO of course
A day where you don't learn something is a waste...
I can't contradict you as I've not driven one, but most reviews I've looked at suggest it's a very satisfying car to drive.
Tell me what you didn't like about the ones you've driven?
2010 Giant Defy Advanced
2016 Boardman Pro 29er
2016 Pinnacle Lithium 4
2017 Canondale Supersix Evo
Anybody put a bike in the back of one? Was there room for much else?
They are good cars - handle well, easy to fix, cheap to look after.
In fact several reviews reckon the new Mondeo is better than the BMW 3 series and MUCH cheaper.
Good car - but definitely go for diesel if possible. The petrols are thirsty and even the ST220 isn't all that quick in real World driving.
The estate is HUGE if you want serious bike room.
Oh and the Focus is a hoot to drive too - and better on fuel.
Demoted to commuting duty
Orange Crush!
In fact it's the best handling FWD hatch out there. The current Focus ST is too nose heavy - the more standard models handle better - the old ST170 was just near handling perfection (as was the Puma)
The Mondeo is still very good.
I would have bought a Focus but they only come with weedy diesels and the Astra (pokey diesel) looked nicer so plumped for that. Had it since new but still like it.
Not as fast as the previous car though...
what size car? is it definatly a saloon your after or would you consider a hatch?
what (if you dont mind me asking) is the price range your looking at?
Like when getting a new bike, you gotta try out different cars before buying!!
Could spend more, but only do 5 to 7k miles per year, so no point taking the depreciation - and I don't care too much about image (although I wouldn't want anyone to think I was the sort of mug who drove a French car).
I do like to drive a car before I buy it, but before I pick a car I can rule loads of others out for other reasons - like looks, reliability, cost of repairs.
I've driven and liked the Focus, but I want more boot space. Have considered a Focus estate, but most of my driving is on the motorway - so I thought the Mondeo would be more comfy.
I help mates and family look for cars and have found four Focuses so far - one an estate.
The reason? I think they are very good cars if your budget is lowish.
I think you'd get a better Focus for that money than you would a Mondeo and every model, even the lowliest spec, is fun to drive.
Other alternatives for that money (Astra, Golf, etc) are just no good - the Astra and Golf only got good with the latest shape (mk1 and mk2 Golfs were great - then it all went wrong until the mk4 R32 and the mk5). The previous shape Focus is a great handling car that is generally very reliable.
An old Mondeo will be a bit of a gas guzzling cut price luxobarge that will probably be hard work to move on once you come to sell it.
2007 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF 1.9 Sport TDI 5dr DSG Diesel Hatchback £3000, 22,500 miles.
lovely cars and the diesels are pretty much indestructible, roomy, quick, can get bikes on the back/roof/towbar.
i dont see why you'd need an estate (but admitedly i dont have kids so feel free to flame me for that bit
We've had an estate for three years despite no kids (first baby arriving Saturday though!) - brilliant for bikes, surfboards and you can even sleep in the back of them if needed.
Precisely why I wanted one
I don't drive much so fuel cost isn't important and I'm likely to keep it a couple of years so I expect whatever I buy to be worth around £1k when I sell.
I think I can get a V6 at a good price because nobody else will want to take on a car with £400 VED (from next year) and everyone's bricking themselves about the credit crunch.
I've driven the Focus, it's very pleasant to drive - but not exceptionally comfortable for long journeys - and I expect the Mondeo to be as good to drive but more refined.
Also, at the six/seven year old stage large cars get cheaper than small ones because of lower demand - so I expect to get more motor for my money buying a Mondeo than a Focus.
The Focus 2l Ghia estate might be worth a look though, if one turns up local on Autotrader.
Ben - I have an aversion to VAG cars (fnarr fnarr), I think VW lost it when they started believing their own hype in the late 80s.
I need a large hatchback or med/large estate because in future I'm likely to be carrying a large pram, suitcases and bike bits for holidays - and to futureproof against dog ownership.
I'm also a bit anti VW - after having LOADS of GTis, I got the R32 (mark 4) which was great (unlike all other mk4 Golfs which are cack). Had to sell it and tested loads of VWs and Audis. All were hopeless. Yes they have a nice dashboard but all handled terribly.
The new Golf has sorted the handling but I do find that if any car is going to be glued to your back bumper, it will be a VW or an Audi. Middle management upwardly mobile tw4t-mobiles on the whole. Which is a shame.
I do fancy that new Scirocco though - as I've had two in the past and loved them - but that might have to wait for my (second) mid-life crisis.
I can fit 2 bikes on the boot as long as you remove wheels and seats.
Got the 1.8LX. Bit slow but OK when it gets to speed. Get about 35mpg max for mixed driving so not great. Not the most comfy seats either - Wife is short and realy struggles to get them to fit nicley. Plus side the ride is good so the kids don't chuck up in the back (yet).
Focus estate 1.9tdi is much better all round.........
www.muckynutz.com
i recently got a secondhand MK 2 focus estate (2005 model). TDCi. It is at its best on the motorway where it gives very good economy (as it does in town) and just rolls along nicely. not as big as mondy but big enough to get two bikes in the boot with the seats up and the cover over them (wheels off, but saddles still in place. that was why i bought it really ... though i am not really bothered about image the mondeo is pushing it a bit.
i'd say both these fords are a bit less refined than VW and honda and so on, but cheaper to run and i quite like the aesthetics of the new focus estate FWIW
The Japs have reliability all wrapped up but mainstream brands such as Ford and Vauxhall often outdo German brands - in fact Merc slipped VERY low for a while.The M Class was extremely poorly built as were other models.
http://search.autotrader.co.uk/es-uk/www/cars/VOLKSWAGEN+GOLF/Ne-2-4-5-6-7-8-27-44-49-53-61-64-67-103-133-146-236,N-10-14-41-51-240-4294966995-4294967159/advert.action?R=200838318938027&distance=199&postcode=fy84qu&channel=CARS&make=VOLKSWAGEN&model=GOLF&min_pr=2000&max_pr=3000&max_mileage=60000
dont look that bad to me, but in all fairness could be a misprint
Tosh - Seat are not as well made as VW - had two brand new ones die on us. Skoda is a good alternative though - tested the old VRS and it was the best VAG car with the 1.8T engine by miles. My only problem with them is that they are SO damn ugly and the interiors just feel lower rent.
i also like the superbe if you want a salloon ... a massive very comfortable machine.