Buying a used Ford Mondeo (2007-2010)

Back in 1996 when Australia first saw a Ford Mondeo, no one was especially interested in a strangely-styled and underpowered replacement for the widely-admired Telstar.

Four years of mediocre sales saw the first Mondeo dumped and not replaced; leaving Ford without a Medium Car category contender. Seven years later, a totally new Mondeo came on stream. By that time, Toyota’s Camry had increased its dominance and other contenders including the dynamically-similar Mazda 6 would make the new Ford’s task increasingly tough.
 

HISTORY
The MA Series Mondeo was everything that its 1990s progenitor was not. The new shape was slick and distinctive and the all-new platform was shared with several Volvos, North American Fords and the Mazda 6.

Clever packaging sat the new Mondeo on a wheelbase that was significantly longer than other cars in the Medium class and delivered extra cabin width as well. In markets where rear-wheel drive and six cylinders weren’t benchmarks for ‘family’ car success, the Mondeo was seen as being as large as you really needed to go.

Initial Australian arrivals comprised Zetec and TDCi sedans and Hatchbacks plus an entry-level 2.3-litre LX sedan. From 2009 there was also an LX Hatchback and in 2010 a station wagon.

Soaring above all the other Mondeos in performance and driver appeal was the XR5. It came only as a Hatchback, cost $42,000 and with 2.5-litres of turbocharged Duratec five-cylinder engine produced 162kW. Six-speed manual was the only available transmission.

The style and space offered by Mondeo raised questions even back in 2007 regarding its threat to Falcon sales. While Ford denied any conflict between its four and six-cylinder ranges, plenty of buyers found it easy to justify the lower cost of the imported car.

Most were attracted by the 2.3-litre Zetec, which with standard automatic transmission and the hatchback body cost $34,990. This Mondeo sat on 17-inch alloy wheels – a stylish step up from the LX version’s steel rims – with climate-control air-conditioning, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights, a six-CD stacker, parking sensors and power seat adjustment for the driver. Leather trim was a $2000 option.

With similar trim levels and sticking to the popular hatchback shape, a TDCi diesel cost $38,000 but offered to recoup the extra outlay within a couple of years.

Where 2.3-litre petrol cars were found to average 9.5L/100km, the diesel justified its higher sticker price with consumption figures that got below 6L/100km in highway running and managed 8L/100km around town. In the petrol cars’ favour was news that lower-cost 91 RON fuel was acceptable in all but the XR5.

Safety was, from the outset, a major selling point. All Mondeos qualified for a Five Star ANCAP crash-test result plus a decent pedestrian impact rating due to the forgiving bonnet and bumper design.      

Release of an MB version in 2009 was accompanied by expansion of the range to include a new Titanium model. It came first as a Hatchback then a station wagon. The hatch could be specified with petrol or diesel power but the wagon came only with an improved 130kW turbo-diesel engine.
 

ON THE ROAD
With its selection of engines and body configurations, it is hard to know which model constitutes a ‘typical’ Mondeo, or which will work best for the majority of owners.

If you fancy a well-balanced performance car and don’t mind shifting gears for yourself then an XR5 Turbo selects itself.

Straight-line performance is strong without being savage and using the six-speed gearbox to fling the car between bends is good fun. Ford claimed 7.5 seconds for the 0-100km/h dash and one test managed 7.3 so it’s quick.

With 40-Series rubber on untenably ugly 18 inch alloy wheels you might worry about the ride getting harsh when some bumps appear. Not so. A used XR5 that had clicked over 70,000 km tackled a bumpy back-road with no qualms and only a few interior rattles.

Feedback through the steering under extreme conditions can be noticeable and does remind drivers that some clever electronics are working hard to transmit more than 160kW to the ground while maintaining maximum grip. An XR5 with its traction control disabled would challenge even adventurous drivers.

A Zetec makes sense for family buyers and comes in the full complement of Mondeo body styles. You can have it in petrol or diesel-engine form and, given the negligible difference in used-market cost, an oil-burner has the greater appeal. MB Series cars with the diesel option provide strong performance while dragging 200-300 extra kilometres from a full tank.

Base-model Mondeos are well supplied with interior comforts and gadgets but for real confusion in the cabin, take a look at the Titanium. In addition to the expected fast glass, climate-control air-con and six-stack sound you get power seat adjusters and voice-activation for the stereo and Bluetooth (which had been standard on XR5s and an option on Zetecs).

Also on the list are Adaptive Cruise Control that maintains a gap to the car ahead and Dynamic Headlights which, like Citroens of old, will swivel the high-beams to ‘see’ around corners.

The HMI (Human Machine Interface) includes wheel-mounted buttons that allow users to control a range of functions and have all the data they need displayed on a big and bright central panel.  

If you can stretch to a leather/Alcantara equipped car, do so. Mondeo seats across the range aren’t bad but the sporty ones grip nicely and look inviting.        

One reportedly annoying flaw is the hatch that allows water to dribble into the luggage area when opened on a wet day. Not much you can do to stop it except park on a slope.

The wagon is spacious for its size with a big load aperture and useful storage bins for small objects. The centre section of the folding rear seat incorporates an arm-rest which makes the back-rest less comfortable for long trips.

Rear vision is generally good and the front pillars, while incorporating air-bags and providing significant cabin integrity, do so without badly compromising the driver’s view when turning or lining up for a round-about.

CHECK POINTS
<< Mondeos in Australia have earned a reputation for durability and absence of major design flaws. A concern though is the 15,000 kilometre service interval that might be too long, especially in cars that do short trips. Twelve months or more between inspections can allow a minor problem to develop into a costly fault. Servicing every 10,000 kilometres (or six months if you don’t do many kms) will cost extra but can save big money as a trigger for preventive maintenance.
<< Cars in overseas markets with the later DSG automatic transmission have displayed problems with the dual-mass flywheel. The issue seems to be related to high speeds and manifests at more than 200,000 kilometres so isn’t an issue with local cars as yet.
<< Test all electrical components, especially the sunroof if fitted and keyless entry. Damaged seals can cause the roof to shudder and keyless cars are confused by transmissions on the same frequency and may fail to operate. Automatic headlamp functions can fail as well.
<< Beware of power steering that feels notchy or shows signs of escaping fluid due to seal deterioration.
<< Get down low to inspect the front tray and grille for poor alignment and paint deterioration which will affect resale values if not rectified.

ALSO CONSIDER: Mazda 6, Skoda Octavia, Toyota Camry