Ford Mondeo Ambiente Wagon 2015 Review

When motoring.com.au ran a comparison test of popular mid-size family cars not quite two years ago , the Ford Mondeo in the test placed second only to the Mazda6. While the reviewers at the time knew better than to dismiss the Mondeo out of hand, its strong showing was a minor shock all the same, given it was easily the oldest car on test – and first arrived in Australia six years earlier.

In 2015 we're now assessing a new generation of Mondeo – and gut feeling suggests it won't age as gently as its forebear. Basically a design shared with the American Fusion, the new Mondeo is indeed a fusion... a fusion of Honda Accord and Camry-style comfort and equipment rather than the uncompromised driver's car the previous Mondeo was.

For most medium car buyers that's hardly a stumbling block. And in fairness, the Mondeo is still a capable car on the road, it's just that the character of the older model has been toned down considerably. You have to go looking for the dynamic DNA in this new Mondeo.

Should you do that you will find little tell-tales here and there. It generally rides well, for instance, but isn't the full magic carpet treatment you might expect from an Accord or Camry.

What the Mondeo's suspension offers in recompense is adept handling and commendable grip. The Mondeo also tips into corners neatly with a composed demeanour. Given the light steering and the relatively cushy ride the Ford's cornering ability was unexpected, to be frank, after just a few days of commuting. Driving a new Camry a week or so later confirmed for me that while the Mondeo seems bland, it's still very much a decent drive in this segment – and it actually feels a bit more solid as well.

Contributing to the perception the Mondeo is refined but a bit bland is its exceptional NVH suppression. Even out on coarse-chip bitumen roads there's little in the way of tyre noise. On freeways there's a mix of road and drivetrain rumble that mostly fades into the background, with wind noise more prevalent. Under load there is some ringing from the engine at lower revs, but there's negligible diesel vibration intruding. The Mondeo is such a quiet car that you'll occasionally pin down noises from unusual sources, such as a tiny squeak from the inertia-reel seatbelt pulley.

Running a PowerShift (dual-clutch) transmission as standard, the Mondeo is smooth and capable, even measured against a car with a conventional automatic. The dual-clutch box combines well with the 2.0-litre diesel, which offers significantly more poke and response than the last diesel sampled in the previous generation of Mondeo.

With this diesel and dual-clutch combination the new Mondeo steps off quickly and rips through the gears, performance only tailing off above 4000rpm. Fuel consumption for the week was 8.0L/100km, which was pretty respectable indeed for such a large car, and one that rarely made it out on the open road.

According to Ford the Mondeo's turning circle is 11.6m, which is significantly wider than the Mazda6's 11.0m, but the Ford certainly doesn't feel difficult to park. Parking can be a chore once the Mondeo's field of vision comes into play. The D pillars are thick, as are the A and B pillars. And it's those that can hinder manoeuvring in and out of traffic. Looking back over the shoulder while moving from a slip lane into traffic is occasionally a challenge, and the shallow raked A pillars, which are pretty chunky too, really need to be looked around at intersections.

Still on the subject of seeing obstacles and avoiding them, the Mondeo's headlights didn't score a whole lot of brownie points. At night, on country roads – and without the benefit of high beam – they shone yellow and dim.

Judged as a family car – rather than a family driver's sports machine – the Mondeo is a good package overall, but it's not without flaw. The driving position places the driver in the right relationship to wheel and pedals, but you do feel perched quite high, considering the Mondeo is no SUV. It seems to be a common trait in Fords, with our reviewers making the same observation of the Fiesta ST during the quest to find Australia's Best Driver's Car.

The seats in the Mondeo feel very thickly padded and comfortable, but they also hold the occupant in place quite well during cornering. And since the bolstering is not especially aggressive, it's yet another little surprise from the mid-sized Ford.

The SYNC 2 infotainment system is easy to use and looks nice, but as with other similar systems, the user is required to back out of one type of function to operate another, switching between navigation and audio for instance, which can be time-consuming and confusing.

In the Ambiente level of trim, the Mondeo ends up a strange mix of prince and pauper. While the SYNC 2 system is definitely a crowd pleaser, there are other features missing that might be expected in a car at this price. Adding to the perception that the Mondeo's field of vision hasn't been given much thought during the design phase, there's no reversing camera, as one example, although the Mondeo does feature front and rear parking sensors at least.

A starter button is another feature that buyers might want in a car closing in on $40,000. The Mondeo in this variant makes do with a key and conventional ignition lock barrel in the steering column. Finally, there are no face-level vents in the rear. This is unfortunate given the rear-seat accommodation is bountiful and is brilliant in every other way. There's plenty of head- and legroom back there for adults, let alone growing kids.

Storage space in and around the cabin is commendable, with deep and wide cupholders in the centre fascia, plus a deep receptacle under the centre armrest in front. This features a removable coin tray inside, plus two USB ports, a 12-volt power outlet and video/audio jacks for an external AV device.

Out the back the Mondeo – this one a wagon – features a large, practical boot, with a luggage management system to keep gear separate. The floor is not deep, and the rear seats don't fold completely flat, but they're pretty close to it. Likely to be a bug-bear for some buyers, the Mondeo has a space-saver spare under the floor, rather than a full-size wheel and tyre.

By the end of the week, the Mondeo had endeared itself to the family, but there remained misgivings that this car doesn't reach the same relative standard of driving dynamics its predecessor attained back in 2007.

In 2015 though, the new Mondeo is a car designed for a wider audience – and that's probably what Ford needs it to be.