Ford Mondeo Titanium 2017 Review
It's handsome, it's clever, and although it's not the fastest or most engaging of this quintet, it scores for convenience and industrial strength storageUnlike the all-new European-sourced Holden Commodore, which has generated heated debate for that very reason, this has not turned out to be the case with the Mondeo. Which is probably a good thing, because the way the Mondeo steers and responds to driver input is vastly different to the Falcon experience.
Although it's been on sale in Australia since 1995, the Mondeo has never really been a headline-grabber with Aussie buyers. But things are changing. Overlooking the Camry (still the favourite of fleet and rental car buyers), Mondeo was the top selling vehicle in the medium passenger car segment in August. It’s a safe bet Ford must be getting prospective buyers to test drive the Mondeo, because it does make a favourable first impression.
To its credit, the Mondeo can take low octane 91RON petrol (while it's still available) and has a creamy-smooth power delivery. However as Ken Gratton pointed out during the comparison: "The engine is willing enough yet it feels a bit slow compared with Octavia, Liberty and Optima."
While agreeing with Ken, Feann Torr went further, concluding it accelerates well, but the steering needs some improvement.
Indeed, the Ford is the least engaging of the quintet to drive on winding roads, with more body roll than the others. And the ultra-light steering has a lot of power assistance which masks any meaningful feedback.
The flip-side of this equation is the Mondeo's impressive ride comfort, its quiet cabin and ease of use, especially around town and when parking. "The steering is great at low speeds and has surprisingly good manoeuvrability around town," explained Nadine Armstrong.
That said, Andrea Matthews was right to argue outward vision in the Mondeo isn’t the best of this bunch. The A-pillars at the front are thick, obscuring vision somewhat, while the steeply angled rear windscreen creates a chunky blind spot aft. It does have its own 'eyes' to help ameliorate the poor vision to a certain extent: such as blind spot sensors, a rear view camera, parking sensors at each end and, to help in the traffic, autonomous emergency braking.
There's no auto-hold function, which brakes the car automatically at traffic lights, but Tim Britten and Andrea said they didn't care as they don't use the feature. Interestingly, they live in the country, whereas Nadine and Feann are city dwellers and reckon they wouldn't live without it in commuter traffic.
Power adjustable leather seats are par for the course in this company, but the Ford is the only car here with a power adjustable steering wheel. The view from the driver's seat is pretty spiffy with an almost completely digital instrument panel which provides plenty of customizing choice. Everything is relatively legible, although some of the trip computer readouts may require reading glasses.
Incidental storage scores a tick, with cup and bottle holders both up front and in the back, plus a useful odds-and-ends tray in the central bin which hinges instead of detaching completely (and potentially getting lost/wedged in).
Up-front, occupants score two USB ports, while those in the rear have none, although they do get a 12-volt socket and a European power point, which is interesting.
The liftback tailgate makes access to the rear cargo area easy, good for loading a bicycle for instance, and the flat load lip helps too. The inclusion of a powered push-button tailgate is a nice touch and utility is underscored by two shopping bag hooks and four tie-down hooks.
Elevated rear seats are heated and offer a good view of surroundings. Rear seat space, on par with the Kia Optima, rates highly in terms of lounge-ability. The rear seats split and fold 60:40, expanding the regular cargo space from 557L to 1356L.
Mondeo’s towing capacity with a braked trailer is 1200kg (750 non-braked) which is well down on the Subaru Liberty's 1800kg, but still enough to tow a decent load if the occasion calls for it.
Indeed, the SYNC 3 infotainment system and its surrounding buttons are best-described as dated-looking, especially compared to the flashy Skoda Octavia's touchscreen. But dig a little deeper and, in this pack, the Ford has the “most feature-rich" infotainment system according to Mike Bantick, our tech expert.
Where the Mazda6 fails to offer a large screen or Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility, the Ford does it all with its touchscreen setup. "Well implemented voice-control, speedy Bluetooth, application support, AM, FM, Digital radio, CD playback, Android Auto and CarPlay, all mean that demands of most users are met in the Mondeo," said Bantick.
The tech stuff doesn't end there either. The Mondeo is also the only car in this test fitted with airbag seat-belts in the back seats. The buckles are bigger and the belts heavier than usual, but Ford reckons they reduce chest, head and neck injuries in the event of a crash.
Like most of the cars tested here, radar cruise control is standard and made freeway driving more relaxed.
Filling the car with fuel is another regular cost and Ford claims the Mondeo uses 8.5L/100km averaged across city and urban driving, which puts it at the thirstier end of this pack. Our testing however shows the Mondeo consumed a lot more fuel than quoted in laboratory tests, at 12.9L/100km on our test loop. This is only slightly better than the Kia Optima which was the worst at 13.1L/100km.
Servicing a new car is another important factor for running costs and. On that score, the Mondeo fares a bit better with 12 month or 15,000km service intervals, whichever occurs first. Ford includes a capped-price program so you should have a good idea of what you'll pay for each service.
Ford has also been campaigning hard on its after sales offerings by giving owners free Auto Club Membership (NRMA, RAC etc) and access to their roadside assistance programs for up to seven years. In addition, Ford promises access to a loan car with all scheduled services.
The Ford Mondeo may not be the fastest or the most agile car of this quintet, but as Nadine pointed out: "If you're chasing the longest feature list and incredible flexibility, Mondeo is the pick."
As mentioned, the Mondeo is starting to climb the sales charts in Australia and could catch the Mazda6 as the best-selling medium car among private buyers in 2017. After spending time in the Spanish-built vehicle it's not hard to see why. Feature packed and with good levels of technology, safety, interior space and comfort, the Mondeo will suit a broad demographic of buyers and scored very strongly in this comparison, narrowly missing out on the win.
2017 Ford Mondeo pricing and specifications:
Price: $44,790 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 177kW/345Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 197g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP, 2015)
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
