Review
/5
- Pros:
- Huge, well shaped boot
- Loads of choice
- Fun to drive and comfortable
- Cons:
- Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer looks better
- Size makes parking tricky
- Small petrol and diesel engines struggle with big loads
pictured: Ford Mondeo estate 2012 5 door
reviewed by Carbuyer
"With its spacious cabin, generous equipment and good build quality, Ford's Mondeo makes a virtually unbeatable estate car."
At a glance
- The greenest
- Zetec Business 1.6TDCi ECO 115PS S/S 5dr
£23,045 - The cheapest
- Edge 1.6 Ti-VCT 120PS 5dr
£19,350 - The fastest
- Titanium X Sport 2.0 240PS EcoBoost Pwsf 5dr
£29,355 - Top of the range
- Titanium X Sport 2.2TDCi 200PS Automatic 5dr
£31,005
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Adding the versatility of an estate car boot to the already vast and capable Ford Mondeo makes for a virtually unbeatable combination of practicality, space and drivability. Some rivals, like the Honda Accord Tourer and Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer, are ‘lifestyle’ cars that give up some space for style - the Mondeo doesn’t. It still looks good, but it's hugely practical. Diesel engines from the 123bhp TDCi onwards have enough pull for serious load-lugging, but the 2.0-litre 138bhp version is the smoothest. Avoid the 1.6-litre petrol engine, as it's not powerful enough to cope with big loads. Facelifted cars from 2010 onwards get a new grille and front bumper, with LED lights on top-spec models, while inside changes included a new centre console. All models are well equipped, comfortable and fun to drive.
Drive
The Mondeo Estate is vast - wide and long
The Mondeo has almost luxury car comfort - even on the firmer Zetec suspension. Yet it's still agile and easy to zip through traffic in, despite its size. The Mondeo Estate is vast - wide and long - so the less powerful engines in the comprehensive line-up aren’t ideal. Fill the expansive cabin with people and luggage, and you’ll need plenty of pulling power. The 2.0 and 2.2 TDCi diesels provide that, as does the 2.5-litre turbo petrol engine, although its high fuel consumption means it's not a shrewd buy. It was replaced in 2010 by a 2.0-litre turbocharged EcoBoost engine, which is almost as fast but much more economical. There is also a powerful but cheap to run 1.6-litre turbo version too.
Comfort
Drivers can spend hours behind the wheel without starting to fidget
It's one of the most comfortable estates on the market, both because of its cosseting ride and its highly adjustable driving position. Well placed controls and supportive seats ensure drivers can spend hours behind the wheel without starting to fidget, and the amount of head and legroom means it never feels claustrophobic.
Reliability
The Estate is well built
As with the rest of the range, the Mondeo Estate is well built, solid and hasn’t been subject to any major recalls, nor have there been any reports of significant problems. The Mondeo gave Ford its best-ever ranking in the Driver Power customer satisfaction survey for 2010, placing 20th out of 100.
Practicality
The flat floor makes it easy to load bulky items
The big cabin is put to good use, with thoughtful touches like a wide boot opening and a flat floor that makes it easy to load and unload bulky or heavy items. The boot is an enormous 1,733 litres with the rear seats folded down, and it's a simple oblong shape, so you can make use of all the space. There are also plenty of useful cubby spaces around the cabin, including a big glovebox.
Value for money
All versions come with loads of kit
The Mondeo is close to rivals such as the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer and VW Passat Estate on cost. Best value comes from choosing the lowest model and engine combination you can live with - although all cars are well kitted out. An Edge or Zetec version should do nicely. However, poor resale values make the Mondeo an expensive fleet car, with high monthly lease prices and tax liabilities.
Running costs
The ECOnetic ‘green’ version is cheap to fill up but pricey to buy
The mid-level diesels - the 123bhp 1.8 TDCi and 138bhp 2.0-litre version - offer economy close to 50mpg and emissions that keep them in the lower Road Tax brackets. They’re not the best engines in class though; the 1.8 can be quite noisy, especially compared to VW's latest diesels. The ECOnetic ‘green’ version is cheap to fill up but pricey to buy, so you’ll have to be doing high mileages to make the money back. Petrol engines aren't as cheap to run but the new EcoBoost range is fast and efficient.
*Our monthly finance prices are updated on a regular basis, but due to the dynamic nature of the market are not guaranteed accurate. You can always confirm the monthly finance price with FinanceAcar.
