Ford Mondeo estate (2006-2014)

The Ford Mondeo is know for being an excellent all-rounder – comfortable on the motorway, but also fun to drive on country roads. Choosing the estate version of the Ford Mondeo means you get the same driving chracteristics, but also benefit from a huge and practically shaped boot.

The Mondeo offers a decent range of petrol and diesel engines, with the diesels making the most sense, because they combine useable performance with manageable running costs. In contrast, the top-of-the-range petrol is quick but expensive to run.

There’s also a decent selection of trim levels, which run from basic Graphite, to Edge, Zetec Business Edition, Titanium X Business Edition and Titanium X Sport. Even Graphite models get Ford’s useful Quickclear windscreen, a Bluetooth phone connection, heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors, plus air-conditioning.

The cheapest Ford Mondeo to run is the 1.6-litre diesel, which qualifies for annual road tax of just £20, with fuel economy of 67.3mpg. The more powerful 2.0-litre diesel is much quicker, but still manages 62.8mpg economy and CO2 emissions of 119g/km, for road tax of £30. Avoid the automatic gearbox if you want to keep running costs low, because it harms economy and increases CO2 emissions.

The 1.6-litre EcoBoost has decent fuel economy for a petrol engine, at 44.1mpg, but its CO2 emissions mean road tax costs £145. The 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine will be expensive to run, although it is quick.

The Ford Mondeo Estate is much better to drive than the Vauxhall Insignia Tourer, thanks to sharp steering that gives lots of confidence in corners and suspension that keeps body lean in check. Zetec trim gives you sportier suspension, but the car is still perfectly comfortable for everyday use.

If you're looking for a good balance between economy and performance, then the 2.0-litre TDCi 140 diesel makes the most sense. It goes from 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds, has a maximum speed of 127mph and is an excellent motorway cruiser. The 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol is fastest of all, with 0-62mph taking 7.5 seconds and top speed limited to 155mph.

The Ford Mondeo Estate gets the same dashboard as the hatchback, with an intuitive design and high-quality construction. Plenty of adjustment for the driver’s seat and steering wheel means that getting comfortable should be easy, too.

Ford is excellent at judging suspension setup, so its cars are comfortable on long journeys while also being engaging to drive on a twisty road, and the Mondeo Estate pulls of this trick admirably.

The Ford Mondeo hatchback is already pretty spacious, but the estate is even bigger. Keep the rear seats up and you get 537 litres of boot space, but folding them down expands that to 1,733 litres – that means the Ford can carry more than the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer. The Ford’s wide boot opening, flat floor and easy-to-use space means that getting even heavy items in the back should be straightforward.

As with the hatchback, the Mondeo estate offers plenty of cubbyholes scattered throughout the interior, including a good-sized glovebox, while the straight roofline of the estate also means it has more headroom than the hatchback. Getting three adults in the back shouldn’t be a problem.

In our 2014 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, the Ford Mondeo finished 53rd out of 150 cars, and although it scored very well for practicality, it performed quite poorly for reliability. It also dropped 28 places from its 2013 showing. Ford’s warranty, which covers you for three years or 60,000 miles, is also starting to look a bit mean against the seven-year scheme offered by Kia. However, Ford will extend its cover at extra cost.

Electronic stability control and seven airbags are standard, so the Mondeo scored five stars when it was crash-tested by Euro NCAP. High-spec models have a blind-spot warning system, which can detect other vehicles and warn you of their presence before you change lanes into their path.

Go for the basic Ford Mondeo Graphite and you still get equipment such as air-conditioning and Ford’s heated Quickclear windscreen. Edge specification is the next trim level up, and comes with cruise control, which is a useful feature on a model that's so well suited to motorway cruising.

Top-spec models – such as the Titanium X Business Edition and Titanium X Sport – get things like sat nav and heated, ventilated seats.

Regardless of the long equipment list, we'd always try to negotiate a good chunk off the car's list price, as Ford's dealers are normally quite generous when it comes to striking a good deal.