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13/10/2008
By EWAN KENNEDY
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Ford Mondeos are European sourced mid-sized cars that are enjoyable to drive and in which to ride. In their initial format, they didn’t succeed on the Australian market and so were quietly slipped off the import list in 2002. The revival of the model late in 2007 has sparked interest in these older cars. Note that the new Mondeos are larger, being almost in the Falcon class, but are still not common in the used-car market so won’t be surveyed here.
 Mondeo is well built and has good, if unexciting, styling. Its big feature is the sort of excellent roadholding and handling that you would expect from a European car. This dynamic ability ensures the Ford appeals to the family-car owner on a budget who really enjoys their driving.
Mondeo is offered in four-door sedan, station wagon and five-door hatchback formats. Front seat room is fine and the rear can transport long-legged adults in comfort only if those in front are willing to give up a bit of space. Boot room is good in all body variants, with the wagon having a usefully square styling. Being of European origin means this Ford was one of the pioneers in using lap-sash seat belts in the centre-rear seat. These first appeared with the December 1996 facelift and may prove an invaluable safety feature for family-car buyers.
One problem with Mondeo is that it can be noisy on rough roads, especially in the lower-cost variants. A fair bit of tyre noise enters the cabin. This probably reflects inadequate modification of the car to suit Australian road conditions. It doesn't create a problem on all road surfaces and the problem was (almost) overcome with the December 1996 facelift. The latter can be picked by their bigger headlights and tail-lights.
In four-cylinder form the Mondeo is somewhat down on power due to a rather half-hearted conversion to let the engine run on low-octane Aussie fuel. As well as that, the engine is set up as a high-speed cruising unit so isn’t ideally suited to Australian stop-start suburban driving or the low speed limits on our motorways. However, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine provides sufficient get-up-and-go for many drivers so take one for a decent test drive then make up your own mind.
 Transmission options are the usual five-speed manual and four-speed automatic. The manual has a nice feel though it can be a bit baulky on occasions. The automatic, only sold with the four-cylinder engine, is nicely setup for the engine’s characteristics.
A 2.5-litre V6 was offered as an option from February 2000 but was only sold with a manual gearbox. It was sold in a semi-sporty version with firmer suspension, hence the lack of an auto, but was never really a success.
Ford Mondeo is relatively simple for the home handyperson to work on but some work can be quite complex, particularly in the area of electronics, so is best left to professional technicians. As Ford has one of the largest dealer networks in Australia, getting parts and servicing is generally a snack. Spare part prices are usually OK.
Insurance generally falls into the lowest range and we haven’t found a major company that differentiates between the sporty six-cylinder models and the standard fours.
Mondeo was discontinued late in 2000 but some of the last imports may not have been first registered until early 2001. Keep in mind that a car depreciates from its build date, not from the month it was first registered.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
The engine should fire within a second or so of the key being turned, and idle smoothly the moment it fires up.
Any unevenness in the engine under acceleration is a cause for concern as it could mean the Mondeo is due for a major overall, though it might just be a tuning problem.
 Feel and listen for manual gearchanges that aren’t smooth and quiet. Hard third-to-second changes are usually the first to play up.
On an automatic the transmission shouldn’t hold onto a lower gear for too long or hunt up and down unnecessarily through the ratios.
Build quality isn't quite to Japanese standards so have a good look over the interior to make sure everything fits properly.
During the test drive listen for squeaks and rattle that may mean the car has been used extensively on unmade roads.
Check for crash repairs, most easily spotted by panels which don't quite fit or have a ripply finish. Also look for paint colours that don't quite match or for tiny spots of paint on unpainted surfaces.
CAR BUYING TIP
Get out on the road early in the morning to look at used cars. The best cars and deals seldom last more than a few hours.
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