Faults:

Thankfully nothing yet, though I did have cam belt kit fitted, and it had a major service when I bought it for my peace of mind, though at £500 pounds, I thought that was expensive, and that wasn't the dealer either!!!

General Comments:

OK, here goes, though I'm judging it against my previous car that was 11 years old when I got shot of it.

The Zetec in silver looks great. Smooth engine & gearbox, though I think it does have a flat spot in 3rd till you get to 3000 revs.

The brakes are not as good as the Cavalier, but it handles a lot better, and I mean a lot.

The cabin is fine, with very little if any wind noise, even at motorway speeds.

Speed & acceleration wise, the Cavalier trounces the Mondeo, both 2 litre 16v by the way (but I do suspect some previous owner had it chipped up), but the Ford drives and feels like a more expensive car.

So in a sentence, the Ford's slower, not as good brakes, but it handles better, and the Cavalier was better on petrol as well; even driving very sensibly, the Mondeo is a bit greedy.

Why didn't I buy a Vectra?

Faults:

For the first couple of months of owning the car, nothing went wrong, however...

Since then...

It needed:

2 new front lower wishbones.

2 track rod ends.

2 front drop links.

4 headlight bulbs (pain in the ass to fit).

2 new complete drive shafts.

2 rear wheel bearings.

New driver's seat as part of the frame was sticking out (opted to upgrade to the Mondeo ST200 Recaros).

2 new side skirt caps.

New metal water pipe.

4 new coil springs.

New remote key (£165 at the main dealer).

2 sets of brake discs and pads, because the discs keeping warping.

New clutch kit.

New gear linkage.

General Comments:

This is a really nice car to drive; the Zetec engine pulls well throughout the rev range.

It's comfortable and ergonomic, the standard Zetec seats tend to wear easily, but the Recaros really do make some difference, they give a lot more support.

The RSAP factory fitted body kit and pearlescent paint really set the car off.

Overall, I think it's a great car after you forget about the work I've had to do to it.

Faults:

Water pump needed replacement (nothing wrong with it, but they need replacing with after-market pumps due to a fault in the Ford unit)

Boot opens by itself (but not when locked)

Front seat clicks (faulty weld)

Picks up stone chips easily.

General Comments:

Fantastic car, easily the best I've owned.

Steering is crisp and sure.

Gear changes feel positive.

Performance is eye-opening when pushed, secondary inlets open up over 5K giving extra push.

Superbly comfortable ride in both front Recaros and rear (especially the leathers). Recently did a 1,500 mile trip with no discomfort at all.

Being a rare variant of the Mondeo, it's easily mistaken for a normal Mondeo and you don't get any head turning. But the people who know the difference will most certainly stop and look.

No hesitation in recommending this car.