Faults:

Normal service and maintenance.

I replaced the often forgotten water pump belt due to age cracking, and will most likely do the pump as preventative maintenance.

I also have the occasional light clunk from the suspension, but I will forgive it due to the age of the rubber components and the terrible state of British roads.

General Comments:

I have been so impressed with this. After a Passat Estate, which felt solid but very dull to drive, it is a revelation. The engine is very smooth, sounds pretty good, and despite being only 170PS, it moves along very nicely. Unaffected by running the air con (which is still freezing cold) or having 5 people in it.

The ride is very controlled, firm enough to feel the road, but very supple and nicely damped; sharp imperfections don't thud through the car as in the Passat.

The steering is nicely sharp, but not twitchy, and the rear of the car follows the front very well, and you can tighten your line with the throttle as well as the steering, almost like a sports car. A little less roll would be the perfect compromise; maybe fitting a stiffer rear roll bar is on the cards.

Ghia X spec is great; heated leather seats, cruise, 6 CD etc etc etc, and being a black 4 door with cream leather and 17 inch wheels, it even looks pretty sleek. Certainly nicer than the usual silver or grey diesel hatchbacks with boggo spec levels.

Safety kit is good and ESP is standard on this model. Brakes are slightly numb, but work very effectively once you work them, and ABS cuts in nice and late. It cruises very well too at high speed with no shakes or wobbles, and feels a nice place to sit for a long period of time.

Moreover every electric feature on the car works perfectly, even after 13 years, and the engine is totally silent at idle; it's uncanny.

Nobody wants the V6 petrols any more, so they are cheap, but the MPG averages 29.8, which I think is good for mostly urban running, and this model suffers no DMF issues (doesn't have one) and no diesel type problems, injectors, turbos etc that instantly eat up any fuel saving and more. Plus... it just sounds and drives so much nicer than a nasty diesel!

Faults:

Endless wheel bearing failures, front and rear, cheap trim dropping to pieces, several design faults, airbag fault, ABS fault, climate control fault, corrosion on alloy wheels, alternator fault, cooling fan fault.

General Comments:

I owned a Mk2 Mondeo previously, which was a good looking, well built car; it was reliable and lovely to drive. I thought I was doing the right thing by upgrading to the Mk3 model, but how wrong I was!! Apart from the horrible build quality and the hollow, cheap sounding door cards and trim, this car has given me no end of trouble... I read that this was productionised entirely by the Germans, which explains everything to me, as all four German cars I have owned have been terrible too!

I'll stick with either French or Asian cars from now one; other European ones are overrated and too much trouble!

Faults:

Sub frame bushes replaced at 55000 miles.

Brake pads at 65000 miles.

Wiper blades at 50000 miles.

Battery (original) at 74000 miles.

Screen washer pump at 65000 miles.

General Comments:

Economy is excellent for the age of the car. 55 mpg in a solo run, 35 mpg towing a caravan.

Handles well.

Plenty of power; a lot more than I require.

Could do with more storage space in the cab area.