1995 Ford Mondeo GLX 2.0 Zetec from Australia and New Zealand

Summary:

Mondeo, worth the bucks!

Faults:

Squeaks when you change the gear to Drive.

Idling while engine is on was terrible.

Timing belt snapped and damaged the engine at around 168,400km (new engine got fitted in after that).

Oil and handbrake switch was not indicating when you start the engine (replaced the switches).

Air conditioning fuse was not working, but good thing there was a spare fuse, the back left joint on the suspension creates a loud noise when theres something rough on the road (the joint was replaced).

The engine sometimes shuts down at a red light or in traffic.

Radiator got hit at a bump in a mall parking (the bump was really big) and caused the radiator to start leaking.

General Comments:

This car is on top of the notch in the European Ford world. Reliability is spot on, comfort gives more room, yet it's really nice, Performance is excellent! A great car to spend time in. And perfect for a mid-size car fanatic or someone who's willing to spend on a worthwhile vehicle.

Doing crazy sharp corners in this car makes it a bull's eye turn, proving this car has the best handling, especially when there's an idiot on the road who is about to cause trouble, in either wet or dry conditions. The car is very smooth and is enjoyable to drive.

Overtaking or doing high speed on the road or on a highway, it seems powerful enough, but the manual seems to do much better power than the automatic transmission. A spot on car for families or as a group of 5 hanging out, or anything!

Cabin and boot is spacious, doing Sport mode on this car just makes you feel like a Schumacher. Air conditioning is very powerful, especially on hot days.

The only problem with the Mondeo is that: spare parts or repairs coss a lot here in Australia. But the rest, is spot on!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th July, 2008

1995 Ford Mondeo LX 1.8 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

It's a great car, even with its blind spots

Faults:

My front wheel bearings just been replaced.

Front springs have been replaced.

Burns a bit of oil.

The factory fitted alarm never works.

General Comments:

This is one quick car, but rattles at high speed.

The cabin is gloomy, but spacious and the seat are uncomfortable on long journeys.

For the cars age its still in good condition apart from a couple of rust spots.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th February, 2008

1995 Ford Mondeo GLX TD 1.8 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Cheap, economical runabout

Faults:

Electrics went wild, ABS light constantly flashing on and the speedo spinning over to 130mph and not moving, causing me to cut the engine and then restart. Found out it was a battery lead that hadn't been fastened securely!

General Comments:

Having owned a 1.8 Turbo Diesel Mondeo prior to this one, albeit my last one was a MK2 on an R plate, I picked this M reg one up from auction for a bargain £120, as I needed another cheap runabout. Turns out the car is a 1 owner car from new (2 owners on log book, was his company car until 1999 and then he bought it and was his own personal car up until 2007)

Inside, it feels a bit more antiquated than my last MK2 did, however the stereo system is a lot better quality. It drives excellent, the engine itself sounds a lot more solid than that of my previous Mondeo (which in all honesty had been neglected, this one has been well serviced, came with a pile of receipts, not bad for the price!)

All it needed when I bought it was a new set of wheel trims (£10) and the wing mirrors touching up where the paint has peeled (£15 for primer, paint & lacquer soon solved it)

It drives as well as my old one although the engine is a bit lacklustre very antiquated diesel engine that isn't going to win any performance trials, but at the end of the day I was looking for a cheap stopgap and this is perfect.

Being the 2nd Mondeo I have owned I knew what to expect with regards to build quality and I still maintain that the Mondeo is a lot better built than the equivalent Vectra. I am hoping to sell this on in the summer and buy a later, 2.0 Zetec engined Mondeo however, because despite me thinking they handle great etc, I have said from the day of buying my last one, that it would be so much a better car if it had a petrol engine!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 22nd April, 2007

26th Jun 2007, 02:14

I thoroughly agree with all your comments.

I've had one of the very last mk2 1.8TD's (X plate) for two years. Hammered it 20,000 miles a year since I bought it, and it's now on 130,000 miles and still as reliable as clockwork. Sails the MOT every year, and has never let me down. I've had to change a throttle cable (£20), a CV joint (£30) and a water pump (£30), but other than that it's been service parts and consumables only. I do stick to the service schedule though, and it gets a sumpful of fresh synthetic oil and genuine Ford filters every 10k without fail. Parts cost peanuts and the car is easy to work on. I also get between 45 mpg and 50 mpg on my commute. It's a cheap car to run.

Yes it's slow as a snail and horribly unrefined, but it's quite satisfying when friends and neighbours have spent ten times what this cost on their cars, and have had far more problems. I know the diesel engine makes it a bit nose heavy, but it's still far more satisfying drive than any Vectra or Passat. Lovely steering, nicely servoed brakes, slick gearbox. As you say, it's better as a petrol, but doing the mileage I do, diesel is a no-brainer. I'm also lucky on my commute if I can exceed 50 mph for more than about 30 seconds, so performance isn't really a concern. Economy is, and the car will crack 50 mpg if treated gently, and 45 is easily achievable.

Brilliant cars these. Would recommend one to anybody.

18th Jun 2008, 18:28

Yp, I agree, all I do is change the oil and filter every now and then, and use the passenger door lock to open and close it + apart from that, I ignore all rattles, bangs and clonks, but it refuses to die, despite being thrashed day in, day out-a cheap, tough car to run.