Faults:

Clutch at 130,000 (expensive as the front of the car basically has to come off!!)

Four quid vacuum pipe at 152,000.

Original CD player quit at 160,000.

Outer CV joints at 172,000.

Front wheel bearings just starting to protest (in the last 2,000 miles)

General Comments:

As well engineered as any German car, and I have the evidence to prove it.

185k up, it still drives beautifully. Although it's no sports car, the 2.0 engine is lively and punchy, if a little coarse at higher revs. Frugal too, with 35 mpg easily achievable on the motorway, and 40 if you're gentle on the throttle. Oil consumption is nil, rattles and odd noises are nil, and has never gone wrong in 185,000 miles.

Handling is still sharp (although the shocks are past their best), and reliability is first class. It's a comfortable motorway cruiser, reasonable entertainment on B-roads, seats 5 in comfort and even still looks okay. Unless you're bothered about image (and I don't need to rely on my car to somehow validate my life), it's all the car you will ever need.

Bought off my old company just before I left, and it's only needed routine servicing, plus a few odds and ends to keep it running sweetly. I trust the car to get me anywhere reliably and on time, and it shows no signs of getting tired just yet.

If I had bought a Mercedes or BMW and had this kind of build and engineering quality I would have been impressed. Looking in the classifieds there are scores of Mondeos with 130k+ for sale which proves the durability of this one isn't a fluke. Behind the car's ubiquity and anonymous styling hides one of the best built, best driving and capable mass produced cars in recent memory.

Faults:

Glowplugs at 70,000 miles

Timing and fuel pump belts should be considered consumables on these engines and changed every 30-40k. Approx UKP150 from a competent independent, or add UKP100 for a Ford dealer to do the job. If the timing belt snaps, it's UKP1000+ for a replacement engine, so you do the sums.

General Comments:

I could gripe about its lack of speed and horrible droning engine note when worked hard, but the strengths of the car matter so much more.

Loads of room, loads of standard kit, utter reliability, solid build quality, and the kids love it. Lovely supple ride and suprisingly keen handling. Won't match our MR2, but then it was never designed to. Air conditioning and CD player work brilliantly, and the plush looking seats prove all day comfy.

We get 40-50 mpg depending on roads and driving style. The former is driven hard around town, the latter cruising at 70-80 on the motorway. Servicing and parts are incredibly cheap, even for OEM items.

Cannot seriously fault the car unless you want to accelerate in a real hurry. Unlike some idiots though, driving quickly with the kids in the car is not something I even entertain, and I rarely drive it without the kids in the car. If it had 200 bhp, I doubt I would drive it much quicker.

Great car, now seriously cheap to boot.