Good for money
Only the plastic covers on the front doors are poor
Reliable, good consumption, good acceleration concerning the weight of the car. The feeling of suspension is little "sporty". The feeling of the steering is "excellent". It's a big car and in Greece is cheaper than a VW Passat, the Mondeo's rival.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 17th August, 2006
Great looks, great performance, Fix Or Repair Daily
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.
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.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 18th March, 2006
Affordable performance and comfort rivaling more expensive alternatives
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.
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.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 16th August, 2005
Not bad, but feels slow for a v6.
If you think a Mondeo V6 feels slow, try driving an MG ZS 180; that's slow for a V6, a very disappointing car in my opinion!!
The ST 200 had a significant modifications over the standard V6, taking it to 200PS (not horse power, a common mistake), they usually make around 195-197 BHP, which drops the 0-60 to just over 7 seconds from the standard 8 ish seconds, which isn't bad considering the size of the car, and for less than £3000 these days, a very worthwhile buy.
The ZS is lighter than the Mondeo though, so it is just as fast. BHP for displacement isn't amazing on them though, that's true.
I did briefly have a ZS 180, and and used to work at Ford, so I've had experience of both cars, and I was not impressed at all with the MG. Top end was similar to the Mondeo, but 0-60 felt no where near the 7 and a bit seconds MG/rover claimed.
Also the engine had no real torque, so you were constantly up and down the gear box.
A big, safe family car which has proved reliable and cheap to run
Absolutely no major faults with this car, we haven't even had to replace a bulb yet. Minor problems include rear ashtray broken (after the kids stood on it) and the plastic surround for the cigarette lighter has come off due to the cheap plastic clips breaking. The drivers side window (on the left in France) sometimes stops about 2mm short of fully closed, and takes a couple of attempts to get rid of the resulting annoying wind noise on motorways.
The air conditioning didn't work too well, but investigation showed it to be the pollen filter (which I didn't know it had). Replacement part costs 15 euros, and fitted easily in under 20 minutes.
As part of general maintenance, I had the belts for the air conditioning, alternator, diesel pump and power steering at the same time as the timing belt and tensioners/pullys. The total for parts in France was 220 euros and labour costs took this to the reasonable total of 420 euros.
I had an Audi A6 2.5Tdi estate before moving to France, and had to downgrade to the Mondeo. Having said that, the Mondeo has been no problem to adjust to. Initially, the low-down power is very sluggish, and you have to keep the rev range above 2000RPM to keep the turbo spinning. If it drops below this, especially on a steep hill, the car almost grinds to a halt. Once you're used to this, it isn't a problem. The car is very economical for it's size, easily covering 700Kms on one tankful of diesel. It's very roomy inside, and the seats are very comfortable. We've driven a few times between Nice and Calais, a distance of over 1300Kms (800 miles) in 12 hours and I swear it's THE comfiest car I've driven, with no backache or anything after a day behind the wheel. As well as a roomy cabin, the loadspace in the estate version is nothing short of spectacular. Now it's 5 years old and not as cared for, we carry all sorts of gubbins in the back, ranging from dishwashers to my wife's excessive IKEA shoploads. The Mondeo swallows all of it with ease...
The engine only produces 90BHP, so it is good on tyres. Fronts have lasted 60000kms and rears half as much again. Most of that is country road driving with occasional very long motorway trips.
The Ford stereo CD6000 is a great sound system, and can be controlled from the steering wheel. An optional CD changer is available.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 22nd July, 2005
30th Apr 2006, 18:19
Great Review!!! A++++++++