2001 Ford Mondeo LX 2.0 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Looks fantastic and corners excellently, but the rest of the car is disappointing

Faults:

Wind noise from drivers door.

Uncomfortable seats.

Noisy engine, especially on tick-over.

Difficult to find 'comfortable' setting on heating system. Control set on maximum heat setting permanently.

Tendency to 'Freewheel' excessively. Car slows down very slowly meaning brakes are in use constantly in heavy traffic.

Automatic gearbox very snatchy at low speeds i.e. kicks down to 1st gear too easily causing the car to jerk.

General Comments:

I was so disappointed with the car, I asked the dealer to let me drive another car identical to mine (which they did without complaint) but the faults were the same.

If this car was car of the year then the Vauxhall Carlton should be car of the century.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 1st November, 2002

16th Jan 2003, 05:14

Thanks for your views on the mondeo auto, It has made me lean further towards the C5 HDi 110 Auto.

I have read most of the car Mags and thought they were nit picking at the things like, tyre roar, wind around door mirrors, auto box fault, but your comments have confirmed that the problems do exist.

When I asked for a test drive in an auto, I was told non on stock, but I could have a drive in a new 2.0 LX, the tyre roar was there and it will only get worse as the tyres wear.

GC.

6th Jul 2003, 14:42

My Mondeo ST220 is my third Ford in succession and I am incredibly happy with it, as with the previous two. I put 56,000 miles on a Fiesta Zetec-S, 60,000 on a Focus 2.0 Zetec ESP and have just clicked past 20,000 on the Mondeo. Can't say any of them have given me any problems, comfort or otherwise. Even the little Fiesta coped with 1,000 miles a week of fast motorway trips for about a year quite happily.

That said, all my cars have been manual, so can't comment on whether Ford does automatic transmissions well. As far as I'm concerned there is no such thing as a good slush pump anyway. I wouldn't have one of the infernal things on a car if you paid me.

2001 Ford Mondeo ST200 2.5 V6 (200 bhp) from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Reasonably priced, sporty, stylish head turner

Faults:

Nothing (touch wood).

General Comments:

This is my fourth Mondeo, and must confess, the most exciting.

The car handles superbly considering its size. The Recaro's certainly hold you in place, and are really comfortable, even on long journeys.

The colour? Silly question if you know about the UK ST200's. It was only available in Ford Racing blue here. It's a great colour that suits the car a treat. For those who didn't know, the ST200 was brought out to celebrate Ford's triumph in the BTCC. Some white ST200's have been seen about, which are either imports or special delivery police vehicles.

Look out for the Limited Edition ST200 Saloon. They became available in late 2000 until 2001 (X and Y Platers). Only 300 were produced for the UK market. Blue/Grey full Recaro leather along with blue Kevlar matching interior inserts. They are really holding their value! Hatch and Estates came out in 1999, had black leather Recaro's, and matching carbon fibre interior inserts.

I average around 28 MPG, which isn't bad as I have a heavy right foot. I've known other ST200 owners averaging 32-34 MPG.

If you have ever driven one, you will know exactly what I mean.

There is a new car club for Ford ST Owners which I stumbled across. www.stownersclub.com

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th October, 2002

11th Jun 2005, 01:00

I owned an ST200 about 3 years ago. It was a stunning car that was quick, comfortable and great to drive. The only drawback I found was the braking system. You were almost standing on them to slow the car down from speed. A few of my friends who drove the car also made the same comment. I asked the local dealer about this and was told that the braking system had not been uprated from that of a standard 2 litre. I found this astonishing!!! This aside, the car is first class and a far better buy than the Vectra GSI that it is often compared with.