2013 Ford Mondeo Zetec Business Edition TDCi 2.0 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Love this Mondeo

Faults:

Nothing much beyond what I would call normal wear and tear; I have the car serviced on time and it has given little trouble. Suspension ball joints at the last MOT were the biggest expense, but no big deal at the age and mileage. Air con is no where near as good as it used to be.

General Comments:

What a great looking car in dark blue with the rear window tints and 17 inch alloy wheels, plus subtle boot spoiler, this car looks amazing. The Zetec Business Edition is the one to go for if you cannot find a top of the range Titanium model Mondeo. Even the base models are well equipped with electrics.

Driving this car is relaxing and the interior is huge. Seats are very comfortable and the driving position is excellent. A little blind spot as per modern cars, but overall visibility is good. The 6 speed manual can take a bit of getting used to if you are only to used to using 5 speed manuals as I had been for many years before. Handling is smooth and responsive.

Ford claim this car will do over 60 miles per gallon; in reality you'll get 50 something. I dare say the smaller 1.6 diesel could manage 60+, but this 2.0 TDCi is the one to have - far better performance and is still reasonable economy and cheap enough to tax also.

It has been my personal car for 5 years now and has been one of the best all round cars I have even had, and I have had lots of cars. The Mondeo will never be anything special, but it is respected by those in the know as a reliable economical car. I gave running costs a little lower scores because some repairs can be expensive (especially to diesels), but that is the reality of modern motoring as applicable to all cars. I also plan to keep this even longer, not keen on the more modern 2015 onward's Mondeo, far too many electronic items and stuff I just do not care about. The 2007 - 2014 Mondeo was the last of the proper Mondeos in my opinion, and there are lots of used examples out there to choose from, highly recommended.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 6th January, 2022

2013 Ford Mondeo Zetec 1.6 TDi from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Good all-rounder

Faults:

The car came with a full service history and appears to only have minor wear and tear repairs/consumable items. No major faults thus far.

General Comments:

Decent looking car in metallic blue, the Mondeo is a good all rounder, handles well and is very comfortable. Only had this a month or so, but put a couple of thousand comfortable, reliable miles on it.

Interior is OK, a bit too plastic for my liking, but hey it's a modern car. Climate control is better laid out than most I've seen on modern cars - I actually intuitively understand the controls this time for change.

The 1.6 TDi is a good all round unit with decent acceleration and averages over 60MPG if you drive carefully. The Zetec model is mid range with electrics and good equipment levels as standard.

Compared to my previous car, a 2007 Volvo S40, it is bigger and just as sharp to drive. Before that, many years ago I've had lots of cars, including a Mercedes C-class and a Ford Mondeo MK1 from the early 1990s. All great cars which lasted a long time, so my only concern is will this car last? This sparked a bit of a debate in my previous review, but the facts about modern cars are this - they are expensive to repair and seem to only last as long as the average car from two decades ago. Being a diesel, I've heard horror stories of DPF and dual mass flywheels causing mayhem, and various other expensive electronic repairs. I hope as long as I look after this one, there should be no major problems, but any sign of trouble I will likely sell it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 17th May, 2019