1997 Ford Mondeo ST24 review from UK and Ireland

Loose connection on starter motor left me stranded in work 70 miles from home, RAC patrolman solved the problem though car suffered from intermittent failures to start until main dealer sorted out problem with new connections.

Reliability marks are slightly unfair due to the fact that I have only had the car for a few weeks.

The ST24 5-door looks fantastic, with a full sports body kit, de-chromed grille surround, chrome grille mesh, and large four spoke alloy wheels not featured on the more common and less expensive 4-door.

The performance is very good, while not feeling overly sporting. The V6 is more of a subtle and relaxed cruiser.

Disappointed with the fuel consumption, was expecting reasonable economy for long distance motorway runs due to the greater flexibility of a large engine.

In general I'm smittened with the car, the blend of sports looks, 5-door practicality and effortless cruising. The only black clouds are the question over reliability, prehaps due to poor quality control at manufacture, and the apprehension of approaching speed bumps due to the low front skirt.