1997 Ford Mondeo ST24 review from UK and Ireland

Dipped headlight bulb has gone twice in 15 months (big deal!).

One of the catalytic converters has deteriorated, but doesn't effect performance too much as yet (shame the ticking sound is a bit embarrassing).

Needed new (correct) spark plugs and wires - this was identified after taking the car to a main dealer, who diagnosed a misfire in about 2 seconds flat. The car had just been in a backstreet garage for a service because of sluggish performance. They fitted the wrong plugs and wires and gave me the car back. Grrr. They also vastly overfilled the motor with oil. Moral of the story- sometimes it pays to go to a main dealer, who actually knows something about the car.

The car is amazing to drive, it pulls like a train and sticks like glue around the corners. Except if the road is a bit wet, in which case if you overcook a bend you'll end up with under steer (around the main bend) and then snap over steer (as you straighten up and the weight transfers). This has happened to me twice, and it really makes you slow down if the road is a bit greasy. Luckily I managed to correct it and avoid spinning. The second time it happened, a Ford Focus was behind me (I wonder what they thought when they saw me in front getting a bit squirrelly!). To me this kind of thing adds to the character of the car which is not 'just a Mondeo'.

The interior is really comfortable and I have no complaints at all. I don't find it hard to get the perfect driving position, and everything is right to hand without having to stretch (or even take your back off the seat).

The gearchange could be described as notchy, but this makes it a very positive gearchange. The clutch was hard to use at first (the biting point appears very quickly compared with lesser-performance cars), but after a few miles in town you get used to it.

The engine sounds fantastic and seems really strong. You can give it some serious revs without worrying. After having a Peugeot a couple of cars back (which was built to bio-degrade), this seems well put together and beefy. The engine is very torquey, and is happy to cruise around town with only minimal revs. You don't have to change gear very often. It would be easy to pull away in 3rd (although I don't do this), and starting in 2nd you can accelerate better than a lot of other cars around you.

My car has a few war wounds (after it was stolen and taken for a ride over a field; and when some idiot drove into the side of it one Sunday night - I came out the next morning to find a scrape along the rear quarter). I've been thinking about getting something a bit tidier, such as a Focus ST170, or ever a diesel (for the better fuel economy), but I don't want to say goodbye to my V6. It might cost a bit more to run, but its definitely worth it as far as lighting up an ordinarily boring ride to work. That is worth the cost of the extra fuel and front tyres. After a drive down a sweeping country road, you find yourself saying 'I love this car'.

This car is highly recommended.