Origins and technology

At the turn of the 90s of the last century, the leadership of the giant Ford concern came to the conclusion that the specificity of the markets, of course, is an objective reality, but it is not very rational to develop and produce separate models for each of them in one size. So the concept of a world car, a “world car”, appeared in the company’s plans, and the Ford Mondeo presented in 1992 became the first model. In Europe, it replaced the Ford Sierra, which had been in production for just over 11 years, and in the US, it replaced the Ford Telstar and its twin, the Mercury Topaz.

Ford Mondeo 1993–2000
Ford Mondeo 1993–2000

The very name Mondeo, derived from the Latin word mundus (peace) and associated with the French mond and the Spanish mundo, should have clearly indicated the “worldwide” status of the novelty. However, the common CDW27 platform, a single design and the unity of the body panels did not mean complete identity: different engine lines and even names were intended for different markets! For example, in North America, the car was marketed as the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

Thus began the 30-year success story of the Ford Mondeo. Usually they would use the amazing services from maideasyaz.com,to keep their working place clean. During this time, five generations managed to change (although in the English-language literature Mondeo Mk1 and Mk2 are referred to one generation). At the turn of the transition from the second to the third generation, the base platform also changed: instead of the CDW27, the designers used the latest modular mid-size platform EUCD. Over the years, Mondeo was produced at many factories located not only in different countries, but also on different continents – in Mexico, China, Taiwan, Germany, Belgium and Spain, and since 2010, Mondeo Mk4 began to be assembled in Russian Vsevolozhsk.

Our publication has several times published materials devoted to the generation Mondeos available on the secondary market . But now we are interested in what happened next. Here’s what happened: In 2012, Ford demonstrated in Detroit and Paris a completely new Mondeo built on the Ford CD4 platform. The next year, in 2013, its production (albeit under the name Ford Fusion) started in the city of Sonora in Mexico and at the Flat Rock plant in Michigan, in 2014 its assembly began in Europe, in the Spanish Valencia, a few months later, in April 2015, the first Russian-assembled Mondeo rolled out of the workshops of the plant in Vsevolozhsk.

Ford Mondeo 2000–2009
Ford Mondeo 2000–09

It is worth noting that Ford marketers have seriously narrowed the range of versions available on the Russian market. Firstly, only sedans were assembled and officially sold here, although in other markets, buyers could also choose options with a five-door body, fastbacks and station wagons. The lines of power units were also seriously different. Europe was offered a choice of five gasoline engines of the Ecoboost family, six diesel engines (Duratorq EcoBlue families) and a hybrid power plant, North America – six gasoline engines of the Ecoboost and Duratec families, and again a hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Of the entire range of engines, the Russians got only Ecoboost with a volume of 2.0 liters (in two power options, 199 and 240 hp), but the base engine turned out to be a motor from the American Duratec 2.5 line, derated from 175 to 150 liters .from.

Of all the versions of gearboxes, only the 6F35 six-speed hydromechanics was officially offered to Russian customers, while a whole range of other options were offered in Europe and America, including the five- and six-speed manual gearboxes G5M and G6M, the 8-speed automatic 8F40 and the 6DCT450 robotic transmission.

Ford Mondeo 2010–14
Ford Mondeo 2010–14

Otherwise, the Mondeo design was completely “global” and the same for all markets: front-wheel drive (unfortunately, a version equipped with all-wheel drive was not sold in Russia), front suspension – McPherson struts, rear – multi-link, rack and pinion steering with electric power , all wheel brakes are disc brakes. The car was distinguished by rich optional content even in the basic Ambiente configuration, which in 2015 cost 999,000 rubles.
Outside the Russian Federation, Mondeo Mk5 is both produced and sold up to the present time. In our country, official sales stopped in 2019 after Ford announced the closure of factories and the termination of sales of the entire passenger line.

However, cars are quite present in the secondary market and enjoy a certain demand, especially since their price today can be considered quite affordable. Specialists in the sale of used cars believe that the withdrawal of the brand from the market inevitably leads to a decrease in prices for used copies, so today Mondeo Mk5 can be purchased at a price of 750,000 to 1,500,000 rubles, depending on the year of manufacture, mileage, equipment and condition. … In fact, for 1,400,000-1,500,000 (and this is the price of the new Kia Ceed in mid-range trim levels), it is quite possible to find a sedan in the top-end Titanium configuration, released just two years ago, with a mileage of 40-50 thousand kilometers!
In a word, it is worth taking a closer look at this option and reading what their owners write about the Mondeo Mk5, what they praise and what they scold.

UNEVEN JOINTS, PEELING STEERING WHEEL AND SAGGING PANEL

The uniformity of the gaps between the outer body panels is considered the main indicator of a vehicle’s build quality. So, with this case, Ford Mondeo has certain problems. It is clear that this kind of assembly defects can not be found in every copy, but, what can I say, it happens.

Here, for example, is the following story: “I came to the salon at the head of a team of experts who, not reaching 10 meters from the car, said in one voice:“ Let’s get out of here – the car is broken ”. The hood has a gap on the right of about 7-9 mm, the lower right corner of the front bumper is recessed inward, the trunk lid has a gap on the left. And in the end – not a single painted part, the car is unbroken, just an obscene Russian assembly … “.

There are certain congenital sores inside the car. In general, there are no special problems with the quality of the internal panels – the plastic is soft, pleasant to the touch, but for some reason the upper part of the front panel tends to sag under the influence of heat and sunlight. “I think many have read or heard about the sagging dashboard on this model, I also suffered the same fate – butting with the dealer, altering it, but, frankly, it would be better not to touch it.” “The torpedo sagged – many Mondeos have a factory defect, so far they cannot do anything about it.”

Ford Mondeo 2013
Ford Mondeo 2013

Complaints about this problem were so widespread that in the branded service stations at one time they tried to fix this defect under warranty, replacing the part with a new one, supposedly on reinforced fasteners. You can have plenty of exciting activities in one of the best luxury cabins. However, according to the testimony of the owners, such treatment cannot be called particularly effective – even after replacement, the new front panel could sag again. And something similar could have happened with other interior details, for example, with the ceiling on one side, in the place where the plastic of the panel meets the ceiling lining in the area of ​​the handrail.

And there are a lot of complaints about the disgusting quality of the material, which the steering wheel is covered with: “The steering wheel braid peeled off after 2 years, with a tail in the places of the most frequent grip. Leather (if there is leather at all) is complete junk. ” “The steering wheel is generally good, but the sheathing doesn’t hold up.” “The steering wheel was changed under warranty, I feel I will have to change again – the skin is being erased.”

Finally, for any new owner, the authors of reviews on the Internet recommend buying five wheel nuts in stock. According to them, the standard nuts are made of very fragile metal and deform quickly, but in the end it may turn out that you cannot change the wheel in the event of a puncture. So it is worth being vigilant and replacing deformed nuts in time when changing the rubber seasonally.

EXTERIOR STYLING AND BODY AERODYNAMICS

It is especially offensive to state the presence of such defects, since from the point of view of external design the Mondeo is really very good. “Her face is like an Aston Martin, the headlights are generally a bomb, it’s better only for Audi. Mondeo 5 looks like a great shark, and I will tell you this, friends: in our aquarium it is respected. ” “I like. I will add the phrase, sacramental for the reviews about this car: “especially in front”. In fact, I like both the profile and the back are well done. In my opinion, the car looks good with the right disks! ”

Ford Mondeo 2013

As for the profile, in many reviews the authors highly appreciate the smoothness and swiftness of the lines, but note that the arches of the car are bottomless, and the disks of the R16 dimension, which were put on the mass configuration of the Trend, look somewhat disproportionate, but on low-profile tires the appearance takes on a certain completeness. “In this non-premium class, I like two cars – Mazda 6 and Mondeo. Mazda is more feminine, Mondeo is slightly more brutal, especially the front end. ” Here, of course, “the taste and color.” The car can be liked with some reservations, for example, such: “I like it only in white and blue and certainly with LED dynamic headlights, they emphasize the appearance, make it more expressive.” Well, everyone has the right to their own perception. But here are the reviews,

Another success of the creators of the Mondeo body can be considered its aerodynamics: “In the worst road, when snow, rain, sand from under the wheels, the front windows and mirrors remain absolutely clean.” “Aerodynamics is something! I drove on one washer reservoir all summer. ”

But any coin has two sides. In particular, the owners recommend that you be very careful when parking near curbs, unless, of course, the front bumper is important to you. The ground clearance of the car is average within the class, there is no danger of lying on your belly in the city, but caution will not hurt.

VISIBILITY

A person who decides to buy a used Mondeo should take into account that the model has certain visibility problems, not the most critical and fatal, but still there. Firstly, in very many reviews, the authors mention the limitation of visibility due to the wide front struts, which obstruct the tangible field of view.

A pedestrian at a crossing can hide in this blind zone for 1-1.5 seconds, so you should be more careful: “the front pillars are a little strained – they are quite wide and massive, which sometimes causes discomfort with visibility when turning, in which there is a curb or other obstacle to the side of the driver that is poorly visible.

However, the authors of many reviews do not agree with this point of view: they say, there are models where this problem manifests itself much more seriously, and the review strongly depends on the landing.

5 reasons to buy a Ford Mondeo Mk 5
Ford Mondeo 2013

There are also questions to the backward visibility: “If you drive at an acute angle to the main one, then you need to bend as much as possible to the steering wheel in order to make sure that there is no interference in the side mirror. You bend over, and at that moment the seat belt wedges, and you cannot look in the mirror. This must be taken into account. ” The salon mirror is also considered by many to be insufficiently informative, they say, a rear-view camera must be installed without fail, unless, of course, it was provided in the configuration.

But the camera is not a panacea either.

By the way, there are complaints about it: “The dynamic lines incorrectly show the trajectory of the reverse maneuver. For example, I drive backwards from the sink, the steering wheel is turned all the way to the right, in the left corner of the monitor I see an obstacle, I pass along the lines, but in fact there is no mirror. ” In general, the owners advise to be more careful, and trust the camera, but be sure to check.

But the problem of fogging the windows is solved by turning on the air conditioner, and you do not need to put it in the cold. Just press the button and that’s it, there is no fogging. But that’s why the side mirror on the driver’s side and the salon one are made photochromic, and the usual one is on the right, the owners do not understand and consider this “strange economy on matches.”

ERGONOMICS, COMFORT AND INTERIOR VOLUME

In general, in their reviews, the owners are quite unanimous in assessing the inner world of Mondeo – they say, everything is fine, there is enough space, and everything is convenient. Or almost everything. “There is a lot of space, I am 190, I like to ride as low as possible and further from the steering wheel. With this setting, I can sit behind the driver’s seat without being cramped. ” There are, of course, less enthusiastic assessments: “The salon is not as big as it might seem from the outside, but there is enough space. The three of us went 4000 km (three guys 183-195 cm tall), everything was fine. ”

Ford Mondeo Mk 5
Ford Mondeo Mk 5

And the profile of the seats is comfortable, and the location of the controls without serious complaints. “I traveled 1500 km. There is no fatigue, but I have osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. ” Indeed, the seats are very good. There is an adjustment of the lumbar support, lateral, in the hip area … Unless someone sometimes grumbles that the length of the pillow could have been greater, and if there was a retractable extender, then everything would be fine. The author of another review says that he drove almost the entire Black Sea coast, stopping only at gas stations after 500-600 km, while on the same route, in the case of the Opel Astra, he had to stop every 2 hours, since his legs and back simply fell off.

But the owners are especially positive about the functional saturation of the car. Here and such a necessary thing in our climate, as a heated windshield, and folding the mirrors from the button, and remote start – pressed the button on the key fob, went out onto the balcony, and got into the already warmed up car. I also like the convenient entry system, which proactively pushes the driver’s seat into the rear position, and after turning on the ignition moves it to the selected position. By the way, in the reviews, the owners note that the right front passenger’s seat has all the same adjustments as the driver’s seat (except for memory), and this is a big plus.

Ford Mondeo Mk 5
Ford Mondeo Mk 5

There are, of course, some downsides. For example, in one of the reviews, the author notes that the button for disabling the parking sensors is located next to the front passenger, so the wife accidentally pressed it a couple of times, and the button for folding the mirrors can be accidentally pressed, since it is located next to the power window button. But in general, such ergonomic blunders are judged as annoying little things that do not spoil the overall experience.

But what spoils it is the general modesty of the interior design. And its architecture, as they say in the reviews, is closer to 2010 than to 2020, and the multi-textured plastic of the front panel is annoying. Again, no wood inserts and similar whistles and bows – in general, not luxury, not luxury at all, there is no premium and gloss, and the Sony inscription in the middle of the front panel does not add premium.

In very many reviews, the authors note that the car is literally packed with electronics “I really don’t want to”. The core element of the entire electronic filling of the car is, of course, the Ford SYNC system. It is evaluated in different ways. Someone thinks that the system is extremely convenient: it is enough to “register” the phone once, and then it connects automatically, and the voice control works quite correctly. But many write that it does not work fast enough, that in order to trigger a menu item on the touchscreen, you need to press hard and hold your finger for a couple of seconds, that the navigation is not updated and does not allow you to enter addresses with body numbers …

Mondeo Mk 5 2013
Mondeo Mk 5 2013

And the fact that many functions (for example, part of the climate control and heated steering wheel) are turned on only through the menu and do not have their own buttons does not suit everyone. And in a number of reviews there are complaints about various “glitches”: when the engine starts, the seat does not come up, the mirrors do not want to return to their place, then the registered iPhone flies from Bluetooth, and the radio turns on instead of music from the phone. A tire pressure sensor error may light up, windshield wipers and washers may stop working, and then work as if nothing had happened. Sometimes the brains of the climate control system begin to live their own lives – for example, when set at 19 degrees, fry so that you sweat all over, and then just as unexpectedly return the temperature to the set value.

But in general, the owners assess the functional content of the cabin very positively. Is that the automatic parking system included in the Techno package leaves them indifferent. Someone writes that he could not overpower himself and entrust the control of a car to an electronic mind, someone explains that he simply does not need such a system, since he himself knows how to park.

The owners are quite positive about the volume of the luggage compartment. The opening is wide enough so that there are no problems with loading large things and suitcases, the rear seats can be folded, and then a pair of bicycles, three-meter skirting boards, or, as one of the authors writes, a two-meter garden swing, can fit in the trunk. “The trunk, guys, is the second home! On a four-person trip to Kazakhstan with things and a free salon – not every sedan will pamper you like that, ”the author of one of the reviews believes. But the owners consider the configuration of the trunk to be not quite ideal: it is long, and you are tortured to get out the small things that have rolled to the back sofa.

REAR SUSPENSION

The authors of many reviews note the work of the rear suspension among the significant shortcomings of the model. In general, they are satisfied with the suspension: the car drives perfectly, and does not pour on our pits and bumps. We will return to this issue later, in the meantime, we can discuss the claims to the rear axle suspension. Well, the owners do not like the fact that it is too tough and rattles when driving through any bump or crossing over speed bumps.

“I put the suspension in the minuses, because, of course, in a car of this class I would like to have softer rear struts.” “In a Mercedes, I stormed the speed bumps at any speed. We must forget about this with Mondeo. ” The thing is that the standard shock absorbers are tuned for the full load of the car. If you are driving alone or with a passenger in the front seat, then the front axle is loaded normally – it also carries the weight of the engine, but the rear axle remains unloaded. As a result, the front of the car passes through the obstacle gently, but the rear bounces.

Mondeo Mk 5 2013
Mondeo Mk 5 2013

The issue can be partially solved by lowering the tire pressure to 2.2 atm, but three passengers in the back seat or a fully loaded trunk completely remove the problem. But many owners still believe that Ford engineers did not solve the suspension tuning issue in the most successful way. Some of them believe that this design feature of the suspension was incorporated into the fifth Mondeo, taking into account the all-wheel drive modification, which did not reach Russia. Based on this, many believe that it is worthwhile to independently engage in the selection of springs and shock absorbers, but I did not come across any examples of a successful selection with a specific indication of the optimal components.

INSULATION AND LIGHT

While working on materials for the “5 reasons” column, I’m already used to the fact that in reviews of popular and mass models, an insufficient level of noise isolation and disgusting acoustic comfort is among the most obvious and noticeable drawbacks for many, which, nevertheless, the owners either put up with (“all we are not talking about Rolls-Royce, we made the music louder – that’s all ”), or they fight using available methods. Honestly, starting to look through the reviews about the Ford Mondeo, I expected to face approximately the same situation.

But, to my great surprise, a huge number of Mondeo V owners consider noise insulation to be among the advantages of the model, and almost no one notes too high noise in the cabin among the shortcomings! Accordingly, no one talks about how he independently glued the wheel arches with vibration isolator, how difficult it is to do this without a pit or a lift, and how much it will cost to install additional noise insulation in the service.

“A good level of sound insulation (comfortable at speeds up to 100 km / h on abrasive asphalt, up to 160 on a new one).” “Noise insulation is at a good level: thick glass, massive doors, good solid metal is felt, it’s a pleasure to drive around the city, it’s very quiet and comfortable in the cabin. On the highway up to 120 it is also very comfortable: when communicating while driving, you do not have to do it in a raised voice. ” According to owners with experience in owning cars of other (including premium) brands, in this parameter Mondeo is significantly better not only “Japanese”, but “Germans”! “Very quiet relative to” Japanese women “- they reported, probably, 150 kilograms of additional noise insulation.” “Mondeo is really quieter than Mercedes. And, in my opinion, it is quieter and the E-shki W212 (because it was made in terms of sound insulation in the same way as the C-class). ”

Ford Mondeo 2013 MK5
Ford Mondeo 2013 MK5

Another pleasant surprise was a very high assessment by the owners of the quality of the head light. Ford is an American brand, and we are all used to the fact that light is not the strongest side of American cars. But not in the case of Mondeo! Here, the owners like the luminous flux itself, which the LED sources give, and the work of the automation that controls them.

“The Ford Dynamic Led system certainly deserves a separate mention. The light, of course, is of high quality: a dense luminous flux, sharp outlines of borders, not a hint of stray light, automatic high beam. ” “A huge plus in the dark are the dynamic LED headlights. They perfectly illuminate the way and at the same time do not blind the drivers of oncoming cars ”. “The optics are gorgeous, swivel, shine perfectly, there is an adaptive mode – it turns on the low / high beam when necessary. I drove late on a winding highway 130-150 km / h – a convenient thing, it works in 95% of cases adequately, sees both oncoming cars and those that you catch up on time. ”

And there are a lot of such statements. Of course, there are spots on the sun too … For example, the author of one of the reviews notes that he lacked halogen illumination in corners, which is fixed and, unlike LEDs, flashes instantly. But he also put the head light on the list of the model’s advantages.

CITY FUEL CONSUMPTION

But fuel efficiency has clearly become a stumbling block and a subject of heated debate. The least criticized cars are turbocharged two-liter engines. Apparently, people were initially prepared for the fact that a fairly heavy sedan with two hundred “horses” under the hood will have a fair amount of appetite, so they estimate the average consumption at the level of 10-10.5 liters as a very good indicator. There are, of course, among the owners of two-liter versions and those who think otherwise, but there are not many of them (albeit, as well as the reviews themselves about such cars): “As a minus, you should write down the fuel consumption. The first 200 km traveled in urban mode (though it is winter now) showed that the consumption is 14.5-15 liters. I drive at an average pace, not a vegetable, but not a racer either, so after a 2.0 compressor on a Mercedes with its 12 liters in winter it is a little annoying. ”

5 reasons to buy and not buy a Ford Mondeo Mk 5
Ford Mondeo 2013 – present engine

But the owners of mass versions with a 2.5-liter aspirated for the most part express their displeasure. Mostly, they are not satisfied with the urban consumption: “The consumption is obscenely high! Many people write about 12-13 liters per 100 km of a sluggish city run. Nothing like this! If only in the city (in my case St. Petersburg), then the consumption is 13.5-14.5 liters of 95th gasoline, and in a hot week it reached 14.7 (and this is me alone in the car, less often together). My driving style is pensioner, I don’t like abrupt starts or overtaking, I don’t like 92nd gasoline, I don’t like to pay fines either, so the speed is strictly up to 80 km / h, but below the indicated figures, the consumption falls only on the highway, here paradise – 6.5-7.5 liters per hundred “. “Fuel consumption is the main disadvantage …. In the city on a computer – 14-15, and this is if you do not drive! On highway 8. Over the last 5000 km, mixed cycle, basically, the city on the road computer steadily holds 13.5 l / 100 km. If you stomp, then, you know, I think 18 is not a problem either. ” Well, in traffic jams, according to the owners, the consumption easily reaches 19.5 l / 100 km, and, according to the story of one of them, in the official service, where he turned to about too high a consumption, he was explained that if the average speed is less than 30 km / h, then 22 liters is considered a perfectly acceptable indicator for this car … Naturally, the owners have a question: why? Why install an engine of such a volume with such modest power characteristics, especially since two-liter naturally aspirated engines produce the same 150 hp, and the consumption in the same traffic jams is no more than 13 liters? But here we can only paraphrase the well-known saying: “Ford has no other engines for you”.

HANDLING, DYNAMICS AND AGILITY

It would seem that the combination of more than one and a half tons of weight with a 150-horsepower deformed “tax” aspirator and classical hydromechanics should have led to the fact that the owners begin to massively complain about the lack of dynamics. But no! Yes, in the reviews, the authors admit that this car is not for racing, that it picks up speed very smoothly, as if reluctantly, so that even in the “slippers on the floor” mode, passengers do not grab the handles out of fear. Nevertheless, everything happens quite quickly, and when the engine spins up to 3000 rpm, a completely different life begins. Just have time to count gear changes … Not satisfied with the logic of the box? Please switch to sport mode and change gears yourself.

But this is in the city, and on the highway it is still more ambiguous. As the authors of the reviews write, beyond the 110-120 km / h mark, the speed is gained quite slowly, it takes a lot of time to overtake, so sometimes it is just scary to overtake. However, there are also very curious observations: “I went to St. Petersburg. There – literally cursed the motor and its weakness. On the other hand, either the settings were switched in my brain, or the car adapted, but I was completely satisfied: overtaking was easy, and the driving strategy changed according to the objective dynamics of this car. ”

Ford Mondeo MK5

In general, in real life, a seemingly sluggish 2.5-liter engine combined with not the best gearbox makes Mondeo not a vegetable car at all. At the same time, it makes sense to turn the motor up to 3500-4000 thousand rpm, but higher – no longer, the motor does not add power. In general, a typical assessment of the dynamics of a Mondeo with a naturally aspirated engine looks like this: “The engine is not pissed off, not a vegetable – and thanks for that.”

Another thing is the two-liter Ecoboost, especially in the 240-horsepower version. Such an engine accelerates the car to 100 km / h in about 7.5 seconds, which allows you to feel confident in any overtaking, including with passengers on board. But it should be borne in mind that the engine in this version has good lows and average rpm, but there is no particular sense in turning it before the cutoff. All in all, we have a motor with a good and comfortable “civil” power curve, quite suitable for a family car.

As for the braking dynamics, it does not cause any particular complaints. One has only to take into account a number of specific points. On the one hand, the deceleration coefficient of this model increases “in the American way” evenly and depending on the pressure on the pedal. I pressed hard – slowed down a lot, pressed weakly … But the car does not like a sharp press on the brake pedal, it immediately starts to “peck”.

But enthusiasm for the car’s handling can be found in almost every review. “I was surprised how she steers, a fairly large barge – and steers!” “If you like to drive a car and do not mind sometimes fooling around in high-speed turns, then I recommend Mondeo!” “I really like the behavior of the car on the track – it steers perfectly, no flaw with rutting was noticed, the sound insulation at speed is excellent. Well, the driving feeling is pleasant – the car is large, rather heavy, but at the same time obedient and very stable. ” “The car rides deliciously, despite the package for bad roads and front-wheel drive. With a mass of 1650 kg, the car makes interesting turns, I want to turn again and again. ”

Ford Mondeo MK 5 2013
Ford Mondeo MK 5 2013

And what is especially pleasant: excellent handling is perfectly combined with smoothness and softness of the course, and this is already an indicator of “thoroughbred”. In many reviews, the authors compare the Mondeo with the Toyota Camry, and this comparison is generally not in favor of Toyota: with a comparable smoothness, the Camry’s handling is perceived as much more “wadded”. However, they can also compare with Mercedes sedans: “Mondeo really“ swims across ”all the small road holes, irregularities, roughness. After the Mercedes AMG suspension, I experienced a slight shock from the fact that my previous routes began to go as if on other roads – the ride became so much softer and quieter. ”

Praise in the reviews and the work of the stabilization system. Under normal conditions, it is very delicate and almost invisible, but is ready to help in difficult situations: “I was pleased with the stabilization system: last winter I hooked on an uncleaned roadside at high speed, the system worked instantly, got off with a light and short fright.”

Not bad Mondeo and in the city: despite the front-wheel drive and dimensions (vehicle length – 4871 mm), the model has a small turning radius. As the owners write in the reviews, it feels like it is no more than the rear-wheel drive Mercedes E-class.

JERKY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND FLOATING REVS

However, there is a knot in the car that can pretty much spoil the feeling of smoothness and comfort. This is a 6F35 six-speed hydromechanics. Many of those who look closely at Mondeo are afraid of this particular box – after all, there are a lot of horror stories about it on the forums, and these horror stories did not arise from scratch.

“This is perhaps the worst of Mondeo’s main knots. No, it did not break, but it infuriated from the very first day of operation: it was dull, it works roughly and does not switch quickly. On the cold one pulls switching 1-2-3, after warming up it starts to work smoother, but before determining “smoothly” it is far away. In short, the automatic transmission is a fly in the ointment in this car. ” At the same time, the authors of the reviews note that the box works reliably, without failures, even in the case of extreme operation. But the smoothness of shifting in lower gears – there really are problems.

Mondeo MK 5 Ford
Mondeo MK 5 Ford

The reviews mention different ways to deal with the “kicking” box: someone suggests to arrange a kind of rebase, releasing and pressing the gas pedal again, and then the switching turns out to be quite smooth. Someone suggests contacting a specialized service, installing an additional cooling radiator and reflashing the control unit, after which, according to the authors, the problem will go away. But not everyone takes drastic measures. Most people prefer to simply state that there is a problem and vent their irritation in online reviews.

And the owners of versions with a two-liter Ecoboost engine are very annoyed by floating idles. There is an opinion on the Internet that this phenomenon is typical for this engine (including Range Rover Evoque cars), and indeed for many Ford engines. In the case of addressing this problem to the service, the owners usually hear in response that everything is fine, “this is not a bug, but a feature.”

NON-THEFT, COST OF COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE AND MAINTENANCE, RELIABILITY

Yet the main arguments in favor of acquiring Mondeo tend to be economic. Firstly, the model is considered “unstoppable” (unlike Toyota Camry and Mazda 6), which automatically means a significantly lower cost of hull insurance. Again, you don’t need to spend money on additional anti-theft systems.

Secondly, the tax. In central Russia, owners of a Mondeo with a 2.5-liter engine need to pay only 5,250 rubles annually, in some other regions even less. As a result, those of the owners who bought the Mondeo as an “anti-crisis option” and moved into it from more powerful cars simply sing “Hallelujah!” For comparison, the tax on a 250-horsepower Volvo S60 is RUR 18,750, so feel the difference.

5 reasons to buy a Ford Mondeo Mk 5
Ford Mondeo MK5

Maintenance is also not ruinous, the cost of which, as a rule, is 11-13 thousand rubles. However, you can keep within 9500, if you carefully choose a service center, and buy all consumables yourself. The owners in their reviews claim that scheduled maintenance costs about the same as the maintenance of the same Ford Focus: “The cost of consumables is absolutely adequate. From the latter – NGK candles at 650 rubles / piece. + replacement of 800 rubles, rear brake pads – something about 1600 for a set and installation of 1200, Bosch wipers – something about 1400 rubles, after Focus monstrous wipers for 1900-2000. ”

In terms of prices for consumables and components, Mondeo clearly outperforms many of its classmates. For example, a full set of brake pads for this model costs 2,500 rubles, and for Mazda 6 – 9,000 rubles. And the former owners of premium cars do believe that Mondeo maintenance costs them almost nothing.

But the most important thing is that in the case of correct and timely maintenance, Mondeo does not torment its owners with constant breakdowns. “Great car, not a single light bulb has been replaced – only consumables, and this is with a mileage of 48,000 km in 3.5 years.” “I drove 100,000 km without any problems and I am sure that with the right attitude, the same amount will pass!”. “You don’t have to worry about malfunctions at all until after 150,000 km.” There is a lot of evidence of this kind.
Ford Mondeo MK5In general, the owners rate the Mondeo’s reliability very highly. The body is completely galvanized, the paint is strong and keeps chips well, so that Mondeo is not noticed in special rotting and blooming. The windshield is also very durable: “The car is almost 5 years old, I personally caught 3 decent stones on the track, chips from stones are formed, the case has not yet reached cracks.”

But even if something needs to be repaired, the prices for spare parts will not lead to a state of horror and will not activate the home-smothering amphibian: “The prices for repairing the suspension are pleasing, you can easily afford to buy racks in a circle and not flinch.” Here, however, it is worth considering that there are no problems with consumables, but there are problems with spare parts, especially in the regions. In the reviews, the owners grumble that everything is made to order and often from Europe, and there are no analogues, well, or almost none. As a result, delivery times for an order, you know, can turn out to be very different, and solving a trifling problem can take quite a long time.

Nevertheless, the thought constantly sounds in the reviews that there is no more optimal car in terms of price and consumer qualities than the Ford Mondeo Mk5. Adherents of other brands may call these statements controversial, but, you see, there are still certain grounds for them.

Source: kolesa