Faults:

Had a flat battery, the warning chime didn't function correctly.

General Comments:

Excellent ride and handling.

Performance is OK in economy mode, but car transforms and holds revs to 6000 RPM in each gear when in Sport mode and O/D is switched off. It's like a different car!!

Seats comfortable, good driving position. Part electrically adjustable driver's seat.

Faults:

The first problem we had was with the air conditioning. We were told the pump needed replacing, however the cost to do so would have been totally ridiculous because, as the mechanic put it: "the car was built around the air conditioning unit!" You have to wonder what Ford was thinking when to replace a common problem like air con, the entire dashboard and half the engine needs to be taken out!

We've also experienced many electrical problems with the car. The electric drivers seat slides back very quickly, but only sometimes goes forward.

The service (spanner) light turns on and off intermittently.

The coolant light is on all the time, even though the bottle is full. The Ford dealership does not know how to turn it off.

The transmission has been a real pain also. I don't know if this is a fault or not, but when, say, entering an intersection at about 20kmh, if floored the unpredictable auto will not change into 1st gear. This causes a labouring pinging sound, and very very slow acceleration. Not to mention how unsafe this is. I usually end up getting really frustrated and force the car to change down manually.

The boot will only sometimes open when released from the lever beside the driver's seat.

The lights are extremely dim. I have found that if I drive around with full beam on, nobody flashes me to turn my lights down!

The engine for no obvious reason (maybe head gasket) sometimes runs on 3/4 hot on the temperature gauge. So far this hasn't caused any problems, just a coolant smell when you step out of the car. However I am preparing for a large repair bill shortly.

General Comments:

Overall it is an OK car. If I was going to buy another Mondeo I would opt for the 2.5 V6 manual. I find the 2.0 doesn't have enough pull to safely overtake on the highway. The auto will change into 2nd and the Mondeo will scream its way slowly past the overtaken cars.

I find the level of equipment fitted to the Ghia is of a high standard. Our example came with a Pioneer 12 disc stacker as a factory option. The fake wood gives the car a classy feel and the dashboard is a good design.

The handling is good and the car feels very solid on the road. However, a good set of directional tyres is necessary to make the most of the handling.

Faults:

Exhaust system burnt out.

Front disc rotors quite heavily worn.

Cracked front sway bar boot.

Clock backlight inoperative.

HVAC control (3rd fan speed in recirculating mode inoperative).

General Comments:

Summary:

An excellent car for the money. Great handling, ride and performance with some novelty value (in Australia, at least).

Good:

Near perfect ride/handling balance. Despite this example being shod with cheap no-name tyres of dubious quality, the Mondeo feels very balanced on the road. The handling is very communicative and positive, whilst riding very smoothly. You hear the imperfections of the road rather than feel them. The handling is good enough for you to forget that you're driving a family wagon rather than a sedan of more sporting intent.

Zippy engine. Despite lugging around 1350kg, the 2.0 Zetec is a very capable unit.

Brakes. Four wheel discs perform well in almost any situation, however using these brakes too enthusiastically may pose problems later on.

Comfort. A comfortable car to immerse yourself in. The front seat cushions are a tad flat, but are supportive. The seats are easy to adjust. Controls and ergonomics are typical generic Euro style, which is not a bad thing. Nice, fuzzy velour.

Equipment. Well equipped for a base model vehicle of this era (air conditioning, drivers air bag, central locking, power steering, etc).

Reliability. In the two months I've owned this vehicle, it has been utterly dependable.

Price. For a vehicle with such low mileage (91,000km = 57,000 miles), I paid AUD$8,900. Complete with a service history. This says more about the lack of knowledge of the Mondeo in the Australian market rather than the car itself. Spare parts shouldn't be overly expensive given Ford's strong presence in Australia.

Support. The dealer has been excellent. Also, the number of support forums on the web dedicated to Mondeos is very heartening.

Bad:

Surprised to see that despite the full service history on this particular example, the exhaust system was rotting away quite badly. Also surprised that both front disc rotors were heavily worn, one of which was undersized. Both of these faults have been repaired by the dealer under warranty.

The Mark 1 Mondeo has the dubious honour of having the World's Worst Cupholders. The cupholders themselves are embedded in the underside of the centre console lid. They are shallow, are not secure and are difficult to reach. I figure that the Mondeo's designers must have come to the conclusion that driving is about using two hands at all times.

Cabin noise. The Zetec is a willing engine, but it's also a noisy little bugger. As mentioned previously, the suspension has a habit of telling the driver (and passengers) about bumps by ear rather than by feel.

Finish. Like most Euro Fords, the dashboard feels a tad plasticky. Whilst not as overtly cheap as the Ka, this does tend to bring the tone of the interior down slightly. Little things like window winders and vents don't seem to have the same tactile feel or robustness as those on their Japanese (or even Australian) counterparts.

I've really had to pick this car to shreds to come up with a list of bad things. Overall, the Mondeo is an excellent proposition for anyone who is looking for a good value 4 cylinder family car.

Faults:

Brakes have pulled from day one.

Electric Window switch only works some times.

ABS Wheel sensor needed replacement.

Temperature gauge stoped working.

General Comments:

Very reliable safe car.

Has very good specifications.

The Auto makes the car so slow, manual ones are much faster.

Faults:

The airconditioner needed a recharge.

The brakes rubbed when the car was turned on full lock.

Warn rear discs.

General Comments:

The car is as solid as a rock on the road. There is very little body roll on corners.

The seats are supportive and comfortable and everything on the dashboard is easily reached.

The car can be cornered at high speeds and it doesn't sway or squeal at all.

The stereo is great and the 12 stack CD player is a great extra.

The motor whistles at higher revs when overtaking which makes people think the car is fitted with a turbo! The car has very slow take-off because the motor has to overcome the extra weight of the Ghia equipment (seat hydraulics etc), but after about 4000 revs it really starts to take off.