1998 Ford Mondeo Ghia X 2.0 petrol

Summary:

A great car and cheap to run

Faults:

Absolutely nothing other than general wear and tear items.

General Comments:

I picked up this 4 year old top of the range Mondeo with below average miles for £5000, for that I got 6xCD, cruise control, leather upholstery!

After 50,000 miles in 2 years its still going strong. Does everything you want of it on the motorways and can be a good drivers car on the twisty back roads. Being a Ford its easy and cheap to get parts for. If you need a comfy car for high mileages and have to pay running costs yourself then you can't go wrong, get about 34-39mpg.

Only problem is what to replace it with! Probably go for a 2.0 tdci Ghia X next.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th November, 2004

1998 Ford Mondeo Verona 1.8 16v petrol

Summary:

Mr average on wheels

Faults:

Boot leak through o/s light cluster - cured with silicone sealant.

Rust developing along the n/s rear sill - not very clever for a six year old car.

Apart from that it has been totally reliable, although I only do around 6000 miles a year.

General Comments:

Overall a satisfactory car, but hardly one to set your pulse racing.

Has air-con and nice alloys, quite good to drive, grips the corners well, but the engine is not really up to the job, it does not really pull below 4000rpm (like most 16v engines), above this it is harsh and noisy.

Fuel economy is poor, I seem to average 27/28 mpg no matter how easy I take it.

The biggest downer is depreciation, I paid £4200 for it nearly 2 years ago, but would struggle to get half that for it now.

If you did 20k miles a year on a motorway this would probably be a good buy, but if you do my limited mileage each year I think you would be better off buying a small hatchback.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 6th June, 2004

13th Jun 2004, 22:13

It has nothing to do with 16 valves engines. I hear this all the time and is a mistake.

Simply the engine is too small for the car. What do you expect?

15th Jun 2004, 11:11

I simply stated the fact that in common with the vast majority of 16v engines it needs to be revved hard to achieve decent performance, regardless of it being the 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 or 2.5 under the bonnet.

And yes, I quite agree the 1.8 is too small for this size/weight of car, hence my comment "but the engine is not really up to the job"!

24th Jan 2011, 09:36

I have owned a Mondeo Varona for about six years now. It is a 97 model and came with 45K on the clock. It is one of the best cars I have owned and I have had plenty.

Until the Ford I loved SAABs 99s, 900s and so on. The Varona has lasted better and cost less to run.

There are now several faults on the car and so I will be looking for another. Electrical faults are the worst. There is a wire at the end of the gearbox which gets worn away as the engine twists under torque. The central locking does not unlock the rear doors any more, the heater control does not give air anywhere but either the screen, your feet or both.

I have gone through about four front springs. They are a known problem on these cars.

Even considering all this it has been great. Nice to drive, comfortable, very reliable. The engine and gearbox are still as sweet as a nut at 90K miles.

I paid £1400 so that is cheap motoring to me. I shall sell it for spares or repair. Just wished they were still made.

1998 Ford Mondeo TD Ghia 1.7 turbo diesel

Summary:

A luxurious family car

Faults:

Diesel Injection Pump fault. The fuel was terribly leaking. Heavy black smoke and sluggish driving. Replaced with a pump from a salvage for £130.Not Bad as the new pump costed around £1200.

Pre-Combustion chamber worn out. Reconditioned and got it fitted for a cost of £500.

A crack in the rear bumper for an impact well below 2mph.

General Comments:

Good luxury car for that kind of money.

Suspension is good, but bit stiff sometimes.

No starting problem at all.

Very effective air-conditioning system.

Zooms and floats on the motorway.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st May, 2004