Faults:

Vacuum pipe split

Thermostat went faulty stopping the engine warming properly.

General Comments:

An utter bargain at 3 years old.

Practical, well engineered car that does most things very well. Good performance from the 2.0 Duratec engine, but it can be a little vocal at higher revs.

Jackie Stewart's influence (chief chassis consultant during the design phase) still detectable in the handling and the feel of the controls. Of course it's no Porsche beater, but the weighting of the steering is near perfect, the gearbox is slick, the brake servo assistance beautifully judged and the turn-in crisp. Takes my old A4 apart as a driving tool in every respect.

Lots of interior space with a good sized boot. Rear seats fold flat to give a vast load area for a hatchback.

Very plasticky and cheap looking inside after the A4, but build quality better than appearances suggest. It's the materials that are the problem.

Excellent reliability - car has a very tough, unburstable feel to it.

Dealer backup fair - plenty around and reasonable labour charges as main agents go, but they're not the last word in customer care.

Zero image, and it looks a bit long in the tooth these days, but still one of the best compromises between drivers car and family workhorses on the market without spending ten times as much. Not a car for badge snobs, but the family man who likes to enjoy himself in a car when the kids are safe at home won't do better for anything like the money. A joy to drive hard.

Recommended.

Faults:

Drivers mirror no longer heated.

Small water leak into boot (a common fault and people know where the water is getting in and how to fix it before you even take the car in!)

General Comments:

The Mondeo was recommended to me by our local independent mechanic when I asked him what to buy for about £2,500 that would be half decent to drive, have decent rear seat and boot space, be reliable and well made? What about an older Passat or A4 I asked? "

What on earth for?" he asked. "The front suspension is shockingly fragile, and neither are particularly reliable when they get older. Get yourself a Mondeo. They go on forever if even half looked after. I service two with over 200,000 on and one of them still tours France every Summer. Parts are cheap if they are needed, and most jobs are cheap because they're well designed mechanically."

So that's what I did, vowing in a friendly way to hold him entirely responsible for the consequences.

A year on, I have to admit to being well happy. The car isn't perfect. The engine is rough and noisy and the interior looks tacky. It is well made though and has proven totally reliable. The mechanic suggested a cam and fuel pump belt change (if they break the engine is a write off), plus a service when I found the car which he did for a couple of hundred quid including parts. He checked it all over and proclaimed it fit and healthy. It's needed one service since. Nothing has broken, stopped working, fallen off or failed.

It's good to drive, comfortable, utterly reliable, well screwed together and just works day in day out. First MOT (in my hands) last month and it passed no problem at all. Never have to top up oil or any other fluid, and at 45 mpg average, don't put too much in the way of fuel in either.

I don't doubt 200,000 reliable miles is possible, but I am now about to disappear off to a new life in Italy this summer, so it will reluctantly go on the market. I've already been offered what I paid for it from a work colleague. Assuming no problems between now and then, the car will have cost me in terms of maintenance and upkeep, just £325 for 18 months use. Amazing.