General Comments:
Just one word describes this car: FABULOUS. Yes, the car is really fabulous, and has corrected all the wrong notions I had regarding Ford vehicles! Got the car on April 30th and I have done 7000 kms in just over a month. I'm one person who does a lot of driving in a day, and this car is just the one made for me.
Its got a 2L gasoline power unit under the hood which does its job quite well. Acceleration may not be really good compared to other cars with an engine of the same power, but its good enough considering the size and weight of the car... so don't feel bad if a 1.8 accelerates faster than you. It has a 4-speed automatic transmission which performs pretty well in all conditions. The interior is extra spacious and the seats are very comfortable. ABS with EBD is standard for all models of Mondeo and perform well.
The Mondeo Trend comes with alloy wheels, rear armrest, cruise control, front and rear fog lamps and electronic climate control (which make it sit a little higher than the basic model, the Mondeo Ambiente). All Models come with a remote control for the audio system, which comprise a single changer CD player and radio with RDS sattelite. The unit cannot play MP3's, but thats OK since there is an auxillary input which allows you 2 connect your MP3 player so the sound comes through the car's speakers. And yes, talking about the speakers; the stock speakers rock!!
There is ample legroom for both front and rear passengers. The boot is quite spacious, too. Handling is excellent and the car is absolutely stable even at high speeds... the car can easily accelerate to 180 kph; and when pushed, can touch 205 kph. There is almost no road or wind noise until 160 kph...after that, both tyre and wind noise can be heard. There is absolutely no vibration or unstability at such speeds.
Other options include front driver and passenger airbags and side airbags; headlight leveller, anti-theft system with immobilizer, and rear door/window child locks.
Regarding mileage; the best mileage I've gotten so far is 11.6 kms/litre...and that was during a long drive. Normally, I get between 9~10 kms/litre; ie. a mix of highway and congested city driving.
The maintenance service is carried out every 10000 kms, unlike most other cars where the service should be carried out every 5000 kms. There is no 1000 kms service required for this car. The first service is at 10000 kms. The cost of parts is not as low as its Japanese competitors, but through inquiries I have found that it is not as costly as people believe, so is pretty much affordable.
The cost of the car (here in UAE) is 62000 dhs ($16,825). The basic model retails for 58000 dhs ($15,740).
Hence, we can call it a perfect and affordable family car.
I hope this review was of use!
22nd Sep 2008, 13:16
If this one is Blue, then I know you're selling it =P And I'll come see it sometime this week. Great car.