1999 Ford Mondeo Verona 1.8 petrol from UK and Ireland
Summary:
I liked it
Faults:
Consumables - tyres, brakes, bulbs etc. A car had a full history, all oil and belt changes done as per schedule.
Front electric windows could be slow to move.
Battery and alternator replaced.
Small coolant leak, replaced pipe and thermostat, fairly common fault I have heard.
Central locking could be erratic, worked only sometimes. Small rust spots in my last couple of years of ownership.
General Comments:
99 Mondeo Verona. A car I had a while ago, forgettable for the most part, but looking back it was generally reliable and I miss when cars were simpler.
Verona is similar to LX spec. Nothing fancy but at least it was not bottom of the range. Comfortable. Nice colour and wheels; the mk2 Mondeo was good looking in my opinion. Had a mk1 previous to this and it was also a good car.
1.8 petrol is a decent engine, not fast by any stretch of the imagination, but it did average 38 MPG, respectable for its time. Gearchange felt satisfying, and the car handled nicely. For servicing and repairs, try finding a friendly local mechanic - Ford dealers were just not interested in servicing older cars.
Sold back in 2013 still going strong at 14 years old with 130K on it. Definitely got my monies worth out of it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 4th July, 2021
6th Sep 2015, 21:32
You are right about this car - it was a tough act to follow. I think the problem with newer cars in general is too much regulation - fancy injectors/DPF filters and so on causing a headache for a lot of owners, at least diesels anyway. What I liked about 90s cars is that they are balanced, even petrol ones - decent performance, economy and reliability that makes them practical for use even in the current year of 2015 with no fancy stuff to go wrong. The Zetec Mondeo was a looker thanks to Ford's "new edge" design at the time. I still think it looks fresh, it's funny I never thought I'd see the day we would call these cars "classics", but this one truly is. £600 buys you an old Mondeo that will be a damn sight more reliable than some £4000 or £5000 cars. Still see the odd one about, usually in basic LX spec, but a nice Zetec with the Cosworth alloys in a bright colour always stands out, almost touring car like!