Faults:

Nothing at all yet - everything working as it should.

General Comments:

As Jeremy Clarkson said "The perfect poached egg on the perfect piece of toast".

This sums the car up well. It's a machine - like a fridge or a microwave. It does exactly what it is supposed to do, and does it well. It's a motorway mile muncher and that's what I bought it for. It's comfortable, quiet, well enough equipped, reasonable on fuel.

I should explain, I collect cars and have several Porsches and powerful BMW's. But I wouldn't use these cars to do a 300 mile motorway trip. They are garage queens. So I need something practical that works properly - the Mondeo fits the bill. I had (still have actually) the old mk2 1.8. Here's how they compare in my view:

1) Steering and suspension - better on mk3, more stable and firm. Less understeer.

2) Brakes - marginally better on the mk2 actually.

3) Engine performance - mk2 has slightly more low down performance (despite 10bhp less), but the mk3 is smoother and quieter.

4) Clutch and gearbox - a real girls clutch in the mk3; the mk2 feels more purposeful. Gearbox in the mk3 is much nicer to use, although with a fair bulk to carry around and only 125bhp, it's wise to use the gears to the full.

5) Body and interior - mk3 all the way. Larger, more modern looking, better road presence, much nicer more Germanic cabin, none of the curvy stuff from the mk2, which now looks very dated, as do most things which were ultra modern looking when released: the mk3 is more timeless.

I would recommend this car for someone who needs cheap, reliable and comfortable transport. But if you are a petrol head, you'll need something else in your garage for that fun factor.

Faults:

Endless wheel bearing failures, front and rear, cheap trim dropping to pieces, several design faults, airbag fault, ABS fault, climate control fault, corrosion on alloy wheels, alternator fault, cooling fan fault.

General Comments:

I owned a Mk2 Mondeo previously, which was a good looking, well built car; it was reliable and lovely to drive. I thought I was doing the right thing by upgrading to the Mk3 model, but how wrong I was!! Apart from the horrible build quality and the hollow, cheap sounding door cards and trim, this car has given me no end of trouble... I read that this was productionised entirely by the Germans, which explains everything to me, as all four German cars I have owned have been terrible too!

I'll stick with either French or Asian cars from now one; other European ones are overrated and too much trouble!

Faults:

Sub frame bushes replaced at 55000 miles.

Brake pads at 65000 miles.

Wiper blades at 50000 miles.

Battery (original) at 74000 miles.

Screen washer pump at 65000 miles.

General Comments:

Economy is excellent for the age of the car. 55 mpg in a solo run, 35 mpg towing a caravan.

Handles well.

Plenty of power; a lot more than I require.

Could do with more storage space in the cab area.