Faults:

Not much.

Central locking occasionally locks the car by itself.

Rear caliper sticking.

General Comments:

This car deserves to be more than a shed. Very cheap to buy, cheap to run and dependable.

It's also a surprisingly good driver's car that clearly was designed and developed by people who enjoy driving. The feel and weighting of the major controls would befit a premium car. Steering in particular is excellent, allowing you to place the car very accurately.

The rest of the chassis lives up to expectations. I have enjoyed owning and driving some fine performance cars and believe me, as a driving tool the Mondeo does all that you could expect a family four door saloon to do. It has the rare ability to feel more composed the faster you go, while remaining astonishingly wieldy.

Comfort is not quite so impressive. My Ghia rides on 17 inch wheels with a 45 tyre profile, leading to a ride that, while not jarring, is on the firm and occasionally crashy side.

Most serious flaw are the front seats - they may be leather but are rock hard and set far too high. How Ford could get this wrong on a car designed to travel long distances I do not know.

Refinement is therefore best described as average. The 2.0 Duratec engine may be willing and give decent performance, but it is harsh and rattly. A V6 model would be my choice another time.

In conclusion, a borderline brilliant car that would be near perfect with more refinement and a better driving position.

Faults:

Clutch:

Clutch needed replacing at 180,000 km, only after I towed an overloaded trailer up a steep driveway. Was still the original clutch, although the design with a dual flywheel meant it cost NZD 3,500 at a Ford dealer to replace.

Air conditioning:

The air conditioning on some days seems to go back and forth from cold to hot, and takes a very long time to cool the car down on hot days.

Water ingress:

Torrential rain on two occasions have overloaded the drainage points (subsequently discovered they were blocked with leaves). That causes flooding in foot wells from water entering through the air vents.

Air vent:

The open/close control for one of the dash mounted air vents over travelled and has become stuck open. $150 quote to replace/repair it - I can live with it stuck open.

General Comments:

Very reliable, with only annual servicing required.

Handling is precise, firm and reassuring, especially on narrow winding coastal roads.

Cabin and upholstery still feels modern despite being ten years old, and the seats have survived all the kids can throw at them in this time.

As with all cars, I wish things such as autumn leaves settling around the air vents and under the bonnet below the window wipers would be factored into the design, to minimise the chance of them clogging drainage holes.