Faults:

This is an initial review - so I haven't had the car long, but as a result of the test drive, it needed a new throttle sensor, which the dealer fitted.

General Comments:

The cabin is a nice place to be - the controls are well laid-out, and it's easy to gather the information you need. The CD/radio is intuitive and easy to operate, giving a good sound.

However, rear visibility in the hatchback (which this is) is very poor indeed, and reversing is as much a matter of luck as judgement!

It feels very underpowered, and much gear changing is required to extract any sort of performance from the car. The brake pedal is very heavy, yet the clutch is very light. Throttle response is quite slow.

The steering and suspension are pleasantly communicative and crisp, giving reasonable handling, yet given the large, unwieldy feel of the car, I wonder if a softer feel to the whole setup might not actually be more appropriate. This is of course a matter of personal preference, though.

The car has returned 35 - 36 mpg, and this is mostly on my wife's very leisurely driving. I compare this with my Clio 172, which, whilst it is a smaller car, is a bigger, much more powerful engine, and is driven fairly hard. It gives 37 - 38 mpg. This doesn't reflect well on the Mondeo.

Faults:

Nothing ever gone wrong.

General Comments:

The day I had to give up my XK8 was a sad day indeed, but I needed a car with a big boot. The XK8 was an extremely tough act to follow, and at first I didn't much like the ST220. After a few months, it started to worm its way into my good books, and now I can say that I like it very much.

For me, the practicality of this car is hugely important, there aren't many cars that you can fit 3 meter lengths of timber into. The hatch back is quite unusual on a car this size, and has allowed me to fit all kinds of things into it (building materials, sofas etc, etc). Couple this with surprisingly good speed and handling, and this car really starts to make sense.

You have to work the six speed gearbox to get the most out of the 225BHP engine; below 5,000 rpm things seem tepid. Once you're past the magic 5,000 mark though, it unleashes hell! The acceleration in 3rd gear can embarrass a lot of much sportier cars on the road.

I have driven this car very hard over the past 8000 miles, and it has never shown any sign of going wrong. Also, the economy isn't too bad if you drive light footed, around 32MPG on a run.

I don't love this car, and never will. In fact I'm putting it up for sale as soon as my need for a practical car expires; my passion lies with low slung 2 seaters. I have been forced by circumstance to own a big practical 4 seater, but I firmly believe that there is nothing else out there that can offer as much practicality without compromising performance. For that reason, I would have to say this is a very good car that has served its purpose perfectly for me.

Faults:

New clutch fitted at 45000km.

New front brake pads fitted and discs skimmed at 60000km.

New rear brake pads fitted and discs skimmed at 70000km.

General Comments:

I always wanted an ST220 in the UK, but couldn't afford it, but then I moved to Dubai and found they cost nearly half the price, and bought one straight away, and with the price of petrol being so cheap, I don't mind planting my right foot down.