2005 Ford Mondeo ST TDCi 2.2 turbo diesel from UK and Ireland
Summary:
Comfy, reliable, beautifully built and goes like stink!
Faults:
No faults.
General Comments:
This car does everything.
Beautifully finished interior with gorgeous leather Recaros. I think the finish is on a par with a friends 2005 Mercedes C220 CDi, and actually so does he! Not that the C-class is the best finished Merc ever, but when you consider the price difference....
Tasteful bodykit which looks aggressive, but is not too heavy handed.
Tremendous performance from the 2.2 TDCi engine, especially after the recent Superchips Bluefin remap. Now making 181 bhp, and 400Nm of torque at just 1800 RPM (peaks 426 at 2,200). Effortlessly fast, and will still return 45-48 mpg on a motorway cruise in 6th, although knock 10 mpg off that when "on it". Pulls convincingly away from BMW 330d drivers which it couldn't do before - not bad for 800 cc less.
Chassis still better than anything else in this class in my opinion. Drove a Vauxhall Vectra, VW Passat, Nissan Primera and an Audi A4 and none got close to the Mondeo's turn in or feel.
If I had to complain it would be about the depreciation and the fact that everyone asks why I didn't buy an Audi. Simple answer is, "cachet" apart, this is a better car for less money, but nobody believes you. Their loss. Cracking value "nearly new" which this was.
Good without the remap - amazing with it. Test drive one with an open mind.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 14th February, 2006
3rd Aug 2006, 17:40
Now if only we in the States could get ahold of that snazzy 2.2 diesel.
4th Sep 2007, 05:11
Just took delivery of a 2005 54 plate Mondeo 2.2 ST TDCi hatch - What a wonderful car!
I couldn't care less if people say it's just a Mondeo - I throughly enjoy driving it - overtaking is effortless and on a 500 mile round trip to London and back, I achieved 54mpg (as per the fuel computer and confirmed after refueling) Some of this was in heavy traffic using the Cruise function, and some was having a bit of fun with the power and torque so potentially this could be higher still. I would also add that at no time did I 'hang around'.
I have previously owned a Golf TDi 130 so I knew what to expect from the Mondeo and I'm not disappointed. I know there are petrolheads out there who won't bring themselves to drive a Diesel car, but hey, it's their loss! If they can't handle this amount of torque, then they can stick with their petrol cars and lower MPG!!!
3rd Aug 2006, 02:41
I bought one of the first ones of these and agree with what you say. I always thought the performance was dissapointingly similar to the 130PS Mondeo (I had high hopes when ordering the ST from the dealer without a test drive) and did 10,000m in 6months in it and yet never felt that it was 'alive'. I was actively watching the Superchips site for a chip and contacted them several times to be told they had no plans to do one for the car. I traded it in for a Boxster and then sure enough a month later a chip appeared!
Economy was excellent and even when cruising at 120mph for half an hour or so I was still returning 38mpg to the tank. 50+ was easy whilst navigating a clear M1. Handling, looks and features were excellent, as you again say - depreciation agonising though.
Sadly the newer models have got nasty bits of chrome stuck on the car in random places and it's lost it's mean street-sleeper image it had. Based on this alone I wouldn't buy another.