18th Aug 2021, 13:22

So I commented about my 3000 mile trip. Eventually sold the Mazda 3 Sport 2.0 Saloon as I opted for a bigger car with more poke: The 2009 Mondeo Titanium X Sport, 6spd Manual with the 2.5 Turbo Inline 5 Volvo lump. I actually think the OP would enjoy this car. It goes around corners without much roll at all, and although it is big and you can tell, it is still fun. It's quieter in the interior so OP would love that as you can't hear the engine as much, but it shifts quicker than the Mazda did. I actually miss the 2.0 Sport's engine sound and normally aspirated engine though. The Mondeo, however, makes for a very competent cruiser with the ability to be enjoyed on the bends too. It's overall a nicer place to be, but I do miss the gauge illumination of the Mazda cluster, and the Mazda had a bigger glovebox and better armrest storage, and the cupholders weren't great on either, but the Mazda was slightly better still than the Mondeo.

The Mondeo has sunglasses storage inside, seats are better for the driver, less comfy for a passenger trying to nap, but supportive and good on long journeys. Mine had Bluetooth, but only for phone calls. I replaced the module in the glovebox with one from a 2010 Focus, so now Bluetooth works for music also. The Bose system on the Mazda was great, but overall materials in the Mondeo are better and the Sony system rattles them less and is still a very good sound system.

The steering wheel on the Mondeo is nicer with a chunkiness to it, but the cruise control setup on the Mazda was much easier to use.

The Mondeo is 220PS whereas the Mazda was 150. The Mondeo has more torque and is capable of overtaking in any gear, but doesn't quite have that same sense of fun and urgency as the Mazda did in the higher rev range. The Mazda has a chain driven LFVD engine which was incredibly fun. I prefer normally aspirated and higher revving engines versus a turbo, but I won't complain about the poke the Mondeo has.

The Mondeo has exterior similarities (Xenons, fogs, spoiler - proper not just a lip unlike the Mazda). I preferred the Mazda's light clusters, but the Mondeo's fog lights, grille and twin exit exhaust, plus the rear diffuser looks nice.

While the Mazda's boot was spacious for its class, the Mondeo being a hatchback is more practical and especially quite cavernous.

Overall the Mondeo is great for a wider variety of uses and daily peaceful driving, being a nice, roomy car with a quieter cabin, but the Mazda's engine was a lot of fun and definitely worth the spend for anyone still in the market for cheap smiles!