Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDDi 115 LX 5dr Review

Overall Rating

Cheap to buy 2nd hand, good fuel economy, good performance and handling, cheap to insure, huge boot, even more space with the back seats down, repairs and spare parts are cheap.

Hand brake cable keeps snapping!!! Very easy to stall when the engine is cold, small fuel tank, only 50 litres.

I bought a 2002 (52 plate) Mondeo TDDI LX 115bhp in august 2005. It had 40000 miles on the clock at this time. Since then I've done over 35,000 miles. These have been mainly commuting in and around Glasgow but have also included numerous trips into the Scottish Highlands on demanding A and B roads and a couple of holidays to the French Alps. (around 3000 miles in 2 weeks).

During this time the only major repair was the rear wheel bearing which needed replaced (200 to repair and at 60,000 miles). The handbrake cable has been a constant pain continually becoming loose then snapping every 3-4 months. My mechanic keeps repairing it but blames it on the self tensioning mechanism on the car. The side lights also have a habit of burning themselves out every 5 months or so.

I love the heated front windscreen which in the cold damp frosty west of Scotland is very much needed and cleares the screen in less than 20 seconds from cold. The boot space is unbelievely huge and with the rear seats down almost anything will fit in. (5 sets of golf clubs, bath tub, new sofa etc)

I would describe my driving style as "enthusiastic" and only bought the diesel Mondeo due to economic reasons. ( i just bought a house and needed a new car) I have been very impressed with the handling, and although I wish it was faster, it has enough power to overtake most times on country roads and is very capable at motorway speeds, 70-90mph.

Overall, I bought the Mondeo as a stop gap till I could afford a "better" car. As such I've treated it like dirt, drove it hard and spent as little as possible on servicing and repair. It hasn't died on me, and has always gotten me from a-b and back again whilst using very little fuel (Glasgow to northern France on a full tank!?). The handling is wonderfully good for such a big car and overall? I can now afford a "better" car but I'm not going to buy one. I'm going to drive my Mondeo into the ground and thoroughly enjoy myself (cheaply) whilst doing so.