I set out to replace '99 Nissan Primera SE estate in January 2007 and my criteria were that the new car would have to be bigger, faster, more economical and better specified than the trust old Nissan. The Ford Mondeo 2.2TDCi 155 Titanium X 4 door Estate ticks every box.

The performance of the car is generally very good. As with most turbo-diesels it gives strong acceleration when you keep the engine between 1,750 and 3,250 revs. Unlike most turbo-diesels there's practically no delay between hitting the accelerator and feeling the car accelerate.

The torque of the engine is electronically limited in 1st and 2nd gears so it's not much of a drag racer, but I notice the strength of the engine a lot in the upper gears. 4th gear for example, will hurl you from 35 to 75 very, very quickly, which is great for joining dual carriageways and motorways with short slip-roads.

The gearbox has 6 well chosen ratios which allow you to keep the engine in the torque band very easily. I took a little while getting used to the fact that 6th is only usable above about 65mph, but that long top gear helps keep the revs down on the motorway and no doubt contributes to the 41.9MPG that I've average so far, and the low noise levels.

Another feature which is great for the motorway is the cruise control. Using it very easy and it definitely helps economy.

The handling is pretty good for a large estate car. The Titanium X has 18" wheels with very wide, very low profile tyres which makes the steering a little heavier than other models in the range with more modest rubber, and more prone to follow the camber of the road. But grip levels are very high so I always feel secure whilst cornering.

The clutch is fairly sharp on this car, so making a sharp getaway at a junction requires concentration. The traction is excellent however so I've hardly seen the traction-control light come on in the dashboard.

Practicality is a bit of mixed bag. The space available is huge, but it lacks some convenience features that you get in other cars. For example, there isn't any under-floor boot space (although the load-bay its self is pretty flat) and nothing except eye-rings and hooks to stop things falling around the vast boot.

In the passenger compartment there's lots of space too but it's more practically organised. There's a great little box in the ceiling for sunglasses and there are even some cup holders in the rear armrest.

The half-leather upholstery is easy to clean and the alcantara parts of it save me getting a cold bum in the winter, even before the excellent seat heaters kick-in. A feature which surprised and delighted me is the seat chiller. When the weather's warm, the seats can be cooled for extra driving comfort!

The climate control seems to do the job. Since setting it 20 degrees on the day I collected the car I haven't had to touch it since. The heated windscreen is good for clearing frost and keeping the screen from de-misting.

Another 'surprise-and-delight' feature is the excellent Sony stereo which plays MP3 files on CD, has a connection for an auxiliary MP3 player and connects to Bluetooth phones for hands-free calling. To make a call I simply press a button on the column-stalk and verbally tell it which number to dial. Answering a call is even easier - I just press the same button. The stereo automatically mutes the music and plays out the phone call through the cars speakers. Because Bluetooth is wireless the phone stays in my pocket or briefcase, so no fixing kit is required.

The car is only 3,500 miles old so it's too early to comment on reliability. The one glitch I had was an episode where the fuel gauge needle headed south for no apparent reason then went back to the correct reading within a minute.

I bought this Mondeo as an out-going model and as such was able to negotiate a hefty discount from the dealer. I was originally not keen to buy a new Mondeo because of the published depreciation figures (which are fairly severe) but these numbers are always relative to the list price, so if you get a decent percentage taken off to start with the depreciation suddenly comes to a lot less.

All in all I would say that the Mondeo is makes a great family car if you like lots of space, pace and goodies to play with. It also represents excellent value for money so for that I would happily recommend it.