Ford Mondeo Hatchback 2.0 LX 5d (00) (2001/51) Owner Review
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Economy
Value
A huge car for the money, and even the LX spec doesn't leave much out.
Costs
Bought at 2 years old when most of the depreciation had been knocked out of it. General running costs and insurance premiums are reasonable. Fuel consumption usually around 50mpg. Crippling engine failure counts against it.
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On the road
Driving
Steering is very solid and feels very agile on quick roads, if a bit heavy when pottering around town. Very reassuring when cornering or overtaking. Engine sounds harsh under acceleration at low speeds, but above 20-ish is barely noticeable.
Performance
So it's not an ST220, but considering this is the poverty spec diesel, it's plenty quick enough for motorways and brisk overtaking. No complaints at all.
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Living with it
Reliability
Good news and bad news: no problems at all, no rattles, squeaks or anything other than I had a terminal fuel pump failure at 60,000 miles, and had to have the car recovered. Cost around £1,000 to replace. Main dealers would have charged a lot more.
Image
Don't care about the badge, or the "mondeo-man" notion. Even after 5 years, I think it hasn't dated. Still looks sharp.
Comfort
Seats very firm (which suits me) - can sit in this car for 2-3 hours without feeling uncomfortable. The ride is sometimes a little too firm though.
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Security and Service
Security
There's an immobiliser, alarm, deadlocks, and you can setup the key to unlock only the driver's door on the first press. Not been broken into yet, so I suppose it's adequate.
Service
Not used main dealers with this car.
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Problems and Ownership
Problems
Engine
Sudden and total fuel pump failure left me stranded.
Other
Ownership
Did you buy the car new?
Used
Would you buy the same model again?
Yes
Did you buy from the same manufacturer again?
Yes