Used Ford Mondeo review: 2007-2013

Ford Mondeos are medium to large cars from Europe that have had an on-again off-again career in Australia. In its latest iteration, introduced in 2007, the Mondeo is almost in the Falcon class. There have been tentative suggestions that when the Aussie Falcon disappears in 2016 the Mondeo, by then in its next generation, could be rebadged as a Falcon.

The Ford Mondeo was originally sold in Australia from 1995 until 2002, but high prices and so-so marketing meant it didn't sell well, despite the fact it was a big success in Europe. It seems Australia just wasn't ready for a small family car.

The return of the Mondeo in October 2007 saw an all-new car that has had reasonable sales figures, though we can't help but feel that Ford Australia still didn't put its heart into it. We will concentrate on Mondeos from 2007 onwards in this article.

Being aimed at European buyers, the Ford Mondeo has excellent roadholding and handling. Its chassis dynamics appeals to the Australian family-car buyer who enjoys driving.

Ride comfort is good and even harsh bush roads don't upset the Mondeo overmuch, then again they're not as good as our homegrown Falcon. Similarly, interior noise on coarse-chip surfaces is noticeably higher than that in cars specifically designed for Australia.

Body types on the Mondeos being surveyed here were four-door sedan, five-door hatch and five-door station wagon until mid 2009 when the sedan was dropped. The reason being that the sedan and hatch were almost identical in profile so buyers had been opting for the added load carrying convenience offered by the hatchback.

Engine options for the Mondeo were originally a 2.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, a 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo-petrol in the XR6 Turbo, and a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. In July 2011 a highly efficient turbo-petrol unit displacing 2.0 litres replaced the naturally aspirated 2.0 petrol.

All standard models have a six-speed automatic transmission, with units sold from late 2010 having manual overrides to give added driver control. The high-performance model, the Ford Mondeo XR5 has the option of a six-speed manual gearbox, though most buyers opted for the convenience of the automatic.

Ford Mondeo is relatively easy for the home mechanic to work on, though some areas are quite complex, particularly the electronics, so are best left to professionals.

Ford has one of the largest dealer networks in Australia, so getting parts and servicing is generally easy, even in comparatively remote areas. Bits for the Mondeo may not be readily available in places far removed from metro areas, but can generally be shipped out within a couple of working days. Spare parts prices are about average for a vehicle in the imported European class.

With the exception of the high-performance Mondeo XR5, insurance generally falls into the lowest range and provided your driving and insurance records are good even the quick cars aren't overly priced.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

The engine should start pretty well straight away and idle smoothly the moment it fires up. Any unevenness in the engine under acceleration is a cause for concern as it could mean the Mondeo is due for a major overall, though it might just be a tuning problem.

Feel and listen for manual gearchanges that aren't smooth and quiet. Hard third-to-second changes are usually the first to play up. On an automatic the transmission shouldn't hold onto a lower gear for too long or hunt up and down unnecessarily through the ratios.

Check for crash repairs, most easily spotted by panels which don't quite fit or have a ripply finish. Also look for paint colours that don't quite match or for tiny spots of paint on unpainted surfaces.

Build quality isn't quite to Japanese standards so have a good look over the Mondeo's interior to make sure everything fits properly. During your test drive listen for squeaks and rattles that may mean the car has been used extensively on unmade roads.

CAR BUYING TIP

Most family cars have a reasonably easy life in the hands of drivers who care, company cars on the other hand may have been thrashed – that's the way of the world. Cars with big miles on the clock may fall into the latter category, but there's no sure way of knowing.