Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Titanium X Sport

RUN CHEAPER, SAFER, GREENER FLEETS

Our Fleet: Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi 163 Titanium X Sport

17/08/2011

August 2010

Review

It’s always exciting to pick up the keys to a new car, especially one where you’ve been allowed to choose some of its options.

And so the Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Titanium X Sport arrived at our offices with 36 miles on the clock.

It uses the recently upgraded 163bhp version of the 2.0-litre diesel engine and for the first time, the Mondeo has been made available with Ford’s PowerShift DSG-style transmission.

Bottom line is lower CO2 emissions than a conventional automatic, which is good news for drivers.

However, I noticed a fault with the car on delivery: the electrically operated driver’s seat would just move far enough forward for me to reach the pedals.

As someone else on the team would end up needing to drive the Mondeo at some point, it had to be rectified.

I made an appointment online to get it checked at the local Ford dealer, TC Harrison and soon after got an email asking to call to confirm a booking.

I assumed it would be checked and then I’d be told what needed doing and when, so I began to get a bit restless as close to an hour passed in the waiting area.

However, all seemed to be well then the receptionist told me the problem – a loose connection in a switch in the electric seat mechanism – had been solved.

Except when I returned to the car I discovered it was in exactly the same condition as when it was brought in – the seat would only just allow me to reach the pedals.

The technician took it away again and five minutes later it was fixed – a fault with the tracking. However, why did it take almost an hour to supposedly fix a non-existent problem, then just five minutes to fix the more obvious genuine problem?

An early complaint, then, but hopefully it won't take long for the Mondeo to banish this poor experience to the back of our minds.

Simon Harris
Deputy Editor

Simon.Harris@bauermedia.co.uk

Stats

P11D Price: £ 27,215

Benefit in kind: 22

Combined MPG: 50

CO2 Emission: 139

Graduate VED: n/a

On Sale Year: 2010

Engine Size: 163bhp

Transmission: Automatic

Number of Gears: 6

Residual Value
3 Years 60K: n/a
4 years 80K: £ 5,050

Running Cost (PPM)
3 Years 60K: -
4 Years 80K: -

Wholelife Costs
3 Years 60K: n/a
4 Years 80K: n/a

Running Costs

Cost

Looking at the list price the Mondeo seems expensive - with the few options we selected, it's higher than the least expensive BMW 520d. But it is loaded with kit, and a fleet customer buying outright is likely to see a substantial amount knocked off the official on-the-road price.
Comfort

There are few cars that could be better for covering high mileage than the Mondeo, although it would be even better if we'd chosen a lower equipment grade with smaller wheels. The Mondeo has plenty of interior space, and the heated/ventilated front seats we chose as options have been excellent additions for summer and winter.
Transmission

The Powershift gearbox is a dual-clutch manual that behaves like an automatic. Upshifts are usually seamless as the extra clutch always has the next gear ready. But it isn't as smooth as Volkswagen's similar DSG, and I think it should change up a few hundred rpm before it does. That would make the Mondeo more frugal.
Driver appeal

The Mondeo is still probably the most rewarding car to drive in its class. The steering is the main contact point for the driver with a car, and here it is first rate for feel and feedback. It performs the very different roles of comfortable motorway cruiser and enjoyable B-road companion better than any other large front-wheel drive car.