Renault Talisman, Ford Mondeo or a Skoda Octavia
After last week’s premium carts (Alfa Romeo MiTo, Audi A1, DS 3), we are taking a more down-to-earth approach this time. We are looking for a large station wagon in which the whole family plus luggage has plenty of room. Bearing in mind the rising electricity prices, that may well be an economical diesel. Such a torque-rich auto-igniter is ideal for this kind of comfortable mileage eaters – especially if a large caravan has to be hooked. The budget is 14,000 euros.
More and more brands are saying goodbye to diesel, but there is still plenty of choice in the used car world. Just about all brands – from budget to premium, from comfortable to sporty and from Europe to the Far East – had (or in some cases have) one or more diesel station wagons in their program. We opted for a sports enthusiast, a comfortable four-wheeler and a down-to-earth pack mule, but feel free to draw your own plan! Plenty of choice, but do calculate in advance whether a diesel is also financially feasible: the turning point will be around 20,000 kilometers per year.
Ford Mondeo Wagon 1.5 TDCI Trend Lease Edition – 2017 – 145,946 kilometers – €12,745
Ford has been known for years for its above-average good handling cars. Would that also apply to this Ford Mondeo Wagon with a fairly modest machine in the front for that 1,415 kilo car? Technically sure. There is a pleasant balance between sportiness and comfort, even in faster corners. In addition, the driver is delighted because of the beautiful direct response of the car to steering commands. The passengers get little of this, in the sense that comfort does not suffer from that dynamic. Fine!
120 hp and pulling this station wagon is almost not allowed
You do notice that the chassis is built for more than the 120 horses present. Over time, this can lead to a ‘wanting to, but not being able to’ feeling. The towing capacities certainly do: only 400 kilos are allowed on the hook, far removed from the 1.5 tons of the Skoda or even 1,850 kilos of the Renault! Strange, because on engine power (hp’s and Newton meters) the Mondeo is the most powerful. In terms of performance and diesel consumption, it is therefore not out of the ordinary.
Ford Mondeo: just throw in 855 kilos!
But this station wagon can load a lot
Plaster on the wound: on board you can take no less than 855 kilos (Talisman: 671 kilos, the Octavia is one kilo less). Enough to fill the 525 to 1,630 liter luggage compartment, but a caravan does not fit in there … Of these three used cars, the Mondeo has the largest dimensions, in terms of interior space, the width is particularly striking in a positive sense. If you want even more space, look for a Skoda Superb Combi. Two previous owners have driven less than 150,000 kilometers in the past six years – certainly profitable for a diesel. The interior looks neat, but a bit busy and not really high-quality or modern. That is the equipment in a sense: there is a parking machine. Despite a twelve-year body warranty, a Ford wants to show a rust spot sooner. The twelve-month Bovag warranty granted on this (in terms of paint color) typical representative car is therefore perhaps not an unnecessary luxury.
Signaling
Brand Ford
TypeMondeo Wagon 1.5 TDCI Trend Lease Edition
Construction year February 2017
Mileage 145,946
Asking price €12,745
Where to buy? Garage Van der Veen, Heerenveen
Technical data
Engine 4-cyl. in-line, 1,499 cc, turbo
max. assets 88 kW/120 hp at 3,600 rpm
max. couple 270 Nm at 1,750 rpm
Luggage room 525 l/1,630 l
max. trailer braked 400 kilos
Avg. consumption 1 in 26.3
0-100km/h 11.9s
Top speed 187 km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Renault Talisman Estate dCi 110 Zen – 2017 – 140,683 kilometers – €13,990
This Renault Talisman Estate also comes with a one-year Bovag warranty, but it may not be necessary to claim it. After the rather disastrous Laguna II, the III was already much more reliable. However, that name was contaminated, so the success – unjustly – failed to materialize, so that Renault chose its successor ‘Talisman’ as the model name.
Talisman did not bring good luck
But this car was also not a good luck charm. It was and is not the car: it looks nice and thick and modern, thanks to ‘our’ Laurens van den Acker. Our model has less experience in terms of age and mileage than the Mondeo. That and the decoration will explain the extra price. The interior looks beautiful and distinguished. Nice materials, good fits. Tastes differ, but the Talisman interior feels richer, more modern than the Mondeo cabin. However, the approach is different: comfort is paramount here.
This station wagon offers the most luxury
The equipment designation Zen says it all: this occasion wants to pamper its occupants during the journey. It shares some things with the Mondeo, others with the Octavia. Added up, the Talisman turns out to be the most luxurious. The excellent furniture contributes to the comfort, with the seats unfortunately being just too short. If we take the tape measure, then the Talisman offers the most space in the front, the least in the back. All the way in the back can take 572 to 1,681 liters of luggage plus – we already mentioned it – a large trailer. Remarkable, because the 110 hp block is the smallest of these three. Like the German, it is of the common rail type and therefore sounds a bit more cultivated than the Czech, which is equipped with direct injection. In terms of performance and consumption, the three differ little from each other, where you will rarely achieve the stated 1 in 27 of the Talisman in practice. However, above 1 in 20 is achievable and that shows the enormous progress in the diesel field – compare it with the Out of the box article on our website!
Signaling
Brand Renault
TypeTalisman Estate dCi 110 Zen
Construction year August 2017
Mileage 140,683
Asking price €13,990
Where to buy? Car company Iwan Hegeman, Bemmel
Technical data
Engine 4-cyl. in-line, 1,461 cc, turbo
max. assets 81 kW/110 hp at 4,000 rpm
max. couple 250 Nm at 1,750 rpm
Luggage room 572 l / 1,681 l
max. trailer braked 1,850 kilograms
Avg. consumption 1 in 27.0
0-100km/h 12.2s
Top speed 190km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Skoda Octavia Combi 1.6 TDI Greentech Ambition Businessline – 2014 – 89,724 kilometers – €13,450
A Mondeo too dynamic and a Talisman too sumptuous? In the middle of this spectrum we encounter the down-to-earth Skoda Octavia Combi. Loved by the Dutch because of its no-nonsense character and value for money. Because for less money you can drive a car based on the smaller Volkswagen Golf! The Octavia is therefore sometimes classified in the compact middle class (C-segment), but in many cases it is little less than the middle class (= D-segment).
This station wagon is shorter but has enormous luggage space
Well, the Combi is 20 centimeters shorter than its opponents today, with no less than 610 to 1,740 liters, the luggage compartment is a real ballroom. That space is at the expense of the passenger compartment, but it is by no means cramped. However, this Skoda Octavia Combi weighs almost 200 kilos less and that saves operating costs! The occasion portrayed is on the one hand three years older, but on the other hand has half a ton less experience.
Diesel powerful and economical but makes a lot of noise
Under the hood we find a direct injection diesel block. Advantage: maximum power and torque are released at – even – lower speeds. Disadvantage: it is slightly more present. The budget shows the decoration: the materials are neat, the build quality is good, but functional rather than rich or frivolous. The operation of the gearbox and clutch is also slightly less refined, while the seats are not of Renault level. On the road, the Octavia is good-natured. Not particularly dynamic or soft, but good-natured, confidence-inspiring, neatly coloring within the lines. Given the mileage and weight, we suspect that this occasion makes the smallest selection from the household pot every month. In return, you lack the sparkling of the Mondeo or the richness of the Renault or more generally: a bit of refinement. In terms of space use and engine performance, the Skoda is not inferior to the other two. Simply clever!
Signaling
Brand Skoda
TypeOctavia Combi 1.6 TDI Greentech Ambition Businessline
Construction year January 2014
Mileage 89,724
Asking price €13,450
Where to buy? Car company G. Kuijpers, Ravenstein
Technical data
Engine 4-cyl. in-line, 1,598 cc, turbo
max. assets 77 kW/105 hp at 3,000 rpm
max. couple 250 Nm at 1,500 rpm
Luggage room 610 l/1,740 l
max. trailer braked 1,500 kilograms
Avg. consumption 1 in 26.3
0-100km/h 11.0 sec
Top speed 191 km/h
All data according to factory specifications
Which spacious diesel is right for you?
In summary: the Mondeo is the most dynamic of this trio, but the chassis actually deserves a more powerful engine to make the most of its possibilities. The Talisman is rather underrated. That makes the price/performance ratio interesting now, but what does it do later when it is traded in, also because it is a diesel? The Octavia lacks some refinement compared to the other two, but is expected to be the cheapest to drive. What’s your choice?
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl