Do people miss the D-segmenter?
This year marks a decade since we were introduced to the new Ford Mondeo. We have known for some time what the car would look like, because except for a few details, it is the same car that was sold in America as the Ford Fusion. What we did not know in 2014 is that this Mondeo would be the last, because Ford is now following an SUV route in Europe. What do we miss about the old, trusted Mondeo? Owners and users share their experiences.
With the name ‘Mondeo’, Ford indicates that this is a world car. The brand is not talking about the qualities of the model, but is referring to its availability. And that’s right, because the Mondeo is virtually the same everywhere in the world. European production of the model came to an end in 2022. Anyone who really cannot live without a Mondeo will have to move to China from now on. The sedan is still delivered there under this name. In this article we look at the previous generation, which was delivered to you as a sedan, hatchback or station wagon.
This is how the Mondeo drives
We start driving for a change. After all, the Mondeo is a Ford and that brand has an image to uphold. “What is particularly striking is that the car gives you the feeling of walking on rails,” says the driver of a 2015 Mondeo 2.0 TDCi. “Changes in course, crosswinds, overtaking trucks or buses? The Mondeo doesn’t budge, which really gives a very nice and safe feeling!” The driver of a lighter diesel version agrees with this. “The Mondeo was ordered from the brochure, but steers as expected: willingly on winding roads, but also comfortable on poorer road surfaces or uneven surfaces. I cannot endorse reviews that the electric power steering makes it a lesser steering car. At most it feels a bit more light-footed at lower speeds.”
A third rider bought a young used ST-Line with 190 hp EcoBlue diesel and is not afraid to use it. “The Mondeo does not exactly ride smoothly on the 19-inch wheels and with the slightly stiffer, sporty setting of the ST-Line, but that honestly doesn’t bother me.” About use: “Despite the sporty setting, it remains a colossus on the track. This is especially noticeable during rides on the infamous Nordschleife of the Nürburgring.” Okay then!
Although the Nordschleife officially qualifies as a highway, few Mondeos will be found there. What about other routes? “I still experience it as a very pleasant car, which takes me from A to B very comfortably,” writes the owner of a hybrid Mondeo in luxurious Vignale trim. “Whether these are short stretches, where I drive about 50 percent of the journey electrically, or longer stretches of highway, it is simply a nice, quiet car.” Another Vignale driver: “The handling is wonderful. Very quiet and comfortable and, if you want, sharp and even sporty. A wonderful travel car both on the highway and in the city.”
Riders of less powerful versions paint a slightly different picture. The owner of a 1.5 EcoBoost: “It is not a real performance car in any respect. It drives easily through bends, but you do feel the 1450 kilos. He doesn’t challenge to really test the limits. In the city and in villages you also notice that there is a good weight. The Mondeo does not really feel comfortable here. On the highway, on the other hand, there is nothing more going on. I have never driven a car that was more comfortable.” The driver of a 1.5 diesel: “According to the scientists, Ford would always support the best chassis in its class. However, I have the feeling that the Mondeo is more focused on comfort than sportiness.”
Space for luggage and passengers
Well, now that we know how the Mondeo drives, we can talk about more practical matters. It is a large car, does that pay off in terms of space? “For me, the number one asset is the combination of interior space, travel comfort and silence,” says our TDCi driver. “It really is an ideal car to drive a lot of kilometers. There is also plenty of room for passengers in the front and back.” It is an opinion shared by the owner of a 240 hp Vignale sedan. “If I sit behind myself with 1.85 meters (long legs), I still have plenty of room!”, he says enthusiastically. A different rider provides different feedback. “Our passenger in the middle rear seat complained that it was hard and I personally think that the trunk is large, but difficult to access. That’s the price for the beauty of a sedan…”
Not only does driving a sedan require sacrifices, the hybrid Mondeo also compromises usability. “The space in the trunk is largely taken up by the batteries,” reports the driver of a Mondeo HEV Vignale. “I knew that in advance, but I was a bit wrong about it after using it in recent months. In concrete terms: the practical space in the trunk is very limited, especially considering the dimensions of the entire car.”
A third driver did not choose the sedan, but a hatchback. This significantly improves the loadability of the car. “As soon as the tailgate is opened fully electrically, a gaping hole is created where you would think that the rear seat is folded down, while the opposite is true,” he writes. It’s not just hosanna. “If you fold down the bench, it creates an annoyingly high threshold, which means that the large trunk is not very flat. Add to this the curve in the threshold where the lock plate is located and it becomes clear that the car was not directly designed as a van.” Are you wondering where the Wagon drivers are? They probably couldn’t find words for the trunk space at all.
Seating comfort
The Mondeo drives properly and the space is also good. When it comes to seating comfort, Ford scores again, because almost all reviewers have nice words for the furniture. “Now the chairs/the seat. This is really 90 percent of the reason I wanted a Mondeo,” writes the owner of a 1.5 EcoBoost Titanium. “The seat is great in my opinion! It is slightly sporty, because you really sit in a chair. The seats themselves are very comfortable. After 500 kilometers you get out without any physical fatigue.” The driver of a hybrid Mondeo in Titanium trim fully shares this opinion. “The seating comfort is simply wonderful,” he reports. “The armchairs remind me of ones in a French car. So after many kilometers you still get out of the car feeling refreshed.”
A third Titanium driver is more critical. “The seats are excellent and this car is equipped with the so-called ‘Comfort Seat 1-pack’, which means that the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable. The seat is good, but on long distances the seat seems a bit short and I occasionally miss some lateral support at the top of the backrest. But hey, this is of course a personal experience.”
Infotainment and controls
Naturally, the Mondeo is equipped with systems that make life on board easier. “Ford’s multimedia has greatly improved compared to the system I had in 2014,” says the driver of a 2018 Mondeo Titanium Lease Edition. “Now I have the Sync 3 system with the Sony sound system. He keys in much faster, Ford has really made progress there. However, the Volkswagen Group system is slightly easier to operate.” Most other drivers are also satisfied. “The operation of the instruments is excellent,” says the driver of a Vignale, also built in 2018. “All buttons and such are easy to find and operate. The touchscreen also works very well.”
The driver of a 2020 car is more critical. “If I had to look for a negative point (or two), they can be found in the Sync 3 system, which in my opinion is a bit on the slow side. It also sometimes has problems due to not recognizing my iPhone, which means that Apple CarPlay does not work. Rebooting the system will resolve this.” And the second issue? “Another point is the climate control, which sometimes malfunctions in automatic mode. But hey, that’s really searching to find a problem.”
Maintenance, malfunctions and irritations
The great thing about a car that has been on the market for longer is that any problems also come to light. Ford Mondeo owners also report malfunctions and challenges, and it is striking that there appear to be virtually no structural faults. The only problem that is reported more often concerns the EGR valve of the 2.0 TDCI diesel. The next rider first received a software update, but that offered no relief. “After 300 kilometers with the update, the same problem returned. When reading the update, the dealer had already indicated that the EGR valve probably needed to be replaced, so we took the car to the dealer again. After replacing the valve I have had no more problems.”
One driver had a lot of bad luck with his 2.0 TDCi. A large number of recurring error messages meant that he said goodbye to the car after just twelve weeks. “Honestly: it was just a Monday morning car,” he reports. “It remains a beautiful car, excellent travel comfort, affordable, etc. Just had some bad luck. On to the new Mondeo.”
Despite the bad luck, this driver was convinced of the Mondeo and decided to give the model a second chance. A choice that other satisfied Mondeo drivers no longer have. And that, if their experiences are anything to go by, is a bit of a shame.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl