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Owner Review

2011 Ford Mondeo Review

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It does what it does & does it well – 2011 Ford Mondeo LX Wagon TDI

At first it was very hard to admit owning a Ford Mondeo Diesel wagon, the UK's salesman car of choice. I am a car guy. I navigate in rally cars, do track days and spend a lot of time “playing cars”. However, I am now proud to say “the Mondeo” and I would highly recommend others give it a closer look. Strictly speaking it's my fiancée's car, so maybe I still have some street cred?

So why a Ford Mondeo diesel wagon?

Traditionally, I have bought cars that are best rated in smiles per hour, emotions per kilometre but let's face it these are not usually ideal for every day and practical family life.

In short the decision for this car was in the hands of a spreadsheet driven by lots of analysis instead of desires.

We needed a car that can sip diesel, pump out kilometres day in day out and make journeys effortless.

We “love” clocking up the kilometres. We live in Coastal Victoria, over an hour away from the social network and CBD. Is it me or is there a child's birthday party, you must attend, nowhere near your principle residence 52 weekends a year?

Being a young family our budget was fairly tight. The search was on!

Used with low km's, cheap, reliable, economical, safe, big enough for an expanding family and oh did I mention cheap and economical? Well the non-emotional analyst was like the cookie monster with a tin of freshly baked cookies; every stat of our chosen shortlist, dimension and factor was placed within a weighted avg. scorecard. The more cookies that got consumed the more the diesel Mondeo started to hit the mark.

Swallowing some pride, but safe in “the spreadsheet” we made the ex-fleet car purchase. A 2011 Ford Mondeo Diesel LX Wagon with 83,000kms, driven away with a 3 year warranty. We have travelled more than 30,000kms since and my frown is upside-down. The analyst was right about almost everything, it was cheap, it is very reliable, it averages 6.6L/100km @ around 1060kms per 70L tank yet the one important factor that he missed was the satisfaction smiles, pleasure and ease.

There is just something about a car “that just does what it says on the tin”, pumping out kilometres with no hassles, we can get to places so easily maybe this a car is a memories per kilometre car?

While classified as a medium car, it's really a large car it has 1600kg towing capacity (in diesel form) and very similar dimensions to the Commodore wagon and effectively replaces the Falcon wagon. You really only notice its big when you can easily fit 5 adults with airport luggage and when parking. Parking sensors certainly help.

The 2.0L Duratorq (turbo diesel) produces 120Kw and 320Nm with the power distributed to the front wheels through a double clutch automatic. The auto box is a bit reluctant to kick down gears when slowing meaning there is a little hesitation when you exit a corner or accelerate again while rolling under 40kph. That being said is still an amazingly smooth gearbox that makes the most of the low down torque and has probably been designed to squeeze every bit of economy from the big chassis.

It's not a fast car initially (possibly traction controlled) but once moving things become more rapid. The torque means hills are not noticeable and it preforms relatively well in critical overtaking. Handling and ride comfort is in line with its European and Japanese rivals and it effortlessly eats kilometres.

Another unexpected factor since buying is the fiancée's love for the car. She washes it herself!! I know!! Proper washing it herself and not the normal, pay the cash wash while having a coffee scenario! She also wanted to know how to change a tyre and put air in the tyres and I have caught her talking to it while driving “come on baby, its ok” etc. Excuse my French but what!

Every time we pass another diesel Mondeo I almost wave, because I assume they are pretty stoked with their car choice too – it's almost a car thing. It's a diesel Mondeo, two words in Australia not normal associated with pleasure. Don't be afraid thousands of UK sales reps wouldn't lie! It doesn't lie, it does what it says on the tin.

Concentrate on the road, see you out there.