Category: Large Family 
Price Range: No data available
Refinement, safety, comfort and dynamic ability
Lack of rear stowage, potential for massive depreciation
An extremely good car, let down only by minor niggles and the workaday nature of the market sector in which it competes
This Mondeo was introduced in the autumn of 2000 to much acclaim. Offering loads of interior room, plus a higher quality interior than ever before, it meets all the necessary criteria to succeed as a large family car. That it's also great to drive and extremely refined is even better news. In fact, the few factors running against the Mondeo are that it wears the humdrum Ford badge and it sits right in the middle of one of the dullest (though one of the most competitive) market segments there is - the fleet-biased large family sector. Punters with their own money are increasingly swaying towards more interesting 'lifestyle'-biased vehicles, such as the Honda CR-V and Renault Scenic, which are also less likely to depreciate as heavily as the Mondeo.
The Mondeo has been freshened up for 2004 with more than 1500 new parts; many of the improvements have been made to move the Mondeo upmarket with features such as heated and ventilated seats on higher-spec models, automatic lights and wipers and improved audio systems from Sony.
The Mondeo's line-up consists of 1.8-litre to 2.5 V6 petrol-engined models, as well as the latest 2.0 TDCi diesels. A 3.0 V6 high-performance ST220 variant is reviewed separately. A direct-injection 1.8 SCi joins the range from 2004, but only on the top two trim levels; these SCi versions are also reviewed separately. Trim levels vary from basic LX to the more lavish Ghia X. Zetec models offer a good compromise between comfort, a sporty specification and value-for-money; watch out also for the limited-run, special-edition models that Ford offers from time to time, which usually pack in an attractive amount of kit for the cash.
