The famous 'Why We Don't all Drive Mondeo's' thread...

[5lab]

Relative values it is. Mondeo's good value for money, but others rate desirability over value. I'd consider one, but they're bigger than I need and the mpg wasn't as good as I liked. If I needed a bigger car mondeo would probably be my first choice. But I'm a cheapskate

my diesel will do 10p/mile all day, but if you dont want a deesil (its not the best), then you're better off getting something else..

[Konan555]

my diesel will do 10p/mile all day, but if you dont want a deesil (its not the best), then you're better off getting something else..

As a load lugger challenger then - my Petrol will do 10p miles without fuss aswell The bonuses of having no crash protection whatsoever.

[just_laze]

The reason i don't drive a Mondeo, they're not jap and they're slow :-P

[5lab]

As a load lugger challenger then - my Petrol will do 10p miles without fuss aswell The bonuses of having no crash protection whatsoever.

hehe

its not just that it *can* do 10p miles, it does them on average - i've had 600 miles out of a tank a couple of times (£49 to fill her), but that was driving carefully.. besides, you dont have a cat to compete with (bane of the modern car's life..)

[dangel]

...because life's too short to waste it dull cars?

Seriously tho, nothing against them - they're comfortable and a nice drive for the market they're aimed at. Have them on rental along with vectras a fair bit when working abroad, athough i always prefer a merc for the autobahns

But they're just not exciting in any shape or form..

[Konan555]

hehe

its not just that it *can* do 10p miles, it does them on average - I've had 600 miles out of a tank a couple of times (£49 to fill her), but that was driving carefully.. besides, you don't have a cat to compete with (bane of the modern car's life..)

I've got one of the late ones with a two way catalytic sitting in the exhaust. The bonus there is, it means I've got a closed loop fueling system which, with age, actually helps the mpg a bit. Should the cat die, I can just shove a non-cat exhaust on and no MOT station will quibble it.

No, I can't really compete with TD economy overall (especially if it involves a town) but I do average about 11p to 12p miles on my normal journeys and recon I could get a good shot at it sitting on the motorway. Weighs about the same as a polo TDi.

Space is the other big load lugging thing. The MK1/2 mondy estate actually has more room in the boot than a granada volume wise. Although not quite as good at just swallowing awkward loads. The Downside of the big open flat boots, is you have to strap everything down to avoid putting the back window out http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...estateload.jpg

[Fox]

I guess I'm kinda obliged to reply to this, so hear goes

1. Because they're not great cars

On the contrary, they *are* great cars. They are very under-rated cars - they are very reliable, they are very well equipped, they are actually suprisingly fun to drive due to the brilliant chassis which provides the car with class leading dynamics, and there is a decent range of engines to suit most peoples tastes. Plus, they are cheap to run. They *are* great cars.

I can't think of a better car for a student like myself (Well, not for under £4k). It ticks all the boxes - mine looks sporty with the alloys and bodykit, has loads of toys to play with, doesn't break down, doesn't cost a fortune to run, is pretty quick for what it is, handles pretty well - it's basically like a Focus, or a Clio, or a Punto, but it costs less, goes quicker, is more comfortable, and arguably (but we'll be here all day if we start that) looks better with the skirts etc.

2. Because they're too big for some

Granted, but, they are not actually THAT big. People perceive them to be big, and say 'I don't need a big car' and then promptly go and spend extra money on less car. It's a bit, odd.

3. Because they're simply not 'desirable' - that's why they're cheap

Exactly, so why not take advantage of the general publics prejudice? Lets face it, old Golfs, Astras and Focus's are not exactly Aston Martin Db9's either, are they? They are all mass market, mass produced cars.

4. Because 'I drive a Mondeo' says 'I don't care too much for cars'

To you, perhaps. I like to think my Mondeo does say 'I care lots for cars' - it's clean, its well kept, it's tastefully modified and it looks reasonably sporty. It certainly says at least as much as a Volkswagen Golf, which itself is hardly an Impreza Turbo, is it?

Ford is not a prestige badge. It's not a badge that'll impress anyone. But come on guys, dont you think its funny that the people who constantly remind us about this drive stuff thats equally as mundane? Renault, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Vauxhall, Honda - none of these are going to snap knicker elastic at 20 paces are they? None of them are cool, are they? They are all mass market, high volume manufacturers selling bags of cars to...... company car drivers, among others.

There is nothing you can buy for the same sort of money as a good Mk2 Mondy that has noticeably more class. An old Audi? It's just that - an old Audi. A pikey prestige car - N reg A4 1.6's fill council estates everywhere (as do Mondeos), has no more kudos than a Ford. A 318? Yea, nothing screams 'I wish I could afford a BMW' like one of those.

To get something thats properly flash - noticeably more so than a Mondeo - you need to spend proper money. You might think random strangers are impressed with your Golf TDI - but they are not. They probably notice is just as infrequently as they notice my Mondeo. It's no more cool, its no more hip and its no more happening.

I don't give a stuff what badge is on a car until I start spending proper money. In the sub £5k market, badge does not matter. Sure, when spending £10k, £15k, £25k, etc etc badge becomes more and more of a concern, even for me, but we are talking CHEAP CARS here guys.

5. Because not so long ago both my parents had one...

Personally I'd take that as a glowing recommendation..

Granted, the Mondeo does exactly what it says on the tin. They make a lot of sense for a lot of people, because they're not a bad car. But everytime someone asks 'what do people think of 'xxx' for my next car, EVERY thread becomes a debate about why the Mondeo, - being cheaper AND bigger, would make a better buy. Well guess what - poeple are prepared to spend more AND get less, if it involves buying the cars they want, not Mondeos. Shocking.

Actually, what happens is somebody will ask about a car. I will offer MY PERSONAL OPINION on what car could be worth considering and, more often than not, it's a Mondeo. I'd not own one myself if I thought they were crap. It's a simple recommendation becuase most people do not even consider them - I know of a number of people who would not have dreamed of even thinking Mondeo, had it suggeted to them, had a look, and bought one. If they like the recommendation, great, if they don't like it, move on to the next recommendation.

BUT...

The threads derail when the typical crew arrive with 'OMFG LOLZ MONDEOS TEH SUX' and 'My dog had one' and 'OMG U SALES REP' (I find this one particularly funny given that every day, 400,000 VW Golfs with identical filthy rear windscreens and leasing company plates pound the outside lane of our Motorways', and then, debate ensues. They can't leave the recommendation as just that - a recommendation - they need to start a big 'omg the mondeo sucks becuase its big' rant.

Everyone is different and everyone has different opinions and it remains my opinion that paying often THOUSANDS of pounds more money for a car SIMPLY becuase you 'dont need the space' of the larger car is daft.

I am a full time student. I do NOT need space - but the space with the Mondeo was free, so its all good. I don't get a fine if the boot remains empty. I don't feel compelled to fill it with carpet shampoo. It just sits there... empty.

My next car will be a BMW 5 Series. Do I need the ability to seat 4 adults in complete comfort? No. Do I need a large and comodious boot? No. Do I need a very spacious interior with lots of storage? No.

Do I want a RWD car with a great interior, bags of kit, fantastic handling, plenty of class and 50/50 weight distrubution all powered by a silky smooth Straight Six? Yes - who gives a damn if it also comes bundled with a load of space I don't want, I'm not paying a premium for that space.

At the end of the day all I do is offer my opinions - it's neither my fault nor my problem if everyone else interprets that as an opportunity to have a go at Ford. Yes I recommend a car I own, but why do I own it? Becuase it's actually a bit rubbish, I liked a load of other cars better but got it cheap? Nope - I bought it becuase I tested everything in the class, found it to be by far the best, and bought it. If there was a better car for the same money, I'd own that instead.

[Konan555]

Well, in the spirit of the title..... why I don't drive a mondeo.

A decent example of a mondeo costs more than I would want to spend on a car right now. The mondeo lacks any real selling points to me to justify spending out. All it represents is a newer car. I'd rather spend the time looking after an older car right now.

I find them a somewhat cumbersome drive. The 4 pots, like a lot of early multivalve engines, are a little flat unless poked hard and 6 pots feel like they're dealing out a bit to much power for the car underneath. The Endura-D belonged back in the 80s .I've not tried an ST badged one, but then we're getting back to point of the cost again. Maybe class leading handling, but being better than a vectra, rover, passat and 405/406 etc etc isn't anything to shout about in particular.

No proper 4x4 system to tempt me. But then there's only one alternative car to offer it anyway, so it's not so much a down point on the mondeo as on FWD layout cars in general.

They're fairly reliable and parts are cheaply avaliable, but not so cheap and easy to self service as I like. By NO MEANS are they difficult in comparison to some cars around.

Just a very rough layout of why I'd not personally consider a mondeo. However, it doesn't speak badly of the mondeo as the above reasons apply to so many other cars. And a lot of them I can think of FAR worse things to say about.

[herbert_goon]

Fox how on earth can you have even a Mondeo as a student? When I was at uni I had £35 a week to live off...aye...back in the day....blah blah....

I have never driven a Mondeo, but I did used to have an Orion 1.6L in the mandatory metallic blue. The wheels were so thin it screeched "professionals style" around west sussex's country roads, *but* it would do 80 in 3rd which is the beans when you are in your early 20's. I paid £1100 for it and 18 months later got £900 for a part exchange which isn't bad...

[kalniel]

my diesel will do 10p/mile all day, but if you dont want a deesil (its not the best), then you're better off getting something else..

I do want a diesel, so I went for the astra diesel (izuzu lump) which returned better mpg and performance than the mondeo tds in the same price range (low ) plus size/feel considerations. But as I said if I wanted a larger car I'd probably get a mondeo if I'm in the same financial situation.

[Fox]

Fox how on earth can you have even a Mondeo as a student? When I was at uni I had £35 a week to live off...aye...back in the day....blah blah....

Becuase it really isn't that expensive to run, the only expensive thing about running it is the tyres at £85 each. It's reliable, comfortable, enjoyable, fun to drive and decent looking transport too and from lectures. The girls like the leather seats as well

[Konan555]

I had the V6 with me for a bit whilst I was supposed to be doing the student thing.

Helped me save the environment, because I couldn't afford to start it

[Howard]

The reason some people don't like big cars Fox, is because they feel more comfortable driving something smaller. It's easier to park and get around town in.

I however, like bigger cars. More comfortable ride than a small little hatchback, more class usually and just more space to "spread out". I rarely use the fairly big boot in my Megane but it's nice to know it's there if I need to fill it with computers

[J4MES]

...stuff about how great Mondeos are...

Dude, you need to get out more... that's a long defence, of a Mondeo... !!

The BMW 5 is a great car. ish. No, the M5 is great car, the 5-series is really good. But the Mondeo... great? Nope, not in my books. Good will suffice.

And 'chicks dig the leather seats' - I'll quote a good friend of mine

'you can't polish a turd'

[herulach]

Becuase it really isn't that expensive to run, the only expensive thing about running it is the tyres at £85 each. It's reliable, comfortable, enjoyable, fun to drive and decent looking transport too and from lectures. The girls like the leather seats as well

If they like the seats then their skirts are too long.

Personally i think theyre ok. Thats it, ill probably go drive one when im looking for a new car in about 6 months, but id prefer something a bit more entertaing (alfa basically, ive had my heart set on one for about 3 years, i dont care how crap they are, i need something with those wheels, the ones that look like biohazard signs ish.)

[schmunk]

i need something with those wheels, the ones that look like biohazard signs ish.)

These?