Ford MONDEO
June Neary discovers just how comfortable a car can be, as she tries out the latest
Ford Mondeo.
I've always thought the Mondeo rather staid. I need a practical car, but I like something with a bit of class. I've tended to prefer a hatchback model, too. With the latest version, I wondered whether such pre-conceptions much be in for a change after a week behind the wheel of the Mondeo in plush 2.0 GhiaX form. Even before I turned on the engine I felt cosseted.
The adjustable lumbar supports on the front seats are, in my view, a masterpiece of design. They hug you in - and if you've been sitting at a PC all day, as I often do, you'll soon feel the tension in your back ease away. Yes, it would suit me very well indeed - and not just because it's comfortable to sit in.
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Despite my ill-founded prejudice against the range, I have to admit that the latest Mondeo, even in standard form, offers a good all-round family package. It's roomy inside, with a sensible boot. The interior could be more cheerful, right enough - the black dashboard and darkish grey, flecked upholstery in the car I drove was rather sombre, but it would certainly hide any sticky fingerprints. The dashboard is laid out well enough and the new silver-finished interior an improvement. Flicking the switches and checking the quality of fit and finish, I was surprised to find how close the cabin now is to that youd find in a
BMW or an
Audi.
And it has all of the same gadgets, niceties and safety standards. Not that the new Mondeo looks big from the outside or feels it behind the wheel. Despite the extra 150mm in length (and a huge 500-litre boot), the latest model shrinks around you, much like an Audi A4 or a BMW 3 Series.
The stubby little levers for indicators and windscreen wipers were reminiscent of an old favourite, an Escort XR3 I drove years ago. Very cute and fairly easy to operate, although I could have done with slightly larger hands to reach them really comfortably. The gears are well situated and smooth to operate too. Even though the car I tried was a 2.
0-litre rather than the top flight V6, it seemed well up to the job. The car itself will, I believe, appeal to a lot of women who like a challenging drive as well as a something looks good. Use the traction control, though. I'd no idea what it would do, but it stopped the car scrubbing all its power away in disconcertingly wheelspin when trying to get out of T-junctions in the rain. An orange light on the dashboard tells you that it's on (though you can switch it off but why?). Though the 2.0-litre version tested here is not generally recognised as a performance saloon, nought to sixty in 9.8s seconds means that this is still a fairly fast car.
Its top speed, after all, is 134mph, which is as quick as I'll ever need. On to safety, an area in which the old car was beginning to struggle. Now, theres ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, a collapsible pedal structure that stops you injuring your legs in a front-end impact, anti-whiplash head restraints, and ISOFix child
seat points in every model. The twin front airbags analyse the severity of a crash and deploy accordingly and can detect if theres a passenger in the front seat (in which case, that airbag wont go off).
Side airbags are also standard of course as are side curtain airbags, which offer protection from side impacts along the whole length of the passenger compartment. Options include Brake Assist (for maximum emergency braking) and the option of ESP (an Electronic Stability Programme) that automatically brakes and throttles back should you enter a corner too fast. Security precautions have been equally thorough, with reformed thieves trying and failing to break into the car during development. Theres even a lock on the bonnet to prevent the light-fingered getting to your electrics (why has no one else thought of that?).
Equipment levels across the range include most of what you would expect air conditioning, front electric windows, a decent quality stereo and so on. Theres plenty of stowage space around the cabin too, with perfectly-shaped homes for items like window squeeges, atlases, drinks cans, tapes, CDs, owners manuals and mobile phones. Notable options include a facia-mounted CD autochanger and a DVD video system with screens mounted in the back of the front head rests: with films or linked to a PlayStation, that should keep the kids quiet on long journeys. If you can do without the Ghia tinsel, then the entry-level Mondeo 1.8i LX four-door model can be yours for £15,585. Stretch to the 2.
0i GhiaX that I tried and youll pay £20,480 in saloon form.
If I were choosing from the usual company car options list, Id find it hard to look beyond the latest Mondeo. It does everything I need a car to do, and a lot more besides. Then there's that welcoming hug every time you climb in...
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