2015 Ford Mondeo Trend diesel wagon - Carsguide review

[Silver Ghia]

Now that Ford has earmarked the demise of the Falcon toward the end of next year, they are relying on the Mondeo to fill that market segment. The Mondeo wagon has already replaced the Falcon wagon for some years now.

So wouldn't you think that Ford would be making sure the new Mondeo is of the highest standard, improving on the previous model, to gain as much of that market as possible?

http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-revi...4#.VXpJhfmqqko

By Paul Gover.

The Ford Mondeo is big news. As the Falcon continues its wither-and-die trajectory, the mid-sizer is the new family ambassador and one of the company's best bets — along with the Mustang due in November — for a place in this year's Carsguide Car of the Year run-off.

Except it's not. The new Mondeo has lost its mojo, something reflected in everything from lacklustre suspension to panel fits as bad as anything I've seen in the past decade.

The cabin is roomy, there is lots of technology and efficiency

The Mondeo looks good — no, great — on paper. The cabin is roomy, there is lots of technology and efficiency, there are even airbags on the seat belts for the rear bench.

So I'm smiling as I collect a Mondeo wagon with the efficient 2.0-litre turbo diesel, knowing that the few niggles from the previous car (mostly an overly-fussy dashboard) have been fixed.

Then I go to the back of the Mondeo wagon, and ... well, I'm horrified.

The fit of the rear door is plain awful, out of alignment in every plane, and I wonder what it says about the rest of the assembly work at Ford's factory at Valencia in Spain. I expect this sort of thing on a Chery after a lousy experience with the Chinese baby but not from a 21st-century Ford.

My guard is up now as I hit the road and it's not long before I hear more warning bells.

The steering seems wonky, as if it's got too much toe-in or inconsistent electric power assistance, and I find the car wobbling through corners as I adjust to the strange feel.

Then I hit a few corners and there is lateral pitching that's totally unlike any earlier Mondeo. It absorbs speed humps without a trace of drama yet it jerks and pitches over any undulations in corners.

I could almost imagine I'm driving a car with suspension set up for US roads, not the European settings we usually get in Australia, but adding the suspension to the panel fit really has me worried.

So, let's turn to the good stuff instead. The new Mondeo looks good, nicely tough in the body in a class where the Japanese and Korean cars are gentle on the eyes.

The dash layout is great with a giant infotainment screen and the promise of Sync2 connectivity with voice control for the telephone, aircon, music system and a lot more. The fiddly little switches of the previous car are toast.

There's plenty of go in the diesel

The seats are comfortable, there is great legroom in the back and I like the space and flexibility in the boot, with classy-looking tie-downs and rails.

There's plenty of go in the diesel, channelled via the six-speed Powershift auto that slurs seamlessly but can also be switched to a manual mode for a bit of fun or extra overtaking urge. Anything with 400Nm of torque is going to be strong and the wagon's tow rating is 1600kg.

It's also a quiet and efficient combination. There are few audible hints that there's a diesel in the engine bay, thanks to extra sound proofing, and there are long gaps between stops at the fuel pumps.

The engine stop-start tech works well.

On the safety front, the rear seat belt airbag is impressive — although hard for my five-year-old to use. The rest of the package is equally good, including auto safety braking with the capacity to detect pedestrians.

I'm less impressed by the instruments, which seem a bit small and busy for me. A digital speedometer is missing, something that grates in a country riddled with low-tolerance speed cameras.

As I spend more time with the Mondeo I'm thinking about its rivals and how it rates against them. It's definitely not as good as a Mazda6 and, unfortunately for Ford, I'd put my test car behind the mid-sized Koreans and also the latest Skoda Octavia.

VERDICT

I came to the new Mondeo with high hopes and a smile but took away The Tick ... and a frown. I can't see it making the COTY shortlist for 2015.

Ford Modeo Trend diesel wagon
Price: from $43,340
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km
Capped servicing: Yes
Service interval: 12 months/15,000km
Resale: 48 per cent
Safety: ANCAP
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel, 132kW/400Nm
Transmission: 6-speed auto; FWD
Thirst: 5.3L/100km
Dimensions: 4867mm (L), 1852mm (W), 1501mm (H), 2850mm (WB)
Weight: 1705kg
Spare: space-saver

Since having driven a Mondeo wagon for the first time in England in 2000, I have held a high regard for the Mondeo. Ford has made a gross error in supplying this test car as presented for such an important road test report, that will now be difficult to rectify. Why Ford would supply a car like this is beyond me and is a great embarrassment, concern, and disappointing. To me it shows the incompetency of the concerned people within Ford, who appear to be working without any passion and/or realisation of what is necessary to bring a quality car befitting the market requirements here in Australia.

[SumoDog68]

As if journalist would know anything about car assembly or panel aligment :-) he has just heard those words mentioned somewhere ...

[Silver Ghia]

Well, I thought that too, but viewing the photo there are huge gaps there, and there are other shortcomings as well.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

As if journalist would know anything about car assembly or panel aligment :-) he has just heard those words mentioned somewhere ...

Not hard to identify poor alignment really, visually or even with a ruler.

[SumoDog68]

Might be a preproduction car ? It is very rare that I read about bad panel fit in car reviews so it is a highly unusual situation . One would think that manufacturer would send a top example of the car for review (some even claim that some manufacturers even have special "press" tune for best performance) .

[Franco Cozzo]

It has the same engine as my Focus so I'm wondering what they're doing to get 132KW/400NM from it from the dealership floor (29KW/80NM up on my Focus).

I wouldn't mind taking a peek under the bonnet to see if anything is different vs mine as they're literally the same engine.

[Binny]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

It has the same engine as my Focus so I'm wondering what they're doing to get 132KW/400NM from it from the dealership floor (29KW/80NM up on my Focus).

I wouldn't mind taking a peek under the bonnet to see if anything is different vs mine as they're literally the same engine.

Even the 120kw/340Nm version had a lot of changes from yours. A lot of people think the 120 (or 163hp as its known in the UK) is the same engine with a different ECU tune. But it has the following changes and more.
"Next-generation combustion system design with a lower compression ratio, increased combustion chamber diameter and reduced swirl
New higher-pressure common-rail fuel injection systems with advanced multi-hole injectors
Smaller, low-inertia variable-geometry turbochargers"

Having owned both 100 and 120kW versions, the 120 is more responsive with less lag and makes its maximum torque sooner.

I would image the new one has a similar amount of updates.

[Focused]

Quality journalism there - the exterior photos are all of Titaniums... At least they got the interior right...

[XR Martin]

Ive seen equally bad alignment on dozens of Camry/Aurion boot lids, yet never seen a reviewer mention it. A few were so bad you could fit your fingers in the gap on one side.
Also the same goes for Cruzes and Elantras.

[DFB FGXR6]

Article written by Paul Gover, a man that has a personal vendetta against Ford, has strong links to Holden and also has a former link to Hyundai.

Whilst the test car may have been a bit off, I never take much of what they guy writes very seriously. Constantly biased and frequently contradictory, PG seems to think he gods gift to automotive journalism.

Sad thing is, a scathing review like this will scare many potential buyers.

[Brazen]

Pfft I'm more annoyed about the lack of rear air con vents on the base Ambiente.

[csv8]

Has engine stop start !! FAIL...I hate stop start even if it can be switched off...

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by csv8

Has engine stop start !! FAIL...I hate stop start even if it can be switched off...

That and not having a digital speedo.

How can it replace the FG?

[csv8]

This is a UK report on the new Mondeo..opposite to Paul's report..
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/ford/mondeo

[Yellow_Festiva]

That car should have been gone over with a fine tooth comb prior to hand over... imagine turning up to a first date with ripped clothes, messy hair and a durry hanging out of your mouth...

Suspension and dash issues I can excuse, but poor panel alignment is a blaring oversight that should never have happened.

[danzvtil]

They should take it back to ford for warranty repair, they'll probably get " Nahh, mayte, they all do that!"

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Binny

Even the 120kw/340Nm version had a lot of changes from yours. A lot of people think the 120 (or 163hp as its known in the UK) is the same engine with a different ECU tune. But it has the following changes and more.
"Next-generation combustion system design with a lower compression ratio, increased combustion chamber diameter and reduced swirl
New higher-pressure common-rail fuel injection systems with advanced multi-hole injectors
Smaller, low-inertia variable-geometry turbochargers"

Having owned both 100 and 120kW versions, the 120 is more responsive with less lag and makes its maximum torque sooner.

I would image the new one has a similar amount of updates.

They've ditched the siemens injection system or moved to an updated variant with smaller turbo, makes sense we couldn't get much more fuel out of mine without it turning into a smoke show cause you could only increase fuel across the entire range rather than getting more at certain points.

Bosch EMS by any chance?

[DanielXR8]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Ive seen equally bad alignment on dozens of Camry/Aurion boot lids, yet never seen a reviewer mention it. A few were so bad you could fit your fingers in the gap on one side.
Also the same goes for Cruzes and Elantras.

Well that solves it then. Ford please disregard.

[new2ford]

I think they made a bad call setting up production in Spain. They should have stuck to Belgium or set up a factory in Czech Republic or Slovakia, maybe even Germany. Some European countries build cars much better than others. Perhaps Spain is better than Thailand though? It's no coincidence that VAG is having SEAT's new SUV built by Skoda in Czech Republic!

Basically an excellent car I think, but, as with VAG group cars, I'd be very reticent about that powershift transmission. No amount of fuel saving is worth a transmission that's like a dog, not to mention a record of unreliability. These companies are shooting themselves in the foot with those dual clutch transmissions.

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by new2ford

I think they made a bad call setting up production in Spain. They should have stuck to Belgium or set up a factory in Czech Republic or Slovakia, maybe even Germany. Some European countries build cars much better than others. Perhaps Spain is better than Thailand though? It's no coincidence that VAG is having SEAT's new SUV built by Skoda in Czech Republic!

Basically an excellent car I think, but, as with VAG group cars, I'd be very reticent about that powershift transmission. No amount of fuel saving is worth a transmission that's like a dog, not to mention a record of unreliability. These companies are shooting themselves in the foot with those dual clutch transmissions.

2015 Mondeo comes with a traditional torque convertor auto.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by LeadFoot81

2015 Mondeo comes with a traditional torque convertor auto.

I'm confused:

http://www.motoring.com.au/reviews/2...5-review-50428

Is the powershift only with the diesel then?

[Focused]

Originally Posted by new2ford

I'm confused:

http://www.motoring.com.au/reviews/2...5-review-50428

Is the powershift only with the diesel then?

I believe so.

[Binny]

Originally Posted by Focused

I believe so.

Yes.
Ecoboost = Conventional
Diesel = Powershift

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

That car should have been gone over with a fine tooth comb prior to hand over... imagine turning up to a first date with ripped clothes, messy hair and a durry hanging out of your mouth...

Suspension and dash issues I can excuse, but poor panel alignment is a blaring oversight that should never have happened.

I can't excuse the steering and suspension issues at all.

It only shows the lack of passion the Ford employees and senior managers at Ford Aust have in ensuring their new model vehicle is fit for media road testing.

Ford is languishing down near the bottom of the top ten manufacturers here (IIRC). This report will only worsen the situation.

And I agree about manufacturing in Spain should not have occurred, from personal experiences with the quality of manufacturing in that country.

[Franco Cozzo]

Spain should stick to Eurovision, Soccer and Ms Universe contests

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Spain should stick to Eurovision, Soccer and Ms Universe contests

Funny you say that about the country that is the second European car manufacturer and 9th in the world and produces nearly 2.5 m cars a year (Australian production 180k a year)
My Navara 550 was made in Spain and i can't see much of an issue with build quality . This is the time of multinationals and cars are made all over the place , Audi TT and A3 sedan from Hungary , Audi Q3 from Spain , Polo form South Africa and Polo Gti from Spain , pug RCZ from Austria ,Megane from Turkey ,X5 from USA etc..
Engines ,transmissions ,even glass or fasteners are also delivered from worldwide to be installed in the country of assembly.

[Paul22]

I read that report as well and can only conclude that some person at Ford well and truly need their bum kicked for allowing a vehicle to go out in that condition.
For all we know a previous driver may have abused the Mondeo and not said anything.
In any event it should've been inspected, driven and cleaned prior to hand over.
I can't recall a more scathing report of a vehicle. Ever.
As far as the comments re being made in Spain I have to respectfully disagree.
The panel fit in my 2014 Kuga is spot on as well as the upholstery (no loose threads etc). Notwithstanding this I accept that a poorly finished vehicle may make it through occasionally.
Unless mine is at the other end of the spectrum!

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

Funny you say that about the country that is the second European car manufacturer and 9th in the world and produces nearly 2.5 m cars a year (Australian production 180k a year).

It's been variable over the years. I had a Spanish made Barina and it was terrible. VAG had trouble with quality of SEATs but they seem to have improved greatly lately.

I think there are two factors interplaying with each other. One is the global management by the multinational manufacturer who obviously tries to achieve consistent high quality across all of its plants. The other is the "culture", work ethic, skills base etc of the country in which the plant is located. Manufacturers have to work harder to lift the game in some countries than others, but they persevere because of factors like labour costs and other incentives that encouraged them to set up there. Spain is not bad. It's not the worst but its not the best either.

[1TUFFUTE]

Considering the journo, I reckon there's more chance he's lieing, fudging things and dogging the review then ford delivering a dog of a car to be reviewed. I for one can't believe it.....and don't. All other reports have this car an exceptional ride.

Yep...just went and checked about 8-9 other reviews and the only common negatives were
the interior cabin plastics not on par with class best.
No proper speedo
Steering feels too light.

All far outweighed by the possatives with class leading tech, comfort, space n room and drivability.
Not one scathing review and saw zero mention of build quality.

Actually....I'd be surprised if this gover muppet hasn't driven this car at the various media releases allready so.....grain of salt....moving on.

[Brazen]

Maybe it had been in a prang