My new car

[expatscot]

Sincere apologies for being so late to the thread, but I haven't been as diligent in my attendance as I once was...

Lovely car! Prior to the Puma I had the more regular TDCi (130) and it was quite fast for the type of car it was, and had more torque than I knew what to do with.... I still miss some aspects of it, but I am not rushing to dispose of my Puma any time soon.

 

[Dal]

Filled up today and reset the MPG. By the time I'd got home driving at 65-70 for 35 odd miles it read this:

60.8mpg isn't too shabby k:

 

[yippeekiay]

haha...your getting as bad as me Dal....lol.

 

[guyincognito1975]

Very nice, I seriously considered one of those but wanted the estate, despite the huge boot on the saloon.

Boy round the corner has a silver estate and it looks great. I do prefer the blue though.

I do love the Saab but would happily swap mpg figures with you!

 

[Supersonic]

Sounds like i'm going to have to watch out for you on a straight road now Dal :wink:

Glad you're still enjoying it, was wonderful when I went out in it months ago and i'd still like one. Still probably won't fit at home though.

 

[Dal]

Mmmm box fresh...

And shiny new rubber to go on it and an existing front alloy:

I'll finally have decent rubber all round tomorrow so can attack the corners with vigour! (>Vredestein Ultrac Sessanta< fitted last year to the rear)

 

[yeager2004]

Hi Dal

I’m seriously thinking about a Mondeo TDCi (looking to ditch company car and buy myself something instead)

The reviews I've read sound are fairly positive but this one wasn’t quite so good:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/CarReviews/RoadTestsOnTheRoad/Ford-Mondeo-2.2-TDCi-ST-/212385/

The bit about the brakes puts me off a bit (without wishing to get flamed, one of plusses when I sold my original Puma to get a company BMW was how much better the brakes were!)

I used had a Skoda Octavia vRS PD as a company car – quite tempted to get abother one but the Mondeos seem to be at least £1k cheaper when comparing similar year and mileages.

Would appreciate your thoughts!

Cheers

Ade

 

[Dal]

From cold there is raucous diesel rattle and when the unit is working hard over 3000rpm there’s none of the oily smoothness of a BMW 320d. Neither is the gearshift very satisfying, with a rather baulky feel and a sharply sprung clutch action that initially makes stalling all too easy. But worse is a brake pedal whose wooden feel erodes much of the driver’s confidence in a system with real stopping power; unfortunate, because the Mondeo goads you into pushing it hard.

1. From cold it does have a bit of a rattle (as all Fords do) but when it's warmed up, it's fine.
2. I would never call the gearshift baulky at all, it's quite easy to get them together nicely when you give it some beans.
3. The clutch isn't any different to any other car.
4. I've never found the brakes to be anything other than what I expected. It's no Alcon stopper, but it pulls up straight, true and quickly. The ST220 has exactly the same brakes remember.

My best bit of advice would be to go out and try one. Only way you can tell if you'll be happy with it or not.
I'm happy with mine

 

[Cherie]

They also tested the pre-facelift model (55 plate onwards?), but I can't remember what they changed mechanically between the two.

Just spotted they got an average 39mpg?! I'm not entirely convinced that they test drove the same car!!

 

[yeager2004]

Thanks for your replies.

As you suggest, a test drive is the way forward. Hoping though the brakes will be better than my old 1999 Puma!

I've also had a look at Honest John's review of used Mondeos. Hard to not get a bit spooked with the stories of clutch failures, turbo seal failures, injector problems etc. but then there are similar issues for Octavias, Passats, Audi A6 etc etc.

 

[Dal]

But then as people say on other fora I'm on:

1. Just look at how many Mondeos there are on the roads - the % of failure per car is probably much the same as anything else.
2. People tend to only post up on internet websites and fora when they have a problem, not when things are going fine. Percentage ownership / complaints again.

No car is without it's little problems, it's just up to you how you perceive the risk. Find one with a FSH and that has obviously been well cared for and you should be fine.

PS: I'm currently averaging 50.1mpg in the near year I've had it. That's all kinds of driving so very respectable for such a big car.

PS: My trusted mechanic (who services lots of diesel mondeos for a local taxi firm) says not to use Tesco diesel in these new TDCi Fords or the equivalent Renault apparently. It makes them run rough as it has more bio in the diesel which the injectors don't like. He's sent countless cars to the main dealers to get the injectors re-coded.
Luckily I've never run any of my cars on supermarket fuel.

 

[Burn8]

bumting!

 

[Neil]

Eh? inkeye:

 

[Dal]

The Mondeo now has it's second MOT certificate with only the handbrake needing adjusting a bit to get it.

:thumbs:

Today it received it's 3rd MOT certificate. Unsurprisingly the handbrake cable was replaced but that was it.

:thumbs: