2015 Ford Mondeo Trend diesel wagon - Carsguide review

[Mechan1k]

This was for the Trend Diesel Wagon .... I was under the impression the rear seatbelt airbags was only on the Titanium models last time I read specs on it.

Be interesting to see what the dynamic LED headlight system on the Titanium is like at night ... going on some youtube videos ... it looks pretty decent for what it is for a "mainstream vehicle" ... only other vehicles i have seen it on it Merc/BMW/Audi so far.

[simon varley]

Originally Posted by Binny

Ecoboost = Conventional
Diesel = Powershift

and still no clutch. Why can't we have this one from the UK?

Engine & Transmission: 2.0 Duratorq TDCi 180PS S6 6 Speed Manual

[XR Martin]

^Because only two or three people would buy one

[GTMOND]

Well I would be one of the 2 or 3.

[Trek]

Considering that the bloke who wrote this pus has picked on an insignificant thing these days such as panel alignment, he'd probs get his nose out of joint if his latte had a wrong swirl in the froth... That paints the picture enough, I think.

Moving on...

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

^Because only two or three people would buy one

I'm not so sure anymore, all the SUVs have sucked up the mundane A to B drivers. I reckon a wagon owner nowadays is probably someone who is a bit more of an enthusiast. But yeah still a small market but the car exists from factory, just takes a couple of keystrokes when ordering.

I'm keen on a Skoda Octavia or Scout wagon manual.

[XR Martin]

Without looking too hard I think the only manual wagon you can get today is the Clubsport.

[Mechan1k]

Has Mazda ditched the manual on the 6 Diesel models as well now???

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Without looking too hard I think the only manual wagon you can get today is the Clubsport.

Renault Megane, Cruze, Audi A4, i30, Skoda Octavia and BMW 3 series too. Not many in the scheme of things. Subaru outback if you think of it as a wagon.

[bigwil]

Cant stand that Paul Gover jabroni, i remember in 2009 when 888 first announced they are crossing over to Holden, Paul Gover said it's good for racing if 888 races holdens.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Renault Megane, Cruze, Audi A4, i30, Skoda Octavia and BMW 3 series too. Not many in the scheme of things. Subaru outback if you think of it as a wagon.

As far as I can see from their websites, the Renault and BMW are not available as manuals in Australia. The Audi doesn't seem to be either. That leaves 3 FWD manual wagons, of which the Skoda completely walks over the other two as a car that combines being a practical family wagon with being like a sports car to drive.

I see you can get a basic 6 speed manual petrol Octavia wagon for about $24,000 driveaway. That's an absolute bargain for what you get for it. I drove a manual Octavia wagon for 6 months and 12,000 km in Europe - I can swear by it, you wouldn't think it was FWD and the gearbox is beautiful.

But these are a class below Mondeo. The equivalent there is the Skoda Superb and on paper the Mondeo may have a couple of things over it. All depends on how it's executed in reality.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by new2ford

As far as I can see from their websites, the Renault and BMW are not available as manuals in Australia. The Audi doesn't seem to be either. That leaves 3 FWD manual wagons, of which the Skoda completely walks over the other two as a car that combines being a practical family wagon with being like a sports car to drive.

I see you can get a basic 6 speed manual petrol Octavia wagon for about $24,000 driveaway. That's an absolute bargain for what you get for it. I drove a manual Octavia wagon for 6 months and 12,000 km in Europe - I can swear by it, you wouldn't think it was FWD and the gearbox is beautiful.

But these are a class below Mondeo. The equivalent there is the Skoda Superb and on paper the Mondeo may have a couple of things over it. All depends on how it's executed in reality.

I agree with your assessment on the Octavia. It is a brilliant car and a bargain. Interesting fact we get the car cheaper here than every market in Europe.

It also has the VAG group electronic differential lock that is superb at putting the power down, even coordinates with each individual rear brake on corners to stick like an AWD. The diff will get you through snow and mud that some open diff AWDs struggle with.

With the BMW and Audi you can order a manual wagon but it has to be done as a special order - ie you have to have a deposit down, it cannot be ordered as dealer stock (probably because BMW and Audi don't want it sitting in lots and needing rebates). Its a No cost option, so you pay automatic trans prices. This info was from around July/August last year so maybe out of date - but even then there was no reference on the website. You sometimes see them lightly used cropping up on Carsales.

Here is 2015 A4 wagon
http://www.carsales.com.au/demo/deta...GC-AD-17874520

You have to hunt for it on BMWs Aussie ordering guide. Look at page 3 all references to an 8 speed auto only, but hidden down at the bottom of page 10....

http://www.bmw.com.au/com/en/newvehi...spec-guide.pdf

[Sabantien]

I'd do my own test drive before believing a review. Especially one that had me cringing at how badly written it was.

[Bossxr8]

It's funny that every other review I've seen has said the steering is brilliant. Gover is just a total douche.

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by new2ford

As far as I can see from their websites, the Renault and BMW are not available as manuals in Australia. The Audi doesn't seem to be either. That leaves 3 FWD manual wagons, of which the Skoda completely walks over the other two as a car that combines being a practical family wagon with being like a sports car to drive.

I see you can get a basic 6 speed manual petrol Octavia wagon for about $24,000 driveaway. That's an absolute bargain for what you get for it. I drove a manual Octavia wagon for 6 months and 12,000 km in Europe - I can swear by it, you wouldn't think it was FWD and the gearbox is beautiful.

But these are a class below Mondeo. The equivalent there is the Skoda Superb and on paper the Mondeo may have a couple of things over it. All depends on how it's executed in reality.

You can have Megane GT220 wagon in manual
http://www.themotorreport.com.au/#/5...ad-test-review
- probably only competition to Octavia VRS as sporty affordable manual wagon. Appearantly Golf R will arrive as a wagon and maybe manual , and Focus ST wagon (available in manual) would be nice.
Even Holden has dropped a manual in VF sportwagon . Subaru Liberty was old favourite in wagon form - that's gone now , Outback only in manual with diesel , no GT and CVT with 3.6 six.

[Sabantien]

This is a little old, but apples and oranges compared to the other review.

Ford Falcon? What Falcon?

There is a lot riding on the new Ford Mondeo. Unlike its predecessors that were simply expected to play a supporting role to Ford's homemade large car, this new Mondeo effectively replaces the Falcon as the blue oval's headline act.

It appears Ford has thrown everything it could at the mid-sizer, giving it new style, new engines and class-leading safety.

But can it live up to its new starring role?

Advertisement
What do you get?
Ford is offering a wide range for the new Mondeo with three trim levels (Ambiente, Trend and Titanium), three engine options (two different tunes of the same 2.0-litre Ecoboost and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel) and two body styles (five-door hatch and wagon).

There is a significant price spread across such a wide range with the Ambiente Ecoboost hatch starting proceedings at $32,790 (plus on-road and dealer costs) and the diesel-powered Titanium wagon capping the range at $49,340 (plus costs).

We're testing the mid-range Trend hatch which is priced from $37,290 (plus costs),and backed up by a lengthy list of standard equipment.

Power mirrors with puddle lights, cornering lamps, heated front seats, partial leather seats, dual-zone airconditioning, keyless entry and ignition, Ford's SYNC2 infotainment system, eight-speaker stereo, navigation with traffic updates, Bluetooth, reversing camera, rear parking sensors and 17-inch alloy wheels are all included in the price.

The Trend also comes with the latest in active safety features including autonomous braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping aid and lane-departure warning.

It also features seven airbags (front, side, curtain and driver's knee) plus inflatable rear seatbelts for the two outer passengers; something none of its major rivals can claim.

Another ace up its sleeve is Ford's MyKey which allows the owner to restrict certain functions (speed limit, stereo volume) if they lend the Mondeo to their children.

The Mondeo is covered by a standard three-year/100,000km warranty.

It's also served by the brand's new lifetime capped-price servicing program. The intervals are 12 months or every 15,000km (whichever comes first). Minor services are $355 while major ones will set you back $550.

What's inside?
To go with the major external design overhaul the cabin of the Mondeo has been refreshed.

The biggest change is the introduction of SYNC2 which brings an 8-inch colour touchscreen to the centre of the dash. It takes over a lot of the functionality that the old model required numerous buttons and dials for. The net result is a cleaner looking and easier-to-use interior.

The rest of the design is good too, with good small item storage include a partitioned area at the bottom the centre dash and a decent sized central storage box.

The materials used in the cabin are mostly pretty good to lend a more premium feel, and attention has been paid to make sure the key touch points (door handles, gearshift, etc) are finished in soft touch trim.

The leather and cloth trimmed seats are supportive up front. Rear headroom is compromised by the steeply raked roofline but legroom is more than adequate for adults.

The 557-litre boot is spacious and the hatchback makes loading large objects easy.

Under the bonnet
As mentioned above Ford offers two different performance tunes for the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol.

The Ambiente gets 149kW/345Nm but the Trend and Titanium get a more powerful 177kW version. Torque is the same but is spread more broadly across the rev range.

Peak torque comes in at 2300rpm which means the Mondeo pulls strongly from take-off and has plenty of mid-range shove for overtaking.

Paired with a conventional six-speed automatic, that shifts smoothly even at low speed (unlike dual-clutch rivals), the Mondeo is a slick performer on the move.

Fuel use is the only minor criticism of the drivetrain. The official combined urban/highway figure is 8.2 litres per 100km, which makes it average for the class.

On the plus side the Mondeo can run on a diet of regular unleaded, even if it prefers premium.

On the road
The old Mondeo won praise for its combination of a composed ride but engaging handling. Thankfully the new model retains that balance.

The suspension soaks up bumps – small and large – with good body control leaving the occupants feeling cosseted. That is helped by the 17-inch alloys that are paired with Michelin tyres; larger wheels may look better but the smaller size offer up more compliance.

But when you push the Mondeo through a series of bends it responds with poise and consistency. The steering isn't quite as fluid as its predecessor but is nicely weighted and direct but also offers meaningful feedback to the driver.

Verdict
Not only does the Mondeo live up to its new role as Ford's starring sedan it also stakes a claim as one of the best mid-size sedans on the market.

That's a big statement because the number of new or updated models in this class in 2015 is sizeable and competition is intense.

But the new Mondeo offers a nice balance between comfort, convenience, driving engagement, value and safety.

Ford Mondeo Trend Ecoboost pricing and specifications
Price

$37,290 plus on-road costs

Country of origin

Spain

Engine

2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo petrol

Power

177kW at 5300rpm

Torque

345Nm at 2300-4900rpm

CO2 emissions

192g/km

Transmission

6-speed auto, front-wheel drive

Weight

1634kg

Safety

Seven airbags (front, side, curtain, driver's knee), inflatable rear seatbelts, reversing camera, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping aid, lane-departure warning and MyKey.

Pros

Punchy engine

Generous equipment levels

Excellent safety credentials

Cons

Thirsty engine

Pricier than some rivals

Compromised rear head room

Fuel use: 8.2L/100km (9th notch, below average)

Performance: 108kW/tonne (7th notch, above average)

Boot: 557-litres (9th notch, very good)

Resale: 48 per cent (5th notch, average)

http://www.drive.com.au/new-car-revi...20-gh4dgc.html

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by Sabantien

This is a little old, but apples and oranges compared to the other review.



http://www.drive.com.au/new-car-revi...20-gh4dgc.html

Nah mate, Gover said it's pox. ;)

[Joe5619]

delete.

[ltd]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

It's funny that every other review I've seen has said the steering is brilliant. Gover is just a total douche.

I've seen the car in question, it is parked with all the other press cars at Thomson Ford in Parramatta.
I did not notice any panel gap issues, it looks to me that the perennially infuriated knob-wrangler Gover did not shut the boot properly, and had it ajar.
As for his opinion on the steering, he's only comparing it to his free SS which has the older hydraulic steering.
Nope, Paul Commodore Gover has spent the last few years trying to preserve Holden by killing Ford, and he's just being true to form as he wants Holden to give him an updated VF clubsport instead of his SS.

[Bossxr8]

It doesn't make any sense that Ford would send a press car out with quality issues. The press cars usually go through extra QC and are checked over with a fine tooth comb before they are sent out for the journos to drive. I know this for a fact.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

It doesn't make any sense that Ford would send a press car out with quality issues. The press cars usually go through extra QC and are checked over with a fine tooth comb before they are sent out for the journos to drive. I know this for a fact.

Exactly!

I have pulled Paul Gover up about prior Ford bashings. If anyone read the article he "wrote" about Ford Australia for Australian Muscle Car about a year ago you will see what I mean about his blatant vendetta he has against Ford. For someone who has been writing about cars since the 80's he really knows very little about the car industry.

[XR Martin]

Latest Wheels makes mention that the tailgate didnt have great alignment on their one.
But did comment that its handling was top notch, and well ahead of the Liberty, Mazda 6 and Citroen that it was compared against.

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Exactly!

I have pulled Paul Gover up about prior Ford bashings. If anyone read the article he "wrote" about Ford Australia for Australian Muscle Car about a year ago you will see what I mean about his blatant vendetta he has against Ford. For someone who has been writing about cars since the 80's he really knows very little about the car industry.

But look at this forum for an example. This is a Ford forum, yet it's full of people taking this morons words for granted and bagging ford and or their product. So he wins. Agenda achieved!
Like I said earlier....I reckon theirs more chance he's lieing and making this all up so it's as negative as he can get away with, then the possibility that ford would allow a dog to be reviewed!!!

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Exactly!

I have pulled Paul Gover up about prior Ford bashings. If anyone read the article he "wrote" about Ford Australia for Australian Muscle Car about a year ago you will see what I mean about his blatant vendetta he has against Ford. For someone who has been writing about cars since the 80's he really knows very little about the car industry.

I used to love AMC, bought all of the first 60 or so until I saw Gover started writing for them. I stopped buying them straight away and emailed the editor to know of my disapproval, and how I would not buy another edition while he was on board. Haven't bought one since.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

^Because only two or three people would buy one

I'd be the third guy.

Check out that all members from AFF

We'd have rarer cars than all the guys with GT Falcons and T-series

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

I used to love AMC, bought all of the first 60 or so until I saw Gover started writing for them. I stopped buying them straight away and emailed the editor to know of my disapproval, and how I would not buy another edition while he was on board. Haven't bought one since.

Joe Kenwright left Carsguide when Gover came along.

Happened again when Gover joined AMC. Noted when the very informative articles in AMC suddenly disappeared, and started looking to find the reason.

Maybe I gave too much credence to Gover in my earlier posts here, as his stance against Ford did appear to soften recently. I wouldn't be surprised that the tailgate was ajar, it does look that way in the photograph. The hatch reviews are far more positive toward the new Mondeo.

Hope Ford takes appropriate action to correct misconceptions readers may have got by this test report. Ford have made a big investment bringing this car here to Australia, they wouldn't want one deluded individual to spoil it all.

[XR Martin]

Hmmm

[1TUFFUTE]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Hmmm

image

Kinda what it looks like after copping a big hit from underneath. You wouldn't expect ALL of that to be out of line surely. Either way.....to me....that looks like it's either an accident/aftermath or it was screwed together like that on purpose. That's pretty bad for a new global press release car.
Well...there is the other option I spose, ford plain missed it and deserves a face palm......

[Brazen]

Maybe the boot is a little open

[Silver Ghia]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Maybe the boot is a little open

But look at the gap width above the tail light, at the tail light (very close) and below the tail light (much wider). If the boot was a little open, the gaps would not vary like this, especially the lights being so close to each other it looks like they are touching.