Ford Mondeo – not suitable for America

Ford conceived the Mondeo as a global car. But developed by the designers of the German branch of the company, the Ford Mondeo still carried pronounced European features that predetermined its fiasco in America. The tastes of Americans are quite simple.
They like huge, powerful and simple cars, which also have to be cheap. Therefore, the Ford Mondeo did not suit the American buyer with compact dimensions, comfortable adaptations, design, it turned out to be too expensive for its class. All this did not stop the European buyer, in Europe Mondeo was waiting for a quick commercial success. In the third generation, the Ford Mondeo (2000-2007) became a truly medium-sized car. The size, wheelbase have increased, the engine range has become more powerful, which includes three-liter gasoline engines and turbodiesels of 2.2 liters.
Two restyling (2003 and 2005) affected mainly the appearance of the model. At the same time, several thousand all-wheel drive Atlantic's were produced jointly with GM for Canada and Australia. Popularity in the sales of the secondary market and the prices of competitors are now selling new Ford Mondeo in car dealerships, but third-generation models are quite in demand in the secondary market. The owners of the Mondeo quickly appreciated and conveyed to others the excellent handling, dynamics of the car, low fuel consumption and comfort of the cabin, which led to the popularity of the model, as well as reasonable prices.
For buyers, depending on their financial capabilities, cars of the first years of production are also interesting, which can be bought for $ 6,300 - $ 7,000. We, as an example, consider the cars of the last years of production – 2006 and 2007. Most offers Ford Mondeo with a gasoline engine 2, 0, 2, 3L (145, 161 hp), manual transmission. The basic equipment is often offered, which is quite rich: halogen headlights, five airbags, child seat attachment, rain sensor, heated and electrically adjustable mirrors, air conditioning, front power windows, steering wheel adjustment, headlight corrector, on-board computer, remote control on the steering wheel, immobilizer.
A car in this configuration can really be bought for $ 10,500. Ford Mondeo complete sets with an automatic transmission, a gas installation installed, a relatively small mileage, additional options (light sensor, climate control, headlight washer, parking sensors, high-quality audio system, additional speakers) are offered to buy for $ 17,000. Most of the competitive models are in the same price range as the Ford Mondeo. These are European Peugeot 407 ($11 000 - $14 000), Renault Laguna ($9 900 - $13 500), excellent Korean Hyundai Sonata ($11 500 - $15 200), Opel Vectra ($9 900 - $17 000).
There are much fewer offers of a good KIA Optima model ($9,500 - $11,500). The most formidable rival of the Mondeo is the Volkswagen Passat B6 of the same years of production. But it costs much more on the secondary market – from $ 14,000 to $19,000. More advantages than disadvantages of the most excellent reviews deserved "Ford Mondeo", imported from Europe. They are rated as "business class" cars.
The spacious interior, thoughtful and ergonomic interior, comfortable fixtures, noise insulation – completely suit the owners, as well as the build quality. An important quality of the car is its reliability. Basically, the owners of the Ford Mondeo changed only consumables and suspension elements. A good start of the engine in the cold, the operation of the air conditioner in the heat are highly appreciated. The car behaves steadily on the road, the pickup, the brakes work well, the head light.
Drivers appreciated comfortable chairs with a back massager, an unattended automatic transmission. The disadvantages of the model include an imperfect front view, a small trunk opening, failures and insufficient information content of the on-board computer. The disadvantage of the Ford Mondeo is the exactingness of engines to the quality of gasoline (there is no such claim for diesels). Most drivers are dissatisfied with the low clearance of the car, which is small for CIS roads. As a result, it is necessary to change the shock struts, silent blocks, bearings, brake discs and hoses.
The negative assessment of the quality of Russian and Ukrainian branded service is unanimous. The controversial and subjective assessments of the Ford Mondeo include the characteristics of noise insulation (divided equally and depend on subjective requirements or assembly location), maneuverability in the city (depends more on the skill of the driver than on the size), the quality of the paintwork. Experts note that high oil consumption (assessed as a disadvantage) is a design feature of high-speed engines in which oil burns out.
Of the recommendations, the advice to monitor the condition of the bottom and thresholds of the Ford Mondeo, prone to corrosion, is especially important. If the machine is well maintained, regularly washed, periodically treated with anti–corrosion compounds, defects can be avoided.
Initially doomed to commercial failure in the USA, the Ford Mondeo became popular in Europe and CIS countries. The owners of the Mondeo quickly appreciated and conveyed to others the excellent handling, dynamics of the car, low fuel consumption and comfort of the cabin, which led to the popularity of the model. Today, reasonable prices of the secondary market are also important. lotto247 login