Pros
- Underrated driving experience
- Well serviced examples are showing relatively good reliability
- Very well equipped
- Hugely practical
Cons
- Overall somewhat underwhelming
- Some find the front seats uncomfortable
- Other cars offer a more convincing alternative
Verdict
We wouldn't...
We'd be cautious
We would...
While the Mondeo is fabulously ordinary, and we feel that the Mondeo, at least here in Australia, is underrated, the problem it has is its competition.
There’s no denying that the Mondeo offers so much car for the money but the Mazda 6, Toyota Camry, offerings from Kia and Hyundai...
Mondeo. A nameplate that, in some eyes, is as sexy as a crocheted turtleneck, not nearly as widely accepted in Australia through its numerous generations as it was and is in Europe. In the US, it’s called Fusion, mainly because the arrival of the fourth-generation MD version, unveiled in 2012, amalgamated two mid-sized Ford models from different parts of the world.
In Australia, its MC third-gen predecessor kicked along, under the radar and out of the sales charts, until 2015, well after Ford had announced the axing of its still-produced large rear-driven home-spun Falcon. It’s so surprise that the front-driven, imported, mid-sized MD Mondeo that effectively replaced received a fairly tepid reception during Falcon’s swan song era?
Thing is, the Spanish-built MD Mondeo, surviving six years though to 2021, is quite good. Not sexy, sure, but it does what quality global mainstream-badged mid-sized family cars do: addressing needs, comfort and safety to a very accomplished level. And this makes for a quite compelling and shrewd used-car bargain.
For a start, ‘mid-sized’ is deceptive: it’s longer in wheelbase, wider in some cabin measures and larger in bootspace than Falcon. It’s also a hatchback, rather than sedan, for added load convenience. Unlike the questionable ‘Commodore’ branding Holden chose with its rival ZB model line, it’s perhaps wise that the Blue Oval didn’t rebadge MD as a Falcon in a market still stinging from the closure of local manufacturing…
It had the credentials on paper. In either five-door liftback or wagon form, Mondeo
Mondeo. A nameplate that, in some eyes, is as sexy as a crocheted turtleneck, not nearly as widely accepted in Australia through its numerous generations as it was and is in Europe. In the US, it’s called Fusion, mainly because the arrival of the fourth-generation MD version, unveiled in 2012, amalgamated two mid-sized Ford models from different parts of the world.
In Australia, its MC third-gen predecessor kicked along, under the radar and out of the sales charts, until 2015, well after Ford had announced the axing of its still-produced large rear-driven home-spun Falcon. It’s so surprise that the front-driven, imported, mid-sized MD Mondeo that effectively replaced received a fairly tepid reception during Falcon’s swan song era?
Thing is, the Spanish-built MD Mondeo, surviving six years though to 2021, is quite good. Not sexy, sure, but it does what quality global mainstream-badged mid-sized family cars do: addressing needs, comfort and safety to a very accomplished level. And this makes for a quite compelling and shrewd used-car bargain.
For a start, ‘mid-sized’ is deceptive: it’s longer in wheelbase, wider in some cabin measures and larger in bootspace than Falcon. It’s also a hatchback, rather than sedan, for added load convenience. Unlike the questionable ‘Commodore’ branding Holden chose with its rival ZB model line, it’s perhaps wise that the Blue Oval didn’t rebadge MD as a Falcon in a market still stinging from the closure of local manufacturing…
It had the credentials on paper. In either five-door liftback or wagon form, Mondeo is very roomy, with heaps of leg space through both seating rows, the former bringing 557L of luggage space, the latter as much as 1605L. But the new MD range also brought the sort of wide-ranging active safety buyers have become accustomed to (in some variants), with impressive refinement, long open road legs and a powertrain suite that proved amply capable of filling Falcon’s vacant shoes.
Absent from Mondeo DNA was much in the way of sportiness or driver engagement, but nor was it tasked with fulfilling either.
The engine line-up is a trio of 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines. Two petrol engines could be had, with base Ambiente offering 149kW/345Nm while mid-spec Trend and ultimate Titanium versions fitting higher 177kW power with identical peak torque, both units backed by a six-speed torque convertor auto. A sole diesel, just 132kW but with a lusty 400Nm, is paired with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic.
At launch, the MD Mondeo started at around $33k for the Ambiente hatch and topped out at a touch under $50k for the Titanium oiler wagon. Diesel power was marketed as the premium options and wanted for an extra $3k-ish more than equivalent petrol versions. Stands to reason. Not only does the oiler save at the bowser – 6.5L/100km claimed against the petrol twins’ 8.5L – it ups towing capacity from 1200kg braked to 1600kg.
Equipment varies between ample (Ambiente) to plush (Titanium), with MD launching with Ford’s Sync2 infotainment architecture before adopting Sync3 for MY17, when the mid-life touch-up also brought detail changes such new colours and new inch-larger wheels across the board.
The MD Mondeo is a five-star ANCAP prospect, but safety conscious buyers should steer clear of the slim-picking Ambiente stuff and at least stump up for a Trend, which fits autonomous emergency braking and lane keeping. The Titanium gets the full safety fit-out, including adaptive cruise and blind spot monitoring.
The last Mondeo would enjoy three years sat outside Falcon’s shadow, its final nip and tuck update surfacing as the ‘MY18.25’ in 2018 before the nameplate left showrooms for good in 2019. Worth noting is that the late-gen versions were offered with five-year warranties.
What’s MD Mondeo like as a used proposition? Read on to find out…
Mondeo. A nameplate that, in some eyes, is as sexy as a crocheted turtleneck, not nearly as widely accepted in Australia through its numerous generations as it was and is in Europe. In the US, it’s called Fusion, mainly because the arrival of the fourth-generation MD version, unveiled in 2012, amalgamated two mid-sized Ford models from different parts of the world.
In Australia, its MC third-gen predecessor kicked along, under the radar and out of the sales charts, until 2015, well after Ford had announced the axing of its still-produced large rear-driven home-spun Falcon. It’s so surprise that the front-driven, imported, mid-sized MD Mondeo that effectively replaced received a fairly tepid reception during Falcon’s swan song era?
Thing is, the Spanish-built MD Mondeo, surviving six years though to 2021, is quite good. Not sexy, sure, but it does what quality global mainstream-badged mid-sized family cars do: addressing needs, comfort and safety to a very accomplished level. And this makes for a quite compelling and shrewd used-car bargain.
For a start, ‘mid-sized’ is deceptive: it’s longer in wheelbase, wider in some cabin measures and larger in bootspace than Falcon. It’s also a hatchback, rather than sedan, for added load convenience. Unlike the questionable ‘Commodore’ branding Holden chose with its rival ZB model line, it’s perhaps wise that the Blue Oval didn’t rebadge MD as a Falcon in a market still stinging from the closure of local manufacturing…
It had the credentials on paper. In either five-door liftback or wagon form, Mondeo is very roomy, with heaps of leg space through both seating rows, the former bringing 557L of luggage space, the latter as much as 1605L. But the new MD range also brought the sort of wide-ranging active safety buyers have become accustomed to (in some variants), with impressive refinement, long open road legs and a powertrain suite that proved amply capable of filling Falcon’s vacant shoes.
Absent from Mondeo DNA was much in the way of sportiness or driver engagement, but nor was it tasked with fulfilling either.
The engine line-up is a trio of 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines. Two petrol engines could be had, with base Ambiente offering 149kW/345Nm while mid-spec Trend and ultimate Titanium versions fitting higher 177kW power with identical peak torque, both units backed by a six-speed torque convertor auto. A sole diesel, just 132kW but with a lusty 400Nm, is paired with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic.
At launch, the MD Mondeo started at around $33k for the Ambiente hatch and topped out at a touch under $50k for the Titanium oiler wagon. Diesel power was marketed as the premium options and wanted for an extra $3k-ish more than equivalent petrol versions. Stands to reason. Not only does the oiler save at the bowser – 6.5L/100km claimed against the petrol twins’ 8.5L – it ups towing capacity from 1200kg braked to 1600kg.
Equipment varies between ample (Ambiente) to plush (Titanium), with MD launching with Ford’s Sync2 infotainment architecture before adopting Sync3 for MY17, when the mid-life touch-up also brought detail changes such new colours and new inch-larger wheels across the board.
The MD Mondeo is a five-star ANCAP prospect, but safety conscious buyers should steer clear of the slim-picking Ambiente stuff and at least stump up for a Trend, which fits autonomous emergency braking and lane keeping. The Titanium gets the full safety fit-out, including adaptive cruise and blind spot monitoring.
The last Mondeo would enjoy three years sat outside Falcon’s shadow, its final nip and tuck update surfacing as the ‘MY18.25’ in 2018 before the nameplate left showrooms for good in 2019. Worth noting is that the late-gen versions were offered with five-year warranties.
What’s MD Mondeo like as a used proposition? Read on to find out…
- There are reports regarding central locking issues, either not locking/unlocking the doors. This is generally down to a dead battery in the key fob however there are a few examples that have had complete locking mechanism failures.
- There are reports that the windows can fail work properly or more interestingly, just lower all by themselves regardless if anyone has pressed the button. This can be down to random electronic issues.
- The rear lights if damaged, can be very expensive to replace costing hundreds of dollars, in some cases dabbling into the thousands realm. Broken taillights leaking water can also play havoc with the electronics.
- Inside and depending on the infotainment system fitted, there are a few complaints about the lack of buttons on certain Mondeo variants due to the touch style system can become unresponsive over time and just annoying.
- On models fitted with a touch screen, there are reports that the screen can lag and become glitchy.
- Air conditioning can have issues, sometimes resulting in overall failure in the system thanks to some issues that are commonly seen with the condenser unit.
- Mondeo’s built between 2014-2017 were affected by the Takata airbag recall, make sure that this has been resolved.
- The reliability of the Mondeo seems to be directly connected to where they are built. When looking at the stats and research, Spanish built Ford Mondeo’s seem to be more reliable than the equivalent US & Mexican built Ford Fusion.
- While the late model 2.0 turbo ecoboost is
- There are reports regarding central locking issues, either not locking/unlocking the doors. This is generally down to a dead battery in the key fob however there are a few examples that have had complete locking mechanism failures.
- There are reports that the windows can fail work properly or more interestingly, just lower all by themselves regardless if anyone has pressed the button. This can be down to random electronic issues.
- The rear lights if damaged, can be very expensive to replace costing hundreds of dollars, in some cases dabbling into the thousands realm. Broken taillights leaking water can also play havoc with the electronics.
- Inside and depending on the infotainment system fitted, there are a few complaints about the lack of buttons on certain Mondeo variants due to the touch style system can become unresponsive over time and just annoying.
- On models fitted with a touch screen, there are reports that the screen can lag and become glitchy.
- Air conditioning can have issues, sometimes resulting in overall failure in the system thanks to some issues that are commonly seen with the condenser unit.
- Mondeo’s built between 2014-2017 were affected by the Takata airbag recall, make sure that this has been resolved.
- The reliability of the Mondeo seems to be directly connected to where they are built. When looking at the stats and research, Spanish built Ford Mondeo’s seem to be more reliable than the equivalent US & Mexican built Ford Fusion.
- While the late model 2.0 turbo ecoboost is showing good reliability, it’s not without its problems.
- While there isn’t one specific thing that always fails, it can be more of a case of randomly failing engine parts that may fail more commonly than when compared to equivalent vehicles from Japanese or South Korean manufacturers.
- It is also worth mentioning that this engine (or a very similar version of it), has been available in numerous other Ford models as well as various Volvo’s, Range Rover’s and Land Rover’s so the availability affordability of parts should hopefully not be a problem.
- Diesel models also suffer from the typical range of modern common rail diesel issues and the DSG transmissions connected to diesel variants have a well-deserved bad reputation. Its highly advisable you do not attempt to tow anything and they do not like stop start city traffic.
- They tend to shudder on take off and shift abnormally.
- DSGs should be serviced at least every 40,000kms (not the recommended 60,000kms). However it should be noted even that will not guarantee you having operational problems and also will not guarantee that it wont have a catastrophic clutch pack or valve body failure.
- Also pre-2015 2.0-Litre Turbocharged petrol Ecoboost engines can have exhaust manifold cracking. Ford revised this from 2015 onwards.
- It is critical that the Mondeo you are looking at has a complete and thorough service history. A failure to regularly service these models can lead to a vast array of various mechanical issues.
- There are reports regarding central locking issues, either not locking/unlocking the doors. This is generally down to a dead battery in the key fob however there are a few examples that have had complete locking mechanism failures.
- There are reports that the windows can fail work properly or more interestingly, just lower all by themselves regardless if anyone has pressed the button. This can be down to random electronic issues.
- The rear lights if damaged, can be very expensive to replace costing hundreds of dollars, in some cases dabbling into the thousands realm. Broken taillights leaking water can also play havoc with the electronics.
- Inside and depending on the infotainment system fitted, there are a few complaints about the lack of buttons on certain Mondeo variants due to the touch style system can become unresponsive over time and just annoying.
- On models fitted with a touch screen, there are reports that the screen can lag and become glitchy.
- Air conditioning can have issues, sometimes resulting in overall failure in the system thanks to some issues that are commonly seen with the condenser unit.
- Mondeo’s built between 2014-2017 were affected by the Takata airbag recall, make sure that this has been resolved.
- The reliability of the Mondeo seems to be directly connected to where they are built. When looking at the stats and research, Spanish built Ford Mondeo’s seem to be more reliable than the equivalent US & Mexican built Ford Fusion.
- While the late model 2.0 turbo ecoboost is showing good reliability, it’s not without its problems.
- While there isn’t one specific thing that always fails, it can be more of a case of randomly failing engine parts that may fail more commonly than when compared to equivalent vehicles from Japanese or South Korean manufacturers.
- It is also worth mentioning that this engine (or a very similar version of it), has been available in numerous other Ford models as well as various Volvo’s, Range Rover’s and Land Rover’s so the availability affordability of parts should hopefully not be a problem.
- Diesel models also suffer from the typical range of modern common rail diesel issues and the DSG transmissions connected to diesel variants have a well-deserved bad reputation. Its highly advisable you do not attempt to tow anything and they do not like stop start city traffic.
- They tend to shudder on take off and shift abnormally.
- DSGs should be serviced at least every 40,000kms (not the recommended 60,000kms). However it should be noted even that will not guarantee you having operational problems and also will not guarantee that it wont have a catastrophic clutch pack or valve body failure.
- Also pre-2015 2.0-Litre Turbocharged petrol Ecoboost engines can have exhaust manifold cracking. Ford revised this from 2015 onwards.
- It is critical that the Mondeo you are looking at has a complete and thorough service history. A failure to regularly service these models can lead to a vast array of various mechanical issues.
Body style:
- 5-door liftback
- 5-door wagon
Engines:
- 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol (Ambiente, Trend liftback and Titanium liftback)
- 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi” (Ambiente, Trend and Titanium)
Power:
- 132kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi”
- 149kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol (Ambiente)
- 177kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol (Trend and Titanium)
Torque:
- 345Nm – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol
- 400Nm – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi”
Transmission & drivetrains:
- 6-speed automatic, front-wheel drive – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol
- 6-speed dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi”
Fuel Consumption:
- 5.1 – 8.5L/100km (depending on variant and model)
Length:
- 4871mm – liftback
- 4867mm – wagon
Width:
- 2121mm
Height:
- 1482mm – liftback
- 1501mm – wagon (excluding roof racks)
Kerb Weight:
- 1610 – 1789kg (depending on variant and model)
Towing (unbraked/braked):
- 750kg/1200kg – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol
- 750kg/1600kg – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi”
Body style:
- 5-door liftback
- 5-door wagon
Engines:
- 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol (Ambiente, Trend liftback and Titanium liftback)
- 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi” (Ambiente, Trend and Titanium)
Power:
- 132kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi”
- 149kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol (Ambiente)
- 177kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol (Trend and Titanium)
Torque:
- 345Nm – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol
- 400Nm – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi”
Transmission & drivetrains:
- 6-speed automatic, front-wheel drive – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol
- 6-speed dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi”
Fuel Consumption:
- 5.1 – 8.5L/100km (depending on variant and model)
Length:
- 4871mm – liftback
- 4867mm – wagon
Width:
- 2121mm
Height:
- 1482mm – liftback
- 1501mm – wagon (excluding roof racks)
Kerb Weight:
- 1610 – 1789kg (depending on variant and model)
Towing (unbraked/braked):
- 750kg/1200kg – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol
- 750kg/1600kg – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi”
Body style:
- 5-door liftback
- 5-door wagon
Engines:
- 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol (Ambiente, Trend liftback and Titanium liftback)
- 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi” (Ambiente, Trend and Titanium)
Power:
- 132kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi”
- 149kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol (Ambiente)
- 177kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol (Trend and Titanium)
Torque:
- 345Nm – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol
- 400Nm – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi”
Transmission & drivetrains:
- 6-speed automatic, front-wheel drive – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol
- 6-speed dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi”
Fuel Consumption:
- 5.1 – 8.5L/100km (depending on variant and model)
Length:
- 4871mm – liftback
- 4867mm – wagon
Width:
- 2121mm
Height:
- 1482mm – liftback
- 1501mm – wagon (excluding roof racks)
Kerb Weight:
- 1610 – 1789kg (depending on variant and model)
Towing (unbraked/braked):
- 750kg/1200kg – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder “EcoBoost” petrol
- 750kg/1600kg – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel “TCDi”
Warranty:
3 year/100,000km
5 year/unlimited (From May 2018)
Servicing:
12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first)
Model range, pricing & features
While the Mondeo is fabulously ordinary, and we feel that the Mondeo, at least here in Australia, is underrated, the problem it has is its competition.
There’s no denying that the Mondeo offers so much car for the money but the Mazda 6, Toyota Camry, offerings from Kia and Hyundai and even slightly older Lexus models just do what the Mondeo does more convincingly.
If you need the huge boot and lift back rear end but you don’t want to go full wagon or SUV, the Mondeo is worth consideration but besides that, we’d recommend other cars higher up our list of contenders on the used market.
If you do decide to buy a Mondeo, try to find the most recent, lowest kilometre petrol powered example you can find, we’d recommend a top spec Titanium as the used market has compressed the pricing differences between trim specs and as cars like this aren’t the popular choice at the moment, you should be able to haggle the price of a top spec down, and finally make sure it has a full and thorough service history and have it inspected by your local licensed mechanic before you hand over your hard earned cash.
Do all of the above and you’ll have a great car, it just might not be as good as some of the other cars you could have bought instead.
While the Mondeo is fabulously ordinary, and we feel that the Mondeo, at least here in Australia, is underrated, the problem it has is its competition.
There’s no denying that the Mondeo offers so much car for the money but the Mazda 6, Toyota Camry, offerings from Kia and Hyundai and even slightly older Lexus models just do what the Mondeo does more convincingly.
If you need the huge boot and lift back rear end but you don’t want to go full wagon or SUV, the Mondeo is worth consideration but besides that, we’d recommend other cars higher up our list of contenders on the used market.
If you do decide to buy a Mondeo, try to find the most recent, lowest kilometre petrol powered example you can find, we’d recommend a top spec Titanium as the used market has compressed the pricing differences between trim specs and as cars like this aren’t the popular choice at the moment, you should be able to haggle the price of a top spec down, and finally make sure it has a full and thorough service history and have it inspected by your local licensed mechanic before you hand over your hard earned cash.
Do all of the above and you’ll have a great car, it just might not be as good as some of the other cars you could have bought instead.
While the Mondeo is fabulously ordinary, and we feel that the Mondeo, at least here in Australia, is underrated, the problem it has is its competition.
There’s no denying that the Mondeo offers so much car for the money but the Mazda 6, Toyota Camry, offerings from Kia and Hyundai and even slightly older Lexus models just do what the Mondeo does more convincingly.
If you need the huge boot and lift back rear end but you don’t want to go full wagon or SUV, the Mondeo is worth consideration but besides that, we’d recommend other cars higher up our list of contenders on the used market.
If you do decide to buy a Mondeo, try to find the most recent, lowest kilometre petrol powered example you can find, we’d recommend a top spec Titanium as the used market has compressed the pricing differences between trim specs and as cars like this aren’t the popular choice at the moment, you should be able to haggle the price of a top spec down, and finally make sure it has a full and thorough service history and have it inspected by your local licensed mechanic before you hand over your hard earned cash.
Do all of the above and you’ll have a great car, it just might not be as good as some of the other cars you could have bought instead.
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Disclaimer
Please note that pricing information is subject to fluctuations in the automotive market.
Information correct as of February 11, 2022.
The advice provided on this website is general advice only. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this advice, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs.
Read our full terms and conditions here.
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We wouldn't...
We'd be cautious
We would...
