Mk3 Mondeo , purchased.

[HMC]

Just had a scan over the classifieds, these are right in the bargain bucket at the mo, just about unbeatable for what they offer for the money. Someone on here was offering a black 2.0 Ghia estate on here a few years back for pennies and it wasn't even that old/ knackered ( at least by our standards)

[sierraman]

The rear pads are a pain if you have to do them. You have to wind the caliper in as its the handbrake incorporated into it. Either side works on opposite thread so you need 2 tools to wind it in. That said I bought both tools on fleabay for about £20. Caliper and cable both prone to seizure on these if not serviced regular.

 

Rear bearings can go regular, not too much of a pain to do so long as discs come off ok and you have male Torx bits of the correct size. The new units are something ridiculous like £250 from Ford but a more palatable £50 pattern.

 

Key with them is to change oil regular with the right oil. The 1.8 in particular is prone to gumming up the oil control rings.

[Pillock]

I think Ford did, but with direct injection.

The early ones were TDDI if that's what you mean? I used one of those a few times, a Y plated estate and it was nippy enough. Those crack boost hoses causing comedy amounts of black smoke when the engine rocks.

 

Never been in one that felt anything other than sloppy though. Interior trim, steering, brakes.... All "used". More so than you'd expect for mileage. A mate had a not-very-old Titanium X (I think it was a 55 in about 2010 so not at the bottom of the curve) and it was the same, felt worn.

[Bren]

The TDDi has a chain no hassle with a belt.

 

Mine was fantastic - even rear subframe bushes are not too much of a pain to do - I did it the auto shite way with jaguar head bolts and washers.

 

Much nicer to drive than my current vectra - it only got moved on because of a clunk on the front end that two garages could not trace - I realised it was the strut top bearings.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I prefer the saloons of these,always seem to look a bit classier,to me ,at least.

I don't really like Mondeos of any flavour though,sharing as they do the perverted leanings of the devil popularised by his acolytes Andre Citroen and Alec Issigonnis when it comes to driven wheels. But, I borrowed one for a few weeks for work in about 2006 and quite liked it, it was a dirty dizzler Ghia X ,which probably helped.

[cort16]

I see quite a lot of v6 ones in the classifieds with hgf. I recon the 1.8 pez is the pick of the bunch just a normal na petrol engine no fancy bollocks.

[overrun]

The rear pads are a pain if you have to do them. You have to wind the caliper in as its the handbrake incorporated into it. Either side works on opposite thread so you need 2 tools to wind it in. That said I bought both tools on fleabay for about £20. Caliper and cable both prone to seizure on these if not serviced regular.

Rear bearings can go regular, not too much of a pain to do so long as discs come off ok and you have male Torx bits of the correct size. The new units are something ridiculous like £250 from Ford but a more palatable £50 pattern.

Key with them is to change oil regular with the right oil. The 1.8 in particular is prone to gumming up the oil control rings.

When I had mine, I wound the calipers in with a large torx bit and 1/2" drive ratchet.

Ford kindly included a hexagonal recess. Dunno if that is what it is for, but it works.

[sierraman]

Not all had the hex recess, facelift are just a dimple. As you say tried it with the hex but it was hard work. With the tool it just winds in no bother.

[overrun]

Not all had the hex recess, facelift are just a dimple. As you say tried it with the hex but it was hard work. With the tool it just winds in no bother.

Mine was a 53 plate Ghia X facelift. Manual hand brake adjuster.

It had had replacement rear calipers before, but show me one that hasn't. Lol.

 

Whoever said the build quality in these was shit, I cannot agree.

My mate also has a 53 plate Ghia X (estate) and both are solidly screwed together things, made from decent materials, imo. Mine now lives on with my mates mate.

 

My mk4 Tit X is also a nice place to be.

Mondeo's just get better, imo and cannot be beaten, bang for buck.

[dollywobbler]

I worked for a company that had a huge fleet of these, so I've driven most of the different types. Not bad cars at all, but they really do start feeling their age.

What I never understood is why the media were literally wetting themselves about these, proclaiming them one of the best-handling cars ever produced. They're good, but they're hardly superb. Too bloody big for a start.

[Lacquer Peel]

The Ford PR machine at work. Focuses are supposed to be amazing to drive, but they don't seem nearly as pleasant to drive as a 306.

[sierraman]

I thought mk2 handled better, though the mk2 I had had the front suspension overhauled with some stiffer springs so I don't suppose it's a fair comparison