Ford Mondeo is at an end?

[Lacquer Peel]

Any yet IIRC in the late 1980/ early 90s he himself had a montego countryman.

War criminal of CLASS

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I like the Mondeo but as others have said, it can get killed off because of the size of the current Focus and the only size 'bigger' (although less usable space...) is an SUV.  The new Ka (the Brazilian one) is as big as a late-90s Fiesta, the Fiesta is the size of the Mk 1 Focus, etc.  It's all really rather sad to be honest.  There are plenty of people that like small cars that are clever on the inside.

 

Having been near a few Mk 1 Fiestas recently, this size inflation has clearly been going on for at least 30 years.  The original Ka was about the same size...

 

Case in point, Grumpius Fatherius bought a Honda Jazz last year because it was small and practical to a point; part-exchanging his Tiguan.  The Jazz has more usable interior, is cheaper to run, etc.  He did actually look at a Mondeo but the high boot sill and already-scratched (on a 2-year-old) interior trim put him right off.  The final nail was that it was just too big, even though a Mk 1 Mondeo would have been about the right size.

 

I think the Mk 1 and Mk 2 Mondeos are gorgeous cars and I always smile when I see them about.

[AMC Rebel]

Yeah in the uk mondeo seems short hand for “bloke next doors car” (look at my sig I don’t see a problem with that) and for a lot of uk buyers these days they’d rather be seen as a Swiss banker even though they are driving to Homebase for some shelving. Like the bloke next door.

 

This is true even though the true "bloke next doors car" is a 320/A4 and has been for some time since they shift far more of those than Mondeos these days.  In one of the few times I agreed with him, Clarkson pointed this out on an old To Gear, adding (IIRC) that BM must be laughing all the way to the bank considering the price premium they charge for car that isn't much better in most areas.

[Tamworthbay]

The problem with this is that most SUV boots are shite and virtually none have a flat load area with no lip. My old Mondeo estate was second only in usefulness to the big Ovlovs, will be sad if they aren’t replaced.

[jayroller]

At this point, I shall drag this pic out again;

 

 

 

World's gone mad, etc...

[Jazoli]

At this point, I shall drag this pic out again;

 

 

 

World's gone mad, etc...

I don't get your point, one is a sporty coupe built in the 70's and the other is a 5 door estate car build in 2015, the only similarity is that they are both white Ford's.

[SiC]

Do Ford even do anything coupé nowadays apart from the Mustang? I can't think of anything in their model line up. Infact apart from KA/Fiesta/Focus/Mondeo/Mustang, I have no idea what else they sell.

[320touring]

Do Ford even do anything coupé nowadays apart from the Mustang? I can't think of anything in their model line up. Infact apart from KA/Fiesta/Focus/Mondeo/Mustang, I have no idea what else they sell.

Pickups, ah sell pickups BOAH!

[Sir Snipes]

Have you seen the Nissan Note they do nowadays? Honestly it must be the size of a mk5 Golf.....or at least a MK4....

[Schaefft]

Quite surprised to hear that. While crossovers are taking over the segment of midsize sedans/wagons more and more, I thought the Mondeo still sold well on Europe. I know that Ford decided to kill it off in the states, including their other cars apart from the Mustang (Taurus was getting old, and theres only the Focus sedan left really, the rest didnt sell anyway). Just goes to show that people rather pay for a base spec 3-series than going for anything else that might be seen as "lower" brand. And to be honest, I'd do the same if I was ever considering a new car. Its sad to see the overall shift away from normal cars to Crossovers and SUVs though.

[Asimo]

It might be a big four door, but the rear seat in a Mondeo is a miserable, claustrophobic place to sit.

 

"People carrier" for the passenger's win.

 

Ford have recently dumped their saloon line in the USA , I think we discussed it here too but I can't remember what it was called, so can't link too it.

[overrun]

Good night sweet Prince.

[sierraman]

Everything is about a ‘brand’ now, it’s all about what it says not what it does. People won’t settle for something good, they’re not actually bothered in fact whether it’s any good or not, it could be complete junk like a 3 series but so long as it says ‘look at me, I’m incredibly successful’ that’s what matters. The irony is most of the people driving about in ‘A premium brand’ aren’t usually very successful, either professionally or personally.

 

Someone asked me the other day about creating my ‘brand’. I told them not to be so fucking arrogant.

[Wack]

When I was collecting my car I asked about the Mondeo and how it used to be every 3rd car you saw

 

He said they barely sell any now , it's all kuga, I do like the Ford Edge but that fiesta on stilts one looks ridiculous.

 

Women like the higher driving position of a SUV and men like the power of the German saloons

[sierraman]

Those SUVs always remind me of those chunky Fisher Price cars my youngest plays with.

[83C]

To be fair the Mondeo was getting huge.

 

I used to think my grandparent's K-reg Ford Granada Scorpio estate was a land-barge, but the Mond is actually a fair bit bigger:

 

Granada Scorpio Estate:

Length: 4749mm

Width: 1778mm

 

Mondeo Mk4 Estate:

Length: 4867mm

Width: 2121mm

 

Just out of interest I also looked up the Mondeo Mk1:

Mondeo Mk1 Estate:

Length: 4671mm

Width: 1925mm

 

(All dimensions taken from the Parkers website).

 

The same thing that happened to the Granada and the Omega is now happening again to the Mondeo and quite possibly the Insignia. Folk don't want big Fords or Vauxhalls. The Focus Mk3 estate that Mrs 83C has just sold was more than big enough, decent boot space and decent legroom for most people. 

[Sir Snipes]

Did I read Honda dropped the Accord effectively replacing it with the Civic?

[Wack]

Plus it's all about cutting costs with shared platforms between the manufacturers, if nobody else wants a mondeo sized platform going it alone gets expensive

[Captain Furious]

Be a shame if they do because the Mk5 Mondeo is a fabulous looking car. I really want one.

[sierraman]

I wouldn’t worry, like most Mondeo it will be worth bugger all after 8-10 year so you can sweep in when they are a grand or so. Winner.

[Vin]

Not a fan of the crossover SUV type thing, I can feel nothing but acute embarrassment at the thought of riding about in one. It just says to me ‘I’ve given up, I’m now waiting to waste away driving round in this massive blob from retail park to retail park then settle down in front of a television of an evening to watch brainless rubbish’

 

It's funny isn't it, but when I was a kid this is the reason my old man wouldn't consider buying a Ford. Instead he went for secondhand Volvo estates...

[mk2_craig]

I'd love a Mondeo estate, but they've grown quicker than parking spaces have.

 

I don't like crossovers for the same reason as lots of folk didn't like hatchbacks in the 1970s. But they've become the new norm despite their poor space efficiency and generally unimpressive driving experience. We're on our second Qashqai and I feel like I've sold a bit of my soul.

[AMC Rebel]

 Just goes to show that people rather pay for a base spec 3-series than going for anything else that might be seen as "lower" brand. And to be honest, I'd do the same if I was ever considering a new car. 

 

Why?

 

I'd rather have a comfortable (and more spacious) Mondeo than some base spec BM/Merc/Audi thing.  The front/rear drive thing is largely irrelevant except on track days - most of the time you can't (and shouldn't)  drive quickly enough on public roads to exploit it - and the ESP stuff now makes it largely irrelevant.  I'd also rather have the Mondeo in OMG snow chaos.  The residual value argument for BMWs etc is generally bollocks too as the thousands over the list that the first owner almost always pays for options is never taken into account - and it's generally for stuff that would be standard on the Mondeo.

[sierraman]

The whole rear wheel drive argument isn’t really valid on newer BMWs, like anything else the software in ESP forbids any unpredictable handling. In a new car you would have to drive like an absolute idiot to get it out of line. The whole idea of buying into ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ thing then picking it with a 1.6 diesel is laughable.

[rml2345]

The Germans seem to be able to pull off the "halo" effect nowadays that Ford was so good at in the '70s. So Mr. Buyer goes to his local BMW dealership with dreams of an M5 to find his budget stretches to a 316 with none of the options boxes ticked.

[Hertz]

It is a shame as from my point of view the large estates are the only cars me (6 ft 6") and my growing kids can fit in comfortably. I was looking at the Mondeo's as my next pick next year. Funnily enough I saw a couple of Vignale's on the Isle of Wight last week. I didn't really like all the chrome especially the wheels but they were a head turner.

 

Toyota are not replacing the Avensis, Renault dropped the Laguna a while ago. I don't really want a Merc E Class or BMW 5 series so my pick's for the next car are getting thinner on the ground.

[Datsuncog]

Funny, I remember seeing a BMW advert in the late 90s demonstrating how you too could drive away in a brand new 3-series for the same price as a Ford Escort.

 

The small print revealed that it was comparing a fully loaded Escort Ghia against a total pov spec 316 Compact, where probably things like wheels and seats were a tick-box option.

 

The advert was on the back of a bus, even more weirdly.

 

From the comments above, it seems that this kind of thinking amongst consumers is what's putting the nail in the private-buy coffin for Ford and other mass-manufacturers whose cars are perceived as functional, rather than premium/aspirational. Even twenty years ago, BMW was asserting that their worst model was automatically superior to Ford's best. Maybe that thinking has trickled down to the wider public consciousness in the intervening years.

 

PCP deals which allows punters to simply pay the depreciation seem to favour high-residual marques like Audi, BMW and Mercedes (just to name the ones I see a lot of locally), which are suddenly every bit as affordable as a cheaper sticker-price Focus or Mondeo - while those who buy on price alone may tend towards the likes of a Hyundai i40 or Skoda Octavia if they want summat Mondeo-sized.

 

I was offered this pre-registered Skoda Superb estate with delivery miles and quite a few bells and whistles back in May for £14k, and I'll not lie, I was more than slightly tempted.

 

 

 

I doubt many Ford dealers put out Mondeo estates for that sort of money...?

[Andy F]

Never really a fan of the mondeo, but even less of a fan of all this SUV nonsense. Give me a sleek looking estate or hatch any day, Or even a proper MPV.

 

Skoda Superb always seems like a good proposition. Like a bigger, cheaper Passat. No brainer really!

[CortinaDave]

Papers today are saying the Mondeo is staying for now, and they're pressing ahead with a facelift.

 

I'm obviously odd as I like cars of this size and hate the sports utility stuff. The current gen mondeo looks the business... Id love a Vignale when they get down to beer money in a decade or so.

 

My work had a Kuga as a pool car and it was like driving a pregnant camel, wallowing all over the place.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

 

 

In the work car park I recently saw a current model VW Polo and a current model VW Golf next to each other. It took me a few seconds to tell the difference between them, as they were pretty much the same size!

 

 

 

Said everyone in 1978.