Ford Mondeo is at an end?

[Vince70]

Another thing I’ve noticed about the new mondeo (and most moderns) is not just the size but also how do you see out of the things.

I was in a car park recently and saw an estate one reverse out of a parking space and it went straight into the side of two seat sports car and looking at the angle I doubt there was much chance of seeing it.

Now if he had been driving an Autoshite Mk1 or 2 Mondog it would never of happened as he would of had windows rather than a letterbox to look out of.

[Bren]

I have found out how much lenders have tightened up - affordability is the mzin concern when taking out a loan, mortgage etc.

 

Cheap credit will become difficult for many people. People nowadays aspire to own bmw and audis - I think this will change in the next few years as people start getting told "no".

 

And to think there may be no mondeo for people to buy. Personally I think they are a good car.

[overrun]

Another thing I’ve noticed about the new mondeo (and most moderns) is not just the size but also how do you see out of the things.

I was in a car park recently and saw an estate one reverse out of a parking space and it went straight into the side of two seat sports car and looking at the angle I doubt there was much chance of seeing it.

Now if he had been driving an Autoshite Mk1 or 2 Mondog it would never of happened as he would of had windows rather than a letterbox to look out of.

PDC, reverse camera and my own eyes work a treat for most modern cars.

[Rave]

Another thing I’ve noticed about the new mondeo (and most moderns) is not just the size but also how do you see out of the things.

I was in a car park recently and saw an estate one reverse out of a parking space and it went straight into the side of two seat sports car and looking at the angle I doubt there was much chance of seeing it.

Now if he had been driving an Autoshite Mk1 or 2 Mondog it would never of happened as he would of had windows rather than a letterbox to look out of.

 

I had a Mk1 Mondeo hatch. It was a nightmare to reverse, couldn't see anything out of the back at all. My Mk3 estate is a bit better, still not brilliant though. Admittedly I am a bang average 5'11 and always set my seat as low as it will go for a sporty driving position, but still.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Ford are paying the price now for their PAG failure. They were too busy screwing up Jaguar and Volvo by trying to force them into BMW territory that they took their eye off the Ford ball. Ford, like Vauxhall, make okay cars with no USP whatsoever.

[Datsuncog]

Who'd have thought that 25yrs on a Ford Mondeo would have an air of exclusivity amongst the Mercs and Bmws in the Tesco car park???

 

That's a fair point.

 

It could be argued that Mercedes, BMW and Audi are unwittingly sailing into danger through suddenly being absolutely everywhere, thereby destroying their historic image of upmarket exclusivity. Kind of the same way Thornton's chocolates managed to do themselves a mischief by expanding their availability much too quickly, trashing their swanky image by stacking their products high in Poundland dump bins.

 

Perversely, I'm going to say no, mainly because these German marques still have a bright 'halo' from a positive showroom experience and Joe and Josephine Public probably won't even notice that half the street's driving white 320s. They just feel special because they have one on their drive. Never mind that they won't be able to find it in Tesco car park.

 

As mentioned upthread, it seems that the dealer experience counts for a lot when it comes to buyer perceptions. Other than Toyota, every mass-market showroom I've ever entered has been staffed with utter titmaboobs who are either aggressively pushy yet clueless, or have all the vim and enthusiasm of a decomposing flatworm.

 

Our local Ford place were dreadful in terms of customer service, seeming to take a perverse delight in being as obtuse and unhelpful as possible when I was looking bits for my MkVI Escort - and unsurprisingly the whole chain went into administration, leaving the dealership lying empty for ten years now and counting beside the ringroad, all boarded windows and weed-choked forecourt - yet with the vandal-smashed 'Lindsay Ford' signage still up.

 

Hardly a brilliant advert, having the biggest and most prominent Ford badge in town strangled with buddleia and pockmarked with holes from stone-throwing youths.

 

I've never been into a BMW, Audi or Merc dealership so maybe I'm missing something...

[John F]

IMO the Mondeo is the automotive equivalent of a plastic cup. Or maybe a diesel glove.

[Sir Snipes]

Saw a very tidy green MK1 saloon on the M25 this morning. I thought it looked fantastic.

[JeeExEll]

IMO the Mondeo is the automotive equivalent of a plastic cup. Or maybe a diesel glove.

Really?

[John F]

Really?

 

It was maybe a bit harsh, but yeah - they're just a thing that does a job to me.

[Timewaster]

I went into a BMW showroom once as moral support for someone looking to buy an approved used BMW.

 

(I had made my thoughts known and left them to make their own decision.)

 

The salesman was like a trained actor. He had a stream of non stop practiced patter, barely pausing for breath.

He made it virtually impossible to leave without signing. Not with threats or tricks but by sweeping the conversation along with such pace and enthusiasm for the enhanced life and status a BMW will bring you.

Oh yeah, some numbers yadda yadda, sign here and it can all be yours, won't it be great, should we look at it again? Etc etc.

 

All delivered with a Gene Wilders Willy Wonka enthusiasm.

 

I can see how it works.

 

Compare that to the Vauxhall dealer where they call you mate and "Chuck you the keys'.

[Formula Autos]

I went into a BMW showroom once as moral support for someone looking to buy an approved used BMW.

 

(I had made my thoughts known and left them to make their own decision.)

 

The salesman was like a trained actor. He had a stream of non stop practiced patter, barely pausing for breath.

He made it virtually impossible to leave without signing. Not with threats or tricks but by sweeping the conversation along with such pace and enthusiasm for the enhanced life and status a BMW will bring you.

Oh yeah, some numbers yadda yadda, sign here and it can all be yours, won't it be great, should we look at it again? Etc etc.

 

All delivered with a Gene Wilders Willy Wonka enthusiasm.

 

I can see how it works.

 

Compare that to the Vauxhall dealer where they call you mate and "Chuck you the keys'.

I once went and had a test drive of a seven year old Lexus at a franchised dealer.

 

I liked the car, but not the price, and started trying to chisel them. Then the salesman's pitch started; long flowery descriptions about how I wasn't just buying a car, I was buying a lifestyle. No knicker elastic would remain unsnapped if I drove past in this wonder machine. A world of unimaginable opportunities and magic moments awaited, if I only signed on the dotted line.

 

My response; "Aye, whatever Pal. It's a silver diesel repmobile. What price to change are we really looking at here?"

 

The guff continued, so I left, went to a Ford dealers where they just chucked me a set of keys, left me alone with my thoughts. Basically, they treated me like a sentient being, whose head didn't need filling with airy concepts about how buying a car would change my life.

 

I bought a Mondeo off them.

 

Nowt wrong with chucking people keys and letting them decide for themselves. The whole sales spiel/Willy Wonka/ mind control thing makes me think the actual product isn't actually much good.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I worked in BMW sales 8/9 years ago. From this I surmised that if you've walked into a BMW showroom, really that's what you want. I didn't do hard sell, the cars sell themselves but these days the big dealer groups put immense pressure on sales guys.

[cort16]

Ford are denying the demise of the Mondeo so it probably is true.

 

https://www.am-online.com/news/manufacturer/2018/09/05/ford-insists-mondeo-remains-core-part-of-product-line-up

[Braddon81]

It's not without any Irony that it was Ford that pioneered the Pcp scheme with Options back in the early 90s.

[SierraMikeHotel]

As this is turning into the sales experience thread...

 

Mrs H and I went shopping when her company car lease was up (she ended up with a C Class that just happened to be laying about unused but that's another story).

 

Toyota were rubbish (we wanted a Prius).  Nobody looked up when we went into the dealership, we had to get someone's attention.  The dealer came with us on the test drive and just responded to questions with the shortest possible answer.  I'm a bit of a fan of Toyota hybrids so I was enthusiastic and keen to engage him in conversation about the car but just got nothing back.  After the Prius test drive we had a nose about the Auris estate but the sales people had totally evaporated by then so we only got to sit in it.

 

Going into the VW dealership was like night and day.  The dealer was keen but not high-pressure and really enthusiastic about the car (Golf GTE), told us everything about it and explained all the different modes and so on.  Shame we hated the car really.

I don't like high pressure sales, but the Toyota guys could at least have said hello when we went in and shown some enthusiasm for their products.

 

We would have gone for the Prius anyway as we both preferred it mind you...

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Went shopping with my Dad last year for a new car for him.  I only went into the Skoda dealer with him but they basically left us alone.  Which was nice.

 

Sat in an Octavia and it was a very nice place to be.  He didn't get it though, fortunately for his marriage.

[SierraMikeHotel]

Sat in an Octavia and it was a very nice place to be. He didn't get it though, fortunately for his marriage.

Ha - my dad's had nothing but Skodas since the Octavia came out. He currently has a drug-dealer spec Superb.

 

My step mum used to choose other things but she's in them now too (Octavia Scout), I'm not sure how much choice she has in the matter though!

[GrumpiusMaximus]

We both sat down in a nice blue estate and nodded at each other.  It was as simple as that.

 

I think it reminded him of his old A4, which he loved.

[DSdriver]

No Mondeos... what are they going to make Jags out of now?

[ProgRocker]

On a similar note, have Honda stopped making the Accordian? The latest Civic looks like it is the same length of an older Accord.

 

I'm not very happy about how lardy cars are getting. My 15 year old motor just about fit in my lock-up! V I bet a Squashy or Pulsar will be too wide for it. If I want to keep the garage I'll be forced to consider a city car or supermini.

 

My Almera in the lock up garage. by Matt, on Flickr

[warren t claim]

I feel somewhat sad at the fact that I might have owned my last Mondeo, or mid sized Ford in general.

[AMC Rebel]

I feel somewhat sad at the fact that I might have owned my last Mondeo, or mid sized Ford in general.

 

Me too

[sierraman]

Not sure as mine are usually at least 10-15 years old when they reach me so I’ve got a good 10 years to go at it.

[Bren]

I had a lift in my mates 12 month old example. They are just as good as anything German. But they have no kudos.

 

However BMW/Audi/ merc are now like arseholes - everybody has one.

[sierraman]

I had a lift in my mates 12 month old example. They are just as good as anything German. But they have no kudos.

 

However BMW/Audi/ merc are now driven like arseholes.

FTFY

[Honey Badger]

Ford are reaping the result of making really quite shit cars from early 80s till the Mondeo and Focus came out, and while they are good cars the still rust like fuck and can look tired quite quickly if not kept well maintained.

 

Buyers now are the age to have been influenced by parents or even grandparents at the time having to put up with shitty CVH and Pintos with VV carbs struggling to start in the morning, rust and just being a bit shoddy, the same as Vauxhall really, where as this was the time that German brands had real quality and were a class above. This perception has lingered on up till now hence Ford sales sliding as the majority of the population view them with suspision and/or contempt.

 

Renault make some decent cars now, not that it matters as nobody will buy them after the electrical Armageddon of the early 2000s, the same as Pug struggle for the same reason in comparison to the 405/406/306 heyday as they made a piss poor product for a few years and it will take a long time for the public to get over it.

 

I think the perception will change in a decade or so as more and more people are saddled with a fucked BMW/Audi/Merc that is costing them a fortune.

 

The other point is that SUVs are much easier to use for 90% of the population, easier to get in and out of, more room, easier to get the kids/OAPs in and out of, bigger boots all on the same footprint as a saloon with the same mechanicals, it's a no brainier to get an SUV over a saloon or hatch back for most people.

[busmansholiday]

When I was working we chose the Mondeo as our departments beast of burden. Having persuaded those higher up the food chain that expecting two, sometimes three not always slim people to go to plants in Scotland, Wales etc in a van wasn't going to cut the mustard, we had virtually a free choice of an estate car. We liked the Saab and Aventis, but not the lease costs, we all said 'bollocks' to BMW and as we'd just been given a delightful Astra we were certainly not having another.

 

Turned out to be an excellent car did BD60YSW. Motorways, normal roads, even the off road tracks at work it just took them all without a problem. Swopped for an identical 64 plate when the lease expired. Great cars.

[Marm Toastsmith]

My father in law bought a one year old MK2 Zetec estate about 15 years ago. It's actually quite a nice looking thing, with factory 4 spoke alloys and a rear spoiler that suit it well. It's a nice shade of metallic green and it's got velour, too.

 

He never liked it much but oddly he's hung on to it for the best part of 100000 miles. He's had his fair share of problems. I've never been in it but my wife says it's uncomfortable and sounds like it's about to conk out.

 

Sooner or later he'll be getting shot and I've made him promise he'll give me first refusal on it.

[dieselassist]

...Ford's marketing seems to be directionless n they seem to be exceptional mingebaggers in speccing their cars since midway through the mk3 mondeo era; as said above they can look especially grim, even after a year....

for the mk4 first few years here, you could buy  a 1.6 petrol 96bhp, with steel wheels and black doorhandles; it was a mega poverty model; even the UK 1.6 was 115bhp, so it was essentially a detuned 1.6 for Ireland n other 'lands of low expectation'; some had dummy lower spots with the surrounds painted faux chrome... any sort of basics were ' extras' they asked you to pony up for on top of the forecourt price; any colour other than straight red or white, 600 to a grand ontop...

they also sold a lotta the diesels with horrendously base spec; again black doorhandles n steelies with kinder egg quality hubcaps; they sold a lot like this, as a lotta Irish folks with the 'matress money' every 5 years to buy a new car, didn't feel the need to employ the pen to buy any 'extras'...

 

...also the tyres they sell all their new cars on;  'eco'lines' or something, have all of 5-7k miles on them before its akin to driving on wooden tyres; no driver feedback n dangerous in the wet; they turn harder than a hookers heart after 5-7K miles or a years driving....

 

...sales have plummeted; of course folk are eventually shake out of their brand loyalty stupor n walk a few hundred yards down to the Kia or Hyundai showroom where theres so much included in the list price as standard...