Not knowing anything at all about Fords I'm considering (as a result of the V6 Vauxhall thread) a V6 Mondeo as my next car. The fact there is a Ford dealer 2 mins down the road is also a bonus.

So what model specs have a nice engine etc. ?

I know nothing about Fords but assume build/dealers/reliability is pretty equal to Vauxhall etc.

Get The St220 Man!

I should also say an estate is preferable.

I may even consider a big diesel lump.

Buy a beemer 330 Diesel estate or a Merc Estate. Will be "probably" very reliable which will give you peace of mind

But probably very expensive when it goes wrong ?

Diesel lumps: 130ps, 155ps. People who've driven both say there isn't a lot between them and the 130ps is less all-or-nothing power (that's the one I have) and it's very smooth and easily tuned with a tuning box. Avoid the 90bhp and 115bhp TDCI models..... I'd recommending trying to test both of them and see which you prefer....

Spec will depend on age. The Mk3 came out in 2000/2001, but the TDCI was not introduced until 2002. There was a cosmetic and spec facelift in '53 which saw a lot more toys being added to the cars, a 6-speed box and the chrome trim to make it look more classy. There was also a minor facelist in 2005 but I'm not sure what changed with that (I suspect not much!)

Trim levels to choose would be Zetec-S (sports suspension, body kit and big wheels but not much in the way of toys), Ghia X (luxury!) or the ST TDCI or 220 (best of both worlds). Avoid the LX and Zetec. I believe the V6 and TDCI lumps are available in all of these trim levels Hellfire should be able to comment on the Zetec-S....

As far as reliability and build quality, I have just covered my first 12.5k in 6 months (car now on 46k) and nothing has broken or fallen off or rattles.

Chris

What is the spec. and performance for the V6 ?

What is the spec. and performance for the V6 ?

Have a look here yer lazy git

Chris

I wonder if Ford Privilidge applies to used Mondeos' too

Lazy git ? The Ford website is a little too blatent for viewing at work

So if you could fill in the following for the ST220 and ST TDCI, Chris

0-60 mph.......

top speed ......

30-70......

MPG......

Insurance group.......

ST220:

0-62 mph.......7.6 secs

top speed ...... 155mph

30-70...... not given

MPG...... 27.2mpg (combined)

Insurance group......16

ST TDCI: (EEC Stage III)

0-62 mph.......8.7 secs

top speed ......137mph

30-70......not given

MPG......46.3mpg

Insurance group......13

Chris

Does it give torque figures?

V6 is 226ps at 6250rpm, 285Nm at 4900 rpm.

TDCI is 155ps at 3500rpm, 360/400Nm at 1800rpm (difference is due to transient overboost)

Chris

So you are better off using that discount to buy Focus ST

hmmm...... I think I need to take each for a drive and see how they feel - Along with a 3.2 V6 vectra.

Sadly I dont think the Focus is big enough for us :(

I wonder if Ford Privilidge applies to used Mondeos' too

Oh yes, you can get them at rediculous money.

Having had a quick look you can pick up a:

Titanium X Estate 3.0 200 SIV for

Not sure this info is of much use to you, but might help you decide on reliability -

Obviously ford always come near the top in reliability surveys for a reason, the cars are very well made (certainly better than Skodas) and very reliable, I have a number of Mondeos on the taxi fleet and not one of them has ever given us any trouble at all, ok so we've only got the 115bhp versions so I cant comment on the ST etc but they are so nice to drive as well.

Vauxhalls on the other hand just cant cut it as taxis, constantly choking themselves up and requiring gunk and crap to be cleaned out of the vacuum pipes etc, always stalling due to the worlds sh*tiest idle control valves (they only ever last a few months) and just looking stupid inside when the big orange multi dot display thing starts throwing a wobly and displays a load of random dots and not the info you want.

I realise you aren't gonna be using it for a taxi, but asking cab drivers what cars cut it is a good way of finding out if somethings reliable. needless to say we have phased out nearly all the vauxhalls, only one left and that'll be gone soon!!

Sadly I dont think the Focus is big enough for us :(

Then get two!

A friend of mine had the ST220, and even though I hate fords, this was a cracking car! unlike the fast omega, (and cudos for chrisGB being able to tame it, I only had one drive, I understand his answer to my post on there, but I couldn't/wouldn't on the public road, it scared me way too much, maybe if I had a racetrack to play on?! all I got was boatlike dynamics, maybe I'm too used to FWD cars, and was approaching it in the wrong way...) but I drove the ST 220, and was both fast and easy to handle, as long as it didn't break, I would reccomend!

Not knowing anything at all about Fords I'm considering (as a result of the V6 Vauxhall thread) a V6 Mondeo as my next car.

I take it Goochie that you have a thing for 6 cylinder engines:) Have you thought about the Subaru Legacy 3.0 Flat 6? It

a type b legacy would be awesome!

a type b legacy would be awesome!

Yep:thumbup:. Twin turbochargers and enough room to scare your boyfriend and a co uple of his mates all at the same time

Have driven the ST220,hatchback and estate and loved both of them.

loved the Recaro seats and all the other toys that come as standard.

i only drove about 20 miles but it felt very well put together,as well as the Octavia and i would say not far off the Boxster.

I prefered it to the Focus ST as its a bigger car and i really like having a big normally aspirated engine.

The Mondeo ST's are great cars. I was looking at an ST200 before I bought the Octy, in fact if the Octy had'nt come along at the price that it did, SWMBO would be driving the ST now. My brother in law has got the Zetec S Diesel and a mate of mine has got the ST220, neither have had any problems and the build quality is up to VAG levels nowadays.

I have a very good vid of my mates ST playing with another mates DC5 and a 220 turbo. Only problem is that it's 180 meg, but if you want it, I could chuck it your way.

Its not a thing for 6 cylinder engines really, I just dont want another turbo'd petrol car. The sensible way to get some decent power and torque is a N/A engine with lots of cylinders

Legacy's, even non-turbo models, are a bit too expensive to insure and run.