Octavia vs mondeo

JamiePvrs · 13 September, 2019

So, I have had to use a mondeo for the last week or so as mine has been in the garage.

Does anyone else have a mondeo or expierienced one? This mondeo is a 66 plate titanium with all the kit on. It's far better specced than my VRS but what a horrible thing to drive! It feels heavy, its 180bhp doesn't feel like it! Feels far slower and it doesn't corner particularly well. But the level of equipment is unreal! It has absolutely everything you could imagine! Electric leather seats, panoramic roof, digital dash, auto parking, auto lights and wipers, keyless entry and go, nav etc etc.

But back to my point, I would rather have my skoda Octavia than the mondeo. I think the list price of the mondeo may be higher and a few people have said they would rather have the mondeo which I think is crazy but each to there own!

Edited 13 September, 2019 by john999boy

RickTT · 13 September, 2019

i looked at them, a nice spec'ed one as you say has the equip, but i find it just dull to drive, plus the thought of them axing them very soon too.

Im driven the ford fusion in the usa, which is a mondeo just with better engines, think it had the 2.5 V6 in it and it was rapid in a straight line... but the cooled seats were nice...

Problem is the design now has been out for so long with only minor facelifts....

JamiePvrs · 13 September, 2019

They are a bit dull to drive. The manual gearbox isnt very nice either, very knotchy and really quiet stiff!

JamiePvrs · 13 September, 2019

I just cant believe the guy had a budget of about 20k and the only criteria he had to fill was that it had to be diesel, fairly new with some warranty and fairly economical. Why would you choose a mondeo over a 3 or 5 series, a Audi or merc c class? I know I chose a skoda but I like the look and way the vrs drives. I think I would have picked an insignia over the mondeo!

damjanev · 13 September, 2019

I drove one company Mondeo (2010) on several business trips and i can confirm that it is a very strange car. It has a lot of space, but very little comfort. Try using the steering wheel controls or command the windows without placing your hand and fingers in a weird and painful position. It was also heavy on steering and clumsy to operate in town.

ahenners · 13 September, 2019

These are a fair bit heavier than an Octavia, even the 240ps petrol's stats aren't that great. It's a fair bit slower than the petrol VRS to 60 and even the Superb 220 TSI as well I think.

Edited 13 September, 2019 by ahenners

FilipC · 13 September, 2019

I own a 2015 mk5 Mondeo Titanium FWD 2.0 150bhp diesel Powershift with plenty of extras, the car is listed as 1590kg and gets to 100km/h in 9.9s but in reality has 1775kg (almost 200kg more than on paper, have not tested myself the 0-100 however), Ford is plain and simple lying about the weight of the car; even on paper the car is ~100kg heavier that Superb or Passat, not to mention Mazda 6 (from the same class, Octavia is not in this class).

I have several colleagues with Octavia 3 non-FL, various engines, all manual, all FWD, the only one that feels slower than my Mondeo is the 1.2 TSI 110bhp which is ~500kg lighter on the road. Any other Octavia is still at least 300kg lighter, of course it is slower and gets worse mileage.

The only moment when the extra weight would be beneficial is in case of an impact with a lighter car, obviously not desirable but not to be overlooked either.

This being said, the Mondeo has better noise insulated and little more spacious interior, the torque converters (now available for the diesels as well) are more reliable than the double clutch gearboxes (wet DSGs or Powershifts, Ford at this class has not used dry Powershifts), 'settles' on the road better on the long journeys and last but not least IMO it looks way better from the outside (not to mention IMO the Octavia 3 FL looks worse than the non-FL but each to his own taste).

That being said, I don't have anything against Skoda, I'm still planning to replace the Mondeo with a Kodiaq next year and 4 years ago I would have bought a Superb 3 instead of the Mondeo had the S3 showed up a few months earlier.

logiclee · 13 September, 2019

Mondeo's used to be great to drive, but the latest one is a world car and is built for cruising comfort which doesn't suit the European market as well.

Saying that some of the extra weight is down to amount of toys and insulation. So if your bag is hammering the motorway all day and you want a high specified refined cruiser then the Mondeo is a good choice.

But it's not the drivers car it once was.

Mence · 13 September, 2019

I have owned four Mondys, all older models than the one being discussed. My guess is the latest one won't be too different to its predecessors in as much as it does everything just fine but does nothing brilliantly, good workhorses that leave the driver unfulfilled.

JamiePvrs · 13 September, 2019

No takers for buying it then 🤣.

It just seems a very "generic" car. I always get asked about my VRS. Velvet red and black pack plus and even the FL headlights are a talking point, love them or hate them (I love them!) Everyone who gets in the mondeo says it's big but that the seats aren't very comfy.

The guy that originally chose it is no longer with the business and it was his second mondeo. The first being a lower specced version but he absolutely loved it and wouldnt be seen dead in a skoda! I spoke to him last week and he has just ordered a Audi A3 S-Line as his next company car, should have it in a few weeks. Cant wait to speak with him and see how he finds it compared to the mondeo!

logiclee · 13 September, 2019

2 hours ago, Mence said:

I have owned four Mondys, all older models than the one being discussed. My guess is the latest one won't be too

It is, very different.

Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3 were all class leading for driving dynamics. The Mk4 added in a more refined ride but lost a little feel but still remained class leading.

The new Mondeo's are just a barge in comparison.

A Mk3 for handling and feel would destroy an Octavia.

Still wish I had mine.

MorrisOx · 13 September, 2019

Had a Mondeo 2.0 TDCi 180 for lengthy spell when my Octy was t-boned in an accident three years ago.

Honest view? The interior, though very well-equipped, was poorer quality than the Octy, with too many hard plastics. Performance was decent with a very solid slug of torque. But as others have said, it doesn’t really feel like 180bhp.

The one area where it knocks spots off the Octy is the ride-handling compromise, which reflects a more sophisticated set-up (particularly at the rear). Historically, Ford has been very good at producing cars which are agile and well-damped and the Mondeo is no exception. It feels more refined.

The torsion beam axle at the back of the Octy is its downfall - and the reason I switched to a Superb.

Mence · 13 September, 2019

Think my last one was a Tdi 155?

Guy in our villiage has a mint ST220 which I have to say is a belter, I would be happy driving that.

nickcoll · 13 September, 2019

6 hours ago, MorrisOx said:

The torsion beam axle at the back of the Octy is its downfall - and the reason I switched to a Superb.

They don't all have the torsion beam - why not get one with the multi-link rear end? My 4x4 2.0TDi handles extremely well and is really great to drive. Tons of grip (both front and rear), great turn-in, altogether lovely.

Edited 13 September, 2019 by nickcoll

damjanev · 13 September, 2019

9 hours ago, Mence said:

I have owned four Mondys, all older models than the one being discussed. My guess is the latest one won't be too different to its predecessors in as much as it does everything just fine but does nothing brilliantly, good workhorses that leave the driver unfulfilled.

I’ve heard people saying the exact same thing about the Octavia 🙂

Alex-W · 14 September, 2019

Yeah, I do find the views above very very biased, as you would expect.

I've driven a couple of Mondeos that we have at work (180 deisels) and found them quite pleasant tbh. Enough power, quiet, comfortable, does what it says on the tin really.

I didn't have an issue with the power, sure it's no rocket ship but it's comparable with any other deisel of that power and size. It's only 180bhp, it's not meant to be fast.

I can't say I gave them hell in the corners, wasn't really appropriate but the lack of feel that people are describing is how I'd describe the Octavia to a certain extent.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Octavia and it's a very good package, but it doesn't have the feel and resultant fun that my accord does.

It goes round a corner quick enough, but because I have to have blind faith in the car rather than feel what it's doing.

It also doesn't have half as nice a gearbox as either my accord or Mazda 6. I can change gear smoothly in half the time in the accord.

However the big thing I'd say about the Octavia that people seem to be implying about the Mondeo is the ride. I don't have an issue with it (vRS with proper suspension) but the wife, having had a c section recently, finds it noticeably harsher and crashier than her Mazda.

It's also FAR noisier on the road.

I'd still rather the vRS over the Mazda or Mondeo but because the package suits me better... Don't care about the ride, it's quicker and the vRS has quite a few options.

If I were driving a company deisel around all day, would I choose the Octavia? Probably not....

One of the guys with a Mondeo has actually just switched to a 1.5 turbo civic sport as it's smaller, lighter, still practical, more fun.

Somebody above mentioned insignias... Driven many and they're just terrible. Right at the bottom of the list. Huge, terrible visibility, not very quick, not even well equipped.

Cheap to buy buy I'd rather something older and better for the same money.