RE: Ford Mondeo ST220: Spotted

[Fastdruid]

Bladedancer said:

So going beyond that, odd Mondeo ST220 or 2.5T, V70R, Saab 95 Aero or Insignia VXR do come round, but they are few and far between. And most of them approach their 10th or so birthday (apart from Insignia obviously).

If how many left is to be believed they sold ~1400 Mondeo Turbo's (as the 2.5T is known on the V5). That includes the Estates as well as it's not noted on the V5. So at best I figure there are ~140 Mondeo 2.5T estates. Rare as hens teeth. No idea what I'd replace it with short of a ~2010+ 530i Touring (which in manual guise is as rare if not more so) and while undeniably a better car it's a *lot* more expensive.

[PaulD86]

I did about 60K miles in my 220 hatch. Great car. The standard brakes are poor for the power and weight of the car but easily fixed by swapping front calipers, pads and discs with those from the Focus ST225. Eibach suspension on mine improved cornering, made it sit a little lower and (perhaps surprisingly) ride. My one had a Milltek exhaust on it which sounded great. I keep thinking about buying another as a daily driver as they are great for chucking mountain bikes in and Costco runs.

[dlockhart]

I disagree with the choice of radio station and find myself questioning how the car would have been driven/raced off every traffic light

[philmots]

I had a 2005 facelift black/black hatch. I loved it, slightly quicker than the e46 330i but it sounded lots better. Handled great for a big car too.

[cerb4.5lee]

I have always wanted one of these(hatch) and the estate just adds to the practicality, love the spec on these and the Recaro`s too.

[anonymous-user]

Some of the 3.0's (and I'm not sure how common it is) have an issue with spinning their big end bearings. Like mine, for example

I loved that car.

[paulmaurice99]

I've not driven one, not sure I've sat in one, but I can't help feeling these would be very good indeed. What clue could I have? Last year I bought a 55 plate 1.8LX 5 door hatch for my lengthy commute. It's a 130 mile round trip, mostly dual carriageway, the car I bought was cheap as chips, lovely condition, has cruise control and a good stereo so it's ideal for the boring bit. However the 15 miles or so of flowing, challenging single carriageway A road at one end of the journey is where this car really shines. I knew the Mondeo had a great chassis, but I've still been blown away by just how good. I've had all sorts of interesting (and some not so interesting) cars and this - in its own way - is as accomplished along that A road as anything I've owned. The steering, ride, and handling are top notch, and on the sort of road where the chassis is more important than the engine, even the humble 1.8 LX is a very sweet steer. So a properly quick one must be quite something. And I rather like Fords now (this is my first) - they're nicely down to earth, though the quality of the components does let the side down a bit. That said, we're talking Tesco prices for Waitrose drive, so there's always going to be a compromise. As an aside I always fancied one of these with a Noble to go alongside it (shared engine)...

[Andrew-dnmzj]

Lot's of ST220 fans then but not me I'm afraid. I had one and couldn't wait to get rid of it. The beautiful 3 litre V6 (and the noise it made) was the only redeeming feature IMHO. The rest of the car was rubbish. The car I had was a very low mileage, late model, fully loaded, ex Ford Manager's car so spec'd with every option including: Rare Ink Blue (dark blue not the 'usual' ST220 Petrol Blue) metallic paint, Red Leather, Sunroof, Factory Sat Nav etc.

Sorry if this upsets ST220 owners but I thought the car felt cheap, with poor build quality; rear bumper was falling off - know Ford TSB notification which my local dealers weren't interested in fixing. The lacquer on the wheels flaked off, 'they all do that sir, it's because they have a diamond cut finish' was the response I got from the dealers when I pointed it out. And I'm not sure why everyone raves about the handling because I thought it handled like a pig (despite being fitted with a variety of 'premium' tyres - Conti's, Goodyear F1's and Pirelli P Zero's made no difference), torque steered everywhere!

Finally (after 12 months) managed to get rid of it in p/x for a Legacy Spec B Estate which was a vast improvement. Oh, and I lost a fortune in depreciation. Probably the worst car I've ever owned and the worst dealer service I've ever received to the point where I vowed to NEVER buy another Ford. Sorry but I didn't like it http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/5.gif

[Magictrousers]

Andrew-dnmzj said:

Lot's of ST220 fans then but not me I'm afraid. I had one and couldn't wait to get rid of it. The beautiful 3 litre V6 (and the noise it made) was the only redeeming feature IMHO. The rest of the car was rubbish. The car I had was a very low mileage, late model, fully loaded, ex Ford Manager's car so spec'd with every option including: Rare Ink Blue (dark blue not the 'usual' ST220 Petrol Blue) metallic paint, Red Leather, Sunroof, Factory Sat Nav etc.

Sorry if this upsets ST220 owners but I thought the car felt cheap, with poor build quality; rear bumper was falling off - know Ford TSB notification which my local dealers weren't interested in fixing. The lacquer on the wheels flaked off, 'they all do that sir, it's because they have a diamond cut finish' was the response I got from the dealers when I pointed it out. And I'm not sure why everyone raves about the handling because I thought it handled like a pig (despite being fitted with a variety of 'premium' tyres - Conti's, Goodyear F1's and Pirelli P Zero's made no difference), torque steered everywhere!

Finally (after 12 months) managed to get rid of it in p/x for a Legacy Spec B Estate which was a vast improvement. Oh, and I lost a fortune in depreciation. Probably the worst car I've ever owned and the worst dealer service I've ever received to the point where I vowed to NEVER buy another Ford. Sorry but I didn't like it http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/5.gif

You do realise that you can't say these things on here.

Thank God you didn't say the same aged Vectra GSi was a better car, you'd be hung from a tree.....

[cerb4.5lee]

Magictrousers said:

Thank God you didn't say the same aged Vectra GSi was a better car, you'd be hung from a tree.....

Being a Ford man I always liked the Mondeo ST but the Vectra GSi was the better car overall I think most would acknowledge.

I am still haven't owned a vauxhall yet though.

[loudlashadjuster]

Krikkit said:

...a sonorous V6 in a Mondeo that handled really well?! Shocking after the first-gen horrors.

I know the early Mondeo engines were certainly nothing to write home about, but Mk1s were about the sweetest handling saloons out there in 93-94 and that's not just me saying that, road test after road test were very positive about them, especially compared to the creaking Sierra and lumpen Cavalier.

[clee]

Think I'll stick with the V6 slaguna ...210 bhp and a less than a quarter the cost .

[MrBig]

Lordivanhoe said:

I absolutely agree. The ST220 is a great car - I had a dark silver grey hatch with the red leather upholstery (which looks less vivid in reality!), and I loved it. I parted with it due to getting a new job which came with a company car, making it surplus to requirements (and it was rather thirsty for the long commute!), but I wish I still had it and occasionally still 'window shop' for a replacement. The mobile bordello (as my friends christened it) was great for surprising premium brand drivers, and that V6 was sooooo smooth.. one day, I'll have one again - I just hope this article doesn't start pushing these prices up to silly levels too!!

Your experience virtually mirrors mine. Only my mates called it the mobile boudoir!

Miss it regularly. Especially when I change up at 4,500 rpm in the company diesel

[BorkFactor]

I'm seriously considering one of these in the near future, always had a soft spot for them!

Sadly I am quite picky, I don't like the blue they come in, and the ones that aren't blue have that horrible red leather!

There was a red estate one with cream leather for sale a while back. Should have bought it at the time!

[CharlieAlphaMike]

Magictrousers said:

Andrew-dnmzj said:

Lot's of ST220 fans then but not me I'm afraid. I had one and couldn't wait to get rid of it. The beautiful 3 litre V6 (and the noise it made) was the only redeeming feature IMHO. The rest of the car was rubbish. The car I had was a very low mileage, late model, fully loaded, ex Ford Manager's car so spec'd with every option including: Rare Ink Blue (dark blue not the 'usual' ST220 Petrol Blue) metallic paint, Red Leather, Sunroof, Factory Sat Nav etc.

Sorry if this upsets ST220 owners but I thought the car felt cheap, with poor build quality; rear bumper was falling off - know Ford TSB notification which my local dealers weren't interested in fixing. The lacquer on the wheels flaked off, 'they all do that sir, it's because they have a diamond cut finish' was the response I got from the dealers when I pointed it out. And I'm not sure why everyone raves about the handling because I thought it handled like a pig (despite being fitted with a variety of 'premium' tyres - Conti's, Goodyear F1's and Pirelli P Zero's made no difference), torque steered everywhere!

Finally (after 12 months) managed to get rid of it in p/x for a Legacy Spec B Estate which was a vast improvement. Oh, and I lost a fortune in depreciation. Probably the worst car I've ever owned and the worst dealer service I've ever received to the point where I vowed to NEVER buy another Ford. Sorry but I didn't like it http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/5.gif

You do realise that you can't say these things on here.

Thank God you didn't say the same aged Vectra GSi was a better car, you'd be hung from a tree.....

Yes. Sorry. Just a bad experience for me but what a great engine. Beautiful V6. Really smooth, free revving, powerful and with a lovely sound to it. There. Hope I've made up for it http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/6.gif

[redrabbit]

Any love for the Octavia vRS estate (2.0l petrol) of similar vintage? Seem hard to find these days....

[TheFinners]

Always found these to be really appealing, and are something I will definitely consider in the future when I may need something more practical.

I realise the chance is very slim but if Mazda could make a SkyActive V6 and stick it in the current 6 that would make an absolutely fantastic car. It is a good looking car and say 3.0 liters and ~260/70bhp and a pleasant sound it would be a great modern successor to the ST220.

Of course it'll never happen...

[Fastdruid]

TheFinners said:

Always found these to be really appealing, and are something I will definitely consider in the future when I may need something more practical.

I realise the chance is very slim but if Mazda could make a SkyActive V6 and stick it in the current 6 that would make an absolutely fantastic car. It is a good looking car and say 3.0 liters and ~260/70bhp and a pleasant sound it would be a great modern successor to the ST220.

Of course it'll never happen...

Not sure they've got anything decent any more, Ford took the old 2.3T (from the 3 and 6 MPS) with them when the sold their stake. They have the Skyactiv-G 2.5 but that's only 184hp.

The most interesting car in their entire range is the MX-5 and while it isn't a bad car it's hardly quick. The rest are slow and dull.

[Zad]

cerb4.5lee said:

Being a Ford man I always liked the Mondeo ST but the Vectra GSi was the better car overall I think most would acknowledge.

I am still haven't owned a vauxhall yet though.

Are you quite sure? That's the first I have heard. Yes, I'm probably reading the wrong sub-forums.

Anyway: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pu7kgDjJXno

Agreed on the scarcity of Mondeo 2.5T Estates. I'm trying to source one for my dad with reasonable mileage for a reasonable price and not having a lot of luck. There seemed to be quite a few around last autumn (maybe the end of a big lease contract?) but then they disappeared. The occasional one does come up,

[jason61c]

I don't quite get the ford fanboy thing. Its an overpriced Mondeo estate with an nice sounding engine.