Vignale, the new name for posh Fords
Discussion
Trabi601 said:
It wasn't. Never understood the hype. It looked overweight, was poorly built and, in common with the Mk5, it was heavy and incredibly thirsty. (Had a 2.0TDCI Zetec Powershift hire car for a few weeks - I couldn't get more than 34mpg from it. I get 42 from a 520d Auto.)
The 2.0 petrol Zetec we bought in 2009 for an incredible £12000 brand new (wish they'd do that again...) is still going strong and it has had zero issues, returns about 32mpg and doubles as a storage shed because there is pretty much nothing that can match the vast cavern of a boot, in hatchback form.Trabi601 said:
But, they'll be dirt cheap and a bargain used buy in a few years.
This is the key as they will lose value faster than a piano pushed off a cliff. A 3 year old one will be a bargain and still as cheap to service as a regular mondeo.You would have to be insane to buy a new one but as used it's a lot more tempting.
Trabi601 said:
It wasn't. Never understood the hype. It looked overweight, was poorly built and, in common with the Mk5, it was heavy and incredibly thirsty. (Had a 2.0TDCI Zetec Powershift hire car for a few weeks - I couldn't get more than 34mpg from it. I get 42 from a 520d Auto.)
I had one as a company car, it was built well. Well, I never once came across some example of finishing that made me think it was anything but well built. Nothing went wrong, it never rattled, surely that correlates with build quality? It proved more reliable than any company car I've had from a German badge since.It even managed to be pretty good fun to point down a back road. I can't remember the MPG but I can't recall it being particularly bad!
Edited by lee_erm on Thursday 16th February 20:35
Trabi601 said:
lee_erm said:
The Mk4 was a genuinely brilliant car though?!
It wasn't. Never understood the hype. It looked overweight, was poorly built and, in common with the Mk5, it was heavy and incredibly thirsty. (Had a 2.0TDCI Zetec Powershift hire car for a few weeks - I couldn't get more than 34mpg from it. I get 42 from a 520d Auto.)It is heavy though.
We've got a couple of Mondeo Vignales on our pitch at work at the moment, and one of their biggest problems is that in the same row is a mk5 Titanium with every extra that is both better equipped than the "posh" ones and cheaper. Barring the smoking jacket seats, you're not getting a better car; especially as both variants use the exact same PSA 2.0 diesel.
I think that seeing as they're meant to be the executive option they should've been available with V6 petrol and diesel options to differentiate the powertrains from standard range.
I think that seeing as they're meant to be the executive option they should've been available with V6 petrol and diesel options to differentiate the powertrains from standard range.
HannsG said:
The Ghia was synonymous with High Trim levels.
Loved the badge and the nostalgia.
And they replace it with this s
te?
erm no, you have titanium trim for that. Ghia is an old fashioned trim name for wood interior dashboards and people who used to put AA and RAC badges on their front grille.Loved the badge and the nostalgia.
And they replace it with this s
te? And Ghia X meant you got electric windows in the back, too! LUXURY.
I've always been a Ford boy at heart and I'm not sure why. Two Kas, two Fiestas, one Orion, three Escorts, two Mondeos and a currently a Focus, interspersed with the odd Elise and motorbike. The Orion and Escorts were obviously total pigs but everything else was great.
I've never really considered myself to be a brand man but I do seem to be drawn to them as the default choice, so perhaps I am?
I've always been a Ford boy at heart and I'm not sure why. Two Kas, two Fiestas, one Orion, three Escorts, two Mondeos and a currently a Focus, interspersed with the odd Elise and motorbike. The Orion and Escorts were obviously total pigs but everything else was great.
I've never really considered myself to be a brand man but I do seem to be drawn to them as the default choice, so perhaps I am?
Bit of a thread resurrection but - I saw one for the first time yesterday.
It did look rather nice. The quality of the paint caught my eye; it had a sort of glassy finish, with no orange peel. Definitely a cut above the norm. It looked pretty good TBH, although I felt there was too much chrome.
It was in a sort of metallic brown colour. So we have brown paint, chrome, and a re-upholstered interior. They should call it Vanden Plas and be done with it
I was reading that Ford have just opened up Vignale to the whole Ford dealer network. Previously you had to be a "Ford Store", with the special lounge etc. Now, any Ford dealer can sell Vignale, with no premises modifications required. I guess it was inevitable; there is no way they could justify separate physical premises for a product that even by Ford's own estimates will attract less than 10% of Ford customers. I reckon it's the start of the dilution of the whole "exclusive" experience to something more realistic.
Does anyone know how Ford are doing on this? Ford claim it's been a massive success, but then they would wouldn't they. I am still a bit tempted by the Mondeo hybrid version. I really need to see one first, though, and I'm worried about Ford abandoning the whole thing after another couple of years. And at £32k you are into Lexus GS hybrid territory. Given the choice between a Mondeo Vignale hybrid and a Lexus GS300h, for roughly equal money, you would surely have to be a huge, huge Ford fan to choose the former.
It did look rather nice. The quality of the paint caught my eye; it had a sort of glassy finish, with no orange peel. Definitely a cut above the norm. It looked pretty good TBH, although I felt there was too much chrome.
It was in a sort of metallic brown colour. So we have brown paint, chrome, and a re-upholstered interior. They should call it Vanden Plas and be done with it
I was reading that Ford have just opened up Vignale to the whole Ford dealer network. Previously you had to be a "Ford Store", with the special lounge etc. Now, any Ford dealer can sell Vignale, with no premises modifications required. I guess it was inevitable; there is no way they could justify separate physical premises for a product that even by Ford's own estimates will attract less than 10% of Ford customers. I reckon it's the start of the dilution of the whole "exclusive" experience to something more realistic.
Does anyone know how Ford are doing on this? Ford claim it's been a massive success, but then they would wouldn't they. I am still a bit tempted by the Mondeo hybrid version. I really need to see one first, though, and I'm worried about Ford abandoning the whole thing after another couple of years. And at £32k you are into Lexus GS hybrid territory. Given the choice between a Mondeo Vignale hybrid and a Lexus GS300h, for roughly equal money, you would surely have to be a huge, huge Ford fan to choose the former.
Agree with previous poster re engine choice, too few petrol engines, I.e 1 plus the hybrid, and that's the 2.0t. 240. It needs a bigger lazy engine imo. I'm thinking the demographics of vignale buyers are older types who in days gone by aspired to a 3.0 Granada with a slush box. Probably not too arsed about mpg.
ironv8 said:
Agree with previous poster re engine choice, too few petrol engines, I.e 1 plus the hybrid, and that's the 2.0t. 240. It needs a bigger lazy engine imo. I'm thinking the demographics of vignale buyers are older types who in days gone by aspired to a 3.0 Granada with a slush box. Probably not too arsed about mpg.
Most of those are dead now.Your current pensioner with cash to spend is in a Mercedes E class.
North America's posh Mondeo (AKA Fusion), the Lincoln MKZ, has been given a facelift. The new nose mimics that of the recently introduced Lincoln Continental. Top spec engine in the MKZ is a 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 producing 400 horsepower! Most examples in the wild, however, will be motivated by a 240 bhp 2.0 litre four-pot. There's also a hybrid version for you to avoid, too.
Unlike the Vignale, the MKZ is disguised well enough that the average punter can't tell it's a Mondeo underneath. It seems to me if Ford really wanted to differentiate the Vignale from it's more humble stablemates, they would bolt a Euro-friendly diesel tractor motor under the bonnet of the MKZ and offer something that didn't look like a tarted-up repmobile Mondeo.
LaurasOtherHalf said:
I actually saw one the other day, a Vignale Mondeo. I've got to be honest I thought it looked really good.
The strangest thing was that it looked incredibly exclusive against a sea of German saloons.
Although technically the Mondeo is also a German saloon. It's just the smart man's German saloon. The strangest thing was that it looked incredibly exclusive against a sea of German saloons.
DonkeyApple said:
Although technically the Mondeo is also a German saloon. It's just the smart man's German saloon.
How do you reach that conclusion?It's made in Spain.
And there's nothing smart about paying more to lease a Mondeo than lease a 5-series. Especially when the Mondeo BIK is higher, too.
When was paying more for an inferior experience 'smart'?
Trabi601 said:
DonkeyApple said:
Although technically the Mondeo is also a German saloon. It's just the smart man's German saloon.
How do you reach that conclusion?It's made in Spain.
And there's nothing smart about paying more to lease a Mondeo than lease a 5-series. Especially when the Mondeo BIK is higher, too.
When was paying more for an inferior experience 'smart'?
LuS1fer said:
DonkeyApple said:
Ford or Europe AG is German. They build the Mondeo.
No, Ford is American.They build cars in Spain.
They don't build cars in Germany.
Not that I particularly give a flying **** if a car is built in Germany. I had a Golf Mk IV and it was a pile of rusty *****
DonkeyApple said:
Ford of Europe AG is German. Based in Cologne since being set up in the 60s by Ford by merging the British and the German arms to administer and run the European business.
So it's an American designed car, produced by the European subsiduary, Germany based, of an American manufacturer and built in Spain.Not really a 'smart man's German car' in any way at all.
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