Mondeo V6 petrol running costs

[TheNewGuy]

The time has finally come to get a proper family car with plenty of space and to help with the finances we're going to try going down to just the 1 car for a while. Current likely candidate is a Mondeo as they seem to offer a good amout of car for the money (around £4-5k to spend, trade price as we'll need to px the focus) and we've been looking at the 2 litre petrols. Of course I'm hoping to try and get something at least slightly interesting to drive so have been looking at the 2.5 and 3.0 litre V6 versions with an outside chance of an ST220 but I'm unlikely to be able to pass that off as cheap and sensible .
Our annual mileage is less than 8k so mpg isn't a massive issue but what are the V6s like in the real world compared to the 2.0s, especially over short, urban journeys? In our price range we are probably looking at a 2004/5 model so I believe they get the lower tax band (~£245) rather than the full whack their CO2 rating suggests? Obviously insurance will be a bit more but I'm hoping not too bad at my age (33 with 6 years ncb) so the other unknown is general maintenance, are they noticeably worse reliability or have any extra big service items over the smaller engines?

TIA for any thoughts,

Ross

[lyricalgangster]

i had a 2002 zetec s (2.5 V6) a few years ago - it was worse on fuel than the 2 litre estate that preceeded it, but not by much!

also, for the extra it costs, its well worth it, because the 2 litre felt really flat in comparison.

the sound of the V6 was lovely, and it is still one of the best cars i owned...

unfortunately it was written off in a disagreement with a cow in the middle of the A595 at night...

lovely car! nb is it just me, or did mondeos suffer from worn bushes at the front end?

[TheNewGuy]

Cheers for that. Good point you make actually, what are the common problems I shoud look out for on these when I start viewing some cars?

[toon10]

I had a 2.5 2000 Mondeo GhiaX and a later generation 2.5 52 plate Zetec. Both were good cars, handled well, well equipped and very practical. I was doing mainly urban driving and getting around 25mpg which is about what I got with a 2.4 Accord and my current 325. Not great mpg but you can get higher depending on what sort of driving you do.

Things to watch out for. Both models needed an expensive rear sub frame bush replacement as they drop the back end of the car out to do it. That was about £400. The front passenger suspention coils snapped on both cars too. I was told this was quite common on these cars but lukily I spotted the danger before it ripped the tyre off and killed me!

[Iang84]

As said above not alot of difference in fuel approx 3-5mpg and they are heavy on front bushes but these are easily sorted by a decent indie used to be able to take my wishbones off and replace the bushes in less than an hour (each side) if memory serves you can get poly bushes that wear alot slower but make the ride a little harder as a trade off

[FoundOnRoadside]

2.5V6 uses about the same as the 1.8, but just means you're going faster. Normal, mixed use you'll see 28-30mpg going by the 2.5V6 pool car at work.

[Mr2Mike]

lyricalgangster said:

lovely car! nb is it just me, or did mondeos suffer from worn bushes at the front end?

Yes, it's a very common problem on them.

[Podie]

Ross, wanna buy an ST220?


Seriously though, the ST220 is a far better option tha the 2.5 V6. Around town you can expect 24-26mpg, and around 30-34mpg on a run.

[TACottle]

Get the ST220, you won't be disappointed.

I ran one for over 3 years before I got my current Focus ST.

I'd say I actually prefer the 220 to the Focus ST - The 220 just seemed to do everything; Massively comfy, plenty of toys, good cruiser. But, when you wanted to, you could hoon it about and listen to a great soundtrack. Handling was awesome too.

Running costs - 22mpg average, £100 per tyre, £260 yearly tax. Servicing wasn't too bad.

Just beware the DMF... and as said above the bushes. I replaced mine with polyurethane ones that didn't corrode (cheap to do)

[TheNewGuy]

Thanks for the replies, some handy info and not looking too bad on the fuel side then. Does anyone have any experience what the 3.0 is like compared to the 2.5, the book values suggest only a very slight difference?

On the worn bushes issue, how would I best spot that when inspecting/driving a car given that my mechanical knowledge is limited to just about knowing one end of a spanner from the other and topping up the fluids when it comes to cars?

TIA

Ross

[Podie]

TACottle said:

£260 yearly tax.

Up to 2005. After than it was £400+

[TheNewGuy]

Podie said:

Ross, wanna buy an ST220?


Seriously though, the ST220 is a far better option tha the 2.5 V6. Around town you can expect 24-26mpg, and around 30-34mpg on a run.

Hehe, funny you should mention it, I just saw the other recent thread about ST220 and that you considered selling yours, was tempted to ask how much you wanted .

[Podie]

TheNewGuy said:

On the worn bushes issue, how would I best spot that when inspecting/driving a car given that my mechanical knowledge is limited to just about knowing one end of a spanner from the other and topping up the fluids when it comes to cars?

Just had mine inspected at MOT, and they're still fine at 75k.

Watch for rust on the bottom of the doors, check that the central locking works from inside the car, and that the boot button fucntions (drivers door lock controller is a pain sometimes).

Alloys flake easily, check that the oil has been reguarly replaced on a V6.

[FoundOnRoadside]

TheNewGuy said:

On the worn bushes issue, how would I best spot that when inspecting/driving a car given that my mechanical knowledge is limited to just about knowing one end of a spanner from the other and topping up the fluids when it comes to cars?

Drive for 100m, you'll know. There should be no knocking from front or rear. If the back knocks (particularly over speed bumps), then the rear bushes need done. If the front is knocking, it'll be wishbones, ARB drop links, or top mounts.

I've had all 3 replaced at the front, total bill was about £400 including parts. Rear bushes are still OK in mine, surprising really after 7 years and over 70k on the clock.

[Podie]

TheNewGuy said:

Podie said:

Ross, wanna buy an ST220?


Seriously though, the ST220 is a far better option tha the 2.5 V6. Around town you can expect 24-26mpg, and around 30-34mpg on a run.

Hehe, funny you should mention it, I just saw the other recent thread about ST220 and that you considered selling yours, was tempted to ask how much you wanted .

I have thought about it, but I've not found anything at the same price point that does more. I imagine I'll keep it for a few years yet.

Looked at a Focus ST, but think I'd miss the cruise control.

[toon10]

TheNewGuy said:

Thanks for the replies, some handy info and not looking too bad on the fuel side then. Does anyone have any experience what the 3.0 is like compared to the 2.5, the book values suggest only a very slight difference?

On the worn bushes issue, how would I best spot that when inspecting/driving a car given that my mechanical knowledge is limited to just about knowing one end of a spanner from the other and topping up the fluids when it comes to cars?

TIA

Ross

You'll know if the bushes need doing after a quick drive. You'll hear a knocking sound.

[TheNewGuy]

Ok, all sounds good so far. A quick browse of autotrader shows ST220s within my budget but some of them are getting a bit leggy. As this will be our only car and will be used everyday and hopefully kept for a few years it needs to be pretty solid. Obviously buying on condition is normally most important but how well do these things take miles, is 60/70/80k miles too many?

Ross

[Podie]

Check the Ford forums. www.stdrivers.co.uk is a good place to start (there is a for sale section too), they tend to be well looked after. Mileage shouldn't be a problem.

Check its been serviced, and that everything is smooth.

[VXRuss]

TheNewGuy said:

Ok, all sounds good so far. A quick browse of autotrader shows ST220s within my budget but some of them are getting a bit leggy. As this will be our only car and will be used everyday and hopefully kept for a few years it needs to be pretty solid. Obviously buying on condition is normally most important but how well do these things take miles, is 60/70/80k miles too many?

Ross

Bought my old 04 plate ST220 at 91k miles, it was fantastic, full service history from Ford and felt like a car with half the milage, it never missed a beat, liked a bit of oil though and I averaged 26mpg's.

Comfortable, well spec'd, safe and went reasonably well, a lot of car for not a lot of money

[All that jazz]

TheNewGuy said:

Cheers for that. Good point you make actually, what are the common problems I shoud look out for on these when I start viewing some cars?

Rear sub frame/suspension. Very common problem on them. Also if it's a hatch check the boot floor for water as the boot hatch seals are another known trouble spot and they piss in water like no tomorrow. If you find a dry one you've done well. They also eat front tyres like you've never seen before too. Other than that they're pretty reliable in 2.5 V6 guise. As mentioned, expect high 20s to low 30s locally with sensible driving and high 30s on a run.

Edited by All that jazz on Tuesday 12th June 14:40