Ford Mondeo 2.5 Titanium X | Spotted
The five-cylinder Mondeo was a cult classic already - this one has more power than a Focus RS
It’s hard not to look back quite fondly on the mid 2000s now, that period just pre meltdown when manufacturers really were having a go at anything and everything. There were engines ending up where they really shouldn’t, and some very memorable cars as a result. A Laguna V6 took the place of the rear seats in a Clio; a Mustang V8 wound up in a Rover 75; half a Veyron engine powered a Passat, and so on. Ford wasn’t going to miss out on the fun, either, if in a slightly less extreme fashion than some we might recall. Having gained access to Volvo’s 2.5-litre, five-cylinder turbo through the Premier Automotive Group - the engine itself having been squeezed into a C30 for a strange take on the T5 - the Blue Oval flung it anywhere it could go.
Of course, the Focus is the famous five-cylinder one, both Mk2 ST and RS defined by that engine. But the 2.5 also ended up in the S-Max MPV and the Mondeo of all places, the latter of which we have here. Though the five-cylinder never directly replaced the much loved 3.0-litre, V6 ST220, it did offer very similar performance, with 220hp and 236lb ft. Back in the mid 2000s, that meant it could reach 62mph in just over seven seconds, and more than 150mph. Which would be quite the sight when paired with, say, a Ghia specification, wood trim and all. It really was a curio, the Mondeo 2.5, with proper performance and no sports saloon pretensions. Perhaps Ford already saw that the writing was on the wall for mainstream fast four- and five-doors.
It's a real pity, as the Mondeo Mk4 was renowned, as they all were, as very good to drive. An owner of this one aimed to make it even more so, with the fitment of Bilstein dampers, new bushes, Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric tyres and, in best car advert tradition, ‘TOO MUCH TO LIST’ as far as chassis mods are concerned. But it’s encouraging. What’s even more encouraging is what’s happened under the bonnet. Thanks to intake, exhaust, ECU, intercooler and injector tweaks, this Mondeo now makes 325hp and 400lb ft. Which is not a sentence we’ve ever written before. So not only should it drive well and sound like an old rally car, it’s going to be seriously fast. Assuming that huge power and torque can make it to the road through the front wheels, as there’s no mention of an LSD or similar in the ad. Standard wheels, clear glass and a debadged boot play to the Q car look absolutely perfectly.
Moreover, while some of the mods may not be to all tastes (we’re looking at you, headlight eyebrows and gearknob), the claims of enthusiast ownership are borne out in the condition. The engine bay and interior are spotless, and the exterior looks almost as smart - not bad for a black Mondeo registered almost 14 years ago. There are 10 services recorded, the majority at a Ford main dealer, and a recent new timing belt should save a new owner a big bill. Looks cool, doesn’t it? All the good bits of that engine made even better, with the curio appeal of it being in a Mondeo. A nicely looked after Mondeo by the looks of it, too. And the best bit? The advert says it’s just £5,750…
SPECIFICATION | FORD MONDEO 2.5 TITANIUM X
Engine: 2,521cc, five-cyl turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 220@5,000rpm (standard)
Torque (lb ft): 236@1,500-4,800rpm (standard)
0-62mph: 7.5 sec
MPG: 30
CO2: 222g/km
Year registered: 2009
Recorded mileage: 81,000
Price new: £22,960
Yours for: £5,750
Whether you want an old Mondeo is one thing, but for six grand if you can stomach the thirst and VED cost, that's the one to buy. All the expensive stuff has been done.
Something a bit different, older big non "Premium" saloons tend to get barried to death with stick on tat rather than proper mods like that, I can forgive the eyebrow things, am sure they can be removed easily. Good chassis already on these, should be brilliant on the B12s.
"Autotec Stage 3+ Map with license + Crackles Map and Stock Map on file."
So, I expect the owner of this has the right to use the crackle map, but the rest of the car (apart from the eyebrows) makes me think it isnt installed.
I could have had it when I had all mine done but chose not to.
Would be a nice performance saloon for sure.
Many years ago I had the previous model of Mondeo in top of the line Ghia X trim, when it came to trade-in dealers laughed at me - nobody wanted a thirsty petrol family hatchback with a blue oval on the front. Ended up getting around the asking price of the featured car despite mine only being 4/5yrs old with about 50k miles.
It looks unassuming from the outside, but it has intent under the bonnet for sure. I've always had a soft spot for the higher spec Mondeos as well, and I've had both a ST24 and a V6 Ghia X over the years. Albeit they were a lot slower than this one will be though!
Forums | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff