Mk4 Mondeo Ecoboost Powershift, or ...?
Discussion
Apologies for the long post but hopefully the context helps…
My current car is a 2003 Forester 2.0 XT manual which I have had for 4 years. I use it for commuting 25 miles each way to work a few times a week and longer trips at weekends. I have been doing around 8k miles/year but this is likely to increase a bit.
The positives have been as follows:
Very reliable - front driveshaft replacement has been the only non-service item.
Quite fun to drive - performance is fine (174 bhp, 180 lbft@3000rpm) and feels very mechanical
Good tyre life - due to the AWD I assume?
Space - bikes/diy materials/house stuff all goes straight into the boot
Good visibility and easy to park as it's boxy with big windows
Cruise control and heated seats/mirrors are useful
Bad points are:
MPG on a run - can't get over 36 mpg, even at a constant 60 mph! 70 mph results in around 31-32 mpg. Fuel economy overall is actually not bad - I average 31 mpg and have never done worse than 26.
Refinement - there isn't any!
I find the seats uncomfortable for longer journeys.
Ideally a replacement would have the following features:
Available for ~£5k
Auto gearbox
Petrol with decent driveability i.e. smaller turbo or larger NA
Good refinement and able to get ~40 mpg at a constant 70 mph and >30 mpg combined
Hatchback or estate with decent space for the aforementioned bikes etc
Not too ruinous to run/service!
I have had a look around and it looks like a Mk4 Mondeo 2.0 Ecoboost with the powershift box seems to pretty much meet my requirements. £5k should be enough for a decent one and I would budget for getting the powershift fluid changed (£300-400 apparently) and would also consider fitting smaller wheels than the standard 18/19" ones.
Everyone comments that the Mondeo is a big and heavy car. It's ~1570 kg and 1.87x4.78 m, compared to the Forester's 1400 kg and 1.74x4.45 m. Would I notice a huge difference? I realise visibility will be significantly worse but they all seem to have parking sensors.
So… after all that, is the Mondeo the best option or are there any others I should look at? I would be grateful for any advice anyone has!
My current car is a 2003 Forester 2.0 XT manual which I have had for 4 years. I use it for commuting 25 miles each way to work a few times a week and longer trips at weekends. I have been doing around 8k miles/year but this is likely to increase a bit.
The positives have been as follows:
Very reliable - front driveshaft replacement has been the only non-service item.
Quite fun to drive - performance is fine (174 bhp, 180 lbft@3000rpm) and feels very mechanical
Good tyre life - due to the AWD I assume?
Space - bikes/diy materials/house stuff all goes straight into the boot
Good visibility and easy to park as it's boxy with big windows
Cruise control and heated seats/mirrors are useful
Bad points are:
MPG on a run - can't get over 36 mpg, even at a constant 60 mph! 70 mph results in around 31-32 mpg. Fuel economy overall is actually not bad - I average 31 mpg and have never done worse than 26.
Refinement - there isn't any!
I find the seats uncomfortable for longer journeys.
Ideally a replacement would have the following features:
Available for ~£5k
Auto gearbox
Petrol with decent driveability i.e. smaller turbo or larger NA
Good refinement and able to get ~40 mpg at a constant 70 mph and >30 mpg combined
Hatchback or estate with decent space for the aforementioned bikes etc
Not too ruinous to run/service!
I have had a look around and it looks like a Mk4 Mondeo 2.0 Ecoboost with the powershift box seems to pretty much meet my requirements. £5k should be enough for a decent one and I would budget for getting the powershift fluid changed (£300-400 apparently) and would also consider fitting smaller wheels than the standard 18/19" ones.
Everyone comments that the Mondeo is a big and heavy car. It's ~1570 kg and 1.87x4.78 m, compared to the Forester's 1400 kg and 1.74x4.45 m. Would I notice a huge difference? I realise visibility will be significantly worse but they all seem to have parking sensors.
So… after all that, is the Mondeo the best option or are there any others I should look at? I would be grateful for any advice anyone has!
The Mk4 Mondeo is a great car, and the 2011 facelift sometimes called the Mk4.5 brought further improvements in ride and refinement.
The 2.0 Ecoboost is a decent engine, but it is thirsty. You won't get 40MPG @ 70MPH, it'll be mid to high 30's at best. I only ever managed to beat 40MPG once in my 2010 Titanium X Sport and that involved cruising at 60MPH for long periods. A long term average of 30MPG is achievable if you do a reasonable proportion of longer runs.
I would suggest trying to find a facelift Titanium model if you can - they will be fitted with 17 or 18" wheels. The facelift Titanium X Sport is arguably the one to have as the spec is better, but it has the turning circle of a cruise ship because they bolted 19" wheels on and fitted restrictors on the steering rack to stop them rubbing the arches at full lock and the tyres are expensive. Sport models also command a price premium, but do look a bit fresher than the lesser models.
Note that the Sport model is fitted with the 240PS version of the engine, where other prefacelift and post-facelift models are fitted with the 203PS version. I drove both regularly - I had a 203 and my Dad has a 240 and I couldn't tell the difference.
The Sat Nav looks dated but actually functions very well, and the central screen lifts the interior a bit so it's worth having if you can find one with it.
The 2.0 Ecoboost is a decent engine, but it is thirsty. You won't get 40MPG @ 70MPH, it'll be mid to high 30's at best. I only ever managed to beat 40MPG once in my 2010 Titanium X Sport and that involved cruising at 60MPH for long periods. A long term average of 30MPG is achievable if you do a reasonable proportion of longer runs.
I would suggest trying to find a facelift Titanium model if you can - they will be fitted with 17 or 18" wheels. The facelift Titanium X Sport is arguably the one to have as the spec is better, but it has the turning circle of a cruise ship because they bolted 19" wheels on and fitted restrictors on the steering rack to stop them rubbing the arches at full lock and the tyres are expensive. Sport models also command a price premium, but do look a bit fresher than the lesser models.
Note that the Sport model is fitted with the 240PS version of the engine, where other prefacelift and post-facelift models are fitted with the 203PS version. I drove both regularly - I had a 203 and my Dad has a 240 and I couldn't tell the difference.
The Sat Nav looks dated but actually functions very well, and the central screen lifts the interior a bit so it's worth having if you can find one with it.
Great, thanks for the replies so far. It's good to know realistic fuel economy and the 19" steering restriction wouldn't have occurred to me.
Re: the gearbox, I'm pretty sure the powershift variant fitted to these mondeos (and s-maxes) of this era are the wet clutch variant and seem to have an ok reputation.
I was also considering some sort of Legacy 3.0 or 2.0T (import) for around the same money but I suspect the total costs would be a lot higher!
Re: the gearbox, I'm pretty sure the powershift variant fitted to these mondeos (and s-maxes) of this era are the wet clutch variant and seem to have an ok reputation.
I was also considering some sort of Legacy 3.0 or 2.0T (import) for around the same money but I suspect the total costs would be a lot higher!
Powershift 6DCT450 fitted to petrol cars are generally reliable provided they receive fluid and filter changes on time and you use it correctly. You either need to be in D and hold it on the brakes, or shift into N and use the handbrake to hold the car. If you leave it in D and put the handbrake on the car will slip the clutch trying to move and burn the clutches out.
Unlike a conventional torque converter automatic, there is no inherent wear associated with shifting between N and D on a DCT, and you can shift from N to D just by moving the lever - you don't need to touch the brakes.
They are a little more prone to issues when fitted to a diesel engines - there is a plastic fitting around the clutches that can break up and the plastic bits get deposited in the mechatronics unit. It's still very rare though.
Unlike a conventional torque converter automatic, there is no inherent wear associated with shifting between N and D on a DCT, and you can shift from N to D just by moving the lever - you don't need to touch the brakes.
They are a little more prone to issues when fitted to a diesel engines - there is a plastic fitting around the clutches that can break up and the plastic bits get deposited in the mechatronics unit. It's still very rare though.
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