Winter Hack - Ford Mondeo Ghia X Estate

[AmiableChimp]

Having sold my wee Fabia about 6 weeks ago, I found myself car-less for the first time in 25 years!

I don't really NEED a car just now with bussing to work, etc. but I found I WANTED one. The decision was to either spend a bit of cash and have something depreciating whilst sitting on the drive Mon-Fri, or buy something cheap, preferably with the cash sitting from the sale of the Fabia.

I've bounced between the two, having test driven a 2010 Subaru Forester diesel estate, then a 2008 Passat highline Estate, then last week a 2006 Subaru Forester 2.5XT but didn't pull the trigger on any of them.

Then this appeared on the Scottish VAG forums...

2003 Ford Mondeo Ghia X Estate
132,000 miles, FSH,
Heated and cooled tan electric leather seats, 6CD Changer Head Unit, Climate Control, Cruise, Electric folding mirrors, Electric windows, Puddle lights, Auto dimming rear view mirror and door mirrors, Auto lights, Auto wipers, Quickclear heated front screen (new, so it actually works), Towbar and single electrics, Central locking with total closure facility Alarm immobiliser.

It is Panther Black and runs recently refurbished castellated Ford 17" alloys wheels.

The guy I bought it from has just spent £450 on new discs/pads all round and rear callipers. He bought it in Feb from a garage and it was the owners own private car. Service history shows it had new clutch, flywheel and exhaust 2 years ago.

It drives really well, the heated seats are amazing and it is really cavernous so gret for tip runs, etc.

The towbar will do for our trailer for going camping next year if I hold onto it.

I am really pretty please with it, interior needs a good valet (just ordered steam cleaner ) and the garage's valeter was a bit over-zealous with the rotary so i'll have to rectify that but overall really chuffed.

I mostly only have the original sellers photos for now, will update once i've cleaned it myself and taken some.

Cheers.








When I got it home on Sunday...

Edited by AmiableChimp on Wednesday 27th November 22:49

[getawayturtle]

Nice, looks very comfortable in there! Get a lot of bang for your buck with these.

[mnkiboy]

Fancied a high spec Mondeo Estate myself, but plumped for a V70 in the end as the ones I looked at looked a bit tatty, and I couldn't find many V6's. The majority are the slightly lacklustre 2.0 petrol, or the potential time bomb TDCi.

Huge boot though, even bigger than the Volvo.

[HustleRussell]

mnkiboy said:

The majority are the slightly lacklustre 2.0 petrol, or the potential time bomb TDCi

Just checked the OP's profile, it is a timebomb TDCI... Although at the prices these things are now, they're pretty much a disposable car anyway.

[AmiableChimp]

What makes the TDCi a timebomb? Injectors?

Like you say, for what I paid, it's not too much money if things go South.

[Boobonman]

Be fussy about the quality of squirt you put in it, I loved my tdci ghia x estate as a cavernous and comfy motorway hack, unfortunately it didn't like being filled up with 'Jerrycan fuel' and spat it's dummy out.

[Boobonman]

Common rail fuel pump and it's associates are the real Achilles heel. Mine started periodically flashing its coil symbol and going into limp mode, which gradually became more terminal. Still sold it broken for more than I paid for it, which was nice!

[HustleRussell]

AmiableChimp said:

What makes the TDCi a timebomb? Injectors?

Like you say, for what I paid, it's not too much money if things go South.

I'm not trying to detract from your bargain. I am an ex-Mk3 TDCI owner as well so i know how good a car they are. The problem is the complexity of the modern common rail diesel engine, and the technologies it brings with it. basically any of the following can throw up trouble
-DMF (+starter motor)
-EGR
-Injectors
-Fuel pump
-Turbo
-Camshaft position sensor (cheap)

On the other hand you might find it totally dependable.

As has already been suggested, buy decent fuel and keep on top of the oil changes (shorten the intervals, too...)


ETA: Oh, and if it's a pre-facelift car, you can blank off or remove the EGR valve without setting off a warning light.

Edited by HustleRussell on Thursday 28th November 14:23

[tbc]

so how much did it cost then?

obvious question really

[AmiableChimp]

£2,200 which is a wee bit pricey but given everything that's been done recently and overall condition, I was happy to spend.

[cossy400]

Brother had a 54 plate one of these, ran it from 8000 miles to north of 150 thou, never had a clutch in it and never had a problem with injectors or any of the other horror storys.

That had a towbar on it too.

Good tool and quite nippy for what they are.

[HustleRussell]

I had mine from 100k to 135k. When it wasn't doing my short commute to work it was towing my Caterham all over the country (and to Belgium / Holland). It had quite a hard life really. The only problems I had were camshaft position sensor, starter motor, and the EGR blocking up the inlet manifold. It wasn't running too great by the time it'd reached 135k, so I got shot of it.

ETA: oh and a turbo pipe split, quite common, £55.

Edited by HustleRussell on Thursday 28th November 19:32

[vit4]

That looks like it's been well looked after, very well spec'd too Anecdotally, the TDCi seems to be one way or the other, either throwing an issue every 5 mins or totally unburstable. The engine suits the car.

I've got a 1.8 petrol, dreadfully underpowered but other than that it's a great car and has been reliable so far EGR needed cleaning and the automatic handbrake adjuster has gone up the wall in the last few days, but I think that only applies to early cars. Stick some good rubber on and they're a surprisingly good steer, they hide their size very well IMO Enjoy!