Mondeo conundrum, advice needed

[ROBTVR]

I am in the market to buy a large spec Mk4 mondeo diesel to replace my BMW E46 325 Ci Sport, need the extra room that the mondeo offers plus the fuel and road tax costs are rising so fast the Beemer is no longer a viable option, I have just found a 2 owner 57 plate 55000 mile Titanium X hatch 1.8 125bhp 6 speed, absolutely loaded with toys, DVD headrests, sat nav, privacy glass etc for just under 10k from a independant steeler including road tax and next service thrown in, ticks all the boxes for me although i was originally after a 2.0 140 engine. I wasnt overly disappointed with the performance when I test drove the car today, although i have not driven the 2.0 yet. Question is, apart from the obvious performance drop would i always regret going for the 1.8 over a 2.0? I have read a few post from another Ford forum that suggest remapping the 1.8 could be the answer. Roughly how much does a remap cost, what is involved and what sort of increased figures would i be looking at, also would the engine cope with the extra power without components failing prematurely?

[ROBTVR]

Thankyou for your comments, i think i shall take the plunge tomorrow and stick a deposit on it, has anybody got first hand experience of a remap or bluefin/tuneit boxes on the 1.8 tdci engine?

[ROBTVR]

NiceCupOfTea said:

DavidHM said:

Is the Conundrum higher or lower spec than the Titanium?

Lol, The thinking mans car

[ROBTVR]

BeeRoad said:

Why pay £10k for a 2007 1.8 Mondeo with 55k on it when you can have a 2009 2.0 one with 11k on it?

http://www.motorpoint.co.uk/%28S%28p32fqg2vemtqi0m...

Fair point but im a sucker for toys and comforts so for me the Edge just wouldn't flick my switch, My daily hack is a 58 plate 1.6tdci Focus Style, bit of a stripped out rep special does what it says on the tin, barely.

Edited by ROBTVR on Monday 3rd January 00:12

[ROBTVR]

philoldsmobile said:

I dont even want to know what anyone has been driving to make a 1.8 TDCI seem anything other than a horrible little rancid clatter box..

Edited by philoldsmobile on Sunday 2nd January 23:43

I really didn't find it very noisy at all on test drive today, may be a different beast in the Focus, and although no racehorse it wasn't horrendous, I know Im making myself sound like a bit of a nanny driver, believe me im not, Ive Had plenty of poke in the form of a TVR chim, R53 cooper s and the beemer dont go bad either but didnt feel the 1.8 was underpowered considering the weight. All opinions will be taken on board and thankyou all for the comments

[ROBTVR]

philoldsmobile said:

Pferdestarke said:

A friend has the 1.8 derv. He says it's underpowered for the weight which i can believe.

If you get it, remap it!

it takes more than remapping... if it were that easy, Ford would have put the 'remap' on it out of the factory.

I think you could say that about nearly every manufacturer, Without doubt manufacturers have to weigh up performance over economy for the masses. It surely is up tto the individual what they want to compromise, that said digging deeper into remapping the engine in question, looks more likely that it improves economy, driveability and performance. how true? not sure

[ROBTVR]

BeeRoad said:

ROBTVR said:

BeeRoad said:

Why pay £10k for a 2007 1.8 Mondeo with 55k on it when you can have a 2009 2.0 one with 11k on it?

http://www.motorpoint.co.uk/%28S%28p32fqg2vemtqi0m...

Fair point but im a sucker for toys and comforts so for me the Edge just would flick my switch, My daily hack is a 58 plate 1.6tdci Focus Style, bit of a stripped out rep special does what it says on the tin, barely.

You're happy to swap a few toys for 40k less miles and a couple of years left on the warranty versus no warranty? You really must like electric seats!

I can understand where you are coming from, and to some people i may seem like im throwing good money away, but if it was basic motoring i was after i'd buy something Korean with more warranty than you can shake a stick at. DVD's in the back to keep the kids quiet, up front, sat nav and parking sensors for the misses , worth its weight in gold. Plus the dealer is throwing a years warranty and a free service in with the deal

[ROBTVR]

[/quote]

Your money, your choice old chap! (Though a TomTom, a set of aftermarket reversing sensors and rear seat DVD kit would only cost £500. . . . . .)

[/quote]

I can see it now, 09 plate boggo mondeo on the drive, Tomtom stuck to the window, parking sensors dangling from the bootlid by the wires that connect them, and a couple of elasticated harvard screens strapped to the headrests . Next thing to buy would be a set of blue headlight bulbs to mimic xenons.

[ROBTVR]

jbi said:

ROBTVR said:

philoldsmobile said:

I dont even want to know what anyone has been driving to make a 1.8 TDCI seem anything other than a horrible little rancid clatter box..

Edited by philoldsmobile on Sunday 2nd January 23:43

I really didn't find it very noisy at all on test drive today, may be a different beast in the Focus, and although no racehorse it wasn't horrendous, I know Im making myself sound like a bit of a nanny driver, believe me im not, Ive Had plenty of poke in the form of a TVR chim, R53 cooper s and the beemer dont go bad either but didnt feel the 1.8 was underpowered considering the weight. All opinions will be taken on board and thankyou all for the comments

It does 0-60 in 10.4 seconds...

That's pretty bad

Only if you are at santa pod! Ringing its neck at every set of lights, those days are long gone, been there done that and lucky to keep my license clean for twenty years, when i wanted fast cars i bought them. I know my previous posts have suggested me looking to remap for more power contradicts everything i have just said but its not all about what corsa im chasing between roundabouts, it's looking for an alternative if i find the 1.8 lacking oomph occasionally and this car is specced just the way i want it at my price range

[ROBTVR]

Thankfully i have found a promising review from auto express:-

You're in - Car Reviews: First Drives
Ford Mondeo
Ford Mondeo 1.8 TDCi Zetec
We like the 2.0-litre diesel in Ford's Mondeo, but how does the 1.8 TDCi Zetec model compare?
Ford Mondeo 1.8 TDCi Zetec
Auto Express Car Reviews
Text: Sam Hardy / Photos: Pete Gibson
October 2007

* Rating:
*

With a range-topping diesel in the shape of a 138bhp 2.0-litre TDCi unit, it’s easy to overlook the smaller 1.8 TDCi engine in the Ford Mondeo line-up.

However, with 123bhp and the same 320Nm of torque as its more expensive brother, the 1.8-litre looks good on paper. And the rest of the figures impress, with combined fuel economy of nearly 50mpg and CO2 emissions of 154g/km. So, how does it stack up on the road?

It’s certainly a strong performer. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, which makes it a capable motorway cruiser with decent response even at high speeds. Factor in excellent refinement and a comfortable driving position, and you have a brilliant long-distance companion.

The engine pulls hard once it gets past the 2,500rpm mark, and thanks to an overboost facility, which briefly increases the peak torque figure to 340Nm under full throttle, overtaking moves are dispatched with ease.

Fine steering, ride and handling also ensure the Mondeo is great fun to drive on the open road. In town, the engine can lab­our at low speeds in second gear. Still, it’s hard to argue with 48.7mpg combined economy and a company car tax band of 20 per cent. These figures manage to better those of the 2.0 TDCi – which returns 47.9mpg and sits in the 21 per cent band.

Our model was also fitted with a couple of highlights from the options list. The £1,600 DVD sat-nav system has a simple touchscreen display and includes a superb Sony stereo, while adaptive headlamps, which turn with the steered wheels, greatly improve night vision. The latter is perhaps a better-value option, too, at £350.

So which engine should you go for? Well, they’re both excellent. If you want a little more performance and are prepared to pay an extra £400, the 2.0-litre is ideal. However, the 1.8 TDCi certainly isn’t a poorer choice.


Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrive...