Ford Mondeo Hatchback (07 on) - Review

Review by Simon Harris on
Last Updated: 21 February 2011
This is the third generation of the Ford Mondeo Hatchback. It’s also the largest, most comfortable, and best equipped version yet, with a model to suit most buyers. The entry level cars are the best large hatchbacks you can buy and far superior to the Vauxhall Vectra and Renault Laguna. Overlook the Ford badge and the top-range models rival prestige cars such as the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class in terms of build quality and driving experience. Prices have actually come down for this generation of Mondeo, despite the fact that it's better equipped, safer and bigger than before. The flipside to this is that the huge discounts that were previously available will now be much more difficult to come by because Ford reduced the list prices. This car is far better to drive than before and is now a genuine competitor in the handling stakes for its predominantly rear-wheel-driven and predominantly German rivals. It feels very ‘premium’ in the cabin too, further adding to the prestige appeal that Ford buyers expect nowadays. Cabin refinement has taken a leap forward, and driving the Mondeo is a comfortable and quiet experience. It’s the perfect motorway cruiser, which is why the car is so popular with company car drivers too. There’s a range of low-CO2, high MPG diesel engines alongside some more powerful petrol offerings if you fancy performance instead of petrol-saving. In 2010 the Mondeo received a little cosmetic surgery. The most noticeable part of this refresh is the new nose-job. The front end has had a complete overhaul, and this includes an enlarged lower grille and a smaller upper grille, while the rear receives new LED tail-lights, an all-new bumper, a reshaped valance and an integrated rear spoiler. The interior has also had a little nip-and-tuck. There’s now a one-piece central console which is soft to touch and the plastics are of a higher quality. More kit is offered as standard including blind-spot alerts, lane-departure steering-wheel vibrators, an alertness assessor, rear-view camera, automatic headlight dipping, speed limiter and LED daytime running lights. Read on to find out why the Mondeo has its German rivals in its sights in our full and comprehensive Ford Mondeo hatchback review.
5 out of 5

Other Ford reviews

4 out of 5

Running costs

There's little to worry about with Ford Mondeo hatchack running costs. Although residuals are an improvement over the old car, the Mondeo will always be a better used buy than a new one – the sheer volume of cars on the road means that supply is likely to out-strip demand. The Ford has been designed to be cheap to repair if you have a crash – for instance in a low-speed impact the radiator slides forward and remains undamaged. The result is lower insurance groups and cheaper premiums than other large hatchbacks. Servicing is generally affordable and Ford parts prices tend to be reasonably cheap too.

* based on most recent data

Estimated fuel cost for 10,000 miles per year

Unleaded

£1,395 - £2,046 *

Diesel

£986 - £1,644 *

The estimated fuel cost figure is a guide to how much this model will cost to fuel each year, so you can compare between cars. It's calculated by using the model's average mpg (calculated from both town centre and motorway driving) and the average fuel price. It's based on the following cost-per-litre: petrol 135p and diesel 141p. Prices are updated daily.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

12,500 miles.

Warranty

Three years/60,000 miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£30.00 - £270.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

4 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
    114
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
    223
  • L
  • M

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The Ford Mondeo hatchback emissions are impressive. With an average of 182g/km CO2 across the line-up, its emissions are low for a medium-sized hatchback. There's a green model available too. Badged ECOnetic it's available with either a revised version of the 1.8 TDCi with 125bhp engine or a 2.0 TDCi with 115bhp. Both emit 139g/km of CO2 and return more than 50mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2