The Ford Mondeo Estate’s reputation as one of the best load-lugging cars continues with the 2007 model, only now it is even more capable. Elegant styling disguises even greater carrying capacity than before, while the quality feel of the interior has been improved substantially with top-grade materials and soft-touch plastics.

Despite the increase in size and weight it’s as impressive to drive as the hatchback version and looks just as good. The car’s ride and refinement deserve special mention since the Mondeo Estate is now arguably more comfortable than German rivals from BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

There’s an impressive engine line-up including some low-CO2 diesel offerings which mean low VED or company car tax, plus some more powerful petrol units for those who want to drive a little faster. It’s also worth noting that unlike many estate cars, you don’t get the boomy effect of having large amounts of space behind the rear seats. It’s a very composed and quiet affair. Perhaps the only problem is the confusion stemming from whether an Edge is better than a Zetec or a Ghia is better than a Titanium.

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, 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/tuck. There is now a one-piece central console, it 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, a rear-view camera, automatic headlight dipping speed limiter and LED daytime running lights. Ford’s excellent Powershift gearbox was introduced as standard on the Mondeo in 2010 on the 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine while it was an optional extra for the 2.0-litre Duratorq diesel engine. Read on for our comprehensive Ford Mondeo Estate review and find out just why the car has its German rivals in its sights…

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