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Ford Mondeo 114g/km: Test Drive Review

Date: 28 April 2011   |   Author:

Mondeo
Category: Upper medium
P11D price: £20,390
Key rival: VW Passat 1.6 TDI

The Mondeo isn't the first in its class to duck into the current 13% benefit-in-kind tax band.

Rivals such as the new VW Passat, new Peugeot 508 and recently revised French pair of Citroen C5 and Renault Laguna are all already under 121g/km. However, due to its historic company car status, the fact Ford's big fleet fave is joining them makes this a big deal.

The 1.6 TDCi model is the lowest-emitting Mondeo yet, at 114g/km and with economy of 65.6mpg. It is available in four trim levels and it comes into the range below the 139g/km 2.0 TDCi that is the next lowest-emitting engine.

Although it doesn't have power to spare, the car is far from sluggish and it would be difficult to know from behind the wheel that this is only the 1.6-litre 115hp diesel version. There are times where there's the need to drop down a gear to pick up speed more rapidly, but not once in more than 1000 miles did we feel as if we'd been short-changed or in the poor relation of the range.

Ford has taken the slightly odd decision of pricing the 1.6 TDCi 115hp model at the same level as the 140hp 2.0 TDCi Mondeo. That leaves the driver choosing between the extra power, or reduced fuel and benefit-in-kind bills for the same P11D price. The new 115hp 1.6 will save drivers in the 20% tax bracket £20 per month in BIK payments, as well as it being 12.3mpg better for fuel economy, and while RVs are superior for the 2.0 140hp model, the fuel and lower tax means the 115hp 1.6 comes out 2.1p per mile better off.

But as there is a £2000 step up from the 140hp to the 163hp versions of the same 2.0-litre engine, there being no price step from 1.6 to 2.0 is surprising. It is also likely to lead user choosers to pick the more powerful one on principle, without doing the maths on fuel and tax costs.

The Mondeo also stacks up well for whole-life costs against its rivals, losing out to the equivalent VW Passat by only 0.3p per mile due to a marginally worse residual value prediction of 29.2% against 29.7% for the VW, but it beats Peugeot and Renault rivals.

Aside from pricing against the 2.0-litre, there's nothing to grumble about with the new Mondeo. Without knowing it's a 1.6, there's nothing in the driving experience to make it feel underpowered, certainly compared with VW's Passat, as the 105hp 1.6 diesel in that car feels more like an entry-level powertrain. Not so the Ford.

Ford Mondeo 1.6 TDCi Zetec 5dr
P11D price£20,390
Model price range£17,695-£30,345
Fuel consumption65.6mpg
CO2 (tax) 114g/km (13%)
BIK 20/40% per month£44/£88
Service interval12,500
Insurance (1-50)group 23
Warranty3yrs/ 60,000mls
Boot space min/max528/1448litres
Engine size/power1560cc/115hp
Top speed/0-62mph119mph/11.9secs
On sale March 2011
Score9/10
VerdictThe Mondeo that makes
the most sense for fleet
by some distance


Verdict


The Mondeo that makes the most sense for fleet by some distance
9/10

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