Mondeos are still good value, but are now becoming retro-cool
 |
£5k can get you a decent-spec Mondeo from this decade |
Farewell, then, Ford Mondeo. Apparently, the Blue Oval is just going to make trucks and Transits.
I’d be happy if it just stuck to small (Fiesta),
medium (Cortina) and large (Granada), plus coupé (Capri). That is pure
nostalgia speaking, though – and, in fairness, it does seem as though
the Mondie will be around for a while yet, as saloons will only be off the menu in the USA from 2020.
Even so, I did spend some time on local radio lamenting the fact that
you don’t see really old Mondeos for sale any more. And then I came
across what must be the most expensive Mk1 Mondie you can possibly buy.
AWS Engineering is selling its Super Touring car. Apparently, the
owner, Alan Strachan, worked on the cars back in the day and is selling
his Rouse-built car for just £65k. The upside is that it’s ready to
race.
That’s the used supercar Mondeo sorted, so what should we look for
next? The Mondeo really is the spiritual successor to the Cortina and
Sierra, except that it is actually comfy and nice to drive.
So are there any real Mk1s around? Probably, but a 137,000-mile
1.8-litre automatic from 1993 in faded red paint is probably the least
desirable spec on earth. The asking price of £300 seemed optimistic,
especially as there was no ticket.
Typical of the worn out, I did find a one-owner Mk2 2.0 Zetec from
1999. It was up for £265, and had 153,000 miles under its well-worn
wheels and an expired MOT. No mention of why that might be. Presumably
the owner has expired too. It had rusty wheel arches and many miles of
gaffer tape to hold the bumpers together.
More sensible is to look for Mondies that don’t need work but are
ready to work. Around £5000 strikes me as a solid budget and for that
you can get a 2013 1.6 TDCi Eco Graphite. I found one with 10 stamps,
116,000 miles and a fresh clutch and flywheel. You should get 60mpg out
of that. Plus, if you wanted some room, then a same- year estate in
basic Edge spec and standout plastic wheel trims with just 88k miles can
be yours.
If that’s a bit too sensible, then how about a 2007 2.5 Titanium X
with 63k miles in a racy red, apparently called Colorado? £5000 isn’t
that cheap, but it’s a very comfy way to get around. Actually, for
£3000, you can get a 2.0 Zetec with 66k miles with a service and a new
set of discs. That is what incredible value these models are.
It will be a shame when the Mondeo goes because everyone would prefer a 5 Series, A4 or C-Class, so enjoy it while production lasts.
Of course, even when all you can get from Ford are trucks and
personal mobility solutions, you will still be able to buy Mondeos for
the next 20 years at proper used vehicle outlets.
Source: https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/used-car-buying-guides/james-ruppert-why-its-time-buy-ford-mondeo
0 Comments