Ford Mondeo Estate (2014-2022) Review
The estate is the most practical Ford Mondeo but the hatchback offers barely any less space
Strengths & weaknesses
- Comfortable and quiet; ideal for long journeys
- Feels solid and well-built
- Spacious interior and boot make it practical
- Some early reliability concerns
- More expensive than similar models
- Many safety features are only optional
The Ford Mondeo Estate is meant to be the Mondeo of choice for families who need extra luggage space. But its 500-litre boot is smaller than the 541-litre one in the standard car. This might make you think that you’re better off buying the cheaper Mondeo hatchback or looking elsewhere. But there's more to say...
Despite the figures, the Mondeo Estate is the most practical version of Ford's large car, with extra space freed up by a roof that remains flat right up to the bootlid, rather than curving down gently, as it does in the hatchback.
If you need maximum load space, though, and drop the rear seats and pile everything up to the roof you have 1,605 litres to play with, which is around 170 litres more than you get in the hatchback with the rear seats folded.
Even so, that’s less space than a Skoda Superb Estate, Volkswagen Passat Estate and Mazda 6 Tourer. Even the boot of the far smaller Skoda Fabia Estate - a much cheaper supermini - is bigger.
If you’re set on a Mondeo, though, and simply want the most useful version, theres still login in picking the more expensive estate over the hatchback because the bootlid opens to reveal a larger opening, making it easier to load bulky luggage.
Inside, the flat roof means that there’s more headroom for rear passengers, too. On a less practical note, you might prefer the look of the estate.
Apart from this, there’s little difference between the two Mondeo models. Both hatchback and estate have a high-resolution touchscreen media system, plus a distinctive grille and sharp creases on the outside, making the Mondeo a suitable choice even for those who want something with a bit of style.
That’s the impression that Ford is looking for, anyway. It has moved the Mondeo upmarket in an effort to attract families who are increasingly opting for crossovers. Vehicles like the Nissan Qashqai, Renault Kadjar and Honda CR-V mix the comfort of a conventional car with the higher driving position of an off-roader.
The Mondeo does come well-equipped to compete, with alloy wheels and dual-zone air conditioning on all cars. Sat-nav is fitted to all but the cheapest model, but Ford has raised the cost of the car at the same time meaning that there's not much difference between this and the Volkswagen Passat, though the Volkswagen comes with a higher-quality interior and more user-friendly media system.
At the top of the range is the Vignale model, offering cashmere-coloured leather seats, mood lighting, leather door panels and a rear view camera, but also raising the list price to more than £30,000. For that price, you could buy a well-equipped Audi A4 Avant, BMW 3 Series Touring or Mercedes C-Class Estate. Used Ford Mondeos are far cheaper, however, making the Ford a sound second-hand buy.
For those considering an SUV instead, though, the Mondeo is the more comfortable option. As it’s closer to the ground, it's able to offer a smooth ride without the need for stiff suspension to avoid leaning uncomfortably in corners, as is the case with some taller crossovers.
But as this applies to the hatchback too, so the initial conclusion remains: you’re probably better off with the Ford Mondeo hatchback.
Key facts
Warranty | 3 years/60,000 miles |
---|---|
Boot size | 488 litres / 1,630 litres (seats down) |
Width | 1,852mm |
Length | 4,867mm |
Height | 1,501mm |
Tax | From A (free) to I (£355 in first year and £230 thereafter) |
Best Ford Mondeo Estate for...
Best for Economy – Ford Mondeo 1.5 TDCi 120PS ECOnetic
Tweaked to be even more economical than the regular 1.5-litre diesel, this ECOnetic version has road tax-exempt levels of CO2 emissions (99g/km) and a mightily impressive 74.3mpg combined official fuel consumption.
Best for Families – Ford Mondeo 1.0T 125PS EcoBoost
A tiny 1.0-litre engine powering a Mondeo might sound like a mistake but it has an official fuel economy figure of 54.3mpg and adequate performance (0-62mph in 12.1 seconds).
Best for Performance – Ford Mondeo 2.0 EcoBoost 240 6-Speed Auto
The largest petrol engine in the range is the quickest. Combined with the automatic gearbox, the 2.0-litre engine can manage the 0-62mph sprint in 8.0 seconds and maxes out at 146mph.
History
- December 2014 The Ford Mondeo Estate goes on sale in Britain.
- 2015 A 1.0-litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine is added to the line-up, along with four-wheel-drive options and a powerful 210hp diesel engine.
- 2015 Range-topping Vignale trim level added to range, introducing premium details and concierge service.
- 2016 Ford adds ST-Line to model range, with sports suspension, sports seats and Ford Performance-inspired trim details.
Understanding Ford Mondeo Estate names
Trim Zetec
There are four trim levels in total (Style, Zetec, Titanium, Vignale), with each higher level costing more and adding more equipment as standard.
Engine 1.0 EcoBoost 125
The most efficient petrol versions of the Ford Mondeo bear the EcoBoost badge, which indicates that they are turbocharged petrol units. Diesel models are marked TDCi. Engine power is given in horsepower, which can also be written as PS. The size of the engine is shown in litres but bigger doesn’t necessarily equate to more power.
Gearbox 6-speed
6-speed denotes that the car has six (forward) gears. There are also two automatic transmissions in the range, a standard 6-speed auto and a dual-clutch 'Powershift' version. The two clutches provide smoother and quicker changes.
Ford Mondeo Estate Engines
1.0 EcoBoost, 1.5 EcoBoost, 2.0 EcoBoost, 1.5 TDCi, 2.0 TDCi
The smallest petrol engine is the tiny 1.0-litre EcoBoost unit. It’s designed for good fuel economy, rather than high performance. Its 125 horsepower is enough for British roads, but acceleration is slow.
Stepping up to the 1.5 EcoBoost engine adds a little more power (160 horsepower), which cuts your 0-62mph acceleration time to 9.3sec - almost 3sec quicker than the 1.0-litre engine. It’s also smoother and quieter, without the characteristic thrum of the 1.0-litre engine's three cylinders.
You will be in a minority if you choose the most powerful petrol engine, the 2.0 EcoBoost, which has an official fuel economy figure of 38.7mpg. In real world driving, this drops to around 30mpg, which makes it expensive to run. Its high price for quick - but not electrifying - performance.
If it’s economy that you’re after, the 1.5 TDCi is the engine you’ll want in your Mondeo Estate. Indeed, the economy-focused ECOnetic version returns a very impressive 78.5mpg will make fill-ups a lot less regular.
The more powerful 2.0 TDCi comes in three power ratings: 150hp, 180hp and 210hp. The sweet spot is the middle version, which shaves a couple of seconds off the 0-62mph acceleration time of ithe smaller diesel engine (down to 8.5 seconds), while also returning fuel consumption of 58.6mpg.
Fuel |
Fuel economy |
Power |
Acceleration (0-62mph) |
Top speed |
|
1.0 EcoBoost 6-speed manual |
Petrol |
54.3mpg |
125hp |
12.1s |
121mph |
1.5 EcoBoost 6-speed manual |
Petrol |
47.9mpg |
160hp |
9.3s |
135mph |
1.5 EcoBoost 6-speed automatic |
Petrol |
43.5mpg |
160hp |
9.2s |
130mph |
2.0 EcoBoost 6-speed automatic |
Petrol |
37.7mpg |
240hp |
8.0s |
146mph |
1.5 TDCi ECOnetic 6-speed manual |
Diesel |
74.3mpg |
120hp |
11.9s |
116mph |
2.0 TDCi 150PS 6-speed manual |
Diesel |
62.8mpg |
150hp |
9.4s |
130mph |
2.0 TDCi 150PS 6-speed Powershift |
Diesel |
58.9mpg |
150hp |
10.0s |
129mph |
2.0 Duratorq TDCi 150PS AWD |
Diesel |
57.6mpg |
150hp |
10.5s |
130mph |
2.0 TDCi 150PS 6-speed ECOnetic manual |
Diesel |
67.3mpg |
150hp |
9.5s |
130mph |
2.0 TDCi 180PS PowerShift |
Diesel |
58.6mpg |
180hp |
8.7s |
134mph |
2.0 TDCi 180PS PowerShift AWD |
Diesel |
53.3mpg |
121hp |
9.5s |
137mph |
2.0 TDCi 210PS PowerShift |
Diesel |
56.5mpg |
142hp |
8.1s |
142mph |
Ford Mondeo Estate Trims
Style, Zetec, Titanium, Vignale
The base Style trim features standard equipment that includes 16-inch alloy wheels, electric door mirrors, cruise control, an eigh-inch touchscreen with voice control, Bluetooth phone connection digital radio and dual-zone air-conditioning.
Stepping up to the Zetec trim adds 17-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights, brighter and more distinctive LED daytime lights sat-nav and a leather-trimmed gearknob.
Titanium trim level adds 18-inch alloy wheels, headlights that can automatically dip from main beam when traffic approaches, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and mood lighting.
The more luxurious Vignale trim includes parking distance sensors, a reversing camera, 10-way electrically adjustable driver seat and lane keeping alert.
Ford Mondeo Estate Reliability and warranty
The current Ford Mondeo has been on sale in America for longer than Britain where it has scored poorly for dependability. Previous-generation Mondeos have also been ranked low for factors such as reliability, so there are questions over the quality of the latest car.
The build quality of European cars is often better than US versions, so it may be that the latest car reverses the form of earlier models.
If you’re buying new, then you do have the reassurance of a three-year, 60,000 mile warranty - whichever measure arrives first. It’s fairly standard but doesn’t come close to the five years offered with the Hyundai i40 Tourer, or the seven years available with the Kia Optima Sportswagon.
Used Ford Mondeo Estate
The Mondeo is expected to hold its value well, but for this type of car, that means that it will be worth around 40% of its new value after three years. It means that you can make big savings with second-hand examples. You can get close to £10,000 off the cost of year-old cars, which brings their price down to £15,000 and presents a considerable saving.
Other Editions
Mondeo (2014 – 2022)
The Ford Mondeo is an impressive all-round family car, though some rivals are better value