Mondeo

[timmm55]

Someone keeps harping about the Mondeo (negatively) when in fact it's successful. Rather than bring it up in every Falcon, Panther and Fusion thread I thought I'd open it up for discussion in it's own thread.

 

Moderators, if this is inappropriate, please delete.

 

Personally I think it looks great!

 

 

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/hatchba...ar-of-the-year/

 

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/24/ford-mo...y-auto-express/

Eurocarbody 2007 prestigious awards

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/10/28/fi...ody-2007-award/

 

Car Magazine - Mondeo comes 2nd their in car of the year 2007

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/magazine.php?...ue_territory=UK

Video

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/video.php?illustration=261

 

This post has been edited by Ford Jellymoulds: Nov 9 2007, 09:03 AM

[Ford Jellymoulds]

Lets hope the buyers agree with you Timm

 

European top 10 best sellers

http://cars.uk.msn.com/News/Top_ten_articl...umentid=7319152

 

UK top 10 best sellers

http://bekker-romero.com/top_selling_cars_...ritain_2007.htm

[timmm55]

There is an obvious shift (to me anyway) to smaller cars. The Focus (#1) and Fiesta (#3) are/were among the best selling cars of 07. The Mondeo is considered a large car in the UK isn't it?

Edited August 29, 2008 by timmm55

[jpd80]

The one comment I'll make is that the Falcon and Mondeo have huge internal space which makes

me wonder if the Mondeo is too big for the intended European buyers. I think Ford Europe fell into

the trap of thinking they needed to make the Mondeo really big when a simple 2" x 2" expansion

of a Focus may have sufficed.

 

For those Americans who haven't experienced a Mondeo cabin, think New Mazda 6.

[Ford Jellymoulds]

The one comment I'll make is that the Falcon and Mondeo have huge internal space which makes

me wonder if the Mondeo is too big for the intended European buyers. I think Ford Europe fell into

the trap of thinking they needed to make the Mondeo really big when a simple 2" x 2" expansion

of a Focus may have sufficed.

 

For those Americans who haven't experienced a Mondeo cabin, think New Mazda 6.

 

It is a bit on the big side for Europe JDP and a bit heavy compared to cars that came before it you would have thought it would be lighter, with new green taxes & the legislation comes in 2012 the only engine options left on the big Mondeo will be small and gutless unless the buyer enjoys paying a lot of tax. You can't win though if Ford had made it smaller Ford would have been slated for doing that as well but a Focus based option might have been a better idea like you say, but l agree with you its to big l thought the same thing.

It would sell very well Stateside with much cheaper gasoline and much more car friendly government that does not want tax big cars off the roads.

[jpd80]

yeah, I was thinking of the original term applied to EUCD which was C1+ so maybe Ford has

reviewed what can be done extending the C1 slightly to keep weight and costs under control.

 

Mulally was quoted as saying the expected market breakdown was

- 60% small cars - Focus, Fiesta

- 25% Mid sized cars - Mondeo, Fusion

- 15% large cars - Taurus, Falcon

 

So maybe positioning cars between traditional market sizes is where the market is heading.

I could see a great opening for a small D sized car in sedan and coupe variations.

Edited August 29, 2008 by jpd80

[elkarlo]

Lets hope the buyers agree with you Timm

 

European top 10 best sellers

http://cars.uk.msn.com/News/Top_ten_articl...umentid=7319152

 

UK top 10 best sellers

http://bekker-romero.com/top_selling_cars_...ritain_2007.htm

 

 

Those are smaller cars. Large cars in Europe don't selll any where near as much small cars. Stop comparing them.

 

It's like comparing Japanese home owner ship with yards and all, to American. They　are really not in the same category, so please stop it. You're like in your own mafia now.

[elkarlo]

There is an obvious shift (to me anyway) to smaller cars. The Focus (#1) and Fiesta (#3) are/were among the best selling cars of 07. The Mondeo is considered a large car in the UK isn't it?

 

 

Yes, yes it is, but Jelly will never understand that fact.

 

 

It does what 18k a month? That's not bad at all. It could do a bit better, but I think it is an improving vehicle, and can steal some market share in the near future.

[Edstock]

So, what does the Mondeo compete against? Small-engine C-class, small-engine 3-series, Stripper E-class, basic A-6, no-frills small-engine 5-series, large Citroen, VW something? Skoda?

 

Should Ford take the Focus up-market in options?

[BORG]

The Euro Mondeo looks even more bland than the Toyota Camry. The 2010 Fusion looks much more bold and distinctive and I'm grateful for that!

[theoldwizard]

I know I'm taking ancient history, but ...

 

In 1999 bought a new Contour (US version of the Mondeo) with 2.5L V6 and 5 speed to replace an early 1990's Escort GT (hatchback) with 1.8L DOHC and 5 speed. The Contour cost more, performed only marginally better and had much less rear seat head and leg room.

 

Believe it or not I could put two 6+ footers in the back seat of that old Escort. Getting in and out of that old Escort was a bit of a challenge, but the Contour could not handle anyone over 5'6" comfortably in the rear and getting in and out was only a bit easier and it was a 4 door !

Edited August 30, 2008 by theoldwizard

[jpd80]

The Euro Mondeo looks even more bland than the Toyota Camry. The 2010 Fusion looks much more bold and distinctive and I'm grateful for that!

The customer wants bland style, Toyota keeps putting out well over 400,000/year Camry sales.

I'm beginning to think the blander, the better.

 

I know I'm taking ancient history, but ...

 

In 1999 bought a new Contour (US version of the Mondeo) with 2.5L V6 and 5 speed to replace an early 1990's Escort GT (hatchback) with 1.8L DOHC and 5 speed. The Contour cost more, performed only marginally better and had much less rear seat head and leg room.

 

Believe it or not I could put two 6+ footers in the back seat of that old Escort. Getting in and out of that old Escort was a bit of a challenge, but the Contour could not handle anyone over 5'6" comfortably in the rear and getting in and out was only a bit easier and it was a 4 door !

The new Mondeo is nothing like the old 1990s CDW27, more like a downsized D3 Taurus.

The rear seat swallows three 6-footers with ease and has good legroom to boot.

Edited August 30, 2008 by jpd80

[Ford Jellymoulds]

There is an obvious shift (to me anyway) to smaller cars. The Focus (#1) and Fiesta (#3) are/were among the best selling cars of 07. The Mondeo is considered a large car in the UK isn't it?

 

Focus and Fiesta are Simply Brilliant Timmm but this is a Mondeo thread, and if you compare them to the Cortina numbers of the past they look poor because back in 1979 just before the Cortina was going to get the axe when it was going to get replaced by the Sierra then the Mondeo the Cortina used to sell 200,000 units a year compared to 126,000 Focus's that make it No1 in the UK today.

 

Cortina never left the No1 spot in UK for its entire life somewhere the Mondeo never is at, and you ommited to mention the Mondeo never made the top 10 in the UK or Europe in those top 10 best selling charts.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.j...0/emfcort21.xml

 

If the Mondeo is as good as folk think surely it would be No1 best seller for those whole of its life like the Cortina used to be, and not a top 10 outsider. If the Mondeo was No1 in the UK l would be its biggest fan and would be driving one today.

 

Even with Focus at #1 and Fiesta at #3 which is Simply Brilliant Fords market share has dropped by 50% since 1981 because the No4-10 cars in the UK chart that used to sell in very small numbers now a sell a lot more than in the past and the big lack of a Cortina class of car in the UK top 10 these days.

 

 

History of Ford UK and its sinking market share thats dropped off by 50% since 1981 is a very interesting read. Gotta say l don't enjoy keep having to posting negative things like this about Ford l just hope the Mondeo makes it to No1 in the UK nothing would please me more. But the Mondeo is just a small sales shadow of the Cortina's superb sales self.

http://beagle.u-bordeaux4.fr/ifrede/Ford/P...20vol%202_1.pdf

Edited August 30, 2008 by Ford Jellymoulds

[Ford Jellymoulds]

Those are smaller cars. Large cars in Europe don't selll any where near as much small cars. Stop comparing them.

 

It's like comparing Japanese home owner ship with yards and all, to American. They　are really not in the same category, so please stop it. You're like in your own mafia now.

 

Gotta say the BMW 3 Series that sold 295,612 cars and the VW Passat that sold 300,556 both make it into Europes top 10 they both sell in the Mondeo class.

 

BMW 3 Series with 58,554 sales & the Vauxhaul Vectra with 50,983 sales both made it the UK top 10 best selling cars they are both in the Mondeo class, in contrast the Cortina used to sell 200,000 cars a year back when there only used to be half the cars on Britains road that there are today and it never left the UK No1 spot.

[Ford Jellymoulds]

The Euro Mondeo looks even more bland than the Toyota Camry. The 2010 Fusion looks much more bold and distinctive and I'm grateful for that!

 

When cars become as bland as a Fridge with 4 wheels the

 

BMW's bland fridge will win the quality buyer.

 

Toyota's bland fridge will win sales those looking for reliability in the US

 

VW bland fridge will win because its solid and reliable in Europe

 

Skoda's bland fridge will win buyers looking for a value and a cheap buy fridge thats better quality than and more reliable than a Mondeo fridge

 

Fords Mondeo bland fridge is costs to much for the value Skoda fridge buyer, snobby fridge buyers won't touch a blue oval fridge which is priced to close to a quality fridge and they impress the Jones down the pub for a few extra bucks, most folk would go for a reliable VW fridge in the EU or Jap fridges in the States. Blue Oval has now become a non entity badge in the Mondeo fridge class. Ford need to break the mould and stop making fridges and start making cars again that appeal like the new Fiesta.

Edited August 30, 2008 by Ford Jellymoulds

[Edstock]

FoE sure produced some turkeys, which sure doesn't help.

 

The UK Telegraph just published a Top 100 Ugliest Cars.

 

7 - Ford Scorpio

 

How Ford ever let this awkwardness out on the roads is beyond me. This sled is brutal. Maybe it looks OK if you're autistic, or drunk, or both. Think of it as the legacy brand-poison. Add the poor power trains of the Sierra era which put larger Ford sedans in a disadvantage, and you have a marketing problem.

 

 

The Granada and Consul had a certain cachet, partly embellished by their dual role as both chase and getaway cars in TV cop shows. Then Ford sacrificed all that muscular flair and created this. Good ones run forever, apparently.

 

The #1? Pontiac Aztek.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.j...uglycars123.xml

[Ford Jellymoulds]

FoE sure produced some turkeys, which sure doesn't help.

 

The UK Telegraph just published a Top 100 Ugliest Cars.

 

7 - Ford Scorpio

 

How Ford ever let this awkwardness out on the roads is beyond me. This sled is brutal. Maybe it looks OK if you're autistic, or drunk, or both. Think of it as the legacy brand-poison. Add the poor power trains of the Sierra era which put larger Ford sedans in a disadvantage, and you have a marketing problem.

 

 

 

 

The #1? Pontiac Aztek.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.j...uglycars123.xml

 

Thats funny l had just have a look at that on autoblog Ed

 

Other Turkeys on the list mainly old and nearly all FOE gotta say l never owned any of them, only the Sierra sold really well which l hated at the time.

12. KA

17. Edsel

32. Anglia

34. Toyota Prius

40. Corsair

47. Zephyr

80. Consul Classic

90. Sierra

[Edstock]

The list was somewhat stupid, IMHO. They included a lot of cars that sure aren't in the 100 ugliest. The little 105-E Anglia gets a bad rap. Compared to others of its era, it was a decent-looking sled IMO.

[SVT_MAN]

FoE sure produced some turkeys, which sure doesn't help.

 

The UK Telegraph just published a Top 100 Ugliest Cars.

 

7 - Ford Scorpio

 

How Ford ever let this awkwardness out on the roads is beyond me. This sled is brutal. Maybe it looks OK if you're autistic, or drunk, or both. Think of it as the legacy brand-poison. Add the poor power trains of the Sierra era which put larger Ford sedans in a disadvantage, and you have a marketing problem.

 

 

 

 

The #1? Pontiac Aztek.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.j...uglycars123.xml

 

You know, the Pontiac Aztek doesn't look as weird as it once did to me. It still looks weird, don't get me wrong, but it's not QUITE as bad.

 

 

Also, one thing a lot of people don't realize is that the Aztek as a concept wasn't really that awful looking. :

 

 

What totally ruined it was when GM's bean counters got ahold of the vehicle. They started changing the headlight designs and deciding that x, y, or z wasn't cost-effective so eventually you ended up with this:

 

 

Still not a pretty sight in my opinion, but I don't think the Aztek deserved to be #1.

 

 

I don't understand how you can honestly say the Aztek is worse than the Fiat Multipla:

 

 

Words cannot explain

 

 

BTW: If I seem a little defensive of the Aztek, it's because my boss drives one and I have to be careful about making myself think that it is ugly because then it might slip out some day

[jpd80]

There must be a certain prescription of glasses / alcoholic drinks that make that car look beautiful.

[SVT_MAN]

 

 

Talk about an ugly sales failure. Can't believe this thing missed the list.

[theoldwizard]

The new Mondeo is nothing like the old 1990s CDW27, more like a downsized D3 Taurus.

The rear seat swallows three 6-footers with ease and has good legroom to boot.

Thank goodness !

 

What platform is the latest Mondeo built off of ?

[Edstock]

I don't understand how you can honestly say the Aztek is worse than the Fiat Multipla:

I agree 100% The list had flaws. That FIAT is ghastly.

[jpd80]

Thank goodness !

 

What platform is the latest Mondeo built off of ?

EUCD.

 

As a comparison to D3 Taurus - look at the leg and shoulder room.

Some people hate when I do this because the internal differences are smaller.

Witha slight change in front/rear seat travel, the Mondeo levels with the bigger Taurus:

 

Dimensions. Mondeo (Taurus) Difference

Length: 190.7 (201.8) 11.1

Width: (W/O mirriors) 74.3 (74.5) 0.2

Height: 59.1 (61.5) (2.4)

Wheelbase: 112.2 (112.9) 0.7

Track Front: 62.2 (64.3) 2.1

Track Rear: 62.8 (64.4) 1.6

Leg Room Front: 44.6 (41.3) -3.3

Leg Room Rear: 37.4 (41.2) 3.8

Shoulder Room Front: 57.0 (57.8) 0.8

Shoulder Room Rear: 56.4 (57.6) 1.2

Head Room Front: 39.2 (39.6) 0.4

Head Room Rear: 38.4 (38.8) 0.4

Hip Room Front: 54.4 (53.7) -0.7

Hip Room Rear: 53.3 (53.6) 0.3

Edited August 31, 2008 by jpd80

[elkarlo]

Gotta say the BMW 3 Series that sold 295,612 cars and the VW Passat that sold 300,556 both make it into Europes top 10 they both sell in the Mondeo class.

 

BMW 3 Series with 58,554 sales & the Vauxhaul Vectra with 50,983 sales both made it the UK top 10 best selling cars they are both in the Mondeo class, in contrast the Cortina used to sell 200,000 cars a year back when there only used to be half the cars on Britains road that there are today and it never left the UK No1 spot.

 

 

So what the Ford Explorer doesn't sell 400k units a year. Things changed. You realize FOE just came off off a recovery. While FNA is in the middle of one. I really don't know how digging up past glory helps. Does talking about how great the Spanish Empire was years ago help Spain now? No, neither does ceaselessly talking about the Cortina.