Weighty little things / Ford test drives

For the test, we took the version with a two-liter engine and five-speed manual transmission to calmly check whether the enthusiastic reviews of the new Ford are justified. The Mondeo's exterior is a success. Moreover, in all three body styles, the car looks great, provocatively in a good sense (unlike its predecessor). Of course, the car hasn't yet tired the eye. Nevertheless, almost everyone likes the model's exterior — Ford's designers with their "kinetic" design hit the mark.

You sit comfortably behind the wheel. Seat and steering wheel adjustments have huge ranges. The leather and suede seats (Titanium X trim) are solidly done, holding the body well. On the door cards, four-spoke multifunction steering wheel, and front panel — there are "brushed aluminum" inserts. At first, everything seems very decent. The center console is also trimmed with aluminum, but already polished. True, it's immediately clear — it's imitation, plastic. In the new Mondeo's cabin, the lack of attention to detail surprised us. The vanity mirror covers on the sun visors, the small compartment to the left of the steering wheel, the glasses holder on the ceiling — all of these are made of thin, flimsy plastic. The center tunnel flexes if you press it with your hand. The light control lever wobbles, and the door trim does too.

If you squeeze the gearshift lever with your palm, you can hear the plastic creaking. All this is, of course, minor, but in a car for $33,000, such things are annoying and even offensive. Take the same Volkswagen Passat — it's in the same class and price range, but it doesn't allow itself such things. The thin steering wheel rim in not the best quality leather, the Sony stereo system with poor highs, the asymmetrically placed 7-inch onboard computer screen — these are also drawbacks. The two-liter engine is a bit boring. At low revs, there's not enough torque; it only comes alive at 2500–3000 rpm. When starting off, you can easily stall, but the precise clutch saves you. There's no point in revving it above 5500 rpm — the working range for a naturally aspirated engine is narrow. And the acceleration doesn't impress (although it can be called sufficient).

But the handling is quite sharp. True, on a long journey, this sharpness can be tiring. At the same time, the reactions to turning of the "short" steering wheel (2.5 turns) are adequate, feedback is good, and it holds the course accurately. At the limit, the car first slides with all wheels, then the nose goes outward. But this limit is at very high speeds, which most drivers are unlikely to reach. The suspension is tuned for comfort, but at the same time remains composed. Sometimes even too much. Ruts are the Mondeo's enemy: on them, the car is thrown from side to side. The behavior in a gentle turn at about 170 km/h was unpleasantly surprising — strong diagonal rocking. A couple of such oscillations — and you can fly off. Dangerous.

The two-liter Ford Mondeo left contradictory impressions. Excellent exterior, but annoying minor flaws in the cabin. The engine is emotionless, but the "gearbox" is decent. The suspension seems well-tuned, but with strange negative nuances. Maybe over time, everything will be refined. But for now, the question arises: why not take the proven Passat? It remains the benchmark in the class for about $35,000.

PRICES AND TRIM LEVELS

Russian dealers sell the Ford Mondeo in three body styles — sedan, 5-door hatchback, and wagon. The engine range is wide: gasoline Duratec 1.6 L (123 hp), 2.0 L (145 hp), 2.3 L (161 hp), turbo engine 2.5 L (220 hp), as well as a 2-liter Duratorq turbodiesel with 130 or 140 hp. With the 1.6 and 2.0 L engines, only a 5-speed manual is available; with the others — a 6-speed manual or automatic. Trim levels in ascending order: Ambiente, Trend, Ghia or Titanium, Ghia X or Titanium X. Prices — from 615,000 rubles for the 1.6-liter Ambiente sedan to 1,006,000 rubles for the turbo Titanium X wagon.