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A Car Bore's Guide to a Used Ford Mondeo

Go to any car dealership and you can behave a drivers' airbag across the entire
certain you'll come across a used Ford Mondeorange. This forward thinking from Ford meant
- it is a fact as inevitable as the worldit topped many safety test standings and
being round or water being wet. Supplies ofappealed to companies not wishing to give
Ford cars are plentiful - used Fordtheir staff death traps and of course
especially so - with competitive pricing andfamilies. Sales rocketed and it was named
popular styling just two features of a carEuropean  Car  of  the  Year  in  1994.
company making arguably the best cars it ever
has  done.One criticism was that the styling was still
more cardboard box than Monet. A facelift in
There are two histories the used Ford Mondeo1996 addressed this to such a degree, that
sitting on the forecourt could have in itsonly the doors and roof remained the same as
logbook. The first history would reveal athe Mk I model. The corporate Ford oval was
mid-thirtysomething salesman with manyincorporated into the front grill giving the
motorway journeys under his belt (and manycar a more curvy and playful look. Still no
corporate lunches too no doubt). His suitMonet but the palette was starting to take
jacket having been lovingly hung up in theshape. The facelift was as well-received as
back as it accompanied him on his travels andJackie Collins' and this helped boost sales
sales pitter patter. The second life the carfurther although the additional outlay from
could've had would be the all purpose, allFord did mean specification levels dropped,
conquering family pet. Muddy football boots,meaning wheel trims were back and alloy
furniture from Ikea and mountains of glitterwheels were consigned to the optional extras
from a night out would all have come intoorder  form.
contact  with  the  Mondeo.
Over the next four years, with Ford's
Whether the car comes with life history 1 orEuropean fortunes taking a drastic u-turn for
history 2, it doesn't matter. Either way thethe better and as the new space-edge Ka and
car would've faithfully carried out it'sFocus models were being launched, the Mondeo
duties and has only appeared on the forecourtwas suddenly in need of another shot of
because either: a) salesman didn't sellbotox. As the new millennium dawned, so did
enough and was sacked, b) salesman sold lotsthe Mk III Mondeo - the car that more than
and was given a new Mondeo, c) family hadlikely stands before you at the used Ford
another child and bought a people carrier. Adealership. Although it was in the same
good buy on all accounts then, but before youdesign club as the Ka and Focus, it wasn't
decide on which colour to go for, let me fillconsidered part of the 'New Edge' Ford design
you in on the birth of the Mondeo and how itand therefore sat in the corner of the club
made Ford's accountants' life expectancieslooking restrained. A more expensive,
rise  dramatically.Volkswagen Passat inspired interior is the
stand-out feature, which looks expensive
Replacing an institution is tough. Whetherbecause  it  is.
you're singing Freddie Mercury's parts for
Queen, acting James Bond in the latest film,Combined with further safety enhancements
or playing rugby instead of an injured Johnnyincluding the excitingly titled 'Intelligent
Wilkinson for England, you'll be more closelyProtection System' (IPS) which was a system
scrutinised than the original. And so wasthat basically decided for you which
the case with the Mondeo. Entering thelife-saving features to use in the event of a
showrooms in 1993, the new car replaced thecrash. It was the most popular large family
much-loved granddaddy, the Ford Sierra.car for its entire 2000 - 2007 life-cycle.
Despite its global market, the European armIt is too early to comment on the latest Mk
of Ford was haemorrhaging money and hadIV model, although it did find its way into
developed the unenviable reputation of makingthe latest Bond film 'Casino Royale' for a
cars the accountants wanted. This resultedbrief scene, before being swiftly replaced by
in poorly built vehicles that were asBond's orginal Aston Martin DB5 (what did I
interesting to look at as a Monet in asay  about  following  an  institution?)
cardboard  box.
To summarise, the Mondeo may be the most
Things started promisingly (not for thepopular vehicle of its class and therefore
accountants mind) as the Mondeo shared verybuying one will result in you being as unique
little in the way of parts or design with itsas a Manchester United supporter, but it has
appalling 90's predecessors the Escort andsold in it's droves for a mutlitude of good
Orion - resulting in high development costs.reasons. The choice as they say, is yours.
Top pub quiz fact: it was the first car to



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