Test drive Ford Mondeo Hatchback 1996 - 2000 hatchback

A car of a business person

In early 1993, the new Ford Mondeo, which became a 1994 car, replaced the popular Ford Sierre. In the summer of the 96th it was modernized: they changed the shape of the outer panels, bumpers, headlights and rear lights. The Mondeo lineup includes three types of bodies - sedan, hatchback, station wagon in five trim levels - CL, CLX, GT, GLX and GIA. A gasoline engines with a working volume of 1.6 are installed on the car; 1.8; 2.0; 2.5 l and turbocharged 1.8-liter diesel.
Mondeo is the second attempt by Ford to create a worldwide car. In North America, it is produced under the name of the contour. For Europe, cars are assembled in Belgium. From there, from the end of last year, the version adapted to our conditions is also delivered to Russia. It is equipped with more rigid suspension springs, engine protection, a rubber spoiler under the front bumper and a modified fuel pump. So, on our test - Ford Mondeo 2.0 GLX model 1997.

The body is 3.8 points. It should be recognized: restyling was a success. The appearance of the current Mondeo is original and recognizable. Control of body elements and coloring - excellent: class and car price
($ 30,500), as they say, is obligated. Doors locks open remotely from the remote control on the key, but the locking has to be controlled manually, since there are no distinguishable buttons from the outside. On the ends of the rear doors - levers that block unauthorized opening from the inside, most often by children.
The interior is dominated by convex surfaces, curved lines and gray plush. The front passenger feels quite comfortable, the place for him is enough (though the seat pillow is almost horizontal and does not prevent sliding forward), but the rolled roof and the developed substettlement under the rear seat are made to be attentive when planting. It is tangibly closer than ahead: with a height of 180 cm, you sit on the dispersal, resting your head
in the ceiling. In pro-
what, this applies only to the hatchback, the ceiling is higher at the sedan. Three headrests unobtrusively hint at the human intensity of the posterior seat, but the hint should be taken with reservations - the extreme passengers sit in a half -turn, bowing their heads on their shoulder. Partly explains and justifies this almost 30 -centimeter door thickness - with a lateral blow, each of these centimeters will be worth its weight in gold. We only note that the side glass is hiding there only half.
The trunk opened outside is spacious, and access to it is just a sight for sore eyes. Under the floor covering around the niche of the spare wheel - a 3 -centimeter (!) Foam mat. It turns out that it is precisely at the same time by the dimension of 205/55R15 that protrudes from the niche, designed for
175th tire. A set of tools is typical for a modern foreign car - a jack and a cylinder key.

The driver's workplace is 3.9 points. It is quite comfortable to envelope in the driver's place. This is facilitated by four seats adjustments: back and forth, up and down (with electric drive), the angle of inclination of the back and lumbar support. Instead of up and down, a very useful adjustment of the angle of inclination of the pillow can be installed. The chair is comfortable, although it is not installed hard and sways on the brackets from side to side.
The steering column is also adjustable in height and length. The steering wheel switches are similar to nine: the left - according to the algorithm of work, the right - by overload with the functions of front and rear wiper control functions. The pedals and the gearbox lever are located conveniently, but the site under the left foot could be larger. The head of the head light is simple and logical: pulling the handle on the left on the panel, you turn on the dimensions and the near light, and rotating it - the front and rear fog lights.
A panel of devices is clearly visible through the steering wheel. It has four dials: a thermometer, a tachometer with a red zone from 6500 rpm, a speedometer, marked up to 240 km/h, and fuel.
With visibility, the situation is almost ordinary for modern cars. Forward and to the sides without comments, but backwards are limited by the size of the inner mirror, in which mostly three headrests and the wiper brush are visible on a high steppe of the trunk.

Movement - 4.0 points. A two-liter 16-valve engine Zetek E burdot (the fourth gear can be turned on at a speed of 30 km/h), willingly gaining high speeds and provides the machine with good dynamics. For active drivers - a tachometer sector from 3500 to 6500 rpm. It is in this range that Zetek shows its best qualities.
On the Mondeo road, it stands like a glove, obediently, with a minimum roll, prescribing a given path. This is a considerable merit of a completely independent suspension of quadralink with the effect of passive steering of the rear wheels. To moderately, a powerful hydraulic wrap does not forget to transfer part of the effort to the steering wheel, riding the driver from the feeling that he is holding a computer mouse in his hands.
The brakes in standard modes are predicted and effective. But when braking in the floor and the anti-lock system, there is a feeling that someone has a large rashpil saws either the pedal under the foot or the body. By car of this class, this cuts hearing. Yes, and ABS is triggered, it seems early.
Comfort - 4.2 points. The coating of our roads is more reminiscent of a suspension testing range. Clutching normal driver's instincts into a fist, for Mondeo we often deliberately chose the most heavy trajectory. And he withstood this execution: the suspension never worked to the stop, extinguishing or translating pinks and blows into a short blessing. Pretty widespread wide tires Continental Sports contact made their contribution to soundtrack. But the noise of wind and engine is not heard even at speeds for one and a half hundred.
The heating and ventilation system with simple and clear control is good. You will not surprise anyone with air conditioning today, but you will meet the windshield, in the thickness of which is barely distinguishable by the thin threads of electric heating. By the way, simultaneously the heating of external mirrors and jetturning jettles is turned on. And if you also warm up the seats, life generally seems to be a paradise.
The standard equipment of the Mondeo GLX includes a remotely controlled central lock, air conditioning, radio package (four speakers with wiring and antenna), electric drives of heated mirrors, electric windows, a safety pillow, as well as the mentioned adjustable column and steering hydraulic power steering, and you must agree, a very rich set. And for cars with an engine 2000 cm, still cast discs and fog lights. Cars supplied to Russia are additionally equipped with a pillow for a passenger, electric drive and heating seats, a third head restraint and a three -point belt in the middle of the back.
In addition, an extensive list of additional equipment is provided: an anti-boom system (APS), a side pillow, an on-board computer, a cruise control, a hatch, a washer and a regulator of an angle of the headlight tilt, a leather salon, a sports suspension, four types of audio systems and much more.

Operation, service - 3.7 points. No matter how economical is Ford Mondeo, and sooner or later you will have to call on a gas station. But is there an unhealthy 95th everywhere? In large cities - everywhere. And on the highway or in the provinces? Meanwhile, the insignificant tetraethylswine supplement may turn out to be a fatal for a catalytic neutralizer worth a thousand dollars.
After 2500 km of run - the first then, and you will have to pay only the cost of materials, the work is performed free of charge. Subsequent maintenance is carried out every 15 thousand km or once a year. With intensive operation in adverse conditions, it is recommended to change oil every six months. But the prices for some spare parts: windshield - $ 179, bumper - $ 260, hood - $ 247, wing - $ 146, headlight - $ 190, rear lamp - $ 110, fuel/oil/air filters - $ 12/7/14.
The network of Ford Technical Centers is quite extensive: seven stations in Moscow and about twenty in Russia. The cost of a norm -hour is $ 45. The car purchased from an official dealer will be served at a company station in any country in the world. When buying a new Ford from the same dealer, the old one will be accepted by partial payment - this service is already valid in Russia. The warranty is quite European - one year without limitation of run and six years from through corrosion of the body.

The frowned appearance of the new Mondeo is much more original and recognizable than that of his predecessor.

The rear doorway is significantly smaller than the size of the door.

Press about Ford-Mondo:
English magazines characterize the car only from the best side: a very good engine, a wonderful chassis, excellent steering, powerful brakes. The only notified drawback is a hard suspension. The conclusion is one of the best cars in its class.
The Germans are traditionally more picky. Along with excellent assessments for handling, brake effectiveness and good clutch, the drawbacks are also noted: a rigid uncomfortable suspension, a large force on the steering wheel during maneuvering, an uncomfortable rear seat, a long fifth gear.
What everyone liked is a new appearance. For her, the creators of Mondeo heard only praise.

Access to the trunk is excellent. The back of the rear seat folds in a ratio of 2: 3.

All points under the hood served by the driver are indicated by yellow marks.

There are two niches on the front panel: the upper - for the screen of the track computer, the lower - for the audio system.

Summary: Ford Mondeo is a car for a wealthy business person living in a big city, not burdened with a big family.

+ The painful engine, good dynamic qualities and controllability, rich equipment.
- Noisy ABS, a tight salon from behind, requires high -quality gasoline.

Technical characteristics of the Ford Mondeo 2.0 GLX car
General data: number of places - 5; Equipped mass - 1240 kg; full weight - 1810 kg; maximum speed - 206 km/h; acceleration time from a place to 100 km/h - 9.9 s; fuel consumption at 90, 120 km/h and Hz - 6.3; 7.8; 11.2 l/100 km; fuel supply - 61.5 l; Fuel - unhealthy gasoline with an octane number 95. Dimensions, mm: length - 4481; width - 1749; height - 1424; base - 2704; The track in front/back - 1503/1487; clearance - 120; trunk volume - 460/1290 l; The turning radius is 5.4 m. Engine: with distributed injection, 4 -cylinder in line, four valves per cylinder, is located in front; working volume - 1988 cm; cylinder diameter and piston stroke - 84.8x88.0 mm; compression degree - 10.0; Power - 100 kW/136 l. With. at 5700 rpm; Maximum torque - 176 NM at 3700 rpm. Transmission: drive - on the front wheels; gearbox - 5 -speed; Transporting numbers: I - 3.42; II - 2.14; III - 1.45; IV - 1.03; V - 0.77; h. X. - 3.46; The main program is 3.84. Suspension: Independent, front type McEferson is assembled on a subframe, the back is multi -link. Brakes: hydraulic, with a vacuum amplifier, front - ventilated disk, rear - drum. Steering: rheck with a hydraulic wrap. Tire size: 205/55R15.
Yuri Nechetov
Photo by Sergey Ivanov
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"