Test Drive Ford Mondeo Sedan 2000 - 2003 Sedan

World antidepressant

In medicine there is a term antidepressant: a psychotropic agent that improves the mood, removing the alarm and voltage. The idea to save the driver from stress, touched into a single chain handling, dynamics, smoothness, detailed ergonomics, appearance, finally, such subjective parameters, as confidence and calm in any road situation, became the dream of many automakers. It is possible, alas, not everyone. So, Meet: The best medicine from stress and depression for the driver in the version of Ford New Mondeo.
 
The first mondeo was born over eight years ago. Good, high-quality and modern car of the European dimensional class D enjoyed well-deserved popularity. In 1994, the car received the title of the European car of the year. However, that the sin of Timing, be on it the emblem of Mazda or Toyota, no one would be surprised - he was too unless.
 
Three with a small year, the model was waiting for a serious restyling - even Korean appeared in her appearance. It cannot be said that the car with a new face was adopted by a bang, nevertheless Ford dealers sold more than one and a half million updated Mondeo in Europe.
 
And at last year's Paris Motor show showed MONDEO-II. Take a look at the photo. Completely different cars! Did you know the predecessor in it? In the newbie there is something from the baby's piesta, the athlete of Cugar and, of course, focus. New Ej? It is time to invent a completely different name. The corporate identity, of course, is felt, but where is the courage of lines and the fantasy rue? Not that rank, gentlemen. There was no solidity and pre-troubling with youthful frivolism. Well, everything is logical. Especially if you remember the origin of the word Mondeo. It appeared on the light thanks to the computer and carries the roots of the Latin Mondo, which means the world, the planet. And this is not by chance: Mondeo is really a global car. After all, Ford sells this model in Europe, and in North America, and in Australia, and in Africa. All tastes need to please!
 
Wide lower air intake, horizontally separated into two parts, a trapezoidal grille, headlights of Haytech, expressive wheeled niche, an elegant roof line in a word, a stylish european car.
     
Ford Mondeo-II
First presented at the 2000 Paris Motor Show. Available with sedan type bodies, hatchback and wagon. Equipped with five gasoline engines with a working volume from 1.8 to 2.5 liters, with a capacity from 110 to 205 hp. and two 2-liter diesel engines of 90 and 116 hp; Mechanical 5-speed or automatic 4-speed PPC.
Price in Russia from 19,590 to 26 100 American dollars.
 
Speaking about the interior, the chief engineer Ford Franz Izife Laerman admitted that the design efforts were aimed at creating the most easy, gentle and enjoyment of the environment for the driver and passengers. When designing the cabin, the designers of the blue oval used the unique computer system of Ramsis. The robot controlled by this program, which changed the parameters of the cabin, as if a transformer toy, allowed to hide the interior so that henceforth it was suitable for a person of any anthropometric data. Fords thought out if not all, then a lot. Magnets that simulate the difficulties that are experiencing a pregnant woman when landing in the car is placed. And to whom, as not to the future mother, are any stresses contraindicated?
 
 
Ford emblem on the steering wheel and shiny quartz watches of oval form indicate the origin of the car
      

  
Ford Mondeo.
Image 4,7
Appearance 4.
Assembly Quality / Painting 5
Interior space 5.
Driver's workplace 4.5
Seat 4.
Location of controls 5
Range and convenience of adjustments 4
Instrument information 5.
Overview 4.
Landing-landing 5
Comfort 4.8.
Finishing quality 4.
Noise, vibration 5
Heating, ventilation 5
Luggage compartment 5.
Movement 4.8.
Power 4.
Transmission 5.
Handling 5.
Brakes 5.
Smooth stroke 5.
Outcome 4.7
 

Of course, inside very cozy. Quickly adjust the chair and the steering wheel controlled in two planes is possible from the first attempt. It is a pity that the electric drive is provided only for the driver's seat and regulates only movement in height. Everything else is manually.
 
Forest epithets are pouring from the mouth of the second-row passengers. It would seem that the wheelbase increased only by 5 centimeters, but thanks to deep grooves in the backs of the front seats and a slightly increased width of the salon on the back sofa, even even the Trinity of Good Mentows.
 
The finish is good. However, otherwise it could not be. After all, at our disposal turned out to be a car in the most complete set of GHIA-LX. The dark plastic of the front panel is harmonized with accented metal inserts on the knob's spokes, rims of clocks and dial instruments, door handles, and even a button on the handbrake lever. The interior stylist seems somewhat eclectic. At the same time, the combination of straight corners and oval looks simultaneously strictly and original. Although it is necessary to recognize - the inner world of Mondeo, perhaps too similar to the Passat. Only Ford emblem on the steering wheel and shiny quartz watches of oval form indicate the origin of the car.
 
 
 
Having praised, simply the weatherlessness and efficiency of climate control, I go to the road. The 2,5-liter gear with a capacity of 170 hp, can be considered, veteran in the gamma of Motors of the blue oval - it is already available for the seventh year. Old horse not only does not spoil the furrows, but also plows well. The silent job of this engine was remembered by Ford Cougar. On the mondeo sound insulation even better. A positive role in the struggle for silence plays a modern sound-absorbing material on the walls of the engine compartment and subframes. Pleasant and complete lack of vibrations of the gearbox lever provided by the cable drive. Yes, and the inclusion of gear is soft and clear. By the way, according to the manufacturer's application, the warranty mileage of the MTX-75 transmission is 250 thousand kilometers.
 
  Alas, in the fight against noise, in particular, aerodynamic, sacrificed the size of the side mirrors. But wide body racks and absolutely opaque, the width of the cantimeters of the edak to fifteen the tinting strip along the edges of the glass of the fifth door, in combination with a small salon mirror they adversely affected visibility back. But this is perhaps the only significant drawback of the new Mondeo.
 
I felt mutual understanding with the machine from the first kilometers. Balm on the soul was a locomotive confident acceleration without sharp pickups, jerks and failures. The torque of the atmospheric engine DURATEC may not be too large (220 NM at 4250 rpm), and 8.7-second acceleration to hundreds - not a shot. But this is more than enough so that if desired, the first to leave from the traffic light, it is safe to rebuild and clench in a dense urban stream.
 
Attack cool turn? Dismissal, even thoughts will not arise. But, what happens to you in the details of obstacles to do, expressing a professional language, rearrangement, and you will surely remember the goodwalk of Fords specialists. The behavior of the car is easy to predict, and the steering wheel she listens uncorrectly. It should be noted, these qualities switched to the new Mondeo from the predecessor.
 
 
        
Originality with a minus sign - the hood on the Mondeo opens only with the help of the key
   
 

I especially liked how Ford behaves in protracted devices. Intentionally exceeding the speed at the entrance to the turn, I am amazed at how tacuit holds for the asphalt Tires Good Year Eagle MCD dimension 205/55 R16. Even in the absence of ESP - the slightest hint of the development of uncontrollable demolition! Beautifully ached suspensions - this is what the mondeo bribes. Now it is clear why at the factory in the Belgian town of Genk the system stabilization of course stability is established only as an option.
 
Against the background of the excellent driver quality of the car, it is impossible not to praise and smoothness. At any speed, the machine swallows small irregularities and bribes the complete lack of transmission on the body of serious chosen. Slimded by such tenderness, I gladly accelerated for 200 km / h. And suddenly, on the usual asphalt track, the area is from where the sprinkled waves come from. Walking up to myself, I manage to refuse only to 140. And what? The separation of the wheels from the road surface did not even smell. Mondeo only swung like a dacket in a hammock, and the clever-suspension has already eliminated the star. It is not surprising, because compared with the previous mondeo, the moves of the anterior and rear suspension increased by 181 and 222 mm, respectively.
 
Reliable, quiet, environmentally friendly family member - so in press releases call their brainchild Fordovtsy. Well, such comparisons are by no means unfounded. For a few days of dating from Mondeo, I suddenly began to notice that the wallet is less likely to refuel, driving a car is no longer so tiring, the usual roads seem shorter, and Moscow drivers are polite. But most importantly - I became calmer.
 
Technical specifications
Ford Mondeo-V6 2.5
 
Body
Five-door hatchback supporting design
 
 
Engine
Gasoline, V-shaped,
six-cylinder, with an angle of collapse 600,
liquid cooling
located in front,
two camshafts in cylinder heads,
four valves on the cylinder,
head and block of cylinders from aluminum alloy.
Working volume - 2495 cm3;
power - 125 kW (170 hp) at 6000 rpm;
liter capacity - 50 kW / l (67.9 hp / l);
cylinder diameter and piston stroke - 81.7 x 79.5 mm;
compression ratio - 9.8: 1;
maximum torque - 220 NM at 4250 rpm.
The recommended octane number of gasoline - 95.
 
 
Transmission
Drive on the front wheels;
mechanical five-speed gearbox;
transmission numbers: i - 3.42; II - 2.14; III - 1.45; IV - 1.03; V - 0.77; Z.Kh. - 3.46;
main Transmission - 3.82
 
 
Suspension, chassis, brakes
Front - independent, such as Mac Foodson,
spring-shock absorber rack,
transverse stability stabilizer
disk ventilated brakes,
disk diameter - 300 mm,
wheels 6.5J x 16.
Rear - independent, multi-dimensional,
with a cheating effect
transverse stability stabilizer
disk brakes, disk diameter - 280 mm.
Wheels - 6.5J x 16.
Tires - 205/55 R16.
 
 
Sizes and mass
Wheel base - 2755 mm;
length - 4730 mm;
width - 1810 mm;
height - 1460 mm;
pitch in front / rear - 1520/1535 mm;
the volume of the trunk is 500/1370 DM3;
curb weight - 1385 kg;
fuel tank - 58.5 liters.
 
 
Dynamics and economy
Maximum speed - 225 km / h
Acceleration from space up to 100 km / h - 8.7 s
Fuel consumption
city / Highway - 14.2 / 7.2 l / 100 km
 
 
PER
Modern European design,
excellent traction,
great handling in combination with good smoothness
 
AGAINST
Bad visibility back (mirrors are poor)
 
Sergey Devyatkin, photo Alexander Gardeners
 
 

A source: Limousine magazine [03/01]