Test drive Ford mondeo sedan 2003 - 2005 sedan
Charger
Following Mondeo, it is not customary to turn around. And in vain - it would be necessary to take a closer look at the mondeo ST220. The most powerful version of the family sedan has been produced since 2002, but all this time has been deprived of the attention of road charging lovers. As it turned out, undeservedly.
At first there was a photo shoot. ST220 posed against the background of lyrical autumn scenery, on the shore of a picturesque pond. The restrained sad beauty of the Boldin landscape perfectly shaken the appearance of the car. The creators of ST managed to subtly and accurately, literally several strokes to change the appearance of Mondeo, transfer it to another dimension. In a well -known person who had already managed to become obsolete twice and rejuvenate the image of the future classic became visible. Do not smile. Better look at how harmonious the silhouette is not a single wrong line, not a single extra detail. Aggressive aerodynamic bumpers appeared instead of standard, skirt under the thresholds, and a small tail of the spoiler on the edge of the trunk. But they are not striking, they only emphasize the previously found proportions. Lightness to the machine is given to the car, lowered by 15 mm landing and amazing 18-inch wheels. Oh yes, after all, the elements of the last restyling ... But who, tell me, be able to name at least three of them offhand? Unless a consultant in the Ford Salon and one of the few owners ... While he flaunts in front of the lens, we will get acquainted with what they mean by Sport Technologies (ST) people from the Ford Office of Special Vehicle Engineering. They don’t have to doubt that they are all right with sports concepts - these specialists have 25 years of work on the field of motorsport and such milestones as Ford Escort RS, Ford Sierra RS, and later Ford Focus RS and the youngest Focus ST170. Therefore, we support the choice as a charger of a three -liter V6 without objections. Perhaps this motor does not have enough sports charisma: after all, he came here from a citizen - the same engine is installed on Ford Maverick. But it increased to 226 hp. (On the SUV, he developed 204 hp) power and torque at 285 Nm as if they say - no matter where you come from, it is important where you are going. He went to the hood of one and a half -ton Mondeo, which is praised in standard performance for an excellent chassis and excellent handling. And after the transformation on 220, he also acquired a more rigid suspension with short springs and shock absorbers, plus the angles of the wheel installation changed.
The sun is sat down, the shooting is finished, we slowly get out of the city to arrange a halt on its outskirts and at dawn rush along the highway to the north. In the meantime, there is nowhere to rush, and therefore there is time to evaluate the topical properties of the car. If it were an ordinary Ford Mondeo, and I was an ordinary buyer, several complaints would have arisen to the interior. Despite the overall convenience of all the pens -caps (the ergonomics of Mondeo to the smallest detail was calculated on the computer, which was repeatedly emphasized), they, first of all, with design, give out a considerable age of the car with their heads. Everything is strict and calm here. Too much. The salon lacks emotionality.
From the inside, you can understand from the inside that you are in ST220 only by nameplate on the steering wheel, sports seats and silver dials of devices. The last solution seems controversial - the effect is not the most slaughter, and the readings from such scales are inconvenient to read. Recaro seats liked it - the necessary settings were found almost immediately and for three days they never had to change them, despite a rather long and intense ride. And it’s good, because it is necessary to get to the keys of the electrical regulation through a narrow gap between the seat pillow and the door. You can also find fault with the climate button control - almost everyone has already switched to rotating handles, it is easier and more understandable with them.
Unfortunately, there are too few places in the city, you manage to twist only the first two or three programs - and it is time to brake to the next traffic light. But this is enough to evaluate the clarity of the work of the checkpoint. But the brake pedal surprised at the very beginning and a noticeable portion of cotton at the very beginning. I also had to get used to clutch - it requires quite accurate work.
Ordinary maneuvers are easily given - in city modes, the steering wheel does not irritate the void, but you can’t call it tight, a good balance has been found here. Yes, and his car is obvious. Disorders only excessive sensitivity to the quality of the road surface. When hitting the marking or fresh Mondeo patches, it noticeably pulls to the side, especially on braking. However, even if the asphalt is homogeneous, ST220 tells the riders about any irregularities of the road. And the point here, it seems, is not in an excessively stiff suspension (it, on the contrary, is judging by how the car raises the nose during acceleration and pecks when besieging, rather soft), and in low -profile wheels. The fortieth profile is a bare road nerve. But still, in peaceful conditions, in this car it is quite comfortable and you will not have to look with envy towards passing limousines. Soon we get to the night, and I leave two hundred twenties in the parking, looking back at its silhouette in a dim night light. Tomorrow we are waiting for a protracted march, and, finally, the scope of the track. But a languid expectation did not work out. I did not endure and an hour after parting, already late at night, returned to the car to get everything from it that she hinted the day before. Amazingly accurately following the teams of an excellent leather steering wheel, ST220 rushed into turns and came out of them with the proud posture of the winner. The obedience, a minimum of rolls and the confidence with which he goes along the arc, gives rise to the illusion of permissiveness.
But sooner or later, the limit of adhesion properties makes itself felt, and the exciting sliding with all the wheels with a slight casting of the rear axle begins. The response to the correction of the steering wheel is shock, with one jerk, stabilization. Extraordinary pleasure. Activated ESP, of course, will not allow this - after its decisive intervention, the case will be limited to banal demolition. Nevertheless, it is more pleasant not to break this car, but to lead it on the verge, reveling in how confidently it passes. And, of course, the voice of a six. This sound is not confused with anything - three pairs of cylinders below rush loudly and bass, and at the top they come in a violent iron bapto. Thanks to the tuned exhaust with two oval pipe pipe. Tired, but well -fed, we part until the morning.
Directly the desert morning highway gave, finally, the opportunity to spur the horses under the hood. They clearly stagnated and carry Mondeo with undisguised pleasure. The test hundred from the place ST220 is gaining in 7.6 seconds. The first and second gears are slipping quickly, the continuing acceleration on the third illustrates the almost even traction characteristic of the motor - a slight revival can only be felt closer to 4000 revolutions. Three liters are three liters - elasticity at height. Even in the fifth and sixth gear, the engine allows you to confidently accelerate the in the middle sector of the tachometer, which frees from unnecessary switching during a manual of less fast fellow travelers. And if intensive overtaking is required - a sharp switching down full of gas, and few can resist such pressure. Six gears are slipping in one breath. By the way, there is no economical transmission here, the sixth is direct (this is a feature of only the ST220 version). I am glad that the steering wheel also retains its best qualities - even when the speedometer shooter is already near the maximum 240 km/h, there is no need to cling to the steering wheel. Mondeo clearly holds the straight line, the steering wheel is poured by force, the responses to its movements are logical - no nervousness. And high -speed bends the car drives with the same accuracy as urban turns.
The pleasure of flying at high speeds can ruin only two things. The first is weak sound insulation. After 140, the rubber background and the noise from the passage of irregularities penetrate the salon, as to his home. Once again, it is necessary to make sure that the union of low -profile tires with Russian roads is very contradictory. The second point is fuel consumption. ST220 is very voracious - 15 liters of the 95th can eat for 100 km, or even less. On the highway. I'll drop the speed. The braking is effective, despite the already mentioned pedal softness. Ventilated discs in front and behind allow prolonged emergency brakes. ABS wakes up at the very last moment.
In general, the driver ST220 should like. And passengers? Is this really another swift egoist? No, Mondeo did not lose his family qualities. This is a roomy sedan in which the rear passengers will not feel superfluous. Well, maybe only occasionally. There are enough places for them (no matter how, Mondeo is not the last in the class according to this parameter), but there is nothing to stay for them with active driving. Can ST220 go, as before, to the cottage? With difficulty, of course, the clearance is no longer the same, and the status ... But if you need to very quickly deliver a couple of skis from point A to point B, you can easily fold the rear seat and rush on the road. The trunk will allow you to take away a lot of equipment. By the way, in Europe, ST220 is also offered with Hatchback and station wagon bodies. In response to the question, why this worthy car in many ways feels uncomfortable in our market, it has to be recognized that the main reason is an overly democratic image of the brand. ST220 beats charged Germans and Japanese in value, but the prestige of the brand in this case is crucial. Those who are ready to close their eyes to this, in general, convention, as well as the age of the model, should pay attention to ST220. And as soon as possible - it is unlikely that the current generation will last long on the conveyor, and it will have to be decent to wait for the charger for the new model.
The car is provided by the representative office of Ford Motor Co.
Tel: 745-9700
Prices and equipment Ford Mondeo ST220:
The basic equipment of the Mondeo ST220 includes alloy 16-spoke wheels with a diameter of 18-inchs, an aerodynamic kit: bamers, arch and rear spoiler (which can be abandoned by saving $ 300), fog headlights, headlight vehicles, side safety curtains, audio systems Sony with CD/MP3 player, on-board computer, front seats with heating, skin-sheated steering wheel and gear lever. The price of the base is $ 35 616.
Adding options raises the price to $ 41,700. There are: parking sensors, heating the rear seats, the electroregulations of the front seats in 8 directions, the rain sensor, heating the windshield and the nozzle nozzles, the automatically obscuring the rear view mirror, the automatic inclusion of external lighting, tinting the rear glasses, the tinting of the rear glasses, Luke with an electric drive, cruise control, Sony CD chamber for 6 disks, external mirrors with electric power and heating, xenon headlights.
Text: Sergey Knowemsky
