Test drive Ford mondeo sedan 2003 - 2005 sedan

Best before date

There is no restructuring, the European second-hat is unlikely to become the subject of our close interest. Now he gains a second life in Russia. A couple of copies appeared recently in the editorial office (ZR, 2003, No. 4). We will try to evaluate the potential of the aliens.
The first impressions
Peugeot 406 of a noble burgundy was hooked immediately. Graceful, with a slight raid of conservatism, he looked clearly more expensive than he cost. Our entire company of four (the largest is 195 cm, 124 kg, the smallest - 178 cm, 92 kg) is located with comfort.
The engine is 1.8 liters (110 hp) - a strong middle peasant, nothing special. In such a car, I would like more powerful. In nature, they are (see table). But for a 3-liter must be paid at customs twice as much.
The mechanical box works out the commands, like a soldier on a parade ground, quickly and clearly. Managing it is just as easy and pleasant.
The suspension is moderately comfortable. The back axis with a steering effect: thanks to this, it is not easy to drive a car into a slip of the slippery road. The steering amplifier and ABS help to keep the course.
The silver station wagon Ford Mondeo seemed more utilitarian: a faceless product of mass culture. The machine, as it were, envelops the interior elements, creating an atmosphere of comfort and security. But this layout sitting behind is constrained from front and side. At least in our team, everyone was in a hurry to sit in front. (And on Peugeot more than the place was revered behind the driver.)
The engine is 1.8 liters (115 liters) is also not the most powerful (there is 2.5 l, 170 hp), but economical. Yes, and the horses a little with the lazy. Despite the extra five forces, it has not yet been able to escape from Peugeot Ford. However, the station wagon is not built for racing. His pace is a calm, measured ride.
Unprofitable information
On Lithuania car markets, you are unlikely to meet the first hand. All of them, as a rule, went through intermediaries. Each such step is documented. And if you rush in a pack of accompanying papers or a service book, you can learn a lot of interesting things.
Mondeo, for example, managed to find the phone of the first housewife. Out of curiosity, they phoned Madame willingly said that she had acquired Ford in one of the France car dealerships in 1999, and after four years she handed over to the commission. During this time, Mondeo ran about 160 thousand km, never once visited an accident. Thanks to careful care (women know how to take care of things!) It was possible to avoid unplanned repairs.
Comparing the dates, they realized that from the French intermediary the car went straight to Lithuania, where we bought it. We, of course, were not able to find out how many resellers were welded along this path.
The story of Peugeot turned out to be much more dramatic. The very first merchant shocked: some carriers purchased a car in French ... Auto Switch for 1,500 euros! It is carriers, because according to the laws of France, the technique with damage to the power elements of the body can only move on an auto carrier. (In our Peugeot, in the accident, the left front healeron suffered.) But the intermediaries did not deceive the mileage - the numbers 55,000 in the documents and coincided on the odometer.
Further obvious. The broken car was transported to Lithuania, repaired and put up for sale. True, the price has increased to 5350 euros.
Under a microscope
In Lithuania, makeup is applied dexterously: in sight - not a single flaw. It seems as if cars had only been moving from the assembly line yesterday. So our purchases have all detected defects from the category of hidden.
Ford was replaced by the broken tips of the steering thrust, ball support and sagging silent blocks of the lower lever. But most of all the trouble was delivered by a small tube, jumping from the fitting of the washer tank. To get to the ill -fated connection, I had to remove the wheel, shelter and fog light. We were able to do this only in Moscow, so part of the path had to be guided by devices. Other flaws and shortages, no matter how hard they tried, were found.
On Peugeot, if you remember (ZR, 2003, No. 4), immediately after the purchase, a rotary fist injured in the accident was replaced. No more then was required. Adventures began after registration.
Sparkling with fresh metropolitan numbers, four hundred and sixth entered the editor's yard. And here the briskets turned into embarrassment: the engine did not want to go either on this day or the next. Turned to the official dealer service. The triumphant entrance ended in a walk on his evacuation cuer.
The defect was not digging up immediately. The fact that there is no power supply on the pump, nozzles and the ignition module were found quickly. But why? At first they suspected the immobilizer, then for some reason they measured compression ... Two hours later, a real master came up (previous specialists turned out to be trainees) and immediately made clarity. Once with the ignition on, the symbol does not burn, check the engine, which means that there is no voltage to the brains. The wire damaged during the accident was guilty, partially devoid of isolation. Until now, he somehow held on, but, having breaded our salt, could not stand it. The diagnosis and restoration of the tourniquet cost 4538 rubles 13 kopecks.
Later it turned out that when removing the battery, the radio was blocked. Another 2080 rubles were laid out for decoding. A pretty beginning! However, there is also our fault. Cards with codes and a spare key to the immobilizer when buying must be required. In extreme cases, this is an occasion to bargain $ 200-300.
Astrological forecast
To predict the future is a profitable, but ungrateful thing. However, we are not guessing from scratch. At our disposal, the rich instrumentation of the technical center driving, the special roads of the auto policy and the invaluable experience of assistants and consultants. For the sake of objectivity, it was also visited by branded services. For Peugeot, this is the official importer of the brand - Armand. 2350 rubles were paid for the assessment of the technical condition. The diagnosis of the chassis was carried out on the lift. The overall impression is favorable: nothing is broken off, does not flow, does not dangle. Shock absorbers, according to the master, in the Peugeot 406 are generally eternal. Only three bearings were pumped up: the right front hub and both supporting in the racks of McEferson. It is better to replace them immediately, but the front brake discs will still be tolerant until the next change of pads (22 mm - the lower limit). Their wear at the time of the inspection amounted to 10% of the face value on all wheels.
The compressometer showed from 10.2 bar in the first to 13.0 bar in the fourth cylinder. For such an evenly working engine, such a spread somewhat puzzled. In addition, in each subsequent cylinder, the compression was higher than in the previous one. Maybe straighten something in the device?
The scanner also behaved somewhat mysteriously. Vigorously reporting the absence of errors in the engine control system, he flatly refused to contact other blocks. As a result, it was not possible to get information about the state of ABS and airbags. Local experts explained this fact by the presence of a malfunction in them. Which?
We did not spend money on in -depth diagnostics, since during braking we did well without electronics. And about the worked pillows, the safety belts drowned into the console were told. They were dragged inside the pretext who shot during the accident. Moreover, the right left deeper than the left - there was no passenger next to the driver.
According to the body (restored, I recall, after a collision), they found mainly small assembly flaws and not very identical gaps. The quality of the color is at the level of a good workshop.
Independence experts, the official dealer of Ford, undertook to check Mondeo, evaluating services more expensive: at 3108 rubles. But they approached the case more thoroughly. First, the car was driven to the vibration of Mach. After making sure that the shock absorbers (the difference in the characteristics on the front axle is 1%, on the rear - 0), continued to examine on the lift. Yeah: It is time to change the stands of the front suspension stabilizer and the clamps on both covers of internal crows. The former licks, the lubricant climbs from under the second. The wear of the front pads is 10%, the rear - 20. The brake discs are normal. The excellent condition of the brakes was confirmed by bench tests. We assumed a similar result, but the visit to the tiners shocked: absolutely a whole, in general opinion, the body turned out to be ... beaten from behind and completely repainted! However, the repair was made in conscience, and the excess layer of paint in our climate will be useful.
The engine pleased with excellent compression (13.0-14.6 bar). True, the trend in the growth of readings from the cylinder to the cylinder has been preserved here. But the absolute indicators of Peugeot were blocked with a margin.
In general, both cars were quite suitable for use. It is necessary to spend money on the replacement of belts, oils in the units and, in the future, front pads, which will allow you to insure yourself with troubles. At least for the first time. For used cars, it became the same kind tradition as the broke out of the fasteners - for new ones. Now about the future.
Mondeo, according to the assurances of the firms, is enough for two hundred hundred more two hundred. Some nodes, having completed fatigue, may require repair or even replacement. But do not forget that you bought a car at a similar price, saving in comparison with the new one. This is a fee for unnecessary troubles.
Peugeot by Russian standards is almost new. True, broken. But the geometry of the body is restored - this was confirmed by the gathering disorder. Maybe the damage site should be additionally protected by anticorus. Otherwise, small dirty tricks caused by a hasty pre -sales assembly (an uninsulated wire, poorly inserted connector, etc.) are likely.
However, the offspring of the tenth family, although new, are also not a gift. The editorial VAZ 2112 for $ 6800 (today already $ 7500; Peugeot and Ford have cost, I recall that $ 7993 and 7749) does not allow to relax. For the first 800 km, we managed to visit our hands and attach our hands (ZR, 2003, No. 5). We are afraid that this will not end. Undoubtedly, someday vases will become full-fledged foreign cars. The first step is taken: at the cost of spare parts, the repair of a dozen will already give a head of a used foreign car! Bamper - $ 200, wing and hood is also $ 200. So is it worth waiting? After all, there are a lot of worthy devices at this price, to take at least our Peugeot and Ford - you just need to decide.
Meanwhile, we move on to the next stage - the preparation and sale of cars: we will visit the market, try on the ad. How our market relations will be formed, we will tell in one of the closest numbers.

The opening to the bumper and the folding backs of the seats have long become the norm.

It seems that the interior was made by one designer.
Standard European kit: heater, air conditioning, radio (with a joystick on the steering column).

The numbers on the casing are the deadline for replacing the timing belt.

The branded fastener at the headlight was not enough.

A flexible skirt on the front bumper will save expensive plastic.

The folds on the subframe are a trace of the accident.
Evgeny Borisenkov. Photo: Konstantin Yakubov

Source: The magazine "Driving"