Test drive Ford Mondeo sedan since 2007 sedan

Volga-Volga

Ours built a plant in Japan and began to produce the Volga. Can you imagine this? Do not be alarmed, everything is just the opposite. Worthy of being ours informs the whole country an advertising video shot for Toyota Camry St. Petersburg. And very soon, in the second half of 2008, we will be our another E-class car-Ford Mondeo. No, this is not a typo. This former Mondeo was a middle peasant, and this, without a doubt, belongs to a higher class. If you do not believe, let's compare the Volga Japanese with the Volga European Volga.
Camry is not the first business class car, the release of which was established in Russia. The alternative to our morally obsolete Volga (of course, the alternative is purely formal in belonging to the segment E, and not by consumer qualities), appeared in 1999, when the Autotor Kaliningrad plant began to assemble cars of the fifth BMW series.
However, Camry has a real chance to become the first mass car class car in our country. The asset has the Russian title of a car of the year 2007, good reviews of car owners, an acceptable price, the famous Toyota endurance and reliability. A successful car with an excellent reputation, which, to top it all in the world auto industry, even managed to become a role model. The question of why this is precisely this hit Toyota decided to put on the conveyor of her brand new plant near St. Petersburg, first of all, disappears by itself.
 
Until recently, Camry did not have direct competitors. He appeared only now where, probably, did not expect Ford. The European unit introduced the new Mondeo, comparable in literally in all indicators of passport, consumer, marketing. And, importantly, it will also begin to be produced in Russia.
In the Mondeo advertising campaign, remember the video where cars fly away on balloons and there is no hint of competition with Camry. A simple desire is played out. Say, the person who saw the new Mondeo resolutely gets rid of everything that he went before. In my opinion, you need to get rid of the habit of classifying Mondeo to the segment D. Its predecessors were typical medium -sized cars and performed in the same league with Ansis, Chords and Passators. The new Mondeo, if you look into the specifications of the accelerate, which the light has not yet seen. In all dimensions, it is slightly larger than Camry. He surpasses the Japanese by mass. It has a significantly larger wheelbase of 2850 millimeters against 2775. Do you really dismiss such facts? In general, a typical representative of the class of E.
 
Business in Russian. The new Mondeo stands out on the road. Ford kinetic design, we must pay tribute, gives an impression. In the winged lid of the trunk and a double radiator grille, which for greater visibility is endured by sparkling chrome, there is generally something shocking. The slanting headlights are perhaps the only detail that looks like a borrowing. But in general, the last mondeo, especially with the sedan body, looks like a big, expensive and very powerful car.
How powerful? But this is already slippery question. Ford offers for Mondeo a range of six engines, but do not look for a V-shaped six-shaped business class among them. The most-most 220-horsepower turbocharged five-cylinder engine made on the basis of Volovsky. In the middle of the row, gasoline duretles 2.0 and 2.3 power, respectively, 145 and 161 hp There are also a couple of two -liter diesel engines (130 and 140 forces), although they are unlikely to interest Russian buyers. But, it turns out, they are not the weakest motors yet. On a huge machine, the weight of which in a loaded state exceeds two tons, can be placed ... 1.6-liter gasoline Duratec. I wonder where else, besides Estonia, will such a frail model be in demand? In the Russian Ford, they immediately disowned it in price lists 1.6 were included for decency, but they are not going to import.

By the way, the most powerful version of Mondeo with an automatic transmission does not exist. Why is it incomprehensible. Ford, apparently, believe that a calm safe car with a automatic machine is ideal for a corporate park, and a powerful version is good for personal ownership, for drive, so only with mechanics. Well, there is some logic in this. But in Russia there is another. The hired driver pen. Let at least something twitch, otherwise, for which he generally pays a salary. And for yourself, of course, an automatic machine. Do you know any of the compatriots who, of good free will, acquired a business bar with a manual box? That's the same ...
Camry in combination of engines and boxes see complete harmony. There is a gasoline 2.4-liter gasoline business with a pen. There is the same engine, but with a machine gun (we took such a car for a test). And finally, a successful business version of 3.5 V6 with an advanced six -band automatic machine. It seems to be only two engines, 167 and 277 forces, but at the same time the Japanese landed the entire target audience. Even more powerful and more expensive? This is Lexus.
The appearance of Camry is a separate conversation. When this car only appeared on our roads, he could not but attract the attention of a stately, strong, confident. A machine suit. Without fashionable decoratives, but perfectly ironed, sits on the figure. I think that many who wanted to purchase a Lexus three, changed their minds at the moment when they saw Camry on the streets. It is curious that even now, after a few years, the design of this sedan is not out of the bore, perhaps, only black kamruryuh, nesting in almost every Moscow gateway. And when you see Camry in a white, clean as a bride, you again catch yourself a beauty.

Wiretapping
19:32, Tarasov: Seryoga, how do you like these cars?
19:32, Sorokin: Camry seemed better in handling. But according to the rest of the parameters, I choose Mondeo. Very large for their money, huge simply. And then I can calmly leave him on the sidelines, but Camry is not. Stole! Do you know that this is the most stolen car?
19:33, Tarasov: You once said that Mondeo eats a lot ...
19:33, Bogdanova: Boys, but it seems to me that the image of Toyota is cool. And then Mondeo is this name?
19:36, Reznichenko: Yeah. My dad bought Toyota Avensis and now calls himself a Mongol cosmonaut of buttons.
19:36, Sorokin: Oh! And you Call Kohurin from Top-Gir. They called Mondeo the best family car 2007.
Yours are ours. Comparing all the pros and cons, it is difficult to give preference to a particular car. On one side of the scales are excellent motors, the Camry design licked to the smallest detail, the famous Toyota build quality. There is a competitive price, innovation and flexibility on another bowl. The buyer Mondeo has more freedom when choosing. Sedan can prefer hatchback or station wagon. The choice of body colors and interior decoration options are more diverse. For a surcharge, the car can be equipped with a sports or adjustable suspension, intellectual cruise control, parking sensors, adaptive bixenon optics, navigation system with ordinary or sensory screen, bluetooth, voice control, heated rear seats and a programmable heater.
Even after a test drive, certainty is not added. Toyota pleases with high comfort the suspension works a little softer than on Mondeo, the noise from the motor is better drowned out (although by the standards of the business class there are still not enough). Camry has some kind of ease and ease of management. It seems that you sit behind the wheel of a rather large and weighty machine, and its reaction is like a compact class car. From a row in a row in a moment, in vihi is holding tenaciously, on straight lines walks like a ruler even along ripe roads. This is a reliable, neutral and obedient car. He loses to the newly-minted opponent only in the dynamics of acceleration, but this, in general, was not difficult to predict, given the lower engine power and the automatic transmission a little thoughtful, as it seemed to me.

In Mondeo you feel differently. The rook of the motor is heard more clearly, but he drags the car with double optimism. The turbonnaduv gives tangible traction at speeds below medium, so when driving around the city you do not need to twist the gearbox lever once again, and on the highway you get a decent acceleration and without crossing a step or two down. The steering wheel seems to be more inertial and weighty, but the control itself is accurate in feedback, the feeling of road here is better. In steep turns, Ford loses its clutch faster, it begins to demolish it a little earlier, but it works like a definite warning for the driver to reset speed. Apparently, the front wheels of Mondeo are less loaded with the mass of the car, and the rigidity of the front racks is slightly higher than that of Camry. But Ford does not unwind it less on a snake or with a very sharp rebuild.
Perhaps Mondeo is more interesting if you evaluate it from the driver’s positions. From this car, after each trip, you leave the rapid pulse. But, judging by the number of Camry on the streets, our people are those who do not go on the subway prefer the peace of the boas.

Wiretapping
20:29, Kachurin: Yes, Mondeo is the best family car 2007. He received this title for a very good ratio of price, quality and modern technology.
20:29, Tarasov: And Camry?
20:29, Kachurin: The Japanese have now passed a little in Europe, they no longer have a reputation as the most reliable cars.
20:30, Chusov: Although you did not let me travel either Mondeo or Camry, I would buy Ford because Toyota is too expensive in content. The price is higher, frequency more often, parts are more expensive.
20:31, Tarasov: Anya?
20:31, kilimnik: I generally like Mazda6.
21:17, Tarasov: Hassan, you first traveled to Mondeo how do you like it?
21:17, Ganiev: Get out, but ... and better ask Hamilton.
The kinetic design, which is so famously twisted in the guise of Mondeo, does not find a logical continuation inside the machine. A well -fed, static dashboard is completely devoid of sharp faces. Maybe this is correctly not aggressive, gives a sense of security. The seats are crowded, but they fix the body well. The driver's seat has a lot of additional adjustments in addition to the main electric (in the Titanium configuration). And the ergonomics at the level does not interfere, everything is in its place, even the checkpoint of the checkpoint does not need to reach far. Unless the HMI TV distracts between devices, but only at first. I expected a little more from the Sony audio system. It sounds loud, clean, but the sound is not perfect excessively bright and prickly. There are no complaints about the quality of polymer and textile materials. Silver pads on the doors, in front of the passenger and torpedo are quite intricate in shape, but the enamel itself looks cheap. If some budget Korean car with a similar salon were discussed, he would only get praise. From Ford you still expect more. However, compared with the previous Mondeo, the interior of the new car still looks advantageous.
Camry, starting with the Elegance configuration, looks richer due to the leather salon, although the integrity of the style is not observed. On the doors and the central tunnel of the inserts imitating wooden. And on the console there are huge, made of translucent light plastic of the audio system and climate control panel. All this forms a very dubious contrast with a black dashboard and skin on seats. And take another inconsistency on what a clean flying shape has a dashboard flowing into the central console, and then look at the seats into two magnificent bourgeois sofas, deprived of even a hint of sports. But if, from the point of view of the driver of Camry, it is not the standard of ergonomics (for example, I do not like that the brake pedal is significantly higher than the accelerator pedal), but the passengers will be satisfied. In front of the right front armchair, the royal space for the legs. The rear riders also will not feel in crowding. Materials in the cabin have improved noise -absorbing properties. And the audio system with a 160-watt digital amplifier in Camry sounds transparent, without painting.

Ford Mondeo 2.5
Gasoline engine, 5 in a row
Working volume (cubic cub) 2521
Power (L.S. at about/min) 220 at 5000
Moment (nm at rpm) 320 at 4800
Front drive
Gearbox 5-speed, mechanical
Length/width/height (mm) 4844/1886/1500
Equipped mass (kg) 1581
Maximum speed (km/h) 245
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 7.5
Fuel consumption, funny. (l/100 km) 9.3
Price in Moscow from 919,000 (1 006 830 rubles)

Toyota Camry 2.4
Gasoline engine, 4 in a row
Working volume (cubic cub) 2362
Power (L.S. at rpm) 167 at 6000
Moment (Nm at rpm) 200 at 4000
Front drive
Gearbox 5-speed, automatic
Length/width/height (mm) 4815/1820/1480
Equipped mass (kg) 1525
Maximum speed (km/h) 205
Acceleration to 100 km/h (c) 10.2
Fuel consumption, funny. (l/100 km) 9.9
The price in Moscow is 910 500 (1 011 500 rubles)
 
We thank the representative office of Citroen in Russia for help in organizing the shooting, tel. (495) 937 4230, the Russian Automobile Federation and the Sports and Rifle Complex Fox Nora www.foxlodge.ru, (495) 225-8353.
Text: Ruslan Tarasov
Photo: Andrey Danilov
 

Source: "Autopilot"