Mini review.

A very interesting review of a diesel auto and one with traction control. You have put me right off. I have a diesel and the only vibration is at idle, anything else is fine. Mine has a 5speed manual box and I find it sits at just over 2000rpm in 5th at 70mph. Unfortunately at 30mph 3rd feels like it is the wrong gear at 2000rpm and 4th knocks it back to 1300rpm so there is no acceleration and the car seems to vibrate more. So a bad combination seems to be a diesel auto with traction!

Auto Mondeos have always been hopeless.

I've not tried the new Mondeo diesel so I'm not gonna comment on it, but it's a diesel so I wouldn't be buying one anyway.

As for cheap interior, the ones I've been in have been no worse than the later Pisshats. Comfier certainly. I don't like the ALBA-esque silver plastics in anything, but the last Mondeo Mk4 I was in had the printed wood option, which isn't much better...

Not true, my own car (the mondy is a rental) is a diesel auto with traction and ESP, I've had that for over 100k miles now and it's completely different. For the price of this Mondeo you could have a 1-2 yr old low mileage E class Merc like mine, which is as economical, smoother, quicker, rear drive and doesn't suffer any of the problems the Mondeo does, and if you consider that my car will (driven gently) change up at 1500 rpm it's a testament to the engine design.

Ford have cocked up big time.

Is it possible that yours was faulty..? It did die today!

Whilst not great, it isn't as bad as all that.

No, it isn't _that_ bad. And I expect it'll hypermile well, with the aggressive lock up.

Or it could be updated out of it...

Is it broken? Is it the lame version? Sounds nothing like my TDCi 130 and that has 135,000 on the clock.

Ignore him. Its either broken or, going on the number of accidents Tim has, he can't drive it.

Probably just what Tim's used to. Just tell him its not a Mercedes and that a 1-2 year old Mondeo costs less than a new E Class and that there's a reason for that.

I've had two on hire recently, one had 30 miles on it and was manual, and had no pull below 2000 rpm and vibrated like mad at 1300-1500 rpm. The other had 12000 miles and was an auto, and the engine was the same, but with the unfortunate habit of locking the gearbox in at 1500rpm, so you had no pull out of junctions.

I bet they don't sell many TDCI Autos to anyone who's driven one, unless they've never driven any other diesel auto. In fact just try finding a review of one...

There are two versions of the 2L engine. One is a gutless one. I guess that's the one you must have ended up with. Checked mine last night accelerating out of a 40MPH limit from 1500RPM and got the turbo surge I was expecting when I planted my foot down.

Just as a matter of interest, where do you think a petrol one kicks in because it sure isn't at 1500RPM.

It's a different generation and doesn't have as much of the electronic emissions crappery on it.

Heh; my petrol car pulls hard from 1,500 rpm... but anyway that's as relevant as your comment...

After speaking with Tim on MSN, it appears the previous person who hired it filled it up with the wrong fuel then topped it off with diesel which is why its running like a dog.

I had one of those Mk4 Golf TDis and ran it for two years from new. Experience tells me that you're deluding yourself. It doesn't pull at all until it gets to 2500rpm then as usual it's all over by 4000 rpm. How narrow does a power band have to be for the dieselistas?

Experience tells me you're either exaggerating about how bad the one you had was, or you actually had one with issues.

What model / BHP was it?

er by 4000 rpm.

Mine pulls strongly and smoothly from about 1200rpm right up to just past 4k rpm if you nail it - point is you don't need to nail it right through the revs to make progress, unless you want to.

In fact not one of the VAG TDIs I've had (and there have been a few now), have lagged like you've described, bar when the usual MAF issue rears its head.

Given mine is doing an indicated 120mph at around 4k RPM in top and is happy enough to still pull the same gear from 30mph upwards if you can't be arsed to change down, I can see why the power band is 'narrow'. ;-)

The Vectra CDTI I had - yes, the box needed to be constantly stirred - perfect example of a modern 'narrow band' - horrid car.

I'm not saying it because I tend to favour VAG stuff, but I've tried quite a few other modern diesels (PSA, Ford, Fiat, Vauxhall), and none of them have seemed to get the combination quite as right as the VAGs I've generally had when it comes to power delivery / economy / smoothness... hence why I generally tend to go back to them.

-- JackH

I've now owned 4, and driven others regularly- between us we've had a

75bhp 3-pot 1.4, 90, 110 and 130 1.9s, and a 140PD 2.0. They've all performed well for the technology they had, and all pulled from below 1500.

I've had the MAF issue in the 110, and it still pulled low down, it just felt generally a bit flat throughout the range, but if anything the effect was worst as you got towards the redline.

The 130 felt fastest, because of the huge torque lump. The 2.0 is smoother in it's delivery, both in 140 & 170 versions. Not driven the new CR yet.

The Ford TDCI 130 does a good job. I'd have to say the VAG TDI isn't really smooth though- either delivery accross the range or in the vibration sense, but it's a winner in power/economy/driveability/durability.

I've had all those bar the 2.0, plus I've had 115 1.9s as well.

Not so with the current one, which is a 90bhp.

When the MAF played up on that, it felt like it kept cutting the turbo in and out fairly violently, and you'd end up going up a hill and just maintaining your speed rather than making any progress.

Try one that's been remapped. ;-)

Strangely, my Ibiza didn't perform as well as my Passat, even though they were both mapped 130s.

The Passat had covered a lot less miles though.

Part of it is down to the Passat layout allowing the lump to breathe better, as well as keep cooler due to a lot more air around it... IMHO, anyway.

I've been in a 2.0... was nice.

I've driven a Mondeo 130TDCI and found it soggy compared to my Passat... and it smoked like f*ck when floored by comparison.

With regards to VAG TDI smoothness, I've actually found this 90bhp to be the smoothest of the lot - tis one of the reasons why I wanted it back tbh.

Much nicer to drive than my Ibiza, despite that having nearly twice as much BHP. :-)

I've currently got the use of an M3 Evo as well, so I'm not exactly hard done by when I get the urge for something with more revvy poke. ;-)

-- JackH

It was a red one. Other than that who GAF? It was a Golf, and an estate, and a diesel. The three most boring things on the face of the planet.

Bored again, I see...

-- JackH

Bored of VAG s**te, yes. Ford actually make more interesting cars.

I mena look at you in other parts of this thread getting worked up about

130bhp. That's umm 90bhp less than the slowest of my vehicles.

%steve%@malloc.co.uk (Steve Firth) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Pfft. It's about the same as four of mine.