Mondeo purchase

Sorry I haven't replied sooner. TBH I hadn't thought about a Passat. I do like the Ford heated windscreen, though I realise it only gets used for a few weeks each year, it is wonderful for those few weeks.

I'm not too keen on an estate; they look too big. I thought hatchbacks were more practical than saloons? I just need something big enough for the shopping and a pushchair or suitcase and pushchair.

Previously I had been choosing between a scratched 58 plate manual and an 08 automatic. In the end I bought neither. I went back a couple of times to have another look at the auto and it was never there; they said it was in the workshop, so I didn't want to buy something I could not see first.

The other garage told me they would get the dents out of the manual but they didn't, so I went home. Then they phoned to say they had got the dents out, so I went back. Some dents had been removed but just as many had not. They claimed the other dents were inaccessible and could not be knocked out, so I walked away. Then I had another phone call to say that miraculously the inaccessible dents were now accessible and had been knocked out but I was fed-up of being messed about by the garage, so never went back. Like someone said at the beginning of this thread, there are so many Mondeos about, you can afford to be fussy. I wish I had listened to that advice sooner.

Since then I have seen quite a few nice Mondeos and I have been spoilt for choice and unable to choose between them. The "sports pack" seems to add £500 to the price but as far as I can see, it only includes a spoiler and low profile tyres. I'm not sure it is worth paying for this. I imagine the difference is only cosmetic and I bet low profile tyres cost a lot more to replace. I looked up the size and they were £174 for a mid-price brand and over £200 per corner for Dunlop! I don't fancy paying 600-800 pounds to change all four at once.

I always thought locking nuts were to stop the alloys being stolen; now I'm wondering if it is to stop the rubber being stolen!

I did talk myself into paying more for a 59 plate, thinking I would pay a bit extra for a younger model. However I have now seen 08 plate models which have lower mileages than the 59s, so now I'm back where I begun wondering whether age or mileage is more important!

Fred.

I'm not sure whether there is/was a 165hp one?

I saw a 10 plate Mondeo and that had a figure less than 140; I can't remember what now. I knew they were in a lower car tax band and perhaps that's why? Perhaps they have tweaked the engine down to produce less co2?

Neither; it's condition that matters.

Chris

I have seen a couple of petrol models. I drove one of them but the 2L diesel was just as nippy as the petrol version. You are right that for the about the same price the petrol version was much younger and had done fewer miles (10 plate 7k miles, yes just seven) than the diesel, which was an 09 model and 30k miles. In fact the diesel was £500 more.

OTOH I guess if you buy the petrol the tax is twice as much as the fuel economy poorer, so whatever you choose, I guess you end up spending money. That's life!

Yes, that happened to me and my aunt in two different makes of diesel cars.

I was wondering whether to do nothing until Thursday. Will the prices fall £500 when the new plates come out do you think?

Sorry I may have got myself in a muddle. Perhaps I was thinking of the

Yes, I suppose a low mileage car could have been used for many short journeys and could have been scraped against the walls of the car park. But I have seen cars with good interiors and bad exteriors, good exteriors and bad interiors, and that's just cosmetically speaking. Then there's the issue of the condition under the bonnet. No wonder I'm confused!

There will be cars out there that are immaculate inside and out, have been driven sympathetically, and maintained properly, However, how long do you want to spend looking?

From my POV, I'd rather something in as good a condition mechanically as possible, and put up with very minor body damage

It's been my experience with new cars, no matter how carefully you try to look after them, that they pick up scratches and door dings quite quickly. The first one is always really upsetting. After that, it doesn't seem to matter so much, so if you start with a car that's not cosmetically perfect, perhaps you won't be so upset when it deteriorates?

Chris

You are quite right and this is the dilemma I am facing. I'm pretty sure I have narrowed it down to two cars but I will wait a few days to see if they drop the prices on September 1st.

This does NOT make good reading for Mondeo's. My 2004 Volvo V70 Diesel is now on 206,000 miles, and is still on it's original wheel bearings, battery, exhaust, DMF etc. Other than service items, in the last 60,000 miles it's had an alternator and front suspension bushes etc, as well as discs all round.