Ford Mondeo

Forget horsepower, pace and desirability – because for its final encounter, the Audi faces its toughest challenge yet: the space race!

To secure its crown as the ultimate all-rounder, the RS6 must prove that it’s more than just a high-powered hooligan. It also has to be able to take in its stride the weekly shop, the school commute or a luggage-heavy family holiday.

So completing our trio of opponents for the fearsome German is the latest Mondeo estate. Thanks to a vast 1,733-litre carrying capacity, the Ford is ahead of most family cars when it comes to serving up space and practicality.

One look at the Mondeo and it’s immediately clear it doesn’t have the visual drama of the Audi. But while the big Ford is now becoming a familiar sight on our roads, in the top-spec Titanium trim of our test car it still manages to cut a dash. A prominent chrome grille, stylish 18-inch alloy wheels and neat aluminium-finish roof rails help lift the flagship model above more humble versions.

When you’re buying an estate, space counts more than style. So exactly how do the Mondeo and RS6 measure up? The simple answer is, they are more closely matched than you might think.

Open the Audi’s electrically powered tailgate and you’ll find an impressive 565-litre load area – that’s 23 litres more than in the Ford. But drop the rear bench, and the tables are turned, with the RS6 Avant’s 1,660-litre capacity trailing that of the Ford by 73 litres.

Climb aboard, and you’ll be struck by the quality finish and roomy feel of the Mondeo’s cabin. It doesn’t feature the same high-grade materials and build as the Audi, but it’s still a great place in which to spend time. There’s lots of standard kit, more than enough space for five adults and plentiful rear head and legroom.

Drivers are equally well catered for. Although the RS6 should be the thrill-seeker’s choice, on the open road the Ford is far from disappointing. Finely judged chassis balance ensures it’s equally at home on twisting back routes and fast-moving motorways. It also has a more forgiving ride than the Audi which, combined with the refined cabin, makes it a more relaxed cruiser over long distances.

There are further surprises when you take a look at the performance figures. On paper, the 173bhp 2.2-litre turbodiesel Mondeo should struggle in this company. But at our test track, the hugely refined oil-burner posted some impressive in-gear acceleration times: it sprinted from 50-70mph in 8.7 seconds – four-tenths faster than the 572bhp RS6!

At the pumps, the Ford has the Audi well beaten. In our hands, it returned 32.3mpg – so even though its 70-litre fuel tank is 10 litres smaller than the RS6’s, the Mondeo will travel an impressive 200 miles further between refills.

As a practical family estate, then, the Audi loses out. With its mix of space, economy and long-distance refinement, the Ford has the edge. But is it enough to tip the balance in favour of our three-car garage?

Economy

Not surprisingly, the Mondeo is the most cost effective car to run. With economy of 32.3mpg, the Ford is twice as economical as the RS6, while a band D rating means annual road tax of £145. Servicing costs are also much lower: three trips to the dealer will set you back £488 – that’s £100 less than a single major check on the Audi. In fact, only when you sell the Mondeo does it fall down, as the car retains a mere 37.4 per cent of its value after three years.