Skip advert
Advertisement

Ford Mondeo Estate 2015 review

Long-awaited Ford Mondeo Estate is in Britain at last, and we try 1.5 EcoBoost petrol

Overall Auto Express rating

4.0

How we review cars
Find your Ford Mondeo
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

This is our first taste of the new Ford Mondeo Estate in the UK, and it’s clearly an important car as it’s been a well established favourite for families and fleets since 1993. The latest model comes as a saloon (as a hybrid only), hatchback and this attractive estate – and this is the model that we would be tempted to go for. It’s good looking, better built than ever and has a great petrol engine in the shape of this 1.5-litre turbo.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Family estates need a diesel engine under the bonnet, right? Not necessarily, because unlike the diesel-only VW Passat Estate, Ford is offering its new Mondeo Estate with a range of clever EcoBoost petrol engines to appeal to a wider spread of buyers.

The Mondeo will be available with the impressively small 1.0-litre EcoBoost three-cylinder (which arrives in early 2015) and a racy 240bhp 2.0-litre, but there’s another petrol option – a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. And that’s the unit we’ve tried for the first time in the UK. The good news is that it is a decent little engine, which proves that small cubic capacity can deliver decent performance when there’s a turbocharger attached.

There’s 158bhp on offer, which allows the Ford to reach a top speed of 135mph, get from zero to 62mph in 9.2 seconds and return 47.9mpg – although we struggled to better 32mpg on a mixture of roads.

On the move, the 1.5 turbo is eager to rev, with power kicking in from 1,500rpm. There’s a slightly rorty soundtrack as you press on and the six-speed manual gearbox proves pretty slick, although a six-speed auto is also on offer. It’s a good cruiser, too – the 1.5 settles down to a distant hum on the motorway and overtaking is easy in top gear thanks to 240Nm of torque.

While some rivals can’t pull off the same trick, Ford has managed to make its Estate as good looking as the hatch and saloon models. And it’s practical, too – there’s 500 litres of capacity with the seats up and 1,605 with them down, and once they are folded the load space is wide and flat. If space is the absolute priority, though, look to the Passat, because it offers 650 and 1,780 litres respectively.

Despite our car’s 17-inch alloys – just one of the goodies on offer in the top-spec Titanium – the Mondeo rides well on harsh UK roads. It’s an example of the direction Ford has taken with the new Mondeo, as it trades some of the old model’s fun for comfort, and this is particularly evident with the steering – it’s a tad limp while the suspension is soft. But it’s hardly a major gripe, as the Mondeo Estate has become a highly desirable, comfortable wagon.

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Volkswagen Polo

Volkswagen Polo

RRP £15,155Avg. savings £1,844 off RRP*Used from £8,199
Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,135Avg. savings £5,771 off RRP*Used from £13,571
Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £35,080Avg. savings £3,743 off RRP*Used from £25,098
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £15,940Avg. savings £2,827 off RRP*Used from £9,000
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle 2025 review: makes 7-seater SUVs feel cramped
Volkswagen Transporter e-Shuttle - front

New Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle 2025 review: makes 7-seater SUVs feel cramped

The Ford-based Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle is refined, good to drive and has plenty of space in all three rows
Road tests
14 Feb 2025
It’s not just electric cars that are overpriced
Opinion - expensive cars

It’s not just electric cars that are overpriced

Not matter how good a new car might be, Mike Rutherford thinks it will ultimately fail if it's overpriced
Opinion
16 Feb 2025
Ford Capri vs Cupra Tavascan: similar, stylish but only one can win
Ford Capri and Cupra Tavascan - front tracking

Ford Capri vs Cupra Tavascan: similar, stylish but only one can win

Ford brought back the iconic Capri name for its new coupé-SUV, which shares its platform with the fresh Cupra Tavascan. Which is the top dog?
Car group tests
15 Feb 2025