Ford Mondeo Estate

Our verdict

An impressive evolution of this staple of Middle England, the new Ford Mondeo estate is capacious, stylish, intelligently designed and enjoyable to drive. And what’s more, it’s still fairly cheap

Comfort

This is what the new Mondeo is all about. It wafts about like a premium car. Think Jag or Lexus. There's a ‘Comfort' mode alongside ‘Normal' and ‘Sport', and the ride is serene when you select it.

Performance

Such a big car causes problems for some the smaller engines. The 2.0-litre TDCi just about manages, however, and makes far more financial sense than the ostensibly sportier 2.5-litre petrol.

Cool

Mondeos used to be exceptionally uncool, and we doubt the name will ever shake the rep image, despite the car deserving better. Time for a new name then, Ford?

Quality

Ford has made bigger strides than Johnny Vegas's tailor, and the Mondeo both looks and feels of a vastly higher quality than previous incarnations. Soft-touch plastics, contemporary design and textures. All very 21st Century.

Handling

Despite some sizeable dimensions, the Mondeo estate is relatively agile. It's definitely lost some of the immediacy of the previous generation car, but it's still composed in the corners and very sparing with the body roll.

Practicality

What with being the size of a small country, the Mondeo is definitely practical in all arenas except the one that requires you to parallel park into a tight space in front of a group of smirking builders.

Running costs

The Mondeo is a comparative bargain against its rivals, and the diesel engines are impressively lean, but its certain ubiquity will damage residual values in the future.