Mondeo Mk5: Long-term review (and ongoing love story)

24 July 2019 - Reading time: 8 minutes

After five years with a 2009 Mondeo Mk4, I decided it was time to move on. It was my fourth Ford, but I started the search determined to at least look around at other brands.
On my list? BMW 5-series, Mercedes E-Class, Toyota, Volvo.

About four months later, reality politely tapped me on the shoulder:

• Budget:15,000€.
• BMW or Merc? Anything decent in that money? Forget it.
• Toyota? Solid, but… yawn.
• Volvo? Gorgeous from the outside, but their pre-SPA interiors? Let’s just say “not my type.”

So… I dropped another coin in the Ford jukebox.

How I Found It

I went hunting for a hatchback, post-2016, under 150,000 km, 2.0 diesel with an automatic, front-wheel drive, must-have LED headlights and a power tailgate.
Found one literally the next day through a small-time reseller: blue (!!!), cream leather interior, April 2016 build, 140k km.
Fit the budget perfectly, ticked all my boxes, so I bought it.

Background: Ex-BP Germany fleet car, sold through a leasing auction. Some light scratches (I call them “no significant damage telltales ”), full service history, no accidents per AutoDNA.

The essentials I wanted (and got)

• 2.0 TDCi, PowerShift dual-clutch auto – This is the improved second generation: smooth shifts, no drama. Paddle shifters for the rare occasions I want manual control.
• Cooled seats – lifesavers in summer.
• Lane keeping assist – gentle nudges if I drift; paired with auto high-beam and traffic sign recognition.
• Power tailgate – no foot-swipe opening like on the S-Max or Galaxy, but still a luxury I now can’t live without.
• Heated windscreen – frost? What frost?
• Adaptive LED headlights – ~7 lighting modes depending on speed, an enormous step up from the old xenons.
• Active City Stop – low-speed autonomous braking; has already saved me from a fender-bender.
• BLIS + Cross Traffic Alert – lifesaver when backing out of perpendicular parking.
• Reverse camera – wide angle, parking sensors overlaid, dynamic guidelines.
• Driver’s seat, steering wheel and mirrors with memory – plus “Easy Entry” (seat slides back, wheel tilts up when you stop) and automatic mirror tilt when parallel parking.
• 

Nice-to-Have Stuff I Ended Up Loving

• Auto Park – yes, it can also get you out of a tight spot and has more sensors than the basic system.
• Multi-contour massage seats – massage is meh, but the adjustable lumbar and bolsters are fantastic on long drives.
• Webasto auxiliary heater – programmable or remote-controlled, toasty cabin in minutes.
• Premium audio (12 speakers) – decent sound, though at my listening volumes it’s not night-and-day from the base system.
• Panoramic roof – fixed glass, mostly for rear passengers to enjoy.
• Ambient lighting – 8 colours, in door handles, footwells, console, and later I added cupholder and rear door lighting myself.
• Tow hitch (electric retractable) – absolutely no use to me… but looks cool when it deploys.

Stuff I Wish It Had (And Later Added)

At the time of purchase, I missed:

• Factory tinted glass– retrofitted OEM privacy glass.
• Adaptive Cruise Control – also retrofitted, along with Pre-Collision Assist.
• Heated steering wheel – retrofitted.
• Slightly sportier exterior trim – still optional for the future.

Stuff I Don’t Care About

• AWD on a big FWD saloon? No thanks – just extra weight and complexity.
• Adaptive suspension? Tried it – not sporty in Sport, softer than standard in Comfort. Pass.
• Factory alarm – never been of real use in 10 years.

The Upgrades Since Day One

Because I can’t help myself, here’s what I’ve done:

SYNC 3 retrofit with facelift center console (USB up front + in armrest), Apple CarPlay.

Ford SecuriCode keypad – unlock with a PIN.

Living With It

• Fuel Economy:
  • Mine: ~9.5 L/100km with 90% urban driving.
  • My wife’s identical Mk5: ~7.4 in similar conditions.
• Ride & Handling: More comfort-biased than the Mk4, but still composed. Electric steering – relaxing in daily use.
• Driving Position: Excellent. A-pillars are thicker, so visibility is slightly worse than before.
• Noise: Not BMW/Mercedes library-quiet, but vastly better than the old Mondeo. Totally fine even at 180 km/h.
• Interior space: Massive – easily swallows family + luggage.
• Mechanical issues: nothing worth mentioning: the coolant tank cap and the EGR (around 200k km).
• Maintenance: standard 1 year / 10k km for the engine, 3 years / 60k km gearbox, each 2 years brake fluid, 5 years / 10k km camshaft.

Verdict

If I had the same budget today?
I’d buy the same car again, no hesitation. It’s spacious, comfortable, packed with tech, subtly handsome, and after my tweaks… very quick.
BMW and Mercedes may have the badge magic, but good luck speccing one to this level for €15k.