Ford Mondeo
Price: From £15,195
For: Great drive, good quality, practical, excellent value for money, cheap to run
Against: Larger and flashier than it used to be – otherwise, not much
The latest Mondeo, launched 2007, is the best yet: always more than just a workaday rep or hire car, it has been smartened up and kitted out with all the latest gadgets. Ride quality and refinement is now to a level that wouldn’t shame a far more expensive car, and anyway, if it’s good enough for James Bond…
Engines include 1.6, 2.0 and turbocharged 2.5-litre petrol units, but the sensible options are the 1.8 
and 2.0 TDCi diesels, offered with a variety of outputs. Even basic trim levels are generous, yet range-topping Ghia and Titanium X versions are none too expensive given their specification. We particularly like the touch-screen controls for sat nav, audio, ventilation and other cabin settings, preferable any day to BMW’s iDrive, Audi’s MMI, Mercedes’ Comand system or similar.
