I used to have a 2006 Mazda 6 estate, 2.0L petrol. Bought for £1350 a couple of years ago on 140k, ran till 180k and only needed tyres. Did 40mpg, had cruise, 6 speed, decent sound system, could fit 2 bikes in with wheels on. Would definately have another, I sold it just because I was bored but that happens easily to me!

Don’t get a mk1 6 diesel though, various problems documented online. Petrol ones are chain cam, reasonably economical and very reliable.

Mazdas from the early to mid noughties usually have quite substantial hidden rust. Even the tyres rust! 😆
Apart from that, they’re pretty good.

Mondeo is a good drive.

Avoid 53 plates and earlier. Rusty doors, dmf failures and pre facelift dash.

We have a nice 56 plate diesel and it does 50mpg all day long.

If buying a diesel Mondeo mk3 then look for signs of leaky injectors and dmf failure. Both megabucks.

Avoid 53 plates and earlier. Rusty doors, dmf failures and pre facelift dash.

We have a nice 56 plate diesel and it does 50mpg all day long.

If buying a diesel Mondeo mk3 then look for signs of leaky injectors and dmf failure. Both megabucks.

an early mk3 still isn’t a terrible shout. I inherited a 52 plate (diesel) and the DMF had been replaced at about 90K miles (seems a bit early but hey). Service history was patchy, rear bumper was held on with gaffa, but i got it at 130K, it’s now up to 155K and sailed through both MOTs since I’ve had it. Hasn’t cost anything except on consumables (and a new rear bumper). It’s also so dramatically unattractive to thieves that i once left the ignition key sticking out of the driver’s side door for about 3 hours in tenby town centre and came back to find everything still in place 😆

My 2.2 diesel mondeo’s at 120000 miles and every other bastard thing on it’s broken but the dmf seems to be original. We have a love hate relationship- it explodes turbos, I drown it in lochs, then we kiss and make up. But it’s bloody good when it’s not on the back of a truck. Mahoosive, comfy, a fine motorway wafter and kind of hilarious to heave about a b-road, mine is about 185bhp and it’s like a rocket powered elephant 😆

Injectors aren’t megabucks, you see some crazy numbers waved about for the job but they’re £150 new, £30 for the special tool and programming kit (assuming you have a laptop) and easily diyable. Not pennies but not disastrous. Only bummer with mine was that they all failed in very short order, as if they’re unionised.

This isn’t a universal opinion but I can’t see why you’d buy anything but an estate if you want to carry bikes.

Mondeo 52 plate TDCi here, on 177k.
No issues, just goes on & on, doing 40-45mpg.
Can hit you with a big bill, but put a clutch in any car of simmillar age/complexity & the bill will be the same, as they all have DMF’s.
DMF’s are/were a weak point, but most are probably on newer ones by now.
Injectors, yes pricey to replace but often they just need re-coding for about £100. Turbos no weaker than any modern diesel.

I’d happily buy again but we’ve been lucky with this one so I’d go for a 2 litre petrol model. Should pick up a lovely late model for not much money.
Parts are ridiculously cheap for them, & any garage can fix a Mondeo.
I shall run ours until something big goes & scrap it for another.
And, even by modern standards, they are actually a nice car to drive.

Or the Rover 75 diesel. Same engine more amusing image. I bought mine for 1k done 10k miles in it. Bought it as I needed a cheap auto to use after knee op. Will plough up the motorway in immense comfort at a steady 75.

that honda looks huge and not far from me either
will also keep the mgzt in mind

but the mundano looks far and away the most popular.

My mondeo (2.0 tdci 115hp) went fine, did close to 50mpg over 162k, was a comfy place to sit, and broke down once in that time (cost 30p to fix, fuse for the immobiliser failed)
in total,
exhaust
drop links all round
brake discs and pads all round
rear hub assembly both sides
Some tyres
lots of diesel
my mate who did all the work in the time i had it reckons most mondeos need those items done at some point.
I cant remember exact numbers, but id guess all of it together probably skinned me about 16-1800 notes fitted. Im not complaining at that, it was a brilliant car.
i sold it to a woman in my town, who informed me it needed virtually nowt to go through its last mot.
Reason i sold it?
had a shot in my mates subaru outback and liked it, also i had been thinking about something with 4wd for a while.
I would have another.

That’s why I said petrol.

OP said low annual mileage and petrol just seems the safer bet at £1,500. To me anyway.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-75-1-8-CONNOISSEUR-SE-TOURER-FACELIFT-/201272405681?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2edcc52eb1

In general I’d agree with the petrol vs diesel chat… But for the mondeo, the petrol engines felt basically like the wrong engine for the car to me, they make reasonable power but are fairly revvy, not to mention thirsty and a bit tax-ey too. It’s a mondeo, revving it just felt ridiculous. And the 2.0 seemed relatively scarce too. And IIRC insurancey, I’m pretty sure my 155 2.2 tdci quoted lower than the 2.0 petrol. It’s not terrible but I reckon the 130 tdci is so popular for good reasons.

In some ways it does feel like the front of the car’s full of timebombs but at the same time the other savings are pretty considerable. I reckon what I save in fuel and tax over a year paid for a full set of injectors, frinstance. I’m definitely ahead on the choice and got a nicer car to boot.

The Honda petrol as I recall was much nicer but don’t quote me.

^^ this

When I was looking it seemed every garage in a 10 mile radius had a least one Mondeo for sale. Quite useful to look/drive identical cars and compare them

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from what i’ve heard, petrol MK3’s and later Mondeos DO have DMFs, it’s just that they’re less likely to give up (perhaps because less vibration and rumble in a petrol engine?)

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