The exruciating Northwind thinking process continues… Cutting a long thread short, looking at Mondeos and things that are sort of like Mondeos. Accord estate came up, on paper it looks good, especially the wide, long, flat-entrance boot. But any time i’ve seen one, the boot’s always looked low- not the highest of roofs or the lowest of floors. Anyone know if that’s a fair perception or is it just me? Height makes a pretty big difference to usability I reckon, especially when it involves my mate’s 800mm bars…

Van. Just do it.

Modeo boot is a marvellous thing.

Sierra.

Age?

Mondeo’s have always been pretty cavernous, even the older ones.

Accords have varied in size quite a bit through the years…

Yeah, what age? 04/05 Accords are massive. To be honest. I’ve thrown multiple bikes in the back of both without even caring. They’re both massive.

New modeos are nicer to drive, new Accords are more powerful (torquey) and more comfortable.

Doh- realistically, mid-2000s for either. In my not-very shortlist are a stack from 04 to 07. (my perception of size is skewed, having a Focus estate just now means I take it for granted that any car should be able to take 2 big bikes without so much as removing a wheel, but shopping around I’ve had to accept that lots of bigger cars can’t do that…)

Stevenmenmuir, I like driving, and I’m after something a little quicker than my 1.8 Focus… There’s vans that’d do the job but not many at my price. Also I don’t need to carry around a quiver of bikes for mid-race gearchanges 😉

Pook, I dunno, I saw that other guy had some bad things to say about Sierras.

TBH I keep coming back to the Mondeo or Astra, with good reason I reckon… Still an outside chance I’ll end up with a 150-horse Zafira SRI though But though there seems to be no cheap Accords, there’s plenty of VTECS around with nice spec, and less miles than the equivalent Ford.

Zafiras are very good but at that age I think the whole middle bench slides back and forward as a whole so poss not quite as good as a Galaxy where the seats can come out individually..
Mondeo estates are ace, whatever the age, newer ones are decent to drive too.
Out and out space-wise I’d prob go for a galaxy over a mondeo.. Or consider the slightly rarer seat or be options..

Yeah, I did look at the Sharahambraxy option but the best engine I can afford is the 130 horse 1.9tdi and though it’d be ace for size, I’d like a little bit more go. (I do like how the Alhambra looks though)

The bench in the Zafira is a bummer but I like the clever rearmost seats… Removing the middle row entirely works though. It’s probably not the most logical option but I do like the SRI, and it’s pretty rapid for a people carrier, as well as cheaper to tax and insure.

Look on autotrader of owners reviews for the diesel Zafira.
Reliablity and cost of running looks terrible.

I had a 05 Accord Tourer. Very few estates have larger boot space (rear legroom wasn’t so good). Can’t say I ever noticed the height (or lack of). Loading bikes in was easy. Good car. The latest model has a much smaller boot space.

I’m biased to the Mondeo as you know, ticks all the boxes and more. I’ve test driven the Astra Sri Estate and didn’t even bother going that far in it, it was horrible. Don’t rule out the Signum if looking at Vauxhalls, loaded with toys and plenty of engine options.

Gaaaaaah! I’d forgotten how much I hate buying cars. Went and saw a very tidy Mondeo 2.0TDI Ghia today. 70000 miles, year’s warranty, FSH, 2 owners. Almost immaculate- some scratches on the rear bumper, trivial. Feeling good about it, go for test drive, doesn’t feel right. Doesn’t pull away well at all. Not actually any faster than my 90bhp Focus, should be something like 3 seconds faster to 60. Hang on, horrible stuttering at 2000rpm on flat throttle.

Back to dealer. This thing does not work, sez I. Yeah, I know, says dealer. But we’ll service it before you pick it up and that’ll probably fix it. So you want me to pay for a car with a pretty big fault, in the hope it’ll be fixed before delivery? Aye.

Chances are it’s just the EGR is full of crap- in which case, why not just bloody sort it now? So, walked away, salesman trying to guilt me about wasting his time and telling me “There’s no perfect car” FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.

But on the plus side, does tell me the Mondeo’s very suitable for me, if it works. Going to check out an Accord on tuesday and some more Mondeos when I can. The SRI Zafira sold 🙁

I’m a bit fed up with Mondeo, as good as they are. Thinking about getting an S-Max next. Can’t imagine life without a heated windscreen, so Ford is the only option for me.

MkVII Accords are big old boots. The 2.2 diesel are pretty reliable too. No DPF and turbos pretty reliable. There are a couple of small issues but altogether they go well, handle well and are good motors. Check you the TypeAccord forum. Of course if you want complete reliability buy a Honda petrol!

The Mondeo is the only car you should buy. If you don’t want to buy a Volvo V70 that is.

I’m an Accordophile. Mines an 05 ctdi. With the seats down it swallows my small dh bike (tr450 800mm bars) on its side. Height wise with the smaller (left hand) split seat down it will take medium covert with 160mm forks upside down, front wheel off. Or with the right hand split seat down it will take two coverts upside down.

Its a ruddy excellent car.

Do you want me to go and do a load of pics? How do you normally fit yours in?

Edit: I recently bought a tow bar carrier which I use for one bike trips as the missus was moaning about the dirt.

My mate had one of those racks on his classic mini.. Cracking thing but wobbled about a bit with 2 bikes on.. Ended up make a wee brace that clipped onto the top of the bootlid..
Just sold my 1.6 focus 5 doer, and have bought… Another 1.6 5 door focus.
Just a bit newer, better trim and said heated screen so all good. Recon next on will be an s-max or galaxy..

yeah its only for one bike as far as I’m concerned…

NW- buy an Accord..

Mondeo wins in outright cheapness to run, massive parts availability, easy enough to find in the scrappers, cheaper insurance and my mondeo has been better on fuel than any of the works Accords.

Second reason to choose the Mondeo is that it is nothing special or rare to cherish and dedicate time to, which means you’ll be far less worried about slinging bikes in the back. Mine has tyre prints down the inside of the rear doors, grease on the roof lining, scratces to the boot side windows and a boot like a forest floor. Will have absolutely no affect on the value of a 200,000 mile car.

OK, I get it, Accords! Mazda 6 and assorted Saabs just made an unexpected late entry too.

If I could find a 2-litre Focus diesel locally I’d be all over that, I reckon, but they seem to be hen’s teeth north of the border. Probably Alex Salmond’s fault. Mine has been an inconsistent ally but when it was good it was good.

Timber- you’re spot on there. I wish there was an option in Autotrader “Find scruffy car”, it seems a shame to take someone’s beautifully kept and valeted car and fill it with mud.

Nw when we bought our mondeo we had tap measured nearly every estate boot including the accord first to get max dog and baggage space. I REALLY liked the idea of the accord but the mondeo boot was more usefully shaped and the access was bettr through the hatch. 3 bikes wheels off in the boot is no problem. (thats xc bikes with rear seats UP). Bags of legroom in back, interior is tough enough to survive kids dogs and bikes. Main agent servicing for similar cost to some of the better equipped independents and parts easy and cheap to get especially compared to Honda.

parts easy and cheap to get especially compared to Honda.

Honda have reduced their prices on parts and servicing. I suggest you call your local main dealer and get a few quotes, they have been the cheapest for brakes and my 100k service. They also dilligently look for warranty issues (even as none original owner) as they get paid by honda uk. Just had the exhaust manifold done under warranty.

I’d be looking at an Octavia myself. Having recently sat in a Passat, Insignia, C5, S-max, Octavia, Superb and Mondeo I was surprised at how rock hard and instantly uncomfortable the Mondeo seats felt (all the other were fine), that was in a 61 plate Zetec so don’t know what seat options there are…

I’m annoyed about octavias because they tick all the boxes, except, once you’ve had an estate with a flat tailgate so you can sit in the back, or easily load in a fridge and get it back out, you realise building an estate car that has a big lip on the edge of the boot is idiotic. But seems to be a VAG thing. The fools!!1onE!

Isn’t an Octavia significantly smaller than a Mondeo (being based on a Golf wheelbase)?

Like an overinflated Golf, aye. Doesn’t compete with the Mondeo in terms of top trumps but still big enough I reckon, apart from the damn silly boot.

I have just been in the same position NW.
I came to the same conclusions as Timber.
Comparing BHP, Torque, 0-60, MPG, insurance, reliability (actual not percieved) and cost when it does go wrong and sheer size of the inners! then I couldn’t find a car that ticked more boxes than the Mondeo. I compared with Passat, Laguna, Avensis, Mazda 6, 407SW and possibly some more but it just kept coming out on top.
I’ve now got a 55 plate Mondeo Ghia with 70K on the clock running like clockwork and pulling like a train.
I considered the Focus estate but it just doesn’t look as purpose built as a Mondeo (a bit like buying a Focus saloon – the propertions just aren’t right imho!) and really struggled to get a selection of 2.0TDCi to look at.

Yep. TBH it’s only a shortage of good ones in my price range (up to £6000) that’s causing me to look elsewhere. Wish I could find a nice 2.2! Just missed out on a shabby-but-solid ST last week which would have fitted the bill very well 🙁

Still I do like the shopping… Unexpectedly added a couple of Legacys and an Outback to The List yesterday, just to keep things fresh. And a very low mile 06 187-bhp Astra SRi, which I think should be a really strong contender but I can’t get excited about it at all.

Have you looked on stdrivers, not sure if this still for sale
St Estate

Looks ideal but it’s a bit not in scotland 😆 Great link though, cheers! (there’s one not so far from me which’ll bear a bit of examining, just waiting for an account)

Doesn’t compete with the Mondeo in terms of top trumps

Ah well – with a family, and given I used to fill my car when going on holiday before I had kids, I’m after the top trumps winner in terms of load space. Currently have a 406 which I can fit the tandem in the back of, and don’t really want to go smaller (had been considering Galaxy and S-Max, and would probably be very tempted by the latter were it not for the fixed position roof rack which is no use to me). The only downside for the Mondeo for me is the relative scarcity of ones with roof rails, as they’re a factory fit option only, so not many have them.

Have you thought about or considered a vectra sri estate.

I think they are slightly bigger in the boot than the same age mondy ?

cheers

steve

Mondeo estate boot is huge, so big i did not bother with an estate and went with a mark 3 5dr and the boot was pretty deep and square. If looking at a mark 3 from 03 to 07, make sure you get the facelift one fromaround 04 onwards – it has square fog lights instead of round ones and larger wing mirrors – less likely to have door rust for starters. Another mind facelift wad given form around 06.

Toyota Avensis

Mid2000s? Mk2 mondeos could fit wales (or whales) in the back. Had a hatchback, 4 bikes + 4 people fit fine.

There’s a genius hole in the bottom of the boot that means with wheels off, the bottom bike goes flat as the pedal fits in the whole.

Just to say thanks for all the advice folks- viewed an Accord VTEC and it was a lovely car, well nailed together but we didn’t really connect. So instead I’ve bought a slightly sheddy ’55 plate 2.2 TDCI Mondeo Ghia with too many miles, not enough service history, but which felt friendlier 😆

So, thanks for all the help!