Ford Mondeo TDCi Durashift 5-Tronic - Ford Forums

Stacy94PGT · 03-17-2003, 04:07

March 2003
AutoExpress
Hilton Holloway

Diesel power is really starting to catch on with British drivers. And why not, when today's best oil-burners mix pace, refinement and excellent economy? But combining automatic boxes and diesel engines has never been easy - the problem for engineers is to make the unique characteristics of a torquey turbodiesel work smoothly with a self-shifter.

Ford has jumped into this gap in the market with a new version of its TDCi Mondeo, which gets a fresh five-speed box in an attempt to solve the unhappy relationship. The firm says the 5-Tronic has 11 operating modes in its electronic brain, including 'auto-sport', which can tell when the owner is driving aggressively. In this case, the box will downshift more quickly, as well as allowing the engine to rev more highly before changing up to the next gear.

The transmission is also designed to recognise when the car is in hilly terrain, on downhill gradients and even when it's in start-stop traffic (in which case it sets off in second gear rather than first for a smoother drive). So what better way to test this new Mondeo than on a return trip from London to the Geneva Motor Show?

This Ghia X-spec car is pricey. The same money buys a more powerful Audi A4 TDI 130 quattro, or even a BMW 320d. Even in base LX trim, it's �17,145 on the road. The Mondeo's strengths lie in the spacious cabin and sharp road manners, and the Ghia X adds leather, climate control, heated seats and cruise control. Our car also wore stylish 18-inch 10-spoke alloys, shod with low-profile (225/40) tyres.

After 1,200 miles, the verdict is mixed. While the engine clatters, it's well insulated from the cabin and, even in 113bhp guise, has strong performance, especially on fast motorway trips. The Mondeo's ride on smooth French autoroutes was first-class, but on British surfaces it became choppy, particularly at low speeds. Over potholes the suspension reacted with a resounding thump.

The new gearbox proved competent, too. However, it was confused by the long, steep climb out of Geneva, and hunted for the right ratio, but that's not a typical UK scenario. The auto's biggest achievement was during hard acceleration. Floor the throttle and the gearbox transfers power to the front wheels seamlessly. Some autoboxes feel brutal, but this combo avoided that by hanging on to ratios for longer and relying on the car's torque.

The biggest downside, though, is the economy. We averaged 34mpg, when 44mpg would have been more likely with a manual. Officially, the Mondeo TDCi auto should return 36.2mpg on 18-inch wheels. But the manual offers 45.6mpg, or 49.5mpg on 16-inchers.

The truth is that the combination of auto and diesel is still far from ideal. And in Ghia X spec, this car is too expensive. An LX with manual air-con and smaller wheels would be the optimum version.