The Ford Countour/Mondeo (I'll refer to it as the Mondeo) slides through life doing the minimum necessary, but it does so nicely. I've rented a dozen Mondeos for a total driving time of 2 years, so I've been able to compare across cars and across model years. I've only had one problem with the Mondeo when the gearbox (I've almost always rented the stick-shift Mondeo 1.6 litre diesel) failed on the highway. No problem - I managed to limp home and get a new car. And this was a rental car, with people take pleasure in destroying, so that's better than par for the course.

For a diesel, the Mondeo is plenty fast. That's probably partially because it is so light. It's lightness, though, may be the reason why I feel a bit insecure in the car during wet weather. More than once I've fishtailed in the rain when, if I were in, say, a small BMW, I would have been fine. Of course, you can buy a 6-month-old Mondeo in continental Europe for under $15,000, which is important to remember when you read me criticising the Mondeo. It's an inexpensive car and you get a well thought-out, decent machine for that money. It's definitely worth the price.

ABS: Works great, I feel very safe in snow and rain when it comes time to brake. However, this does tend to make one drive faster than he or she should.

Seats: Very good in front, with an excellent lumbar support.

Airbags: Never had to try them, fortunately, but they look fine…

Audio: Could be better. The Dodge Stratus, for example, has a really pumping stereo system.

Tires: Low-quality, wear out very quickly. Replace early and consider getting wider rims to stabilise the car in the rain and snow.

Noise: The engine is extremely quiet. However, road noise does become a factor at high speeds. In Europe, we often cruise at well over 100 MPH while Americans drive much slower. At the slower American speeds, you'll be fine noise-wise.

Trunk: Simple, well-organised and reasonably large. Not Saab-large, mind you, and the hatchback window does get in the way a bit, but remember - this car is inexpensive.

Anti-whiplash headrests: Good, very adjustable.

Headlights and fog lights: Excellent.

Instruments and instrument lighting: Excellent.

Storage: Plenty of storage opportunities inside, though the glove compartment could be a tad larger.

Windshield and wipers: Excellent system to clear front and rear windscreens via embedded thermal wires, but the wipers need to be better.

Warning: The timing belts on Mondeos break. Get yours replaced with a high-quality one early on and always keep a spare in the trunk. Replace early and often.




Recommended: Yes