Should Ford get rid of Mondeo?

[JimStone]

Tried to buy a FG2 Falcon - poor ergonomics made it a non starter for me, so bought a MC Ecoboost Mondeo instead.

No Mondeo would have seen me buying from the opposition...

[jpd80]

In the UK the relative difference between a Titanium Focus and a Titanium Fusion is about $3,000
but in Australia the Titanium Mondeo starts around $49,000, that is a huge jump in price...

Imagine if FoA could get or build,
1.6 EB Ambiente Mondeo/Fusion for $28,000
2.0 EB Zetec Mondeo/Fusion for $34,000
2.0 EB Titanium Mondeo/Fusion for $42,000

[XtRmn8]

Originally Posted by Elks

I dont know what MA MB MC mean

Sorry I should have been more specific. MA, MB and MC are the model codes for the current shape Mondeo frrom 2007 to now. The EcoBoost would be an MC.

Anyway we have owned an MA Mondeo Zetec since new, bought in late 2007. In that same time I have owned 3 Falcons as well. Mondeo has been fauless and close to ticking over 150000kms. Apart from scheduled servicing, only battery and brakes have been done. I think they are a great car and one of the reasons we still have it is because we have not found anything that we think drives as nice, is as confortable and well built.

After 6 years and 150000kms the Mondeo still feels tight and does not creek and rattle like evey falcon I have owned does. Feature wise it has more technology then my fully optioned 12 month old XR6T.

I am in no way bagging the Falcon but I think the Mondeo is a very very good car.

I think Ford Australian would be stupid not to bring the new shape here and market it properly as this is a best in class car IMO.

[Mighty Reds]

Ford are in the business of selling cars they need to have vehicles in all segments.

[naddis01]

The medium segment is very stagnant. It has been around 5-6% of the total market for atleast the last decade. If you aren't a Camry the best you can hope for is 400-500 sales per month. I personally don't see the new model changing anything other than getting back up around that 400-500 sales per month.

[Polyal]

I still secretly would like a mondeo st24, I have also diven the uk spec st220 and that was a damn fine car.

[Mighty Reds]

Originally Posted by Polyal

I still secretly would like a mondeo st24, I have also diven the uk spec st220 and that was a damn fine car.

Agree, always liked the st220.

[mik]

A bit more eye candy in interior of the mondeo, a few more gadgets, but a bit light in towing capacity and for me, i prefer rear wheel drive and like the big 6 or 8 cylinder, apart from that i like the way a torquey conventional layout big sedan drives, also like the simplicity of layout and ease of service, the hard wearing nature of the falcon, personal choice i guess, about the only thing i would`nt mind from the mondeo on to the falcon is a hatch back.
other than a few extra`s on the mondeo the falcon does everything the mondeo does and more , it has a range of engine options to cover everything from economy to ball tearing power, to me the mondeo is a pensioners car, probably a good one, i have only sat in one.
I can`t really see why they bother selling them here to be honest, i would get rid of them unless they are absolutely making a packet on each car even though it is small numbers.

[NX74205]

Why should Ford get rid of a car that is one of the best in its segment, perhaps second only to Accord Euro and Mazda6? Why should Ford shoot themselves in the foot by discontinuing one of the best cars in its segment?

[GTMOND]

I'm with XtRmn8 I have a ma 2007 tdci bloody brilliant little rig 100k clocked up and still tight as a button and not one problem in that time aprt from tyres and battery. I'm suprised they dont sell more, really suprised.

[Pickle7]

Originally Posted by lg17

it would possibly sell better if it was rebadged as a fusion.
Unfortunately it suffers from the early crap ones.

qft..

[Crazy Dazz]

I AM a FORD Man, but unfortunately we are a dying breed. Nobody else compares Mondeo to Falcon in isolation, they are comparing it to the plethora of largish mid-sized FWD 4’s out there. It is a massively competitive market segment.
The biggest problem with Mondeo is supply, and the vicious circle of volume and choice. As I understand it, we’re still getting our Mondeos from Belgium, which means we’re getting the excess left over from what the British dealers want. Dealers often seem to have no stock or demonstrators, and limited choices of what's coming in. So there’s not a lot of promotion, and not much competition on prices. Low volumes means that FA doesn’t want to support too many variants, so that limits choice, which limits sales, etc, etc.

I guess the way Ford looks at is that selling a few Mondeos in Australia is better than selling none. Much like a small volume importer of some European marques.

I don’t know how many Mondeo buyers are Ford diehards who wouldn’t otherwise buy a Falcon? Mostly I imagine they would go to another of the aforementioned plethora.

[In Focus]

Like every manufacturer, Ford wants every sale it can get. If a customer goes into a Ford showroom to try a Mondeo and ultimately leaves with a Falcon, or vice versa, it's a win-win.

[csv8]

Mondeo has a lot more kit than the Falcon models...How about bringing back the Telstar name ??????

[mik]

Originally Posted by NX74205

Why should Ford get rid of a car that is one of the best in its segment, perhaps second only to Accord Euro and Mazda6? Why should Ford shoot themselves in the foot by discontinuing one of the best cars in its segment?

it may be best in segment, but it is limited in it`s uses , and it doesn`t sell many, the falcon has had a fair bit of time and money poured into it with the many different engine options, supercharged v8, lpg 6, eco boost 4, turbo 6, it is a versatile car or ute,
i don`t know if they actually do take sales from each other but i would be using the one that had the most potential to get a sale and already had a lot of $$$$ put into various drivelines for that versatility, i look at the mondeo and it`s a fwd sedan with less than half the versatility and potential of the falcon, good car or not.

[JG66ME]

I love the Mondeo. Had one in the UK for six weeks. 2.0 turbo diesel with a six speed manual. 160kmh on the M1 and drove like a dream. Fantastic car. Lack of manual option in Aus means I will not buy one here. And my current FG XR6 is the last Falcon I will ever buy. It has been nothing but trouble. Had Falcons for 35 years including 6 new ones. The best one I had was the AUII XR6. That was a fantastic car.

[barra240t]

Originally Posted by DASH GT

Supply and old model is the probllem

Dealers can order however many Mondeo's they want.

And for an "old" model it is a damn fine vehicle.

Totally underrated and overlooked because of a model released 1995 (18 years ago) It didn't sell well because our local Falcon was better value for money. I think in 2013 the Mondeo is a much better value for money vehicle but plagued by people thinking about a vehicle we sold 18 years ago (which wasn't a bad car to start off with)

Reminds me of our recent Falcon Ecoboost 4cylinder "Don't buy a 4 cylinder Falcon, remember the Commodore 4 cylinder!" Oh hang on, that was 32 years ago....

[tezxr8man]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Mondeo was the 2nd highest selling model in the mid size class after Camry for a long time.

Strikes and supply issues have plagued it. But it offers a few things Falcon doesn't, a wagon and a diesel, and also a hatch.

i really don't class the as medium cars anymore, they are the same size as large cars from a few years ago, and Camry's are the same. Look at the Aurion its a Camry with different bumpers and yet apparenly its a large car.
Tese cars are taking sales away from the falcon for sure, its just perception that they are getting a smaller car
Same with CX5 Kuga and all them light SUV's people actually think that they are a comletely different model to the 4 cylinder hatchbacks they are based on

[4.0i OHC]

The Mondeo also gives buyers a chance to get into a large Ford if there's absolutely no way they'd be seen in a falcon. That was the case with my dad, he's a Holden tragic unimpressed by the VEs torqueless V6 and dull throttle response, so he bought a Mondeo. He refused to even drive a Falcon.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by 4.0i OHC

The Mondeo also gives buyers a chance to get into a large Ford if there's absolutely no way they'd be seen in a falcon. That was the case with my dad, he's a Holden tragic unimpressed by the VEs torqueless V6 and dull throttle response, so he bought a Mondeo. He refused to even drive a Falcon.

Much the same as I would never buy a Commodore, but I also wouldnt buy a Craptiva, Epicfailia, Spark etc....

Only mid sizer GM Id look at would have been the last of those GM/Opel Vectra's...even then Id still get a Mondeo.

[flappist]

Mondeo sell about 200 a month, require no investment in development, engineering or manufacturing as it is imported and have a huge world wide parts and support structure so is not much of a risk yet you all seem to want it gone.

XR8s and Falcon wagons did not sell even that many at the end, require quite a lot of investment in development, engineering and manufacturing, are unique to Australia so have limited parts and technical support and are a huge risk to Ford yet there has not been a month go by without yet another sooky thread on how Ford should bring back the XR8 and Facon wagon.

I wonder just how much of this thread is abject bloody mindedness rather than logical analysis and deduction........

[mik]

i don`t know flappist, it sorta seems like robbing peter to pay paul to me.

[Polyal]

Mik, mate they are not buying a Falcon full stop, for whatever reason, better them getting a Mondeo than something else!

[Gadgetman]

They should get rid of the Mondeo. Matter of fact they should get rid of the Focus as well. Lots of past Falcon owners have downsized to focus as well in recent times. Actually why dont we request Ford Oz to just roll with the Falcon. Just to please the few punters that clearly make up a minor percentage if that of Ford Aus sales numbers.

[Mighty Reds]

Originally Posted by Gadgetman

They should get rid of the Mondeo. Matter of fact they should get rid of the Focus as well. Lots of past Falcon owners have downsized to focus as well in recent times. Actually why dont we request Ford Oz to just roll with the Falcon. Just to please the few punters that clearly make up a minor percentage if that of Ford Aus sales numbers.

Why stop there, have it available in any color as long as its black.

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by Mighty Reds

Why stop there, have it available in any color as long as its black.

And don't forget to put back the cigarette lighters and ashtrays.

[flappist]

Originally Posted by mik

i don`t know flappist, it sorta seems like robbing peter to pay paul to me.

Mondeo is available in hatch and wagon.

To make a Falcon hatch and wagon would cost $lots and despite all the hype would be very unlikely to sell any better than the Mondeo so where is the profit in that?

Of course the standard reply is "Holden make the sports wagon" to which I ask, "Well why have you not bought one already?".

I really do not understand why some people think that Holden buyers would buy Ford if available while they themselves would not by a Holden.........
Holden has sportwagon, Ford has Territory, which one of those sells the better?

The Modeo hatch and wagon has everything that its target market desires.

What it does not have is a second hand 12 month old manual V8 available from govt fleet auctions for $15k as while that market is very noisy, the noise is NOT money being removed from wallets.

[Giant Cranium]

mondeos are great, love driving dads titanium!
my old man prefers it than his last falcon which was a g6e and said that he would never own another. this is coming from a bloke who has bought a xd, xe, xf, eb, el, au, ba and fg.
he said his next update will be another mondeo when it come out.

[DJM83]

I think some folk need to drive a higher end Euro Ford and then make a decision. But that said even a Zetec Mondeo is a great car IMO.

[Nikked]

The more cars Ford Australia sell, the more profit...

More profit helps investment in the local arm...