Ford Mondeo saloon (2007-2010)

The four-door Mondeo is the least desirable of the three body styles on offer, due to its reduced practicality, but all of the car’s other strengths remain. It still has a large boot, although access is restricted because the opening isn’t as big as the hatchback’s. Elsewhere the Mondeo saloon shines, with a wonderfully soft ride that makes it comfortable on all roads - and an excellent long-distance cruiser. The cabin is vast, and few saloons are as fun to drive. It’s a true all-rounder, and with masses of engine and trim options, there’s a version to suit nearly everyone.

Ford’s diesel engines lag behind those from German rival Volkswagen, being neither as economical nor as smooth, but they still offer strong performance and low fuel consumption. Only the smallest TDCi 100 diesel feels weak, whereas all the other 1.8, 2.0 and new 2.2-litre diesels feel punchy. The latter is particularly gutsy. Both the 1.6 and 2.0-litre EcoBoost turbo petrols are fast and efficient. Avoid the automatic gearbox unless you really want the convenience though, as it saps fuel economy and raises emissions, and therefore tax, significantly.

Few cars can boast the combination of ride comfort and driving fun that the Mondeo does - often those two qualities don’t exist together. On any surface the Mondeo smooths out imperfections, keeping its body level and making it a relaxing car to cruise in. This is the case whether on regular suspension or the firmer set-up of Zetec variants. At the same time the Mondeo is nimble, and feels smaller than it looks. The controls are light - particularly the steering and gearshift - and the driving position has plenty of adjustment for height and reach.

The defining feature of driving the Mondeo is its comfort. The combination of a spacious interior, a driving position that people of all shapes and sizes will find accommodating and a cushioned ride makes it feel completely relaxing. It is well suited to both motorway cruising and pottering about town - although it is a wide car - and it keeps engine, wind and tyre noise mostly out of the cabin. Only at higher speeds does the sound of crosswinds start to become intrusive.

It’s on practicality that the saloon suffers when compared to the hatchback and estate versions of the Mondeo. The boot is still large - slightly bigger than the hatchback's, in fact - but the opening is smaller and access through the boot into the cabin is limited. The rear seats are still split-folding, but overall luggage space with the seats down suffers. The cabin itself is as spacious as the hatchback’s, so there’s plenty of room for passengers.

This is the fourth-generation Mondeo, so Ford is well versed in making its family saloon. As such, this is the best built and highest quality yet, with a cabin made from soft-touch plastics with fit and finish that’s almost as good as a German executive saloon. There have been no recalls or reports of any widespread faults since its launch in 2007, and the car placed 20th out of 100 in 2010’s Driver Power survey.

The Mondeo isn’t as cheap as its ‘blue collar’ image suggests it should be. However, even basic Edge models are very well equipped, and the interior ambience and quality is certainly above any rivals from Japan or Korea. Top-level Titanium versions are particularly plush. However, the saloon is less popular than the hatchback, so already poor residual values will suffer even further.