Holden doesn’t like the Ford Mondeo

By Alborz Fallah | May 14th, 2007

Holden are still a little bitter about the negative publicity the Holden Epica has caused, so to attract some attention elsewhere, they have taken a stab at Ford and the new Ford Mondeo. Holden believes the new Mondeo is doomed to failure due to its high price.

At the launch of the Epica, which incidentally is replacing the the European (Opel-built) Vectra, a move which Ford has still refused todo. Holden’s marketing director John Elsworth was a little burnt when discussing the new Mondeo

“We tested the market with an expensive mid-sized model and it didn’t work”.

Holden believes that Australian’s are not willing to pay for quality European cars, and would much rather prefer to buy the cheaper Korean made alternative, whilst this may be true, it doesn’t mean the Ford Mondeo will be a flop.

Expect more news on the Ford Mondeo in the upcoming days, there has been little word from Ford regarding the pricing or Australian specifications for the Mondeo, however we do know it will land sometime in October.

Myke

this might have been true five years ago, when petrol and large cars were cheaper, not so much now. Ford may be able to price this car better than Holden did with the Vectra.
http://www.alborzfallah.com alborz

I agree,
I have high hopes for the Mondeo,
I think Holden takes Australians forgranted, we are not all happy to drive around in a Korean death trap, and be happy with the quality!
Myke

Not all koreans are death traps, it seems so far that only the Barina achieved lower than four stars.
http://www.alborzfallah.com alborz

No you are right Myke
infact I like the Hyundai range these days
they have really picked up the game,
I am just not a fan of Holden’s methods of sourcing cars
Myke

I do agree with you Alborz, the Viva and Captiva are okay, as they didn’t directing replace their Euro equal. But the Kalos and the Corsa, the difference between them couldnt be bigger!

The Corsa wasn’t selling that bad to deserve being replaced. Now if you look at Sales, I havent really seen the Barina in the top 20 lately, meaning it is selling fewer than around 1000 cars, similar to what the Corsa sold. What a waste of time!
Andrew.

I think the funniest thing is holdens response to fords territory is to simply import something cheap (captiva)put a holden badge on it and expect people to flock to it. they even note it in commercials that the diesel is more fuel efficient than the territory? well durr ! diesel costs more too and less power. tell you what holden are lucky that ford run modest commercials not criticising other makes (toyota has critisised other makes too with the aurion) cause if they did they would leave holden gasping for what to do. no wait they would just run more commercials of cars doing burnouts to mesmerise people
Sam

“We tested the market with an expensive mid-sized model and it didn’t work”.

“however we do believe a piece of korean crap re-badged as a australian holden that is so poorly built that the only crumple zones is your body will be more popular with the local market. Holden means a great deal to australia”
mrk

Can anyone understand the sentence “At the launch of the Epica, which incidentally is replacing the the European (Opel-built) Vectra, a move which Ford has still refused to do”?

What has Ford refused to do? Launch to Mondeo or launch rebadged Korean cars?
steve

Diesel doesn’t have less power. They infact have more power. Power = torque. And most diesels have more torque then petrol powered cars of the same capacity.

Most modern diesel engines just about produce the same kilowatts too. So Diesel’s aren’t in fact slow at all, not these days.

Getting back to the write up. I regret to inform Holden that I would never consider any of their cars, and never will. Most of them are imported Korean jobs. Now I understand that Hyundai has lifted their game significantly over the last 5-8 years. I think they are great value for money Asia-boxes. In fact, dur to my recent window shopping for new cars, I’d say they’re a damn sight better then current Toyota models.

Though, when you get Holden telling me what kind of car I’d prefer… and telling me I’d rather a cheap and nasty Korean car over a decent European equivilent. I have to ask, what sources do they have based on this assumption?

The Mondeo has been one of the biggest selling cars in the UK and Europe. That doesn’t always mean it’s good. But people in Europe tend to buy cars because they like them. People in Australia (and specifically the market Holden appears to be catering for) seem to buy cars because they have to.

They are boring, slow and the most uncharacteristic cars you can think of.

You want to put a smile on your dial in a small car? Drive a VW Polo TDI. Now that is a fun car. Though the South African manufacturing might yield unsavoury results.

Cheers
Steve
troy

Reviews on the new mondeo from europe say its a WONDERFUL thing!

I think the kiwis have it already???

for hasnt brought out a cheap korean car, they have stuck with a quality euro UNLIKE holdenwoo.

maybe holden needs korean cars to pick its quality up???
Lazybones

Nothing like a good Holden bash to finish off a Monday:-

“We tested the market with an expensive mid-sized model and it didn’t work”.

But Holden didn’t exactly push the marketing boat that far out now did they. And if they don’t sell, why are people like VW seeing YTD sales of +49%, Audi YTD sales +41%.

“Not all koreans are death traps”, true – but http://www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au may assist here, just checkout Hyundai & Kia for starters. And yes the Viva was supposed to replace the Astra (except for the HSV). But there now appears to be some confusion there. Maybe its because the Astra is in the top 20 and none of the Holden Daewoos are.

I don’t think the issue is “will the Mondeo sell”, but will it erode sales on the new Falcon? The Mondeo is not only a good performer but its a new design. The Epica is based on 10 year old technology (according to drive.com.au).
Aston

Holden should stop whinging about ford and re-introduce the next gen vectra that goes into production 2008 to compete with mondeo. That car looks amazing.
Aussie own

What you are looking at might very well be the next Falcon. Bigger of course, and better built than the Holden.
Lazybones

“What you are looking at might very well be the next Falcon”

I should think there will be some styling queues to help the Falcon look like part of the big picture. But checkout the side profile of the above picture..

http://www.speedsportlife.com/photopost/data/1050/thumbs/mondeo08.jpg

Compared to :-

http://www.caradvice.com.au/1613/holden-epica-pricing-specifications/

Won’t sell??? Yeah right, we’ll be adding that to the long list of poor Holden quotes
Myke

“And yes the Viva was supposed to replace the Astra (except for the HSV). But there now appears to be some confusion there. Maybe its because the Astra is in the top 20 and none of the Holden Daewoos are.”

No, the Viva only replaced the Astra CLASSIC, Holden are still intending on selling the Astra, atleast until the end of the current model (2009-2010). It seems likely they will import the new Astra when it arrives in 2010.

By that time too, Holden might have released their mistake and gone back to Euro’s, you can only hope though…
troy

Dont go thinking the euro holdens are all that though!

How many of the 4 cylinder variants are snapping timing belts after 50 thousand kays…

PLENTY

and plenty of astra owners are finding them falling apart about now.

Euro cars
Lazybones

That sounds like good news Myke.

“and plenty of astra owners are finding them falling apart about now.”

Amazing, i’m on my 3rd Astra and have only ever taken one back for a warranty problem. Some kind of dodgy oil seal. My current Astra has 61k on the clock, and no nothing falling off there. Sounds like a case of the minority speaking loudest. If there is a problem with timing belts is due to slack servicing or no servicing

Unfortunately I doubt the same could be said about the Viva, and lets not go there with the 2 star Barina vs the 5 star Euro Corsa.
http://AustrlianCaradvice Shane T

Good reading. Guys, i advice to go to ‘Drive Blog’ and observe the quality survey topic that was recently listed. In all of the segments, Holden scored very dismally indeed. Infact, there quality and reliability scored ‘below average’ in every sector. The Commodore was one of the worst performers of all.

Opel sourced Barina’s were horrid cars and arrived in OZ with exterior mouldings already faded at ‘brand new’. Thier A/C was so inadequate for Australian conditions that Holden reclassified it as a Air Cooler instead. The SB Barian also suffered from overheating problems that resulted in cracked heads and not to mention the numerous/ongoing electrical gremlins. The Opel TR Astra was no differant and actually suffered from one of the worst transmissions in modern Australian automotive history.

How do i know this… because i worked in Spare Parts for Holden for 4 years and i will never forget the horrid, unrefined, poor grade, dismal quality Holden truely represented . I was stunned how they sold so many dismal cars but finally (today) it is slowly but surely starting to bite them in the rear end. About bloody time!!
http://www.alborzfallah.com alborz

Thank you for sharing that with us Shane
any insider horror stories you can share is also of great interest
Andrew.

hey shane where is this “drive blog” you talk about it sounds interesting. can you paste a link??
Aston

Andrew, I think the blog your after is at drive.com.au under the heading of Australian car-quality secrets revealed.
Lazybones

“The Opel TR Astra was no differant and actually suffered from one of the worst transmissions in modern Australian automotive history.”

Now this is interesting, What was so wrong with the transmission?
http://jackyan.com/blog Jack Yan

Troy, the Kiwis don’t have the CD345 Mondeo yet, but CD132 is on run-out. As to the safety of the Daewoo Tosca, I can’t find any test results, though the immediate predecessor, the Daewoo Magnus, scored the lowest of all 2005 cars according to the US NHTSA. The Leganza scored pretty poorly in Australian testing in 1999. I hope, for Holden’s sake, that the Tosca does not follow this “tradition”, though right now, my gut tells me that it will be “another Barina” (less safe car replacing an Opel).

Over here, we have a different tariff structure, so we were always able to price both Mondeo and Vectra reasonably, i.e. Vectra did not encroach badly into Commodore territory. Vectra C failed largely because there was no money spent on promoting it (a lot was poured into Kalos, Lacetti and Commodore), but Camry and Sonata are very visible in the media.

I think Holden has just given the mid-sized sector to Ford and Toyota over in Kiwiland. In addition, the Sonata has been more of a hit here than in Australia.
Andrew.

I think holden is all about the image. and it has worked for them. try and ask your average holden fan why they like holdens and you will get “because they are better” or something shallow like that. more like because commercials show holdens doin burnouts or racing on wet roads. at least ford is game enough to show kids in the back seats going on a trip or whatever. and to be honest with ourselves that is more than likely what becomes of them once they leave showrooms
shane h

hey guys im new here, but have recently started working for FORD . I have now converted as i use to be a holden fan.
for too long holden have relied on their past image to get them over the line. todays market have seen them struggle.

will add more soon guys.
simon

i have just been to the launch of the mondeo in the uk. it is a terrific car, the one reservation i have about it is the size. its huge much bigger than the previous version. i know i havent seen a falcon or a commodore for a year or so but it must be very similar in size.
golfschwein

Hi Lazybones, I’ve had 2 Astras. Both were TS models and both manual. The first, a CD, had the most appallingly stiff and graunchy gearbox I’ve ever used (okay, the car was ordered – I’m not silly enough to buy something that’s horrible on the road test).

The second was a 2.2 SRi, which had a pleasant enough box, although not as crisp as Jap or my Golf. It also had a different reverse gate location with synchromesh. Could this be what our earlier blogger was referring to?
Lazybones

I had an Astra CD, but it was the TR. But yeah not a crispy gear change at all and scary soft suspension. Not good for corners. I also owned a 2.0 Sri (TS). Very nice drive, excellent handling. I haven’t owned a Jap Rocket to compare. But the SRI was certainly in the Golf GTI Class. I’m eyeing up a GTI for my current Astra’s replacement.

But no idea what the reference to the worst transmission in aussie motor industry could have been. I’m guessing it was a reference to the auto transmission. But hopefully Shane T will get back to us.
Bavarian Missile

GTI ,the best pocket rocket !!!!!
ukcar

Daewoo should go back to building Opel models under licence – that way, the South Koreans keep their jobs, Aussies and Kiwis get the GM models they want, and the beancounters are kept happy.

Apparently Chevrolaewoo want to bring the Epica to the UK – well, at least it’s better looking than the Evanda, although that was so ugly, that’s not saying much.
http://www.google.ru/ govokinolij

Hi all!

Looks good! Very useful, good stuff. Good resources here. Thanks much!

G’night
troy

Holden bagged the shit out of BA when it was released because it was too heavy and too thirsty….

and they reply with VE….. heavier and thirstier..

F%#@&îng hypocrites!

id say if holden released the euro vectra NOW not back when…. itd sell great guns!! it even looks more stylish now than it did when it was released!

How long has the ipecac been out now??? i have seen THREE of them lol….

good work holdenwoo

Jack

Agree. I remember Ford bit their lip when VE came out… nothing was mentioned about the great increase in mass.

I’d agree that the Vectra’s time is now as well. Or (dare I say it) a RWD 1400kg mid size Torana with engine and transmission choices like the Mondeo, and quality, quality quality a must!

Hugo Rune

The new Mondeo looks pretty good from what I have seen, it just depends on the price.

Holdens problem with the Vectra wasn’t the price it was the car itself. Top Gear (on SBS) had three mid size cars on last night.
The Mondeo (previous model because we are one season behind with the show).
The Mazda 6 MPS.
The Vectra.
Jeremy Clarkson tested all three. The Mondeo and the Mazda 6 both got good reviews. He said he has hated the Vectra for years and that hasn’t changed because it is such a badly designed car. It is also very ugly.

That is why no one bought the Vectra, not because it was too expensive. The new Crapica is also badly designed and ugly and that is why no one will buy it.

Just because people can’t afford to purchase a luxury car doesn’t mean they will settle for rubbish.
David

Diesel Diesel Diesel

What ppl want
togglehommer

Interesting Information but why can’t holden do the epica and the Vectra?
http://mynewitalia.smfree.it/ sopitikoj

Hi

I really like your site it is probably the coolest ever.

Bye
http://nopikop.t35.com/ lokimikoj

Hi

Very very good site! You are doing great job.
Ted

Holden is just wasting their time again, if people r a fan of GM Holden good luck to them, but quality is the first thing that comes to my mind, holden lack so much of this ingredient they keep putting lion badge’s on Korean car’s scratching heads why everything about them falls apart, I mean if you are going to buy a Epica for instance you might as well buy a Hyundai or Kia, ouch!!!!!, they should keep the Epica behind closed doors before the doors come off. LOL…………… as for Ford Mondeo, most of us know now quality come’s before a cheap Holden and the Mondeo has truckloads of it, thats why Mondeo was featured in the James Bond movie.
Mediator

Actually Ted I think Ford have a contract with Bond films . I wonder if the Mondeo will come with any Bond Options?
http://. Colonel Klink

Well spoken Ted, I recently had the dis-pleasure of being in Cairns and hiring out a Hyundai Getz! Talk about issues with trim, rattles… the have lifted the bar but still have to go further if they are deadly fairdinkum serious!
http://. Colonel Klink

WOOOH HOOOO (as song goes)….. Holdenwoo bagged the shit out of Falcon BA when it was released because it was too heavy and too thirsty… and they reply with new VE Komibdore with Opel genes…heavier and thirstier ugly huge flared thing…

F%#@&îng hypocrites! hOLDEN MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO AUSTRALIA is absolute crap!
Paul

The best that I can say about Holden is that occasionally they do a good job of copying the best ideas from better companies before the competition does. That makes them pretty good in the GM world. Without Governmant R+D subsidies and tax breaks they would not profit or be able to reinvest. Its unfortunate then, that the VE Commodore shows no sign of fuel economy gains or of any features not seen on other cars (what else is R+D funding for) many released years earlier.
I believe that above all else people want cars that cost less to run in the holistic sense. Doesn’t the taxpayer have some control?
http://. Colonel Klink

ALBORZ PLEASE READ AND COMMENT…. READERS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MY QUERY!

Paul well said, and the turkeys still flock to Commodore despite worse fuel economy compared to Aurion and Falcon (and previous Commodore) means VE Commodore numbers can only come down no matter what, especially with crude oil at very high numbers. The only thing would say is taxpayers do not come into it directly and there should be accountability and more input given to the public at election time. ALBORZ COULD YOU PLEASE COMMENT HERE ABOUT WHAT BOTH MAJOR PARTIES HAVE PLANNED, ETC FOR R&D IN RESPECT TO NEW MOTOR TECHNOLOGY AND BETTER FUEL ECONOMY AS BELIEVE THIS IS AN ISSUE DONE NOT IN THE PUBLIC SPOTLIGHT – people are led by many variables like car maker, awards, reliability, history, etc.
http://. Colonel Klink

ALBORZ… AFTER ALL THESE MAJOR PARTIES DO SPEND TAXPAYERS EXPENSES (they only manage taxpayers $$$ and allocate funds willy nilly) AND THERE SHOULD BE TIGHT REGULATIONS ABOUT FUNDING (of which we never hear anything)! AS FAR AS IAM CONCERNED HOLDEN SHOULD BE PENALISED WITH A REDUCTION IN FUNDS (how can government let Holden with VE have a worser fuel efficiency then previous model and offer same or higher funding) AS THEY HAVE GONE BACKWARDS FROM PREVIOUS MODEL IN TERMS OF FUEL EFFICIENCY, YET I WOULD ASSUME THEY RECEIVE MORE FUNDING GRANTS THEN PREVIOUS YEARS. COULD YOU FIND OUT AND GET SOME CLEAR GUIDELINES HERE AND WHAT EXACTLY THEY BOTH HAVE PLANNED AS WE NEED TO SEE THAT THEY ARE BOTH SERIOUS!
http://. Colonel Klink

ALBORZ………CAN YOU CONFIRM $$$ ON YEAR TO YEAR BASIS FOR LAST 4YRS ON WHAT TOTAL $$$ GOVERNMENT FULLY HAND OUT TO CAR MAKERS FOR NEW TECHNOLOGY ~ R&D ~ ELECTRIC CAR TECHNOLOGY ~ ETC.

THIS IS A VALID POINT AND WE ALL ARE SICK OF BEING FED CRAP AND LEFT IN DARK – AND IT DOESNT MATTER IF OTHER MOB IN AS THEY BOTH ????
Walter

Hey saw the full new Mondeo Line up at the Golf Course in Brisbane. Looks Brilliant.
What people don’t want is dangerous 2nd rate rubbish from Korea. Quality Korean cars sell. GM and in the past Ford (that’s why Festiva and Focus sales have been poor) strip their cars of safety features standard in Europe. Even the new Kia released in Euroe got 5 star crash rating. Holden strips out the safety features (to save a $100 for ESP on moost Astras and then only gives it to you with extras) or gives you a discontinued Korean car as the Barina while Europe gets a 5 star Corsa. Any wonder they are going backwards and Toyota and others are selling more expensive cars.
Walter

Holden just treats Oz like a third world country.
The rediculous engine they put in the Commodore, (how much extra gren house gases and oil is being used) is the same engine that more efficiently powers Alfas and yes with less fuel consumption. Suppose they have to get rid of the old stock somewhere. Then next year or so they’ll introduce direct injection and fe w mods and tell you to upgrade to a new engine (they always had)
Me.

Holden are just abit worreid that they have no response to the mondeo.
Guido

Steve
your wrong about power = torque. they are two different things entirely, go back to your physics book mate.

Diesels are better though. More Torque, better fuel consumption (20 to 30% better) and most of all much more driveable.

The diesel engines are producing about the same power as petrol now. take BMW 318′s 150hp and 320D 163hp. The deisel is about 1/2 second to 100 quicker AND has loads more torque.

40% of cars here in the UK are diesel. Subaru are suffering as they do not have one just yet. Lexus have just introduced Diesel (crap engine though)

like U say the ppl want D’s Why no 3.0Diesel commodor.
Four letter word begining with “F”

Andrew. Says:
May 14th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
I think the funniest thing is holdens response to fords territory is to simply import something cheap (captiva)put a holden badge on it and expect people to flock to it.
——————————————-

Geee, almost right, cause the Captiva is a sell-out !!!!!!!!

Maybe being designed by Mike Simcoe, the Holden designer who did the Monaro and Commodore would explain it.
Four letter word begining with “F”

OMG, where do we get some of these tossers………

What the f..k has a Bond film got to with how good a car is, f..k all I say.
Going Ford, Is The Going Thing

Four letter word begining with “F”. At least the Territory is made in Australia, Holdenwoo SUX COX, FORD ROX THE KAZBA!!!
Holden stans for…
H olden O wners L oose D ick E very N ight W ow O hh O utch
http://nil VT Man

When the Ford in line 6 is replaced there should be some interesting comparison between the locally built 6 versus the imported one?
Watto_Cobra

It’s a shame the I6 will go, it is really the last truly Aussie engine, and a great one. The problem is the aussie market is small compared to the rest of the world, having to meet Euro IV standards, etc.

With greater volume, hence budget, I think Aussie engineers could make it meet Euro IV and include Direct Injection (gas and petrol).

I’m looking at an Orion Typhoon, I want an Aussie designed and built hi-po turbo six, and F6 is the only choice.
Jim

The reason that the last Vectra did not sell is the same reason that the Apollo and Taurus did not sell well.

Why would you purchase a smaller front drive car that is at best equally equipped to a Commodore or Falcon for less money?

Ford should not criticise Holden for marketing re fried Korean cars though as Ford sold the Korean Festiva for years. Their “German Engineered” advertising borders on misleading too.

I think that it’s time ADR’s for new cars were updated to include clear and permanent “country of origin” labels
http://www.thefactjack.com Ian

Actually, the Taurus is roughly the same dimensions as the Falcon and way better spec’ed. It didnt do well because Ford Australia deliberately didnt market it out of spite for the US parent company. They pitched it right alongside the Fairmont and while the Taurus was technically a better car, the typical buyer in that market would make the conservative choice.

Jack

You forget the part about the hideous styling, and the recalcitrance Australians showed to FWD in a full size family car at the time. Just to make sure, the same styling cues were incorporated into the AU Falcon, with nearly as disasterous a sales result.

Dieselhead

Did I read the some korean crap is to replace the vectra next time. What are GM doing..why would anyone wnat to buy a korean vauxhall when they can buy the genuine korean sh1te at a cheaper rate. We Euro boys will not tolerate rubbish and will vote with our wallets. Buy the Mondy it will be far better.
Watto_Cobra

Taurus? I understand it has a great warranty but it is one of the ugliest cars I have ever seen. I’m am a Ford man but the looks of the Taurus makes me feel embarrassed. Maybe that’s why it didn’t do well in Oz. Can’t blame Ford Oz for getting pissed of at Ford USA.
CaptainReality

The Mondeo will do very well in this country. It really competes with the Mazda 6 and Honda Accord, but it will steal sales from the larger cars (Falcon, Commodore, 380) too.

Holden have lost the plot; they now offer a million different models that no-one wants (like Ford were doing about 7 years ago before they fixed their model lineup). The VE Commodore is too thirsty to dominate the market from now on.

Looking at Ford and Holden’s current lineup, in every class except the large car class, I would buy the Ford…

Barina vs Fiesta (no-brainer: Fiesta).
Epica vs Mondeo (no-brainer: Mondeo).
Captiva vs Territory (no brainer: Territory).
Astra vs Focus (closer, but I’d choose the Focus).
Commodore vs Falcon (I’d probably go for the Commodore at the moment; sure, they’re more thirsty, but not by much).

Also, Holden saying that they tried an expensive Euro and it failed is a furphy. They tried selling a *crap* expensive Euro (the Vectra), and it failed. Ford are selling an excellent Euro (I’ve never seen any journalist say a bad thing about the new Mondeo, ever). They’ll sell.
Me.

It turnd out the Mondeo is not that “high priced” as Holden thought it would be.
greg

Well said CaptainReality, but I would still buy the Falcon, (Orion) comming soon before even looking at the commondore, this VE model still has warranty problems and I’m already tired of looking at them, over the time Ford BF has been around even up till now it became and is successful mabybe not in overall sales but for driving in general and ownership it wins in spades.. Go Ford Mondeo for winning Australia’s Best mid size car award it deserve all the praise…
sarah

I just bought a Mondeo XR5 and picked it up today. Its a dream to drive, the cost is worth it due to all the features, although I’m not in any way fussed about the price. Holden are green with envy – obviously.
Me.

^^^Hope it’s going to be a good car!
Sarah

It’s a ripper so far, but thats less than 24 hours into it. What I thought might be a difficult dashboard to work out, with all the computer stuff and buttons etc, actually turns out to be very user friendly. I had a few issues putting petrol in the tank initially (but that might be because I’m a girl – right guys).

I’m taking it for a long run with plenty of speed variations today, partly freeway and partly city driving, so I should really get a feel for it. There aren’t many on the road and my understanding is Ford won’t release many xr5, at least for a while.

I looked at Epica and a few other Holden types but was put right off by the Korean manufacturing. Can’t beat Euro design, especially when it comes with a Volvo turbo engine.
Duck

The baseline mondeo is about $4000 different to the epica
Watto_Cobra

Just looking at the Royal Auto magazine that RACV sends me. In 2007 Australia’s Best Cars awards the TDCi Mondeo has won the “Best Mid-Size Car Over $28,000″ award.

Here’s hoping Orion has taken a lot of cues from Mondeo.

In the “Best Mid-Size Car Under $28,000″ the Epica came 17th. That speaks volumes to me.

Top choice Sarah. A mate of mine has bought a Focus XR5Turbo and he loves it. That surprised me because he always had Commodores. His last was a black VT SS.
justin-MOND GT

Just traded my BAGT (great car but fuel was getting a bit much)on a mondeo tdci. WOW brilliant, this is a great car. Currently getting about 5.9 to 6.2l per 100ks on highway. If anyone was in the market for a base model falcon,commodore i wouldnt hesitate in saying the mondeo would be a better way to go. Big leg room and huge boot. realy cant fault it.BRILLIANT
AdamInBris

You think Holden’s Daewoo lineup is sad, check out Chev’s lineup on their site. To see this classic American mark made up of sooo much Korean crap, gee whiz it’s a sad site.

I’ve got an EF Fairmont, what a tank, lol.
Watto_Cobra

justin-MOND GT. Glad to hear your happy with the TDCi Mondeo. From what I’ve heard it is damn good.

I could handle a diesel I think, but I can’t quite switch to FWD tho (I’ve owned a couple).
Andyboiii

great car this one. my F6 typhoon is much better though =]
Rick

Sour grapes Holden. Get over it. You failed to market the good looking Vectra so it bummed out. The Epica is no match for the Mondeo and you are weill aware of that fact Mr. Elsworth. Just like the cheap looking Captiva is never going to steal the thunder away from Territory. Don’t put me in the category for wanting a cheaper Korean made alternative. I have standards!
Duck

^^^Captiva is better than the fuel sucking territory!
William

Don’t you mean the Daewoo S3X? How do you propose that it is better? Those alloytec V6 motors are gutless and slow. the “High Performance” Commodore SV6 gets hosed by an XT Falcon. I agree a diesel Territory would be a good idea, but petrol vs petrol the Territory offers a superior drivetrain.
http://. Naughtyius Maximus

HA HA HA….suv’s pseudo wally vehicles all suck juice more then a normal car as bigger and AWD or semi 4WD. Captiva smaller then Territory and smaller motor. Its the cuppacino set who want room, space and high that push these gas guzzlers! And it is ‘units’ like you who lamely try to compare Territory to Captiva!
William

I am not a “unit” and I don’t own an SUV – I own a Falcon. I was simply commenting to Duck saying “Captiva is better than the fuel sucking Territory”
http://. Naughtyius Maximus

LOL………..like hello your comparing a smaller SUV to something else bigger in SUV range. So it has a bigger motor! What did you expect in Territory – a smaller motor! Gee whiz mate. Like really!
William

Naughtyius Maximus, the Captiva is an SUV (like Territory) and Holden are pitching it directly at the Territory with their marketing so I would say that it is fair to compare the two. It would however, not be fair to compare the Captiva to the likes of Rav4, CRV which actually are a different market segment. Just out of curiosity, what do you drive?
Rick

Naughtyius Maximus, are on the same planet as the rest of us?? Read William’s post again. Because I cannot be bothered trying to explain it to you again.
Duck

Captiva in diesel!
Graeme

I wish Ford all the best for their automatic transmission car (except top model). I’ll add that the sister car Madza 6 has a better range – auto or manual – I’d buy a manual if available because I’m not a lazy mobile phone/iPod addict.
I’ve been burnt on European built Vectras – one 98 JR lunched its gearbox at 145,000 kms and the other at 54,500 now requires 4 litres of oil per service interval.
I think a manual Madza 6 or Subaru Outback sounds like a better choice. I won’t go into the 2 Camiras and 2 Geminis – go Ford!
Hope you’re on a winner who ever buys one.
http://. Naughtyius Maximus

LOL….the ad might say its better fuel economy then Territory and that is just a marketting ploy. Facts are one is outsizing the other both in terms of motor and size.
Its like Hyundai saying the Getz is 20% more fuel efficient then a Astra? If you “believe” the hype comparing it to Territory you are truly silly as!
Andrew M

NM,
they say the diesel captiva is more fuel efficient.

its like pitching the diesel rodeo against the petrol rodeo. its a bit of a well deerrrr!!!!!
http://. Naughtyius Maximus

Fully agree, its a shame some have a kaleidescope for looking as my binoculars are prsitine clear.

To the silly ones out there revving me….measure volume inside a Captiva and then Territory you silly fairies!!!! Not the same category size wise; hence the motor – but obviously you believe everything you read or hear as your led by media as basically stupid as!!!!
http://. Naughtyius Maximus

Question: Facts wrong on comparo of Captiva with a Territory

Answer: Facts including, but not limited to; as follows:

1. Captiva width excluding mirrors 1849mms with wheelbase 2707mms with cargo volume (all seats upright) a measly 465litres. Weight starts from 1770kgs. We step up to the 3.2litre V6 to get barely on same page as Territory with 5sp auto and fuel economy rated at high 11.5litres/100kms with 169Kw @ a high 6600rpm and torque a paltry 297Nm @ 3200rpm.

2. Territory width excluding mirrors 1898mms with wheelbase 2842mms with cargo volume (all seats upright) a healthy 1153litres and with seats optioned in back a healthy 523litres. Weight starts from 1995kgs. Engine 20litre DOHC 190Kw @ 5250rpm (mind you much lower then higher revving Captiva) and 383Nm torque at a lazy 2500rpm (mind you much lower then the worked harder Captiva). With fuel economy 12.2litres.

Obviously the fuel economy is worse as weight heavier and motor much bigger. Obviously you are totally uneducated to the highest degree as the commercial says “Over 20% better fuel economy the Ford Territory…”. So you are really listening to lies when that comment is comparing a paltry 4cylinder with very pathetic 110kw and useless torque to lug around 225kgs less then a Territory! LOL you people epitomise stupidiy on the grandest scale! Begs the question whether you are furthering your education as I strongly recommend it….like from kindergarten onwards!

ARSECLOWNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
http://. Naughtyius Maximus

typo…Territory engine 4.0litre
http://. Naughtyius Maximus

William and Rick…..come on your next class finger painting is on. Get out of the sandpit!

LOL you believe commercials and cant judge reality from yourselves; that makes you pair idiots!
Funkmother

If you buy Korean rubbish you’ll end up with a lemon like I did. The motor in my Kia blew up before it reached 100,000kms and I’ve talked with people who’s Kias blew up twice before 100.000. Can’t wait until I see Korean Holdens doing that. It’ll be a laugh.

Put simply, save yourself the pain and don’t buy Korean. I choose quality every time.
realcars

Hey, Funkmother instead of feeling sorry for yourself why didn’t u do something about it?
Ms Ford/Mondeo Lover

Hi All,

I downsized from a Ford Futura to a Mondeo Zetec in February this year and I can’t rave enough about it! Superb handling, steering is spot on and fuel economy is unbelievable. I will never ever go back to a 6 cylinder car and I really don’t think there is much need for one in this day and age.

Ms Ford/Mondeo Lover
Golfschwein

I haven’t heard of Hyundais expiring like Kias seem to. Am I right?