Mondeo Mk3 Trim Level Differences

Soldato
Joined
19 Jan 2003
Posts
17,542
Location
Bristol, UK
Hi all,

Still on the hunt for a replacement car to soak up my high mileage.
I have been limiting my Mondeo Mk3 search to the higher trim levels but on reflection is there much differentiating the later Mk3's?

Am I right in thinking a Ghia X only offers the following over LX?

Heated & Cooled leather
Front Fogs
6 CD Changer
Sunroof
Alloys

Is there anything else?

A CD changer is of no interest to me, neither is a sun roof in a car equipped with AC. Leather trim makes a big difference but easy to retrofit if I really wanted to (doubt the heating/cooling aspect is possible to fit though). Front Fogs are likely very easy to retrofit, I'd be very surprised if the loom wasn't in place and I just needed the lights and a different switch. Not sure if I am that concerned those as even in thick fog I've never been that impressed with the fog lights on previous vehicles I've driven.

I think the Ghia X may have body coloured side mouldings, very late Mk3's didn't have any. I've noticed that all spec's have black inserts in the bumper. I think it looks a little odd with black inserts in the bumpers and then coloured or lack-of side mouldings. So an LX with black side mouldings isn't bad either.
The door handles on the LX are black instead of coded but again cheap and easy to change if I wanted to.

So, what would you do? Stick out for a top-spec which seems difficult to source (perhaps because the lower-spec's had AC and cruise?) or buy a really nice example ignoring the spec badge on the boot?

EDIT - Oh, possibly rear windy windows on the LX which is a bit cheap-skate...
 
Last edited:
Associate
Joined
24 Jun 2004
Posts
929
Location
Cambridgeshire
LX has windy windows after the 03 facelift, it has the boggo stereo (no mp3 playback), everything above the LX has climate control LX has only manual AC. Might as well get at least a Zetec because you at least get stuff like map lights, alloys, fogs and climate and there's loads of them around too.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
4,898
The seats in the LX are not as good as those fitted to the Zetec models and above - they don't have as much knee support.

The higher models with the Sony stereo (Ghia and above IIRC) have uprated speakers as well as the better head unit.

The LX has softer suspension (although probably the same as the Ghia and Ghia X).

Personally I'd avoid an LX because retrofitting things is a pain, they don't have proper climate control and there are so many of these around it's just not worth the hassle. Alloys weren't standard on the LX either. I'd look for a Zetec or a Titanium - I'm not a fan of the wood trim in the Ghia/X.
 
Associate
Joined
1 Jul 2005
Posts
1,360
Location
London
Retrofitting some things is easy. Higher trim levels offer footwell lights as well, unlike the LX (that is, until you buy 2 bulbs for 50p) :D

Having said that, I owned a 53 plate Ghia X - worth it entirely for the wooden steering wheel! It didn't have a sunroof as standard though, that's only standard on pre-facelift Ghia X cars.
 
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