So I want cheap motoring

[Janesy B]

What a stupid comment, it does share an interior because its fundamentally the same car.

Heck although it isn't the right car for the OP it kinda sums up the value debate when a 2000 Ford Mondeo ST24 costs less than a 2000 Focus 1.6 Zetec!

Yes and the interior looks utterly crap and makes the Focus look new age.

The ST24 is cheap because they are 'expensive' to insure and thirsty, Normal MK2s are cheap because they are falling to bits and dealers are trying to get away with selling the remaining few that are in good condition for £1500. You'll probably spend as much getting a tidy 51 plate Mondeo as you would getting a Focus. Maybe a tiny bit less but its not half the prove, £1000 cars are usually crap.

 

[[TW]Fox]

When you stop driving that horrific Fiesta you can call the interior of a Mk2 Ghia X 'crap' but not until then.

I always found the interior a nice place to be.

It's dated now but to say thats 'utterly crap' compared to - of all cars - a Mk1 Focus is just a strange thing to say.

For comparison this is the Focus:

The Mondeo is not 'utterly crap' compared to that. And I'm being kind to the Focus as that one has rather rare half leather seats which I've never seen before and will probably never see again.

And as you are having difficulty reading I never said a Mk3 Mondeo was half the price. It's not. A Mk2, however, probably is. And yes, many of them are falling to bits. Just as many 98-01 Focus falling to bits as well though, given they are all the same age. My point is that a Mk2 Mondeo is better and much cheaper, a Mk3 Mondeo is *significantly* better and no more expensive.

So why buy the Focus? There is one key reason to buy the Focus - it handles very well. But he doesnt appear to give a stuff about that, so pick the better equipped, nicer to be in car.

 

[Janesy B]

When you stop driving that horrific Fiesta you can call the interior of a Mk2 Ghia X 'crap' but not until then.

I always found the interior a nice place to be.

The Fiesta also a crap interior made out of melted down supermarket carrier bags and deigned by someone robbed of their sanity and sight. Now we've cleared that up, the MK2 Mondeo does suffer from looking like the inside of a crap American car from the 90's and although it was solid it was unsightly and looks badly out of date. The MK3 Mondeo is bland and they didn't nail it until the facelift. MK1 Focus interior is pretty eccentric however it is better than that of the MK2 Mondeo and certainly not miles off the quality of a MK3 of the same age.

Find a picture of a MK6 Escort, it looks a damn sight more similar to the Mondeo you posted.

I think we're just arguing over personal reference, I've always reserved a hatred for the MK2 Mondeo interior.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Now we've cleared that up, the MK2 Mondeo does suffer from looking like the inside of a crap American car from the 90's

No, it doesn't. If anything, the Contour has the interior from a half decent European car from the 90's - because thats exactly what happened. There is another car which also got sent to America, interior and all. I wonder what car that was? Oh, yes, the Ford Focus. So I guess using your logic that also has the interior from a 90's American car, given the Focus is also a 90's American car.

and although it was solid it was unsightly and looks badly out of date.

It is a 1990s car. Of course it's out of date. So to is your beloved Focus which is now simply a crap old hatchback, rather than a motoring utopia. I know it's your aspirational dream car, but lets get some perspective here, shall we? It's not exactly perfect.

The point is that a 90's designed X plate Mondeo is a 900 quid car. Whereas the Focus still actually costs half decent money. For.. a 90's designed hatchback. Greaaaaaaaaat.

The MK3 Mondeo is bland

Perhaps then he should purchase an Aston Martin V8 Vantage or maybe an Alfa Romeo 159? Or a Ford Focus 1.6. lol.

and they didn't nail it until the facelift.

The facelift wasn't exactly revolutionary, was it? A slightly different centre console. Big stuff when looking at a cheap car.

He wants a cheap car. Therefore a Mk2 Mondeo is basically like a Focus but bigger and with more kit for 900 quid, or a Mk3 Mondeo costs the same as a Focus but is a genuinelly considerably better car in every way.

It's that simple.

Find a picture of a MK6 Escort, it looks a damn sight more similar to the Mondeo you posted.

The Focus interior is unique. It isn't similar to anything because they never did anything else like it. Mk2 Focus is nothing like it. Mk3 Mondeo is nothing like it. Quite why it even matters I don't know as it doesnt change the fact that a Focus isn't as good a cheap car as a Mondeo because it isn't that cheap for what you get.

The OP has even specifically said he thinks it's probably a Mondeo he needs. So he clearly doesnt mind the negative aspects like the size. Given he's obviously happy with a Mondeo why on earth would he want a Focus instead?

He'll likely be after the Mk3 anyway which makes the Mk2 v Mk1 Focus debate irrelevent and I'm just going to laugh at you if you continue to try and argue the Mk1 Focus is better than a Mk3 Mondeo

 

[Janesy B]

What extra equipment do you get in a MK3 Mondeo over the respective model of Focus? I'm not really claiming the Focus to be anything other than a bland small family car, you seem to think I'm exclaiming it as the second coming of Jesus and that my sole purpose in life is to buy a Focus and then masturbate furiously over how fantastic it is. If you want to discuss my personal circumstances, I'm in the awkward position of living at home where I can afford to run and buy something more 'exotic' than a Focus but in an area where I cannot insure anything of interest and I can afford to move out into a better area, where I won't realistically be able to afford to buy or run anything 'interesting' but that's my own problem and I'm quite happy with what I have considering I drive once a week and get the train to work. Now that's settled we can move on.

Personally (key word) I think a MK1 Focus is a better car than a MK2 Mondeo and yes a MK3 Mondeo can be the answer, I *personally* think that externally the MK3 looks bland and dated and the Focus looks *slightly* less dated. A Focus is a few hundred more than a MK3 Mondeo but its not half the car for double the price, as you claim.

I would also like to add that you started the MK2 Mondeo debate and that I never said the Focus was a better car than a MK3 Mondeo, just addressing the point you made - why buy the Focus when the Mondeo exists. I just said why you'd might buy a Focus. You've gotten a bit carried away.

 

[Peerzy]

A Focus is a few hundred more than a MK3 Focus but its not half the car for double the price, as you claim

In that case I'd get a MK3 Focus surely?

 

[Janesy B]

In that case I'd get a MK3 Focus surely?

That's probably going to be the better car out of the lot but I don't think the OP wants to wait 10 years for them to be 2k

 

[[TW]Fox]

What extra equipment do you get in a MK3 Mondeo over the respective model of Focus?

Cruise control? Heated seats? Onboard Computer? Electric seats? Climate on the top models (VERY rare on the Focus except ST170 as you well know).

A Focus is a few hundred more than a MK3 Mondeo but its not half the car for double the price, as you claim.

No wonder people get frustrated arguing with you. You simply cannot read. Here it is AGAIN:

My point is that a Mk2 Mondeo is better and much cheaper, a Mk3 Mondeo is *significantly* better and no more expensive.

It was the Mk2 that is half the price, not the Mk3.

I would also like to add that you started the MK2 Mondeo debate and that I never said the Focus was a better car than a MK3 Mondeo, just addressing the point you made - why buy the Focus when the Mondeo exists. I just said why you'd might buy a Focus. You've gotten a bit carried away.

It started because you said you cannot compare a 1999 Focus with a 1999 Mondeo which is of course a ridiculous thing to say. They are totally comparable, and the Mk2 as a result offers astonishing value compared to the Focus as a cheap car.

 

[lozza23_uk]

I must agree with the mondeo, I bought a P reg one several years ago. £1100, 2L 16v. 80k miles.

I traded it in with 150k on the clock for 200quid (no tax!) for another mondeo (estate) I will be doing exactly the same when I want to get a new shape one.

In reality I have spent very little money on these cars, both have required suspension work, usually due to overloading with heavy music equipment. Servicing is cheap.

Parts break/fail whatever car you have. Making the post purchase wallet squeeze a little more bearable goes a long way in my book.

 

[PMKeates]

I've owned cheap Mk.2 and Mk.3 Mondeos with the intention of spending very little on them. While both did come with comprehensive servicing packages, I think the actual cost of maintenance for these two cars over a combined 10,000 or so miles was like £50. This contrast starkly with the 530, which has probably cost £1500+. They are really great cars for budget motoring, and if you do it '***** style' they can cost barely anything.

I very much preferred the Mk.3 over the Mk.2, but that's not to say the Mk.2 is bad - just the Mk.3 is a clear generation step and a really fantastic car for the money. A friend of mine has owned a Mk.3 2.0 Ghia X for years and it has been a really great all rounder.

 

[Alistairk]

£2K isn't a cheap car LOL.

I s'pose this is all relative.

I have found older Japanese cars to be brilliant for cheap, can't kill it, bangernomics. Utterly soul-less for the most part but some old duffer spec Toyota or Nissan mid range mid spec small to mid size car (I don't even remember what they are called they are so bland) and you are on the road for a handful of £20 notes, and if you do break it you can scrap it at little loss.

If you don't care for the image, handling or whatever, these old Japmobiles are usually really comfy, pretty well equipped, reliable and cheap on petrol compared to the usual Vauxhall/Ford etc. alternatives.

I got put off Fords as cheap motoring as they seemed to suffer from lots of electrical faults and the like, niggly things which its a PITA to rectify.

OTOH there are plenty Fords in scrap yards making parts scavenging cheap and easy.

 

[rG-tom]

the mk2 mondeo interior is nicer than the mk1 focus imo, my dad owned his focus alongside my mondeo iirc and it was not as nice a place to be at all! His lack of cruise control, climate and electric seats, a proper trip computer etc don't appeal too much either.

Not bad for a sub £1k car tbh! It had done 120k in that photo too

 

[DRZ]

My £1250 ST200 is better inside and out than any mk1 focus.

The Mk1 focus is dogturd in comparison to the mk2 Mondeo. The Mk3 Mondeo leaves the Mk1 focus for dead in every regard.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

So in one word focus or mondeo?
I've read a lll your replies and im still confused lol.

For my circumstances 10k miles total tops , short length trips at most 40mile trips.

what do you all think?

 

[[TW]Fox]

Mondeo.

 

[ZG002]

Id go with the Mondeo myself out of the two, But for some reason I got myself a Primera when I was looking for something similar. They can be had for even cheaper at times lol. Not as nice to look at though.

 

[Defcon5]

Id go with the Mondeo myself out of the two, But for some reason I got myself a Primera when I was looking for something similar. They can be had for even cheaper at times lol. Not as nice to look at though.

If you get a red one you can pretend you are Matt Neal

 

[ZG002]

lol, I did actually have a Red one.

 

[aproctor]

Test drive both, pays your money and what not.

My Mk2 was a pretty nice place to be in all honesty and was clearly another league to the focus.

1,000,000 Gypos can't be wrong.

 

[ghop]

Mondeo is probably the better choice for cheap motoring due to being a fair bit cheaper to buy, however, I wouldn't swap my Focus for one any day of the week. I do 30 miles a day in mine and the 1.6 engine is ideal for my needs. I get around 40-45mpg, I've found it to be very comfortable on the odd long journey I do and I absolutely love the styling. Something a bit different and has aged extremely well.