Talk to me aboout Mondeos.

[BinnsY]

So I've been driving a 2010 Octavia VRS for the best part of three years now and in all that time I've never been able to get truly comfortable whilst driving it. I think it's something to do with my body shape in that I seem to have relatively long legs in relation to my arms. This means I tend to have seats quite a long way back and then often find I'm over reaching for the steering wheel. Unfortunately with the fact the Octavia has a very long clutch pedal and increadibly high brake relative to the accelerator I find I have to have the seat closer so I can push the clutch all the way down, but then as I reach my right leg up off the accelerator to push the brake it causes me to splay my legs out which is where the problem occurs. Its all to do with the bolster on the side of the seat and essentially it ends up digging into the underside of my thigh causing me pain on anything but short trips. I've tried just about every seating position going and whilst some are better than others none truly solve the problem and I think it's all down to the odd trait VAG group cars have where the brake pedal is considerably higher than the accelerator.

Because of this I've been casually looking at other cars on Autotrader and today have come across this.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201903065590574

I've taken it for a test drive and find it much more comfortable than what I'm driving now. I've also recently had my first child and with the size of modern isize child seats the extra rear leg room really appeals as the front passenger seat in my octavia only becomes suitable for short adults once there is a baby seat behind it. We are potentially talking about having another child in a couple of years as well and the added space of an estate is paticuarely appealing for this as we like doing self catering holidays in the UK once or twice a year so the extra space is great for prams / cots / luggage etc. I only do about 8000 miles a year so am only interested in petrol and don't want anything noticeably slower than my current Octavia.

This is what leads me on to my line of questioning. Is there anything about the linked Mondeo above that would put people off or anything more I should be looking for? I notice this one isn't badged as having the "X" pack but it seems to me that it has all the options this includes. As far as I can see the only options it's really missing is radar cruise but this is something I can live without and trying to find a 240 Petrol Mondeo Estate with all the options this has and radar cruise for less than £20,000 is essentially an impossible task.

Opinions / comments welcomed

 

[rodenal]

I was in a vignale recently which was pretty nice as an all rounder but the one thing I would not have able to live with was the box, it was really quite uncertain of which gear it wanted to sit in - particularly noticeable in slow to medium motorway traffic. Would honestly have driven me mad eventually.

This was a diesel and I guess could have been at least partly driver related I suppose but it's worth being absolutely certain you have tested it on a varied enough route.

The only other noticeable criticism I had was the infotainment looks a bit low res and low rent now but it's perhaps a bit unfair to judge the car against the likes of a BMW system.

 

[BinnsY]

Thanks, I did get a bit of variation sat at around 40 - 70 on the test drive (Was maybe 20 minutes) and I'll be planning to add for a second longer drive before actually pulling a trigger.

I think I get what you were referring to in some ways but I actually found the auto box ok. The only sort of hesitation I noticed was when changing from crusing to flooring the accelerator and it took the box a moment or two to respond and drop the gears before the acceleration kicked in. It's certainly something I'll have another look at / keep in mind though.

I've tried to convince myself I can go the BMW route as I would love something like a 528/530 touring but unfortunately my budget simply doesn't extend to afford one that would be worth considering.

 

[Minstadave]

You must be bale to get a decent F11 5 series for sub 20K, just look at the 520D, it's pretty capable and will give you much more choice.

Edit - plenty on autotrader. I'd give one a test drive, can't hurt. It's a very competent package.

 

[BinnsY]

I only do about 8000 miles a year so really want to avoid diesels to be honest. Unfortunately this severley limits the market for me on this kind of car.

 

[Minstadave]

As you say - that will severely limit your choice, understand the reasoning though.

 

[blueboy2001]

That one has got the X pack - which you want for the LED lights if nothing else, because the standard lights are terrible. It also has the later Sync 3 infotainment system and the optional Sony stereo which is well worth having.

The 2.0 EcoBoost is a decent engine in most respects but it is on the thirsty side. In the Mk5 this engine is fitted with a normal torque converter automatic rather than the dual clutch Powershift which makes them a little more thirsty still. If you’re happy with high 20’s MPG, maybe low 30’s on a long run, it’ll be fine.

 

[BinnsY]

Thanks, that's what I thought, the improved stereo and sync3 were on my desires list and there what pulled me to this model. With my mileage and the fact I only get about 30MPG now the MPG aspect doesn't worry me too much.

 

[dale1uk]

Have you looked at the newer Octavia and Superb estates? The 2.0TSI engine has better performance and economy than the Ford offering. Even the 150hp 1.4 worth a test drive.
I've got a 2013 mk3 petrol Octavia VRS estate with the DSG gearbox and can't fault it TBH. The back seats are more the big enough for my 2 boys (2 and 4yrs old) and the boot easily swallows up all their stuff.

 

[StevieP]

I went from an Octavia to a Mondeo Titanium X Business Edition a few years ago and it just didn't suit!

To this day I can't put my finger on what it was that I didn't like about it but it just felt so vanilla!

Since then I've gone back to another 17 plate Octavia and I think it's a far nicer car to drive and is loads bigger both in terms of the cockpit and boot!

The 2 litre diesel Octavia feels like a sports car compared to the 2 litre diesel Mondeo!

 

[Kenai]

Have you looked at the newer Octavia and Superb estates? The 2.0TSI engine has better performance and economy than the Ford offering. Even the 150hp 1.4 worth a test drive.
I've got a 2013 mk3 petrol Octavia VRS estate with the DSG gearbox and can't fault it TBH. The back seats are more the big enough for my 2 boys (2 and 4yrs old) and the boot easily swallows up all their stuff.

He'll have the same issue with the fact the pedals are too close compared to the dashboard, making the seating position awkward for someone with longer legs but shorter arms.

The DSGs are better for this though as you lose the marathon distance clutch pedal travel and can base your seating position on the brake / throttle pedals alone.

 

[IAmATeaf]

He'll have the same issue with the fact the pedals are too close compared to the dashboard, making the seating position awkward for someone with longer legs but shorter arms.

The DSGs are better for this though as you lose the marathon distance clutch pedal travel and can base your seating position on the brake / throttle pedals alone.

But he’s now looking at autos so still worth a look at least in my books.

 

[dale1uk]

But he’s now looking at autos so still worth a look at least in my books.

This. If he's looking at an auto then the peddles are no longer an issue.

 

[Kenai]

This. If he's looking at an auto then the peddles are no longer an issue.

The seating position still is to an extent though, as the 2 pedals are still very close to the driver compared to the dash, so if you set the seat by the pedals he may still find he's over reaching for the dash controls. Pulling the steering wheel towards you mitigates some of this but unfortunately the dash itself doesn't move

It's not an entirely uncommon complaint in Skoda circles.

The manual suggests a gap of 6cm between your leg and the dashboard but I suspect if most people set up their seating like that they'd find their legs feel too close to it.

 

[Deleted member 66701]

The MK4.5's are better, so I'd try and find a low mileage, high spec one of those over the mk5.

Mine (2.0tdci chipped to 190bhp, Powershift, Titanium X)



Wife has a MK4 2.0 ecoboost titanium x sport but I find the PowerShift on that a bit "janky" at low speeds - they improved the PowerShift boxes massively for the MK4.5

 

[233]

spend half the money and get a minted mk4.5

having owned both the mk4 is a far and away better car than the mk5

nothing wrong with the mk5 but its in no way special in anyway

 

[BinnsY]

The seating position still is to an extent though, as the 2 pedals are still very close to the driver compared to the dash, so if you set the seat by the pedals he may still find he's over reaching for the dash controls. Pulling the steering wheel towards you mitigates some of this but unfortunately the dash itself doesn't move

It's not an entirely uncommon complaint in Skoda circles.

The manual suggests a gap of 6cm between your leg and the dashboard but I suspect if most people set up their seating like that they'd find their legs feel too close to it.

Thanks for the advice all. I've driven a superb today as well (it was a diesel hatch but the same seats / gearbox setup so good for gaging the pedals etc) and I found the above to still be the case. It's certainly better than my Octavia with not having the stupidly long clutch travel, but even on the relatively short test drive I noticed I still felt like I was having to lift my leg to get to the brake pedal instead of just moving my foot sideways and its that that ultimately makes my leg ache on anything but short trips.

I gave the Mondeo another test drive for a good 30 minutes on roads I'm familiar with and it just seems that I can get the seat lower and further away from the wheel making my legs nice and comfy, but with the extra reach on the wheel I can still keep a nice bend in my arms and it just felt much more comfortable over all.

I've pulled the trigger now and put a deposit down on the one linked in the OP and pick it up on friday so hopefully it all proves to be the right decision in the long run!

Thanks for the help all.

 

[233]

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edit/// posting in completely the wrong thread