Which car to buy avensis or mondeo

Damien360

I have a dilemma.

I am changing car from a 1.4 scenic 05 to either a 07 avensis 1.6 30Km on clock or the 07 ford mondeo 1.8 platinum/zetec(old shape) with 10km on clock. Both from dealers.

Both will cost me 12000 to change.

Avensis is bland inside and the mondeo has all the bling.

I want reliability and that should send me to toyota but is it really worth putting up with that much plastic?

Which has better fuel ecomony in and around town. Has anyone real figures as I never trust the websites for ford or toyota.

Thanks

Niall1234

Damien360 wrote: »

I have a dilemma.

I am changing car from a 1.4 scenic 05 to either a 07 avensis 1.6 30Km on clock or the 07 ford mondeo 1.8 platinum/zetec(old shape) with 10km on clock. Both from dealers.

Both will cost me 12000 to change.

Avensis is bland inside and the mondeo has all the bling.

I want reliability and that should send me to toyota but is it really worth putting up with that much plastic?

Which has better fuel ecomony in and around town. Has anyone real figures as I never trust the websites for ford or toyota.

Thanks

The Avensis is about as plain as you'll get. Do you even get Cruise Control on the highest spec ?

It would be an open and shut case if it were the new Mondeo (brother has one) but I don't know about the old Mondeo.

colm_mcm

Luna diesel and petrol Sol models get cruise control as standard Niall. What it'd come down to me would be resale value. Old shape Mondeos depreciated heavily when they were in production, now that the new model is out, it's pushed back further. The Toyota is safer and will hold it's value better. I'd expect it to be more reliable too, though the Mondeo is no banger.

-Chris-

I would go with the Mondeo personally.

The Toyota is bland and very well built, but has no charisma. It also only has a 1.6 engine. The Mondeo has a brilliant chassis, is really fun to drive, has the 1.8 and has great spec.

I don't think you'll ever sit behind the wheel of the Avensis and look forward to driving it.

I wouldn't worry about the old model/new model debate. If you keep your cars for 3 years, then you'll probably be trading in the old model no matter what car you pick.

Zonda999

I would also go for the mondeo.It was widely accepted that its only major problem was depreciation.The engine in the mondeo would also be better and more economical IMO.Mondeo nicer specced as well.And what an earlier poster was sayin about depreciation, those avensis's are SO common that depreciation is also a problem.Theres a new on in the offing too so that wont help.Get the mondeo, much nicer car to be in and drive

bazz26

I disagree with most of the above, the interior and exterior of the old model Mondeo is nothing to write home about and both are just if not more bland than the Avensis. I owned one of those Avensis and have driven plently of Mondeos, the Avensis does bow to the Mondeo on handling especially on twisty corners but I found the Avensis to be a more comfortable & refined motorway cruiser than the old Mondeo.

The Mondeo probably represents better value when buying second hand as the Platmum was a run out special edition model but if you plan on selling it in a year or too then be prepared to loose alot on it.

Both are probably just as reliable as each other though.

The OP really needs to drive both and decide which one suites him best. Nobody on here can make the decision for you.

Damien360

I know of many avensis taxis with huge mileage and any time you ask they always tell you how reliable it is. It is really bland inside but the 1.6 was'nt half bad to drive although I feel they are all a little overpriced for the spec. The avensis is the strata with air-con and not much else. But, there is'nt really anything missing. Electrics all round etc.

I have a diesal mondeo 04 zetec TDCI for work only and I do 30000 miles plus a year in it. I have had engine problems with it but then again it has over 100000 on it. The car sticks to the road like glue but I have no experience of ford petrols at all. The platinum spec has same as avensis plus climate, and rear park sensors. Park sensors are a gimmick but the wife likes them. I use climate control a lot and would miss it. These are rare as taxis, even with heavy depreciation in their first year and the taxi fleet is usually a good indicator of reliablity.

Reliability and fuel consumption and deprecaition are critical. Overtaking ability is next although just the ability to overtake comfortably and not blistering quick. If that makes any sense ? I am not sure where to stick comfort in that equation and that is where interior quality comes in to play.

That is where I am stuck.

E92

The petrol Mondeos have Mazda engines so they should be every bit as reliable as the Toyota. And the TDCi Mondeo is noted for having the odd bit of trouble from time to time. It has been mentioned by people who know a lot more about Fords than I do that the TDdi(i.e. the non common rail one) was actually a more durable engine.

The reason you wouldn't see Mondeos as taxis stems from this, I mean what kind of a taxi driver wants a petrol car(in saying that there is an E39 523i taxi doing the rounds in Cork at the moment).

JHMEG

E92 wrote: »

The petrol Mondeos have Mazda engines

Who makes the rest of the Mondeo?

O7Pat

Damien360 wrote: »

I have a dilemma.

I am changing car from a 1.4 scenic 05 to either a 07 avensis 1.6 30Km on clock or the 07 ford mondeo 1.8 platinum/zetec(old shape) with 10km on clock. Both from dealers.

Both will cost me 12000 to change.

Avensis is bland inside and the mondeo has all the bling.

I want reliability and that should send me to toyota but is it really worth putting up with that much plastic?

Which has better fuel ecomony in and around town. Has anyone real figures as I never trust the websites for ford or toyota.

Thanks

Are u willing to consider others? Or are u at the stage where it is just down to these two?
Personally unless u consider its a great price I would be reluctant to go for an old model 07 mondeo, if u keep it for a few years everyone thats looking at mondeos of the age will want the (current)new shape

Damien360

Just an update.

Thanks for the help but I bought the avensis. I asked myself a simple question. How many 6 year old avensis's do you still see on the road compared to the same age mondeo. They were both sold in equal numbers (there or thereabouts). Toyota wins hands down.

After the Renault, I really wanted reliability. The Renault had some electrical faults (all fixed) and an engine issue at the start (fixed). It drank like a V8 with the performance of a 1.0 litre. Turned out to be lamda sensor but dealer gave me loads of grief before changing the part and giving me extra year warranty to shut me up. Needed that for electrical problems on windows.

E92, nearly all the avensis taxis i see are the petrol 1.6 ones. Much cheaper as an initial outlay for a taxi driver than a petrol.

O7Pat, looked at passat also but that was 16000 to change to 1.6 comfortline. I limited myself to those 3.

Ignored the Skoda Octavia due to high servicing cost. A fellow worker had one and it cost him a fortune in repairs at servicing. Besides it depreciates like the Renault. I lost 8000 in 2 years on the Renault. Could'nt put up with that again.

Also ignored the mazda 6 as I know a mechanic in a mazda garage and he advised against due to servicing cost and he has seen a lot of engine problems in last year. Odd for a Jap car but true.

colm_mcm

what colour/spec did you get?

E92

Damien360 wrote: »

I asked myself a simple question. How many 6 year old avensis's do you still see on the road compared to the same age mondeo......

E92, nearly all the avensis taxis i see are the petrol 1.6 ones. Much cheaper as an initial outlay for a taxi driver than a petrol.

Well wear. The Avensis is a lovely car anyway, though the 1.6s have awful seats though. The Luna spec has much comfier seats. I don't know about the driver, but for the passenger the Avensis is definitely the better car.

The reason there are so many more 6 year old Avensis than Mondeos comes from the fact that a) Toyota have always outsold Ford in this category(Toyota have been the most popular car in the Avensis size for the last 16 of 17 years) and b) the Mondeo from 01-07 wasn't available with the all important for Ireland 1.6 litre engine(though with the new VRT on the way this is no longer a valid point for anything new). They introduced a more affordable 1.6 LX spec in the Focus at the time of the 2001 Mondeo for this reason(so as to keep 1.6 Mondeo customers with Ford).

Nothing at all to do with how many were sold vs how many are still there now, the Toyota was always a much more popular car here, so you would reasonably expect that there would still be more of them around! I don't have exact statistics to hand, but I *believe* that in 2005, Toyota shifted 8,800 Avensis, while Ford sold just 3,500 Mondeos.

As for Avensis taxis, I don't know where you are based, but of the considerable number of Avensis taxis down here in Cork, only a handful are 1.6s, the vast majority are diesel though, all that said there is a disproportionately high number of petrol Avensis taxis here too!

colm_mcm

In Dublin, a lot of taxis are 1.6, this is due to the belief that around Dublin city centre, no car is gonna be hugely econonomical. The clutch is a bit heavier on the diesel too. An owner of a tai company says he deliberately doesn't buy diesels because the drivers drive the diesels much harder.
That said, the diesel has to be worth the extra 5k if you're doing huge miles every year.

Damien360

I am based in Newbridge. Most the taxis are either old shape avensis 98 or new shape 03 avensis. Vast majority are 1.6 petrol. I won't argue your stats as I seem to remember reading those figures not long ago. But even given a 2:1 majority as you state, there are still far more than 2:1 avensis vs mondeo on the road.

I got the Strata spec in baroque red (debatable if it's maroon or not) and yes the seats are'nt great, but, it is the top spec available in 1.6 and I could'nt stretch the budget for Luna 1.8 or the diesal which I think is aura spec generally. The car does come with a full nokia car kit (6230i connector) and a tow bar, all fitted by the same dealer one year before. Bit freaked about the tow bar at first but I got the original owners name and my father in law knew who he was and said he just has a dog trailer for his greyhounds. I dealt with this Toyota dealer in the past and I trust him more than most salesmen.

Very happy with my choice in the end.

groupb

E92 wrote: »

The petrol Mondeos have Mazda engines so they should be every bit as reliable as the Toyota. And the TDCi Mondeo is noted for having the odd bit of trouble from time to time. It has been mentioned by people who know a lot more about Fords than I do that the TDdi(i.e. the non common rail one) was actually a more durable engine.

The reason you wouldn't see Mondeos as taxis stems from this, I mean what kind of a taxi driver wants a petrol car(in saying that there is an E39 523i taxi doing the rounds in Cork at the moment).

I'd have thought that the mondeo was the most popular taxi. Loads of them in Dublin. Do'nt think the 1.8 petrol engine is a mazda unit , but I've run two of them to over 100'000mls with no problems.

colm_mcm

The colour is called Brocade Red, Brocade is a type of material used in curtains I think...
I used to drive one in this colour, it's prob my favourite colour on the Avensis along with Storm Bronze (now discontinued)

maidhc

Damien360 wrote: »

Bit freaked about the tow bar at first but I got the original owners name and my father in law knew who he was and said he just has a dog trailer for his greyhounds. I dealt with this Toyota dealer in the past and I trust him more than most salesmen.

Funny, my grandfather puts a tow bar on evey car he buys. he changes his car every 2/3 years. He last towed a trailer in about 1993! The garage took a mint unused tow bar off a car we traded in too. It had actually never pulled a trailer, but they didn't want to turn off buyers.

Damien360

E92 wrote: »

The petrol Mondeos have Mazda engines so they should be every bit as reliable as the Toyota. And the TDCi Mondeo is noted for having the odd bit of trouble from time to time. It has been mentioned by people who know a lot more about Fords than I do that the TDdi(i.e. the non common rail one) was actually a more durable engine.QUOTE]

I have had the 02 LX TDDI 90bhp for work from 02 to 05. Put 110,000 miles on it and had'nt a days trouble with it. Not even a puncture.

But my current 04 zetec TDCi for work has had fuel injector problems. 4 over the life of 100,000 and counting. Also had engine cut out completly on overtaking lane of motorway beside 2 trucks. Had to squeeze between them as it decelerated to get to hard shoulder. Restarted no problem again and reoccured 2 more times about 10000 miles later. Have'nt seen the problem in 40000 miles. Clutch is starting to squeel (very low) in last 2000 miles. Still would'nt complain if boss paid for zetec 1.8 TDCI new one but I would think twice as a private purchase on the diesal. Terrible attitude to have to assets that are not yours but so be it.

moe_sizlak

while not in the same league as the new mondeo , they have been good cars since 2002
the avenssis is the dullest car known to man but also the most reliable
as someone said though , the only thing wrong with the mondeo is the depreciation which makes it great value 2nd hand
ford doesnt hold its value as well as it should in the same way vw holds it better than it should

id go for the mondeo but then i really like ford and really hate toyota

regedit

I think Mondeo is a nice car and yes, I would agree that Avensis as it is shaped now looks a little dull. However, most people do not buy Toyota's because of their looks. The reliability and resale value is of utmost importance for me.
Changing my Toyota in 2009 (not a single problem since 2003) and am considering the new Toyta Avensis 2009. Eventhough all the pics of it I have seen are heavilly masked, i have no doubt that it will be a great car

E92

regedit wrote: »

I think Mondeo is a nice car and yes, I would agree that Avensis as it is shaped now looks a little dull. However, most people do not buy Toyota's because of their looks. The reliability and resale value is of utmost importance for me.
Changing my Toyota in 2009 (not a single problem since 2003) and am considering the new Toyta Avensis 2009. Eventhough all the pics of it I have seen are heavilly masked, i have no doubt that it will be a great car

But will the new one be as reliable? I say this because Toyota are embarking on a massive cost cutting programme(along the lines of the big one Merc did about 8 or 9 years ago, as we all know, Mercs before that were bulletproof, but that has all changed for the worse), which includes using cheaper parts and materials, and if the Auris is anything to go by, future Toyotas certainly won't be as well built as the older ones, coincidentally:rolleyes: Toyota have been slipping down the BBC Top Gear survey in recent times, traditionally they used to be in the top 3 or 4, but this year they were only 7th, Honda and Mazda are well ahead of Toyota in these surveys nowadays, and if you google about it, you will see that some American owners are starting to have trouble with their newish Toyotas as well.

Doesn't stop the fact that everyone will buy them in this country, any Toyota buyers I know, including my own parents, don't even bother test driving anything else. They go straight for one "because they're reliable", I would point out that most petrol Fords use Mazda engines, and Mazda and Honda offer bulletproof reliability(as backed up by the Top Gear survey where Mazda and Honda were something like 3rd and 4th IIRC) but I never hear anyone buying these for reliability(Hondas are very expensive compared to the competition though, but Mazda certainly are not).

The new Avensis looks like an Auris saloon from what I've seen. It's even more boring to look at than the current one(which is quite an achievement), though the current Avensis is a super car underneath it's blandness as long as you don't get a 1.6/basic diesel with those horrible seats. Old man has a 1.8 Luna, a great car, miles ahead of the 1.6 and it has everything worth having bar leather and cruise control as standard.

Though the 2.0 diesel is supposed a great engine altogether, and though it hardly matters with the new one on the way soon, is the best in class for CO2 bar the Renault Laguna 1.5 dCi.

colm_mcm

who's seen pictures of the new Avensis, all I've seen are masked pics. not enough to make a judgement on.

Lobster

My friend has a silver mondeo, a lot of people think its a state car. Its quite funny

colm_mcm

as in a Garda car?

Lobster

Yeah unmarked car

colm_mcm

I always love driving D reg Mondeo LX's, people treat you so well!

S.I.R

i wouldnt by either laguna is beter regardless of this " dealer cover " and any other rubbish you get sold.... purely on the basis that Every car breaks , Fact. But when it do's ( and happens more common now a days ) you want it to be cheap as chips , hence why all mechanics either drive a renault laguna or vw passat , not because there rubbish and there bangers but purely because theres so many of them either broke or off the road that there cheap enough to run with no Major issues.... might save yourself a few quid for a nice hair cut or an extra pint at the local

paman

colm_mcm here is another photo crystal clear....


Looks really nice....!!!

someone please to make it smaller.. thanks!!

Damien360

Looks like the lexus rear. Side looks like the passat. Front is very angled looking. New Fords and Mazda 6 have those long length head lights.

colm_mcm

S.I.R wrote: »

i wouldnt by either laguna is beter regardless of this " dealer cover " and any other rubbish you get sold.... purely on the basis that Every car breaks , Fact. But when it do's ( and happens more common now a days ) you want it to be cheap as chips , hence why all mechanics either drive a renault laguna or vw passat , not because there rubbish and there bangers but purely because theres so many of them either broke or off the road that there cheap enough to run with no Major issues.... might save yourself a few quid for a nice hair cut or an extra pint at the local

The OP is looking for a new car.

"Dealer Cover" is an unlimited mileage warranty and roadside assistance packages that Toyota dealers give on used cars.