Toyota Avensis or Ford Mondeo (Diesel)

Matt406

Hi All,

I’m thinking about buying either an Avensis or Mondeo (diesel) between the years 2004-2006. All else being equal which one should I go for?? Any comments/suggestions/experiences on either/both would be appreciated!

Thanks.

bazz26

The Mondeo is more a driver's car than the Avensis but I find the Avensis is more refined when it comes to cabin insulation against engine and road noise. Both Mondeo TDCi and Avensis D-4D engines have pretty much similar performance and fuel economy. Just avoid the old TDDi engine in the Mondeo, it is course and sluggish. Both cars have ample space and boot size and reliability is pretty much on a par.

Known issues with both cars, dual mass flywheel (DMF) may need replacing on the Avensis at over 100k miles and the TDCi of the Mondeo is known to have injector problems at around the same mileage. Both pretty expensive jobs.

Drive both before deciding to be honest though as only you can decide which one is for you.

Stoolbend

Mondeo has flywheel trouble as well.

But at least in the avensis it can be replaced with a normal flywheel and clutch so to be honest i'd go for the toyota.

BrianD3

Avensis is a newer design and has a higher crash safety rating

Mondeo


Avensis


Legend

diamondtooth

I definately would never ever by a Ford. They just do absolutely nothing for me. They don't look nice, they are not very reliable, the interiors are average at best. Definately by the Avensis.

However I would also consider a VW Passat, Mazda 6 and Honda Accord.

Stoolbend

+1 on the Passat.
Definitely the best around but still will have to replace flywheel at some stage!

R.O.R

barry81 wrote: »

+1 on the Passat.
Definitely the best around but still will have to replace flywheel at some stage!

I'll cancel that out with a -1 for the Passat. If it's the previous model then it might be worth considering, but will still be over priced compared to the Mondeo / Avensis. The first of the current model Passat's on 05/06 are some of the least realiable cars currently available.

I'll echo what bazz26 said about test driving both to see what is best for you. Personally I prefer the Mondeo and it would probably be cheaper in the long run. Service intervals on the Avensis are every 15 - 16k (km), 20k for the Mondeo. I've never run an Avensis so I'm not sure what servicing costs are, but the Mondeo is pretty cheap to look after even at a Main Dealer.

Reliability of the Avensis is no longer that much better than the competition.

rugbyman

i would tend to agree with Bazz.

i have driven big mileage on rented cars and the Mondeo seems as good as you get. toyotas though refined seem a bit wimpish.

From the OP s point of view ,more important is how much they might cost in repairs.

Last year i read,with difficultu a French magazine about which cars give trouble and at what mileage it would appear.

it was scary how many cars, prestige ones and all that gave trouble. this magazine told you when the problems were cured by the manufacturers, so you could buy newer than that.

I am sure all this info is available.

the amount of cars that need new flywheels is strange. can anyone give me any info on that. Why are they fitted at all? are there advantages at the start?

Regards,Rugbyman

Lex Luthor

of the 2, the Mondeo. However, think outside the box at the other suggestions aswell. Accord worth a look

pburns

Some terrible advice in this thread -anti-Ford bullcrap, pro-Passat ('best all-round' me hole!) and even the Mazda 6 diesel gets a mention (the only Mazda that actually does give trouble)!
Accord a notch above but too expensive I'd think.
Mondeo or Avensis both worthy choices, personally I'd go with the Ford. Also consider Skoda Superb if space is a requirement.

bazz26

diamondtooth wrote: »

I definately would never ever by a Ford. They just do absolutely nothing for me. They don't look nice, they are not very reliable, the interiors are average at best. Definately by the Avensis.

However I would also consider a VW Passat, Mazda 6 and Honda Accord.

How anyone can shoot down the Mondeo for being unreliable and then go on to recommend a Passat is beyond me.

I've had a Ford for 2 years and the only thing that needed replacing was a boot lock, on the otherhand my sister has a Lupo that has no end of stupid problems ranging from faulty sensors to failed motor in the sunroof and my uncle had a new shape Passat that spent more times in the garage than on the road.

diamondtooth

Well I have a new shape Passat and it has given me no trouble at all. If reliabiality was the most important thing in the equation I would buy a Honda Accord, certainly not a Ford.

My main problem with the Ford is that I would have absolutely no interest in owning one. I find them uninteresting and ugly. Thats just my opinion I don't expect everyone to agree.

Matt406

Thanks all for your comments. I’ve narrowed it down to between the Avensis and the Mondeo for 2 reasons -
1) value for money
2) reliability.

I know several people with a diesel Avensis/Mondeo and none of them have anything bad to say about them.
I know too many people with troublesome Passat’s to even consider one. I’d definitely buy an Accord if I could get one at the right money but they are all 3-4k more expensive than an equivalent Mondeo/Avensis and I’d find it too hard to justify that difference.

gyppo

Ive owned a Mondeo TDci for over 3 years now (which is a record for me).
Over 75k miles, all it has needed is consumables such as tyres, brake pads, etc.. + 1 set of handbrake cables.
Regularly returns 50+ mpg. Only gripe I have is the suspension setup on the zetec model is a little on the firm side. It is set up to be a drivers car though.
Id find it a challenge to find a different car to choose from if I were changing it.

I had a 2005 Mondeo as a company car, it was the 90bhp TDdi thing, flywheel probs at 20K km, fixed under warrenty, about 10k km later an issue with intercooler pipework left me with little or no power / acceleration, again fixed under warrenty. Dealer claimed both were common probs.

In its favour, big, fuel efficient and not too slow. I didn't like it though. The TDci are a far nicer drive, I had one of them for a weekend.

Toyota_Avensis

Regarding Motor Tax, you could try bargaining hard for an 08' Reas. Mileage Diesel with great Low Road Tax. As far as I know, both fall under the same Co2 Band.
I was never a fan of the mondeo (looks wise) and I've never owned one due to the fact I was steered away from it by Ford Owning friends of mine who said never again would they buy Fords. Apparently, Fords are prone to Rust, older models, thus, I presume that has since been sorted on newer models. Re sale values on Fords are poor, so therefore, you're lucky you arn't buying brand new and you should have a good chance of getting a good deal on either in the new year.
Personally, I'd go with the Avensis, but in fairness, there isn't much between the two, unlike the huge gap which existed on earlier models.

brownswiss

Matt406 wrote: »

Thanks all for your comments. I’ve narrowed it down to between the Avensis and the Mondeo for 2 reasons -
1) value for money
2) reliability.

I know several people with a diesel Avensis/Mondeo and none of them have anything bad to say about them.
I know too many people with troublesome Passat’s to even consider one. I’d definitely buy an Accord if I could get one at the right money but they are all 3-4k more expensive than an equivalent Mondeo/Avensis and I’d find it too hard to justify that difference.

..

I know this is an old post but curious what you bought & how many TROUBLE FREE ! miles you have had since ?

Any one on this forum who has said cars are UN reliable are correct whether it is Ford, VW, avensis...

Those who dont have trouble usually have " A good Reliable car " to sell in the near future.

VW Passat is a lovely big solid car to drive but with Fly wheel & electrical issues is a nightmare.

Mondeo's injector problem will cost you over 1k & I understand that even in Walsh in Belfast you will pay over €800 for a clutch + flywheel.

Budget to spend €2k on any 2005 + car in repairs in a short period after purchase

rustynutz

brownswiss wrote: »

..

I know this is an old post but curious what you bought & how many TROUBLE FREE ! miles you have had since ?

Any one on this forum who has said cars are UN reliable are correct whether it is Ford, VW, avensis...

Those who dont have trouble usually have " A good Reliable car " to sell in the near future.

VW Passat is a lovely big solid car to drive but with Fly wheel & electrical issues is a nightmare.

Mondeo's injector problem will cost you over 1k & I understand that even in Walsh in Belfast you will pay over €800 for a clutch + flywheel.

Budget to spend €2k on any 2005 + car in repairs in a short period after purchase

I have a 02 TDdi mondeo, had to replace the flywheel, in fairness it had 130k miles on the clock. Got a solid (no more problems)flywheel kit and clutch on ebay off a crowd up north for 300 stg, mate fitted it for €150, so not too bad, apart from that havent had any problems with it

Matt406

Hi Brownswiss,

I actually ended up buying neither! I came across a 2006 Peugeot 407 2.0HDI with 67,000 miles on the clock for the right money and ended up with that. There’s currently 85,000 miles on the clock and it’s been trouble free to date; just fuel and servicing costs! I’m very happy with the car, it’s a nice comfortable drive and has a few little extra’s (dual climate control, cruise control) that help make driving that little bit more enjoyable. Having said that obviously I’m aware of possible issues with fly wheel/injectors/diesel particulate filter that may/may not be around the corner but I think that pretty much all modern diesels suffer from some/all of these issues. I’m actually half thinking of moving it on in the New Year to try avoid these issues.
I agree with you to a degree that cars are in general unreliable but some are definitely more so than others!

brownswiss

bazz26 wrote: »

The Mondeo is more a driver's car than the Avensis but I find the Avensis is more refined when it comes to cabin insulation against engine and road noise. Both Mondeo TDCi and Avensis D-4D engines have pretty much similar performance and fuel economy. Just avoid the old TDDi engine in the Mondeo, it is course and sluggish. Both cars have ample space and boot size and reliability is pretty much on a par.

Known issues with both cars, dual mass flywheel (DMF) may need replacing on the Avensis at over 100k miles and the TDCi of the Mondeo is known to have injector problems at around the same mileage. Both pretty expensive jobs.

Drive both before deciding to be honest though as only you can decide which one is for you.

..

Just wondering if there is much difference in the " known issues " between the 115 bhp and the 130bhp. In the extended family we have a 2004 Tdci 130 bhp and a 2005 basic 115 bhp. So far the 130bhp is giving the most trouble eg clutch, injector problems. Wondering if it is just a matter of time before the 2005 115bhp follows suit or has the lesser model a better engine. Thanks