Which car to replace my Mondeo ST24 offers good performance and large load carrying ability?

I have owned a Mondeo ST24 estate for 12 years. It has proved reliable, relatively economical, sporty, good to drive with decent performance and carries everything, including the kitchen sink. At 150,000 miles on the clock, I need to start thinking about a replacement. The current Mondeo seems not to have a suitable option and my favoured Ford would probably a Focus ST estate. Other contenders are a BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 or a V60 Volvo. An Octavia would probably also be worth considering. I prefer a manual gearbox and petrol engine. Mileage will probably be under 10,000. I tend to keep my cars a long time and buy nearly new.

Asked on 27 April 2013 by CC, Yelvertoft, Northants

Answered by Honest John

The equivalent quick Mondeo EcoBoosts are now all Powershift autos. The 250PS Focus ST wagon is interesting, but I had problems with its trick diff and I'm not the only one: www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/ford/ford-focus-st.../

A BMW F30 245PS 328i would mean getting used to rear wheel drive: www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/bmw/bmw-3-series-f.../ A4 range test here: www.honestjohn.co.uk/road-tests/audi/audi-a4-b8-20.../ Have not yet driven a V60. Must put it on the list. New Octavia estate arriving soon.

Tags: manual gearbox performance economical petrol engines reliability

Similar questions

Can you recommend an equivalent to the Peugeot 3008, which we were disappointed with?

Following plenty of good reports, 'What Car Car of the Year', Honest John, etc we booked a test drive in a Peugeot 3008 1.6 VTi (the only one available) with a very positive attitude. We wanted this car....

Could you recommend an economical car with plenty of space that's fun to drive?

I am a student nurse in need of a good, reliable and reasonably economical car. However I am quite the car snob - having grown up around big brothers who like their cars, I have somewhat acquired the same...

Which small petrol car would you recommend to replace a Toyota Corolla?

My daughter has to replace her Toyota Corolla and can go to £5000-£6000 maximum. She averages 5000 miles a year, mainly short journeys with the occasional longer trip each month. For this reason, a petrol...

Related models

Audi A4 (2008 - 2015)

High quality interior with plenty of space. Excellent steering and handling. Available with quattro four-wheel drive. Frugal 2.0 TDI. Improved for 2012 with more efficient engines.

Ford Focus ST (2005 - 2011)

Characterful five-cylinder 2.5-litre engine. Rides and handles very well.

Ford Mondeo (2007 - 2015)

Very good to drive. Refined and comfortable to travel in. Massively roomy cabin and huge boot. Reasonable value. Efficient ECOnetic and EcoBoost models.