I would buy the Mazda.

I once bought a car that had done 200 miles in 3 years before being registered for the road. Didn't cause any issues, and that was a diesel! As the Ford is petrol it should be even less risky. I'd opt for the Mondeo, provided you can haggle on price.

Firstly, do you really need a car that is considerably bigger than your current one? If (like mine - I also own a 2006 Mazda3) you've had no/little trouble with your current car, why change? Not that for both cars, you'll be paying a reasonable amount more for running costs (fuel, insurance and servicing) unless your Mazda3 was the MPS version.

I suspect, assuming both were properly cared for by their previous owners (you cannot guarantee that) the Mazda would give less problems as its a non-turbocharged car, but generally they seem good vehicles.

Even though I'm a fan of Mazdas (styling, handling and performance), I have always thought that particualr Mondeo is very good on those fronts too, far better styling-wise (both inside and out - looking much more upmarket) than the Focus and the Mazdas of the same era (and the one you're looking at, which is fine). I much prefer the Mazda6 mk1 and mk3 (current one) for styling (similarly for the 3).

One thing ask is have you had your Mazda3 servicied at a local main dealer or independent? If you get the Ford and you've been having your Mazda3 serviced at the main dealer, then you'll have to take some gamle (unless you know its reputation already) by having the Modeo serviced elsewhere.

Edited by SLO76 on 25/09/2016 at 15:12

The Mondeo is quite a bit bigger than the Mazda but the Mazda has a bigger engine so will be more interesting to drive: so it depends on what your priorities are.

Mileage needn't be an issue, but a full service history is vital: in the case of the Mondeo this will need to be measured in years, not miles.