Scotty and the folks around here; what are your thoughts on European Fords?
We have a 2004 Ford Mondeo Turnier in the family. My cousin bought it in Germany in 2008 and has daily driven it since.
It is a 2.0 TDCi (Duratorq) diesel; 130 hp; 6- speed manual. It now has 295;511 miles.
The handbrake doesn't work; there is a loud knock from the rear suspension and the brakes need to be replaced. Other than that; it runs fine.
However; my cousin decided not to fix it and wants to sell it as is or for parts.
Yesterday he bought a 2020 BMW 320d xDrive Touring; 1995 cm³; diesel; 187 hp; automatic tranny. He said his dream was always to buy a BMW.
He bought it from a BMW dealer used car lot in my town. The car sits close to 16;000 miles.
We've had great experience with Fords. Any opinions on the Ford and the BMW?
The 2nd gen Ford Mondeo was built on the same platform as 90s Mazdas.
While the Mondeo has never been terribly unreliable, they have always have been "meh" compared to a Passat or a Camry.
As someone who has also owned plenty of Fords from the Ford-Jaguar-Volvo era, they're fine cars for what they are.
As far as the BMW - the N47 is the same engine as TOYOTA used on many of their models.
It's not the greatest engine out there, you may need to replace the timing CHAIN from time to time - but it's decent.
The transmissions is quite good - replace the fluid and have fun, these ZF units are solid.
The real issue with this car is electronics and accessories, if it's not falling apart already - it might be good for 7-8 years.
It's not a Lexus IS250 (those are bulletproof) but it's also just better than the hybrid-only crap Mercedes makes, and especially compared to so many modern luxury cars that just feel like a chore to drive in the name of slightly faster shifting.
As far as your "great" experience with Fords, even the blind squirrel gets the nut once in a while. Your cousin's purchase of a used BMW (because he always wanted one) from a dealer will soon turn into a nightmare of outrageously expensive maintenance and repair items that could only be subsidized by a lottery win. Wish him luck. Emotional decisions are always wrong decisions.
