Search
Close this search box.
Sign up for our weekly Newsletter

Ford Mondeo Vignale Estate 2.0 TDCI 180 Powershift: third long-term report

Ford Mondeo Vignale Estate front three quarters
Ford Mondeo Vignale Estate: mainstream luxury

Share

16 September 2017

I HAD an interesting conversation recently with a fellow social media user on Twitter.

It went along the lines of:

He: I can’t believe who would want to pay so much money for an Edge Vignale model. It’s only a Ford. Should buy Audi/BMW/Mercedes etc.

Me: Actually plenty of people do go for Vignale or top-end Titanium X Ford models because they like the all-in well-specced package. In fact, that’s one of the reasons Ford introduced Vignale.

He: Come off it; wouldn’t pay that much, poor quality etc. You’re an apologist for Ford.

Me: No. We should just recognise well-made, good to drive packages and not revert to badge snobbery.

Ford Mondeo Vignale Estate touchscreen
Touchscreen display

And so on…

Clearly, there will always be people that want the badge, whether that’s cars, clothes, or shoes, but the Vignale experience is certainly worth considering.

Currently the cost of the long-term Mondeo Vignale we’ve been trying is £32, 560 – which is a chunk of money but it does come with an elegance and specification to match that high-end price tag. Or you can lease the Mondeo Vignale Estate for under £350 + VAT a month on a three year/30,000 miles business car lease deal.

It’s undoubtedly refined, with comfortable leather seats, an interior that’s quietened thanks to acoustic glass that cuts down on outside noise, along with Active Noise Cancellation, and ambient lighting to create a sophisticated interior driving space.

The diesel engine responds swiftly, swishing gently but progressively through the PowerShift auto transmission and the steering has a nice weight to it, steering those 18-inch alloy wheels precisely around corners.

 

Looking for a car lease on a Ford Mondeo Estate Vignale?

 

Where I like the Mondeo Vignale Estate less is around the 8 inch touchscreen. While it delivers on all scores – from excellent sound to good satnav directions – I find I have to take my eyes away from the road to really understand what my finger is stabbing at.

Perhaps I’m being slightly Neanderthal and should have tried harder to set up the voice control function. Nevertheless, it was the one area of the Ford I didn’t enjoy

But the Mondeo Estate Vignale isn’t just about the on-the-road experience. It’s also about the Vignale ownership experience you get from Ford Stores – such as free car washes. The Vignale manager at the Ford Store Guildford told me that his first Vignale customer had come back every week for a car wash. Which he was fine with, because it established a relationship with the customer. And that’s partly what Vignale is about – a more personalised experience.

So the Mondeo Estate Vignale is more than just the sum of its (well-specified) parts and capacious estate interior; it’s an opportunity to experience the Vignale concierge service, but also drive an executive car without having to shout about the badge.

And for many SME firms, that’s exactly what they need: a company car with a touch of class but without the shouty bits.

That’s very much the Ford Mondeo Estate Vignale experience. Stick it on your list of cars to try next time you’re in the market for a company car. And don’t be stuck in your views like that Twitter user.

Ford Mondeo Vignale Estate
Ford Mondeo Vignale Estate: class company car choice

Ford Mondeo Vignale Estate data figures

  • Doors and body style: Five-door estate
  • P11D: £32,560
  • Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder Euro 6 turbo diesel/Six-speed automatic transmission
  • CO2 Emissions: 119g/km
  • Economy (combined): 53.3mpg
  • My average: 43.1mpg
  • Power/Torque: 178bhp/399Nm
  • Company Car Tax Band: 25%
  • Company Car Tax at 20% yearly/monthly: £1,628/£135.66
  • Company Car Tax at 40% yearly/monthly: £3,256/£271.33
  • Insurance Group: 29

 

 

Share this article

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Reddit
Email

Want more motoring news?

Sign up here for our free weekly serving of motoring.

Sign up here for our free weekly serving of motoring.

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton

Ralph Morton is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Business Car Manager (now renamed Business Motoring). Ralph writes extensively about the car and van leasing industry as well as wider fleet and company car issues. A former editor of What Car?, Ralph is a vastly experienced writer and editor and has been writing about the automotive sector for over 35 years.

Latest news

Top