One of my neighbours is a Jaguar X-Type owner – how significant, then, that the only car he had eyes for was my Ford Mondeo test car.

"I really wanted one of them, but they weren't out when I bought the Jaguar," he explained. "Now I wish I had waited."

But when the new Mondeo is assessed, it wasn't such a strange incident after all.

Because Ford has made such strides with the new Mondeo in terms of quality, interior and exterior design and sheer driving pleasure that it's really hard to pick fault. New Mondeo has become an executive car right through the range that's right up there with motors costing thousands more.

Quite simply, you don't get any better than this for the money with a mass-produced car.

At last Ford has been prepared to make a real design statement with the Mondeo, which is far more streamlined looking, with a dynamic, powerful and self-assured image.

Doors shut with an impressive thud and my wife found the tailgate door almost too heavy to pull down, such is its strength and solidity. The whole car feels tough and durable.

The good news continues inside, with Ford's brilliantly simple interpretation of high-tech equipment – it's all there but totally user-friendly. The main dials have welcoming, clear graphics, with the bonus of all speeds marked individually. A display panel on the centre stack has a touchscreen that is child's play to use.

And there's a genuinely useful computer information display with a variety of functions. Believe me, if I can work it all, anyone can.
Best of all, the interior has a genuine ambience and is quietly classy, with excellent all-round vision.

Mondeo also provides a comfortable amount of space fore and aft, with super rear legroom, and a huge boot.

The Titanium X 2.0 TDCi automatic five-door hatchback I tested (£22,945) boasted wonderfully comfortable and supportive seats with generous, wide cushions, and extra thigh support at the sides, in a classy leather and fabric mix. And on chilly mornings, it was good to have the choice of five heat settings.

The turbo diesel model I tested was smooth and packed plenty of punch – particularly in the mid range – and the auto gearchanges switched in silently. With big pulling power, smooth cruising and excellent economy, the 2.0 TDCi is going to be a popular choice.

If you want more direct control, Ford provides an adjacent straight-up-and-down sequential slot for 'manual' handling of the gears – useful when you need to hold a car in a gear for slow hill descents in ice or snow, for example.

The Mondeo has always been a good drive, and the new model continues that tradition. Handling is tidy and composed, there's plenty of steering feel and the commanding driving position is a bonus.

Importantly, the Mondeo's tight lock makes manoeuvring and parking easy and gives the car an agile feel. And ride quality is truly excellent.

The hatchback version I tested has a massive boot with a big cutaway area to help when loading large objects. Rears seats fold and tumble easily to provide a totally flat load platform, though there is a lip to lift luggage over.

Interestingly, Ford only expects to sell about four per cent of its conventionally-booted four-door Mondeo saloons, with the five-door hatch soaking up a hefty 72 per cent and the estate version 24 per cent.

Now with a simpler UK line-up and having built on the strengths of the recent S-MAX and Galaxy, Mondeo really has become the ultimate all-rounder in the class. It's also become an object of desire - even to some Jaguar owners.

At a glance:

• New Ford Mondeo, available as four-door, estate and five-door with Edge, Zetec, Ghia and Titanium X models.


• Builds on traditional Mondeo strengths and adds premium car features, including limousine-like comfort, ambient interior lighting and soft-touch materials.


• New driver-focused technologies available include keyless entry and keyless start with 'Ford Power' start button, tyre pressure monitoring system and Human Machine Interface instrument display.


• Delivers real driving quality and builds on Mondeo's acclaimed dynamics.


• Latest driver assistance and occupant protection technologies, including a driver's knee airbag and full-length curtain airbags.


• Choice of four TDCi diesels and five petrol engines.


• New Mondeo range fully developed in-house and built at Ford's Genk plant in Belgium.