Ford Mondeo ST 220 3.0 V6

The Ford Mondeo 3.0L is just so brilliant, it has better build quality than a Mercedes yet just as fast, cheaper and far better looking. Brilliant boot, very fast, fantastic build quality and great value for money and as it is Ford you know that it is a name that you can trust.

I have always had top of the range motors from BMW to Audis, but this Mondeo is just a joy, a journey is an adventure, when you hit above 5000 rpm and the sound is brilliant and addictive.

The looks are extreme and people seem to love the blue oval, but also attracts the wrong kind of people.

It's taken me a little over a year to find an ST220 with the exact specification I wanted.

I chose the Saloon, as I think it is better looking than the Hatchback. Looking at the car from the side, the rear looks more in proportion with the long bonnet, and doesn't cut down to the back of the car as with the hatch. The Saloon is in fact more aerodynamic than the Hatchback, so I've read.

I've previously owned a MK2 2.0 Zetec-S and an MK2 2.5 V6 ST24. I have to say, driving an ST220 after having an ST24, the improvements and advancements are astounding! The ride, the handling, the steering, the build quality - everything is miles better than anything found in the MK2.

Inside, there is a very "germanesque" feel to the interior, the materials used are of a very high quality and all the buttons, knobs and switches move with a satisfying chunky feel. All the buttons are easy to understand, and are right where you'd want them to be. The Leather Recaro seats are fantastic. Heated and electrically adjustable, working in sync with the adjustable steering wheel its dead easy to find a comfortable driving position. The build quality in general is excellent, and has come a long way since the days of the MK2.

The Sat Nav unit is very good. I managed to suss out how to use it within a couple of minutes, and without referring to the manual. I visited my cousin at the weekend who recently moved to Milton Keynes (which is basically a city built around a billion round-a-bouts) and it was easy to find his house. As I was listening to music on the way, it began to fade down and a soothing airplane style "bong" came on as the lovely Sat Nav lady asked me to take the next left, then the music faded back up.

As I was driving to visit my cousin darkness began to fall. The Automatic Xenon lights burst into life, and the speedo dials lit up with a soothing green and red glow. I turned the heated seats on to the highest setting and set the cruise control to 80mph - it was one of the most relaxing motorway journeys I've ever had. As the traffic built up a bit I began to slow down to 50mph - after it had become a little less congested, a quick flick of the indicator that beeps 3 times, dropped it into 3rd and the car took off with a satisfying roar, pulling smoothly up until its 7000rpm limiter.

The next day I went for a spin around some backroads and wow... probably the most impressive thing about this car is the way it drives. In Saloon form, this car is pretty big, but the way it goes around corners is simply amazing - It never once felt unsafe or unruffled when chucking it quite hard into some corners. I can only describe the experience as... well weird, it just feels odd a car of this size, travelling at that speed round corners with absolutely no drama. Brilliant!

The car is a fantastic combination of luxury and speed. Anyone considering an ST220, I currently cannot rate it enough. There are now faster alternatives, such as the Vectra VXR and the Mazda 6 MPS, but the ST220 was introduced in 2002. Late 2003 saw the first facelift, which includes the fabulous 6 speed 'box. And to be able to stand up to cars that are 4 years newer is quite impressive.

From what I've read of the Vectra, it is quite poor, with its only forte being it's straight line speed, with the ST220 seeing it off round the track. The Mazda is quite well rated, but in my opinion isn't as attractive as the ST220.