Ford sees the Toyota Camry as the main competitor for its new Mondeo on our market. Will the newcomer be able to shake the already established priorities when choosing a business class car? We'll find out in the comparative test.
Toyota Camry.
A Camry is a good job, a decent salary, a spacious apartment and confidence in the future.
In the near future, the Toyota Camry will be the first Toyota made in urope, which will undoubtedly affect its price. The car, as they say now, will become closer to the people. But even today, thanks to its high running and performance characteristics, there is no shortage of people who want to become its owner.
The nine-year old son, who asked us to test it, seeing the new Mondeo, categorically said: "I will not drive a Camry! Well, he is understandable. A new toy always arouses more interest than the old one. And of course, initially a hand stretches to the one that has just been brought.
Here it is, a new car, smelling of fresh plastic and paint, enticing with its new forms and content. Later on, maybe in a day or a week, it will take its place in the toy box like all the others and will be lying around among the others. But for now...
So far, the Mondeo is definitely of more interest not only to the child, but to us as well. Nevertheless, for more objective estimation of the novelty and really to give a verdict who is better, we go to Toyota at first.
What to say, Camry is obviously a successful automobile. And successful in all respects. Respectable, dynamic, comfortable. It has everything that should be in a car, the essence of which is to emphasize the status and prosperity of its owner.
"What car do you have? Camry?" - and already your interlocutor looks at you with completely different eyes. In his eyes there is both piety and even envy. Of course, if you were driven in an S-class or a BMW Seven, there would be even more respect. But, as a rule, those who move in such cars, work in completely different strata of society.
A Camry is just a good job, a decent salary, a spacious apartment, a summer house and confidence in the future. Only really... And I like the fact, that while I drive this car, I am treated in such a way. Let it say "test drive" on the board. Let it. Jealous, I price it out!
And I like everything about it. Well, or almost everything. I like how 167? strong engine literally pushes the car forward, it is necessary to touch an accelerator pedal. I like the way the suspension works, giving the car a confident and at the same time comfortable stride.
I like the brakes, which are able to put this car on the run in the blink of an eye. I like the way the automatic 5? I like the fact that it has no manual mode: I see that I'm not being fawned over. I'm invited to relax and enjoy driving it for other things than questionable interference with the transmission.
I do not like only that qualitative and comfortable interior is diluted with inappropriate inserts of Karelian birch. Moreover, I do not understand turquoise color of the central console. Why?
Driving .
Quiet and measured driving in Camry is a real pleasure. However, pseudo-sportive driving is not alien to it.
Interior
Solid and spacious. Fully corresponds to the class of the car in terms of quality of finishing materials, and equipment.
Comfort .
Above all praise. You get what you expect.
Safety
A full set of means of both active and passive safety. True, only in a rather expensive complete set.
The price
Reasonable.
Ford Mondeo
Getting out of the Camry and getting into the Mondeo. It's a different world! I know the Mondeo interior is bigger, but I don't feel it. I feel just as comfortable here as I do in the Camry. There is not much difference in the second row.
But I understand even by interior design, that this car must drive in a little bit different way. There is something that adjusts to other style of driving.
The new Ford Mondeo possesses that set of qualities which yesterday was peculiar only to cars of a premium class. It has become not only bigger, but also more technologically advanced and safer. Let's add high quality finishing materials in the interior, rich equipment, and we get quite a tidbit.
Mondeo is more aggressive. More aggressive in everything. Starting from the seats with more developed side support and ending with the wells of the air ducts on the torpedo. Kinetic design, which Ford is so proud of now, is felt here literally in everything. I like here, too, but...
But for some reason it is not so cozy. May be because I can't find a key to switch the sound system on for a long time? It is very difficult to do it for the first time among a scattering of buttons on the central console. And maybe because the tachometer on an ultramodern dashboard has unusual appearance?
Let though for me the quantity of engine revolutions is not dominating at management of the car, still such asymmetricity does not please. However, to be fair, it is necessary to tell, that there are two more dashboards in Mondeo arsenal. But this one is considered one of the most advanced and is installed on cars with rich complete set. In general, unlike Camry, the Mondeo needs to get used to. Is it good? When we learn new, we, alas, forget the old. Take your old, less technological cell phone. You probably can't even remember how to get into the settings menu.
But you can reconfigure your current, much more complicated machine in a few seconds. Most likely, the same will be with Mondeo. Having got used to it, the owner won't complain about something inconvenient or unusual. Probably on the contrary, more simple decisions will cause his boredom.
However, what boredom we can talk about when you feel what the Mondeo is capable of on the move. It is more emotional, than Camry. Though the last one will not leave indifferent after the test drive too, Mondeo is more interesting.
First of all it steers better, sharper or something, and the excellent feedback of steering control allows feeling the car better while maneuvering. The Mondeo has slightly stiffer suspension. Undoubtedly, it affects the overall comfort, but exactly such stiffness gives you more confidence in emergency situations. Cornering is easier with such suspension. Camry, in this respect, is a little more floppy, in connection with what it is inclined to deviation from a trajectory. Its suspension is more likely disposed to measured driving, rather than to leaps in space.
Well, certainly, the engine: a 2,5-liter turbo engine eats all the petrol eaten by it. Dynamism is excellent. The Camry does not suffer from its absence also, but today it is presented in our market with only two engines while the Mondeo has as many as six ones, two of which are diesel. More than enough that everyone who wants to buy this car can make a choice.
Driving
The assemblage of the automobile constantly urges to dynamic driving. And why not? If it is easily given.
Interior
It is ridiculous to complain about tightness in such interior. However, the ergonomics of the central console has a little bit puzzled. You should get used to it definitely.
Comfort .
At the level. Only the noise isolation could be a little bit better.
Safety .
Equipped with an impressive uncompromising lineup of active and passive safety technologies.
Price
Adequate.
Ford Mondeo vs Toyota Camry specifications
Our opinion
Most likely, the new Ford Mondeo will not cause Toyota Camry sales decline. Its appearance only diluted the market, but in no way eclipsed the Camry. Telling the truth, richness of a choice of a complete set and availability of as many as six engines to choose from, undoubtedly, makes Mondeo more interesting to a consumer. However, the different ideology put in these cars at the stage of development, as it seems to us, will allow them to coexist for a long time without interfering with each other. Each product has its own customer.
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