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Hi Seamus,

The rule of thumb is never buy on mere mileage, always buy on condition and history. If the car has a full service history, that's a good sign. If the garage is willing to stand over it with a warranty, that's good too, although it would be worth pushing to see if you can get a full year. Don't forget also that the 'mileage' is actually 'kilometreage' and that 100,000 is actually only 62,000 in old money.

For what it's worth, our own 2009 MINI Clubman has more than 100,000km on the clock and it still looks and feels like a new car (when I remember to clean it). Mondeos are built to a pretty high standard, and as I say, once that service book is fully stamped up and the dealer seems reputable, then you should be fine. At least you can be confident it's not been clocked...

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Hi Seamus,

A Mondeo 2.0 TDCi is, frankly, a great choice - spacious, comfy, well made and superb for that kind of long-haul journey. Just as a suggestion though, it may be worth coming down a class and having a look around, just as a way of potentially keeping your running costs as low as possible. Perhaps a Honda Civic diesel or a Skoda Octavia TDI? Both are massively spacious (so would carry your height with plenty of space behind for baby seats etc.), but would also be a little cheaper to run than the Mondeo, and almost as comfy on the long haul. Worth a thought, but if you fancy the Mondeo, go for it. Buy one with a full service history and you won't go wrong.

Let us know which way you go in the comments below.

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Hi David,

It's interesting that the 1.6 petrol Focus of that generation was generally more reliable than the 1.6 diesel version - probably something to do with the petrol engine being older, dumber and simpler. Not that the 1.6 TDCi is especially bad, it's just sensitive to having the right grade and type of oil at major services, the exhaust gas recirculation valve in the turbo can give trouble and software issues can cause slow starting and misfires.

Hope that helps

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Hi Amanda,

Yes it will - the new S-Max will have two down-sized engines compared to the current model. A development of the current 1.5 TDCi, as seen in the Fiesta and B-Max, probably developing around 115- to 120hp and a new three-cylinder petrol turbo 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine. Both of those should significantly bring down the running costs of the car, and we'd be very surprised if both don't sneak into Bands A1-A4 for tax.

Quite whether their day-to-day fuel economy will match up to their expected quoted figures is another thing; small engines in big cars tend not to do so well when it comes to real-world economy, but we look forward to finding out. The current S-Max is one of our favourite cars and the new one looks likely to pick up where the outgoing one is leaving off.

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Hi David,

It's actually a very good car, and as long as it has a full service history you shouldn't have too much to worry about. That 1.6 TDCi engine is robust, but just make sure that at each service it has been topped up with the correct grade and type of oil as it's a bit sensitive in that regard. The only regular weak point is the exhaust gas recirculation valve, which can give trouble. Any lack of power or sluggish acceleration is the giveaway. Loud? Not really. Of course, a petrol-engined version would be a touch quieter but the Focus is at least as refined as any of its main rivals. Of course, being a Focus, that means that there's lots around to choose from, so be picky and shop around until you find a really good one.

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Hi Aidan,

I'd suggest either a Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi, a Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI or a Kia cee'd 1.6 CRDi. All of them fall into your price bracket, all are well built, reliable and economical and all are comfy for a lengthy daily commute. You won't go wrong with any of them and there are plenty of each available so shop around and be choosy.

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Hi Dave,

Maybe slightly, as I would have expected the auto box to push the resale value down a touch. Still, a cracking car and the Ghia badge has a kind of retro appeal these days. Have a good hard haggle and try and get a few quid off. Or do another search; we found a well specced Mondeo 1.8 TDCi estate for a shade over €13k. Lots out there to choose from so be picky.

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Hi Kevin,

I'd say your choice is a pretty good one. The first generation Focus C-Max wasn't the most exciting car around, but it was pretty well put together, comfy and good to drive. You can get them up to 2007 with the 1.6 TDCi 90hp diesel, which should suit your driving pattern pretty well. At 15k a year, even mostly urban mileage, I'd say you definitely need a diesel just to keep the running costs down.

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Hi Ian,

There are really only two options when it comes to S-Max engines and those are the 125hp 1.8 TDCi diesel and the 2.0-litre TDCi diesel in 140hp form. There was a 163hp version as well, but they're pretty thin on the ground and forget about the rarer than hen's molars 2.5-litre 212hp petrol version with the engine from the Focus ST; it was fantastic fun but nobody bought one as far as we can tell.

Now, originally both the 1.8- and 2.0-litre engines shared the same 164g/km CO₂ rating, which makes road tax a bit on the pricey side (€570 a year), but in 2010, Ford facelifted the S-Max, dropped the 1.8 TDCi and introduced an updated 2.0 diesel with emissions of 143g/km, making for a much more palatable €390 a year tax bill. So, that's the one we'd advise you go for and as long as you get either a Zetec or Titanium spec version, you'll get a reasonable amount of toys to keep you happy in the cabin.

Cracking car, the S-Max actually. Spacious but terrific to drive. Let us know how you get on.

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Hi Myles,

With that length of a daily commute, I'd reckon that you should definitely go for diesel and back in 2008 there was actually a choice of Focus diesels, with the run-out 1.8 TDCi and the incoming 1.6 TDCi both available. Both are excellent choices, with the 1.8 possibly having an edge on overall reliability (it's an older and more proven design) but the 1.6 having the edge in terms of fuel economy and emissions. Find a well-cared for example with full service history (those diesel injection systems are complex and need looking after) and you won't go wrong.