78: Ford Mondeo – Hanging in against an SUV onslaught

Ford’s hardy perennial is still hanging in there, in spite of having seen its market shares and sales figures slaughtered over the past decade. SUVs to the right of it, premium saloons to the left, here it is, still stuck in the middle with us.

It remains a solid, sensible choice with a couple of ripples of desirability running through it. One is the styling, lifted directly from the US-market Ford Fusion, and looking mildly mean and glamorous in and American car kinda way. The other is the handling, which remains at the upper-end of enjoyable, even if it's not as precise nor delightful as once it was, and has been overtaken in the driver appeal stakes by the Mazda 6.

New hybrid model is worth having a look at - it’s reasonably frugal and more refined than the diesel versions, and will be launched as an estate model in the new year. Posh Vignale spec makes almost no sense as a new car, but is a tempting second hand purchase once the ravages of depreciation have done their work.

Best model: Mondeo Hybrid Titanium saloon for €35,785