Another vote for Mondea TDCI
 

Been looking for something to replace our 26mpg Volvo V70. Loved the car for what it did, 141k and never missed a beat, more toys than ELC, but couldn't live with the economy.

For the first time ever, did lots of research, including several threads on here, and the Mondeo seemed a good bet.

Picked up a '02 TDCI 130 LX, 68k for £5300 trade. Miss the toys and 'poshness' of the Volvo, but you just can't knock the Mondeo. It's pretty well put together, rides better, handles well, and there's an impressive kick at 2k from the turbo. Actually more fun to drive than the 217 bhp ST24 I had for a while, which needed it's nuts revving off to get going. We should get 48mpg average too, saving over £1k pa on petrol. Cheaper tax too, which I didn't expect - £135.

Out of interest, why can't you make a TD which revs like a petrol? Petrol engines would be pointless if you could.

The pressures created inside a diesel cylinder requires far stronger (meaning heavier, usually) components. Having said that, My astra will rev to 5k and pull all the way. 30 years ago, fords pinto engine was red lined at 5800rpm rover v8's at 5500rpm, so were not that far off. Get a dtuk green tuning box on it mate, it will fly then.
Dave

Misty - A fellow CDTi owner!

How much for the tuning box?
The 150PS is generally fine but I reckon the chassis can handle more oomph!

TDCi is a good engine but the Astra had more power and felt more solid.

Its not the heavy duty components its how diesel ignites. Diesel is ignited by compression, petrol by ignition. In any engine the fuel needs time to burn, diesel burns slowly, petrol explodes/burns very fast. The faster the engine turns the less time the fuel has to burn.

In petrol engines, as you rev faster you can alter the ignition timing to start the burn earlier (advance the timing). In a diesel beacuse the fuel is ignited by compression you can't change the point/time of ignition, hence as diesels rev faster they stop being able to burn the fuel completely. Therefore a high revving diesel is not possible. This also explains why they have such great torque, as the fuel burns longer through the stroke of the cylinder.

Anyone know when the all-new Mondeo (with the Peugeot-Ford twin-turbo 2.2 diesel) launches in the UK?

Autumn 2007

Should have held out for a Ghia or GhiaX. ;)

Hope you enjoy it. :)

Cheers
Lee

Matt. £229.00 mate after you get 25 posts on the astrasri website. Andrew is a great bloke too. I have mine set at 11:00 this gives about 190bhp and 300lbs/ft torque. And as they only weigh about as much as a classic scoob, once rolling this thing feels as fast as the Evo did!!!
Dave

Misty - Sounds veeeery interesting....!