.
Pound for pound the Fords are better cars and certainly better value than the 1 and 2 Series.
The latter IN MY VIEW are the equivalent of the Mercedes A Class....built to a budget to attack a particular market at a price point, and the Mercedes in particular remains a dismal machine.
I have had a 1 Series and two 2 Series as courtesy cars, both were poor. Particularly the 2 Series cabriolet. No doubt an M1 is fun, but probably for about five minutes like the Mini Cooper S for the same reasons.
The Mondeo has been a class act in the real world from the start...if it had a BMW or Mercedes badge on it it would have got the recognition it deserves...some will argue 'front wheel drive', fair point to a degree but not really in the real world for the average driver, also gives a ton more internal space. PERSONALLY I would rather spend the money on a well appointed Mondeo.
Some Fords are better pound for pound that some BMs, but not all. No way would I have any Focus over any 3 Series, nor would I have any Fiesta over any 1 Series. Better value? Maybe if you’re only considering initial outlay but I’m not convinced that’s correct if you look at cost to own over three years. You might pay more for the BMs but you’d get much more of your outlay back at the end of three years of ownership.
The A Class is shite. A chap I know at the gym, his wife has one. He has a go-to mechanic that helps him with his weekend car, an old Alfa 3 litre V6. Anyhoo, his wife’s Merc developed a fault and he asked his mechanic, who subsequently refused to work on it on the basis that he probably wouldn’t be able to fix it as they’re so unreliable.
Back to the 1 and 2 Series. Same as any car, depends what you want it for. If you wanted a small hatchback, are you seriously suggesting you’d pick a Fiesta over a 1 Series? If I was looking for a car that small, I’d more than likely pick a Golf but that’s Focus category. I’m not sure Ford build a comparison to the 2 Series but comparing it to a Mondeo is sheeps and goats. What you say about the Mondeo is fair but you overlook one point, which would be significant for some; the one complaint my mate at work has is that it’s too wide and he struggles on some roads with those bullshit traffic calming narrow points. It’s also a nightmare on narrow country lanes. I have to confess though, I wouldn’t have known about that had he not said. Now he has, I can see it’s enormously wide.
As I’ve said above, Fords are good cars for the money. The longest I’ve ever kept a car is nine years and that was my Sierra XR 4 x 4. Awesome car and I loved her. If I absolutely had to have a Ford today, I’d prolly pick a Kuga as it best suits what I need a car for. However, I’d pick a Hyundai Tucson before a Kuga.