Hiya, Apologies I have been so active recently...littering the forum with so many queries and twittering as my flow of consciousness coalesce in to ongoing posts.

However I edge closer to a decision on a diesel Mk4 Mondeo estate. As you may recall (from numerous other posts!); all I really want is a reasonable family workhorse for about £2-3k that I can do some light servicing on myself...or YouTube some maintenance. I would likely keep it for a couple of years - longer if I am happy with it. For some reason I have a bee in my bonnet about wanting the part leather seats as a form of "luxury" for me. I do not know if that is ill-judged on my part!!

So, I am getting to the nub of the differences between the Mk4 and Mk4.5 2.0 tdci.... I am getting down to these differences:

• The Mk4.5 are 2011 onwards
• The Mk4.5 tend to be 2.0tdci but with 160bhp, as opposed to 2.0 with 140bhp. There are exceptions of course with 2.2's etc...
• The MK4.5 grill is different. Slimmer, two horizontal "bars" as opposed to a larger "grill"
• The Mk4.5 has a DPF that relies on a ceramic catalyst covering as opposed to a fluid top up - which renders it a "better"(?) system?
• The Mk4.5 has a "better"(?) injection system of diesel for DPF regen - have I understood that correctly? - the diesel is injected directly in to the DPF (so higher burn temp, better DPF regen) as opposed to diesel injection in to the cylinder and so a lower burn temp by the time it reaches the dpf. This lower burn temp at the dpf is not as good and therefore the Mk4.5 is a "better" way...
• Mk4.5 because of a slightly different spec therefore has a slightly different (lower) weight. This lower weight positively affects the CO2 output and so the MK4.5 has lower VED - generally nearer £155 as opposed to £210 a year.
• The MK4.0 had steering rack problems which seem rectified in the MK4.5

Understandably, it seems that in my price range there are more Mk4.0 to choose from, than Mk4.5. I guess, because of those pesky seats, I am looking at a Titanium X as a minimum spec, unless there's a rare Zetec Business edition out there somewhere...

At this seemingly bottom(ish) end of the market finding a real "gem" is unlikely - though not impossible...and there is likely to have to be some compromise somewhere.

At in excess of 120,000miles or so I am hoping to have had cambelts and water-pumps changed. Maybe clutch and flywheels... as I don't know how to do this. Brakes I am happy to tackle though...

I am in no immediate rush...but at some point I need to make a decision, even if it is to "stop looking for a few days and wait and see"....

So, on the assumption that most of what I have said so far is "fact" (more a less)....what are people's opinions? Is it "worth" holding out for a Mk4.5....likely spending the top of my budget on a not so good one, arguably. Or spend a decent amount of my budget on a potentially "better" condition Mk4.0? Or compromise and, say, get a 4.5 Titanium that ticks all boxes bar the leather seats? Or a fully spec'd Mk4.0 that but is not as good with regard DPF processes , steering rack etc? Or are these things I should be wary of but not put off by?

I would value any opinions.

Thanks for reading!

I'd say that you've summed things up nicely, the newer cDPF used is the 2.0/2.2 MK4.5 TDCi is worth potentially losing the nice leather seats for.  Other than the fancier seats, there really isn't much between a Zetec Business and a Titanium X.

1 hour ago, FatHead1979 said:

there really isn't much between a Zetec Business and a Titanium X.

very true, but the re-sale value and future desirability of the Titanium X will always be higher