Ford's new Mondeo is the Auto Express overall champion of 2007; the car rated as the number one by the highest selling motoring weekly in the UK. Auto Express road testers recognised that the Ford Mondeo represents a new breed of family car and in addition to the Car of the Year award, Mondeo also captured the categories of best family car and best estate car.

Editor in chief of Auto Express, David Johns, commented: "The Mondeo delivers effortlessly, performing with aplomb everywhere. It steers beautifully, rides with a composure and smoothness that's absent from even the best German executive cars, handles tautly and has a great range of engines. It's also vast inside, beats its rivals for quality, is clearly laid out with great refinement and comfort levels to take the sting out of everyday driving."

Best family car

Auto Express placed the Ford Mondeo straight at the top of its class, effectively eclipsing rivals as best Family Car.

Ford's family favourite was praised for its new look, bigger cabin and its even more polished driving experience. Its exterior appearance was considered to be striking without being controversial and that it was packed with clever details that emphasised its solidity.

David Johns commented: "Combining the sheer amount of room on board with its trademark hatchback, the Mondeo is more flexible than booted rivals. Every passenger gets increased space and greater seat comfort and no rival cruises as comfortably at high speed or deals with coarser surfaces so well. It even delivers a cosseting ride around town and thanks to its stiffer body it handles beautifully too. The incredible 75-car range completed the credentials that made Mondeo a worthy winner of the family car crown."

Best Estate Car

According to Auto Express, Ford had managed to launch not only a brilliant hatchback with Mondeo but it had also performed a remarkable achievement by also developing a class-leading estate version.

David Johns commented: "Although Ford made public its intentions to make the Mondeo an object of desire, its designers didn't fall into the trap of putting form ahead of function. Quite simply, the new Mondeo estate is what all good load-luggers should be – big, practical and superb at carrying stuff. From its hangar-like luggage bay to clever options such as the sliding floor, the Ford feels like a car which is designed to work for a living."

2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner  

BY STEVE SILER Before you buy that new Escape, more power and more gears are coming in 2009 for Fords compact SUVs. In the face of increasingly refined, stylish...

The Features Of 2008 Toyota Prius  

Whats new, trim levels, optional equipment, and safety info for the 2008 Toyota Prius. Introduction Toyota wasnt the first to bring a hybrid car to the U.S. mar...

Chrysler Stops Imperial Production and Prepares for New 300  

Commonly referred to as the poor mans Rolls-Royce, the Chrysler Imperial was scheduled to enter production by the end of the decade. Though the current 300 has ...

Ferrari Ultra-Light F430 Scuderia  

Weight is everything when it comes to sports cars. Reducing weight allows manufacturers to produce cars that handle better, accelerate quicker, and stop faster....

Next Generation Volkswagen Phaeton to be Both Sedan and Roadster?  

If at first you dont succeed, try again. This appears to be the motto that Volkswagen is taking with regards to its ultra-luxury sedan, the Phaeton. The Phaeton...

New Paint that Repairs Scratches Automatically  

Not that were recommending that you put it to the test, but Nissan Motor Co. has developed a new exterior paint that will automatically repair itself if it gets...