ocking out 1802012 Focus Zetec S Ecoboost 180BHP - Opinions?

[carparkno1]

All,

Test driving one tomorrow - It's the sporty looking Focus with the 1.6 ecoboost knocking out 180bhp. Will be used for daily blat through town to the station, and weekends with the family and a few 1000 mile round trips ooop narth and back.

Looks like a massive amount of car for the money. love the look, and all the extras. Adding the driver assistance pack, privacy glass and special white paint brings it out to £22425.

Broker says it can be captured with all the above jazz for just over 17k!

If my local dealer can match it I will probably go for it as I can chuck my car in as part-ex. Is this likely?

So.... anyone got one? Anyone spec the drivers assistance pack? What's the 180bhp like, does it come in early in the revs?

And also, Ford Options... worth taking a PCP through that? I will be handing it back in three years as more kids are planned and I will undoubtedly give up on life and get a S-Max.

ps no idea why the title is so b"ggered!

[Defcon5]

With 17000 quid in you pocket is a 1.6 Ford Focus really what you want?

[300bhp/ton]

carparkno1 said:

Looks like a massive amount of car money for the money car.

EFA

[carparkno1]

What would be the other suggestions?

It has bluetooth, DAB, a tonne of aids, looks the part, and goes like stink apparently.

Interested to know what else is out there that matches it?

And I don't mean in the used market. Appreciate there are S5s etc but they cost a bomb to run. This has to handle a family and a daily blat.

[carparkno1]

currybum said:

I had one for about 9 months, the engine is very smooth (I have the same one in a c-max now) with no real lag. Without knowing you wouldn't necessarily know it was turbocharged, it’s swift rather than fast (but I have spent quite a bit of time driving the ST version), but was good enough to provide some fun when required. The 6 speed box is very nice and matches the engine well

Up to 6000 miles I got just over 40mpg with mainly city driving, it was down as 32mpg for the first 1500miles. You could probably get close to 50mpg with a little effort.

Out of the assistance pack, the bling spot monitoring and the city stop are the best bits, the auto park is fun, if not just to see the faces on passers by when you park with no hands.

My Wife didn’t want to get rid of it which is usually a good sign…on the other hand she really didn’t want to see the S-max go! The S-Max is great, i'll be getting another one in the summer!

Cracking stuff ta. I can't go past 200bhp, the kids will hurl and the wife won't like it. this is primarily my car and I want something that steers reasonably well, is fairly potent on a mway/around town, and costs to maintain are low enough. I've looked at Golfs, Astras, used BMWs etc, but this one ticks the boxes and the xetec s bodykit looks the part.

On the money side, 5300 off the list price is significant. As I say, aside from a used gti or cupra (or meganesport), I can't find much else that does it all and is new.

[300bhp/ton]

carparkno1 said:

What would be the other suggestions?

It has bluetooth, DAB, a tonne of aids, looks the part, and goes like stink apparently.

Interested to know what else is out there that matches it?

And I don't mean in the used market. Appreciate there are S5s etc but they cost a bomb to run. This has to handle a family and a daily blat.

Guess it depends what you want. If I was forced to buy a humdrum utility/whitegoods vehicle (company car type of thing) then the Focus is a fine choice. But it'll depreciate like a rock, so you are only deluding yourself that it's cheap to buy as total cost of ownership.

Personally I'd much rather buy something far nicer used, even if it cost a little more to run, it'd likely depreciate less. So the total cost of ownership would likely be similar, maybe even less.

But then I'm not personally all that concerned with how new a numberplate reg is.

[Dracoro]

carparkno1 said:

Cracking stuff ta. I can't go past 200bhp, the kids will hurl and the wife won't like it.

Hey! Here's a tip that means you could consider a more powerful car AND the kids will NOT hurl (and the wife will be happu): Don't use the accelerator as an ON/OFF switch! Simple.

[300bhp/ton]

Dracoro said:

carparkno1 said:

Cracking stuff ta. I can't go past 200bhp, the kids will hurl and the wife won't like it.

Hey! Here's a tip that means you could consider a more powerful car AND the kids will NOT hurl (and the wife will be happu): Don't use the accelerator as an ON/OFF switch! Simple.

Nah it's the new 'digital' age you see. Analogue is so old hat...

[carparkno1]

Dracoro said:

Hey! Here's a tip that means you could consider a more powerful car AND the kids will NOT hurl (and the wife will be happu): Don't use the accelerator as an ON/OFF switch! Simple.

Thanks, all these years of driving and that's what I was doing wrong...

[carparkno1]

300bhp/ton said:

Guess it depends what you want. If I was forced to buy a humdrum utility/whitegoods vehicle (company car type of thing) then the Focus is a fine choice. But it'll depreciate like a rock, so you are only deluding yourself that it's cheap to buy as total cost of ownership.

Personally I'd much rather buy something far nicer used, even if it cost a little more to run, it'd likely depreciate less. So the total cost of ownership would likely be similar, maybe even less.

But then I'm not personally all that concerned with how new a numberplate reg is.

On a PCP it has a MGFV of 6300 - 17k to start with, plus possibly chuck my part-ex in for another 2k - should keep the overall cost down. I get what you are saying about depreciation etc.

I don't care about a new numberplate, I have driven used cars all my life - this is my first new purchase aside from the wife's motor. I'm not trying to keep up with the Jones, but I also don't want to try and run a 535d that's had someone else's "rse in the drivers seat for the last 3 years!

[300bhp/ton]

Op, just a s food for thought exercise. Do none of these appeal for £17k?


BMW 325d M Sport Diesel Saloon Black Manual + SAT-NAV (2009) £17,000
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...



BMW 335d M-Sport Coupe - BMW Warranty (2007) £16,995
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...



Jaguar XJ 2.7 Twin Turbo Diesel Sport Premium SWB (2008) £16,990
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...



Jaguar XF D Luxury Finance Available (2008) £16,990
http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

[rb5er]

carparkno1 said:

Dracoro said:

Hey! Here's a tip that means you could consider a more powerful car AND the kids will NOT hurl (and the wife will be happu): Don't use the accelerator as an ON/OFF switch! Simple.

Thanks, all these years of driving and that's what I was doing wrong...

So it would seem. Your kids hurl in a car with over 200bhp? I think you should take them to the doctors. And your wife moans? Its how you are driving.

You could probably get the ST for similar money and it will actually retain some of its value.

[carparkno1]

rb5er said:

So it would seem. Your kids hurl in a car with over 200bhp? I think you should take them to the doctors. And your wife moans? Its how you are driving.

You could probably get the ST for similar money and it will actually retain some of its value.

F@ck me shouldn't have written that comment. They don't literally hurl and she doesn't literally moan - what I am saying is I want a warm car, not a 300bhp mega-warrior.

My driving style is fine, i don't stamp the throttle or drive like a hooligan, it was just to explain that my purchase needs to be at the less mental end of performance i.e 120-220bhp.

As for the used BMWs, they are nice, but again, I don't want a 5 year old car with high-end costs attached to it to maintain it, plus the fact someone else has had 4-5 years of sitting in it driving it how they want. Appreciate the examples etc but it's not really what I am looking for - plus, I am really tall and the 3 series has never had a good drivers position for me. Ironically the 1 series felt fine?!?!

[300bhp/ton]

carparkno1 said:

On a PCP it has a MGFV of 6300 - 17k to start with

Curious, but how have you managed to a £22.5k vehicle for £17k?

That aside, how long is the PCP? £17k - £6.3k is still a loss of £10,700. Which is £3500 a year on a 3 year deal. Plus you still won't own the car. Not too mention you'll still have to pay for servicing, tyres, break pads and things that may break not covered by warranty.

carparkno1 said:

plus possibly chuck my part-ex in for another 2k

Yeah but is that a - or a +? As in how much has it cost you already for it to be worth £2k?

carparkno1 said:

- should keep the overall cost down. I get what you are saying about depreciation etc.

Don't get me wrong, I know why people do this and buy new cars. Also a regular monthly payment can be easy to manage, but there's no way around or denying it's a HUGE cost.


To be fair, I really shouldn't try and dissuade you, it's your choice and to be fair to the Focus there's is probably little wrong with when compared to it's peers. But it is a bit like buying a new dish washer, a tool rather than something to truly enjoy. And I'm a firm believer if you have an interest in cars then you can run an interesting fun car with little additional risk and often cheaper overall.

[carparkno1]

300bhp/ton said:

Don't get me wrong, I know why people do this and buy new cars. Also a regular monthly payment can be easy to manage, but there's no way around or denying it's a HUGE cost.


To be fair, I really shouldn't try and dissuade you, it's your choice and to be fair to the Focus there's is probably little wrong with when compared to it's peers. But it is a bit like buying a new dish washer, a tool rather than something to truly enjoy. And I'm a firm believer if you have an interest in cars then you can run an interesting fun car with little additional risk and often cheaper overall.

I ran an Alfa Romeo, I know the pain of an interesting car lol.

Drivethedeal are discounting 5300 off the car - God only knows how.

It is a huge cost, and I don't do massive miles either, but that could change and I want something that covers all bases without being a 115bhp diesel :-(

Saying that, the 2.7 Jag you posted is lovely. A "proper" presence as some would say.

[Howard-]

carparkno1 said:

a tonne of aids

That can't be good.

[J3PTF]

carparkno1 said:

It has a tonne of aids

Answered your own question then, surely?

[rb5er]

carparkno1 said:

what I am saying is I want a warm car, not a 300bhp mega-warrior.

My driving style is fine, i don't stamp the throttle or drive like a hooligan, it was just to explain that my purchase needs to be at the less mental end of performance i.e 120-220bhp.

So its nothing to do with your kids or wife? You just wrote that for no reason? OK

The ST is not 300 bhp it is 250 bhp, so very close to your 120-220bhp figure. It will hold its money much better, look better, have a better interior, handle better but hey you just get that 1.6 ecoboost, it might even still be worth 5k in 4 years if you are very lucky. An ST would likely be worth £3k or £4k more.

[Chrisw666]

If I was buying a 1.6 Ecoboost Focus I'd look for a used 150bhp Titanium and would have the Mountune remap added.

Less outwardly sporting appearance, probably cheaper to buy than a new/near new 180bhp ZS and more toys.

[carparkno1]

rb5er said:

So its nothing to do with your kids or wife? You just wrote that for no reason? OK

The ST is not 300 bhp it is 250 bhp, so very close to your 120-220bhp figure. It will hold its money much better, look better, have a better interior, handle better but hey you just get that 1.6 ecoboost, it might even still be worth 5k in 4 years if you are very lucky. An ST would likely be worth £3k or £4k more.

Which is great, except there are next to no discounts on the ST to start with so you are looking at 4-7k more to get it in the first place depending on which ST you get on trim level. Your maths is astonishing, not to mention the higher insurance, tax, etc etc.

In your world, the ST won't depreciate as much. Ignore the fact you can't get close to 2k off it as it is brand new. You're picking and choosing your argument here.

Also, the looks part is objective - it's a bit too chav-tastic for me, and as stated, I don't need 250bhp through the front tyres or recaro seats for a daytrip with the little 'uns. I also didn't even mention the ST, I just said 300bhp.

In reference to the kids and wife, what I was trying to say was that I didn't need some M-sport monster that would put them off. I obviously didn't reference it well.

I think people are missing a serious point here:

Pay 12k for a v8 monster, it's a few years old, will cost a tonne to look after.
Pay 17k for a brand new car, costs less to run per month, get ridiculed because it isn't said V8 monster.

I asked for an opinion on the car and it has turned into a barrage of rubbish. TBF to 300bhp he understands where I am coming from even if he doesn't agree.