my history and current duo
Discussion
passed my test 2006 with this being my first car. a year 2000 2.0 ford focus zetec esp. was a great car and caused me no trouble at all in the time i owned it. it was prone to punctures though 
brilliant car to learn on with it being fairly gutsy meant i didnt stall it and having the esp there was a nice safety net to save my life when learning how to take a bend. mods were lowered suspension with 18" wheels and a different exhaust. it sounded really nice but the suspension gave it a hard ride.
2008 and a change to an 06 renaultsport clio 197. spent way to much of its time back at renault for warranty work. dodgy electrics and general poor build. not great service from the dealer network either with most issues it going in for not being fixed. despite this was the best handling car i have ever driven. awesome brakes and cross country pace. also looked the dogs dangly bits with the width of it. in the end the problems just carried on and when the warranty was up and i had to pay i had enough.
2008 seen the arrival of a seat leon fr 170 08 plate. after thinking i would save money and keep a cheap to run performance diesel there was no better choice. i found seat to be the best dealer i have ever had the experience of using. that said i didnt visit often as the car was flawless. the torque and general usability of this car is unmatched. i would go as far as to say the perfect car for most people. nice looking car with the optional 18" wheels, high mpg, and it was quick. alas it was a diesel and i couldnt stand the noise. one issue i did have was with the short journeys i was doing the diesel filter would need unblocking every couple of weeks. annoying at best when you have to drive past your house for a few miles and then turn around once its burnt it off.
early 2010 i decided couldnt be dealing with owning a diesel any more so chopped it in for a 58 focus st-3. This was the car i wanted from the get go. a different sound to all your other hot hatches and bucket loads of character. it is a thirsty car and goes through front tyres for a past time. but it is confortable and have had no reliability issues with it. i need to sell it to be able to afford to keep the vxr8 due to the pair of them being so thirsty, high tax and insurance to boot, but not motivated to force the issue as i love the car so much. it took me a good few months to source an unmolested example used with good miles and the highest of specs. was the most expensive one on the market when i bought it but depreciation soon knocks them down. great winter weather car. had no issues tackling snow, which was good as the leon really did struggle. now with prices coming down and the focus being a fairly desirable car i started to see similar cars around my area and needed something you dont see everyday.
and then a couple months back seeking the ultimate noise a vxr8 bathurst joined the focus. All i can say is WOW! the vxr8 is something else. makes a noise like nothing i have heard before and turns heads wherever it goes. most people do not have a clue what it is though. but then that is what makes it something great. driven normally is no more of a gas guzzler than the focus. but when going at it will be low single figures. general running costs are steep to say the least but i was pleasantly surprised at insurance being only a few hundred more than the focus and considerably less than something like an evo. I plan to have the vxr8 forever. maybe not in its current state of tune. but that is a long way of yet.
well to anyone that made it to this stage. thanks for reading. and please positive comments only i like to think there is something for everyone. unless you like red cars 
brilliant car to learn on with it being fairly gutsy meant i didnt stall it and having the esp there was a nice safety net to save my life when learning how to take a bend. mods were lowered suspension with 18" wheels and a different exhaust. it sounded really nice but the suspension gave it a hard ride. 2008 and a change to an 06 renaultsport clio 197. spent way to much of its time back at renault for warranty work. dodgy electrics and general poor build. not great service from the dealer network either with most issues it going in for not being fixed. despite this was the best handling car i have ever driven. awesome brakes and cross country pace. also looked the dogs dangly bits with the width of it. in the end the problems just carried on and when the warranty was up and i had to pay i had enough.
2008 seen the arrival of a seat leon fr 170 08 plate. after thinking i would save money and keep a cheap to run performance diesel there was no better choice. i found seat to be the best dealer i have ever had the experience of using. that said i didnt visit often as the car was flawless. the torque and general usability of this car is unmatched. i would go as far as to say the perfect car for most people. nice looking car with the optional 18" wheels, high mpg, and it was quick. alas it was a diesel and i couldnt stand the noise. one issue i did have was with the short journeys i was doing the diesel filter would need unblocking every couple of weeks. annoying at best when you have to drive past your house for a few miles and then turn around once its burnt it off.
early 2010 i decided couldnt be dealing with owning a diesel any more so chopped it in for a 58 focus st-3. This was the car i wanted from the get go. a different sound to all your other hot hatches and bucket loads of character. it is a thirsty car and goes through front tyres for a past time. but it is confortable and have had no reliability issues with it. i need to sell it to be able to afford to keep the vxr8 due to the pair of them being so thirsty, high tax and insurance to boot, but not motivated to force the issue as i love the car so much. it took me a good few months to source an unmolested example used with good miles and the highest of specs. was the most expensive one on the market when i bought it but depreciation soon knocks them down. great winter weather car. had no issues tackling snow, which was good as the leon really did struggle. now with prices coming down and the focus being a fairly desirable car i started to see similar cars around my area and needed something you dont see everyday.
and then a couple months back seeking the ultimate noise a vxr8 bathurst joined the focus. All i can say is WOW! the vxr8 is something else. makes a noise like nothing i have heard before and turns heads wherever it goes. most people do not have a clue what it is though. but then that is what makes it something great. driven normally is no more of a gas guzzler than the focus. but when going at it will be low single figures. general running costs are steep to say the least but i was pleasantly surprised at insurance being only a few hundred more than the focus and considerably less than something like an evo. I plan to have the vxr8 forever. maybe not in its current state of tune. but that is a long way of yet.
well to anyone that made it to this stage. thanks for reading. and please positive comments only
i like to think there is something for everyone. unless you like red cars 
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