My daily driver....Zetec S TDCi
Discussion
I'm bored and working from home so thought that I'd start a thread on my daily driver, even though it's not really a PH car.
Before this I had an E46 325ti which I really liked but doing twenty plus thousand miles a year it cost me a fortune in both fuel and repairs. I could stomach the fuel but the amount of money I spent on upkeep got to me a bit and the car was at the point where I either needed to spend some serious money on it to keep it nice or just let it slip into shed territory so I decided to get shot and take a company car.
Our car scheme at work is really restrictive...either a Ford or a Vauxhall and the monthly sums to spend aren't great (it got massacred during the worst of the rescission). I didn't really like anything that Vauxhall made at the time so it was a truly poverty spec Focus or a Fiesta with a few bits on it. So I I opted for the latter.
I ended up with a white Zetec S TDCi with heated leather seats, DAB, Bluetooth, keyless start and interior pack one.
In just over two years it's done 45k and has cost me naff all so it was the right choice from a financial perspective however I've hankered for something more interesting, hence buying the E90 330 for my other half. I thought this would ease my desire for a faster / more interesting car but it seems to have made it worse!
Don't get me wrong the Fiesta isn't a bad little car but it costs quite a lot in BIK tax because if the high list price, highish CO2 compared to competitors and it's not that economical. Even driven gently it falls a long way short of its claimed figures, it is quite good to drive though although the engine is a bit agricultural and runs out of puff quickly. It does grip quite well though and the gear box is quite nice. The build quality isn't great though; I don't think its worth the list price (not that many people pay that though).
When it goes back in 2015 I'm seriously thinking of opting out and trying it run something a tad more interesting like an R53 Cooper S, E46 330 touring (will be great for lobbing bikes in the back), Clio 182 or an S3(8L). I figure that if they get too expensive I can always sell it and opt back in.
One of the main reasons for wanting to opt out if that I'll be looking at a Focus next time and spec'd up the tax will be high for a car that I don't really want. The only downside is that I'll be responsible for maintenance again...it's quite nice dropping the car off at a stealer and not worrying about the bill and the tax disc arriving in the post every year. Hmmmm.
Before this I had an E46 325ti which I really liked but doing twenty plus thousand miles a year it cost me a fortune in both fuel and repairs. I could stomach the fuel but the amount of money I spent on upkeep got to me a bit and the car was at the point where I either needed to spend some serious money on it to keep it nice or just let it slip into shed territory so I decided to get shot and take a company car.
Our car scheme at work is really restrictive...either a Ford or a Vauxhall and the monthly sums to spend aren't great (it got massacred during the worst of the rescission). I didn't really like anything that Vauxhall made at the time so it was a truly poverty spec Focus or a Fiesta with a few bits on it. So I I opted for the latter.
I ended up with a white Zetec S TDCi with heated leather seats, DAB, Bluetooth, keyless start and interior pack one.
In just over two years it's done 45k and has cost me naff all so it was the right choice from a financial perspective however I've hankered for something more interesting, hence buying the E90 330 for my other half. I thought this would ease my desire for a faster / more interesting car but it seems to have made it worse!
Don't get me wrong the Fiesta isn't a bad little car but it costs quite a lot in BIK tax because if the high list price, highish CO2 compared to competitors and it's not that economical. Even driven gently it falls a long way short of its claimed figures, it is quite good to drive though although the engine is a bit agricultural and runs out of puff quickly. It does grip quite well though and the gear box is quite nice. The build quality isn't great though; I don't think its worth the list price (not that many people pay that though).
When it goes back in 2015 I'm seriously thinking of opting out and trying it run something a tad more interesting like an R53 Cooper S, E46 330 touring (will be great for lobbing bikes in the back), Clio 182 or an S3(8L). I figure that if they get too expensive I can always sell it and opt back in.
One of the main reasons for wanting to opt out if that I'll be looking at a Focus next time and spec'd up the tax will be high for a car that I don't really want. The only downside is that I'll be responsible for maintenance again...it's quite nice dropping the car off at a stealer and not worrying about the bill and the tax disc arriving in the post every year. Hmmmm.
I currently own the Zetec S TDCi in the shape before this (Mk6.5).
I like it.
Cheap to run, good power throughout the range - remap has helped this.
It's not going to set the world alight as it's a 1.6 diesel, but it does cost £30 to tax, returns 50mpg and costs me significantly less to insure than the petrol equivalent.
Think that car would look a lot better on the bigger alloys, street pack?
Thought about trying the little 1.0 ecoboost engine? Has had good write ups!
I like it.
Cheap to run, good power throughout the range - remap has helped this.
It's not going to set the world alight as it's a 1.6 diesel, but it does cost £30 to tax, returns 50mpg and costs me significantly less to insure than the petrol equivalent.
Think that car would look a lot better on the bigger alloys, street pack?
Thought about trying the little 1.0 ecoboost engine? Has had good write ups!
Edited by JonnyxM on Wednesday 4th December 14:44
When I ordered it, you couldn't get the street pack with the diesel, only on the petrol so I was stuck with the 16's. Ford are a bit funny about certain options on certain models (you can't spec cruise on a Zetec S either). They do look better with the 17's because the rear end is quite tall and slabby.
If I step back, it is pretty damn cheap to run (53mpg and costs thirty or forty quid in BIK tax and nowt for repairs, tyres, tax of insurance).
I'm just trying to decide if I want more from my car or not; part of me loves the company car thing because I'm not responsible for it, so I can do as many miles in it as I want etc and not take a hot on depreciation and I'm happy chucking muddy bikes in the back but the other part of me would like a car that I genuinely like, especially as I spend a fair amount of time in it.
If I step back, it is pretty damn cheap to run (53mpg and costs thirty or forty quid in BIK tax and nowt for repairs, tyres, tax of insurance).
I'm just trying to decide if I want more from my car or not; part of me loves the company car thing because I'm not responsible for it, so I can do as many miles in it as I want etc and not take a hot on depreciation and I'm happy chucking muddy bikes in the back but the other part of me would like a car that I genuinely like, especially as I spend a fair amount of time in it.
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