66% down: Disco 3.0 to Focus 1.0
Discussion
A mix of WFH and a looming house build (economy dependent...) got me thinking of downsizing from a 2014 Discovery 3.0SD.
I sold that car a month ago and noticed we only really need two cars a couple of times a week, so I set a budget of a third of the sale price of the Disco before realising how little £6k buys at the moment. I considered the usual aged Jags, BMWs, Mercs and Lexai, but none in budget qualified for my car allowance scheme.
I also wanted to keep costs down during the house build, so I started looking at hatchbacks that I could feasibly keep for two years and that were reliable enough to cover the occasional national journey for work. To minimise depreciation I wanted one cheap so I scoured the market for weeks.
Enter the Ford Focus Zetec 1.0 125bhp. The cheapest 2016 car on the market nationally with less than 70k, presented brilliantly with one 2cm scratch and one 3cm wheel scuff being the only notable issues. Last owner since 2017, F independent SH and a box of receipts, matching Avon tyres plus a new gearbox last year. Also has Sync 2 which I wasn't expecting when I got there for the test drive.
At £6600 it is the cheapest car and the second least powerful I've ever owned. Having spent most of today in it I am hooked!
I sold that car a month ago and noticed we only really need two cars a couple of times a week, so I set a budget of a third of the sale price of the Disco before realising how little £6k buys at the moment. I considered the usual aged Jags, BMWs, Mercs and Lexai, but none in budget qualified for my car allowance scheme.
I also wanted to keep costs down during the house build, so I started looking at hatchbacks that I could feasibly keep for two years and that were reliable enough to cover the occasional national journey for work. To minimise depreciation I wanted one cheap so I scoured the market for weeks.
Enter the Ford Focus Zetec 1.0 125bhp. The cheapest 2016 car on the market nationally with less than 70k, presented brilliantly with one 2cm scratch and one 3cm wheel scuff being the only notable issues. Last owner since 2017, F independent SH and a box of receipts, matching Avon tyres plus a new gearbox last year. Also has Sync 2 which I wasn't expecting when I got there for the test drive.
At £6600 it is the cheapest car and the second least powerful I've ever owned. Having spent most of today in it I am hooked!
Isn't it odd that a car from 2016 needed a new gearbox?
On another note, early-ish ecoboost models had a nasty reputation for premature head gasket failure, which if not sorted could lead to complete engine failure. If I remember right Ford issued a recall to fit reinforced head gaskets. Might be worth checking if it's been done?
On another note, early-ish ecoboost models had a nasty reputation for premature head gasket failure, which if not sorted could lead to complete engine failure. If I remember right Ford issued a recall to fit reinforced head gaskets. Might be worth checking if it's been done?
Only real downside is the lack of majestic luxury a near 300bhp (remapped) 3 ton Discovery offers. I loved that car, they really are a lovely comfortable way to travel, especially on the motorway. We did Cheshire to Twickenham and back 5-up in the summer with just one stop on the way down (for the 6 year old) and we drove to Perranporth with just a 5 min loo break at Exeter last year. Effortless.
That and the ability to load everything including the big dog in for a week or two away. My wife was concerned about that but for the other 351 days of the year it is not an issue.
That and the ability to load everything including the big dog in for a week or two away. My wife was concerned about that but for the other 351 days of the year it is not an issue.
You’ll probably also worry less about the potential Disco terminal engine failure. I ran an 18 month old 3 then brand new 4 over 13 years and they were pretty much faultless (LR dealers dreadful though). However, I was always worried that I was going to be one of the owners with an exploding 3L V6 and a £15k bill. I probably wouldn’t have been but mine had to go when prices were high, I was two years out of warranty and I no longer had the income for a big repair. Lovely cars though, as you say.
Quick update as I'm a few weeks in now.
Negatives:
- There is an occasional issue with the alarm, which a bit of sleuthing suggests may be down to dirty sensors under the bonnet. Will take a look this weekend.
- the tyre pressure monitoring system is on the blink
- Neighbours and colleagues seem perplexed that I traded down to the extent that I've had people ask if I have money issues!
Positives:
- It uses about half the fuel of the Disco
- The kids love the retro rear window winders - probably because I can't lock them
- It has done about 700 miles this month without hesitation
- It is great fun to drive. There is something about moderate power in a great chassis with a manual box that makes me feel 17 again. I popped for some milk the other night and recreated a rally stage on the way back. My first car was a blue Orion 1.6L on carbs so this is ancestral.
There are some remaps which push these from 125bhp to circa 155bhp for a few hundred quid. I am sorely tempted, mostly for the torque impact.
Negatives:
- There is an occasional issue with the alarm, which a bit of sleuthing suggests may be down to dirty sensors under the bonnet. Will take a look this weekend.
- the tyre pressure monitoring system is on the blink
- Neighbours and colleagues seem perplexed that I traded down to the extent that I've had people ask if I have money issues!
Positives:
- It uses about half the fuel of the Disco
- The kids love the retro rear window winders - probably because I can't lock them
- It has done about 700 miles this month without hesitation
- It is great fun to drive. There is something about moderate power in a great chassis with a manual box that makes me feel 17 again. I popped for some milk the other night and recreated a rally stage on the way back. My first car was a blue Orion 1.6L on carbs so this is ancestral.
There are some remaps which push these from 125bhp to circa 155bhp for a few hundred quid. I am sorely tempted, mostly for the torque impact.
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