Which focus to buy?
Discussion
Hullo folks.
I was made redundant a few weeks ago & this prompted me to sell my much-loved Impreza.
Once I find another job (very soon hopefully - hate not having my own car!) i'd like to purchase a Focus Hatchback and i'd appreciate any advice on which one to go for.
Budget will be around 8-9K, so the Mk2 will be the one i'm going for (05 to 57 plate roughly).
I've had a bit of a look around at the available engine & trim options and i THINK i'd like to go for a TDCI, either in Zetec Climate, Ghia or ideally Titanium (if I can afford it) spec. It's got to be a 5-door too. Tonic Blue again would be ideal, although colour isn't top of the 'must have' list.
I've noticed the Ghia has the wood-dash surround which i'm not keen on, and the Ghia alloys don't do it for me either. I understand the 1.6 and 2.0 TDCI units are fairly new engines whereas the 1.8 diesel engine dates back to the 80's - is this correct?
I've also noticed a few people having problems on various forums with their Focus diesel engine management units - spluttering, rev-limited, dying at 70mph on the motorway etc. Are these issues solely related to the 1.8 TDCI?
Coming from an Impreza i'd like to have some decent performance, hence why the 2.0 TDCI appeals, but the 2.0's seem to be pretty scarce compared to the 1.8's. Also, a 2.0 TDCI Titanium 5dr seems to be like hen's teeth!
So.... any advice on what spec and what engine to go for would be appreciated!
I was made redundant a few weeks ago & this prompted me to sell my much-loved Impreza.
Once I find another job (very soon hopefully - hate not having my own car!) i'd like to purchase a Focus Hatchback and i'd appreciate any advice on which one to go for.
Budget will be around 8-9K, so the Mk2 will be the one i'm going for (05 to 57 plate roughly).
I've had a bit of a look around at the available engine & trim options and i THINK i'd like to go for a TDCI, either in Zetec Climate, Ghia or ideally Titanium (if I can afford it) spec. It's got to be a 5-door too. Tonic Blue again would be ideal, although colour isn't top of the 'must have' list.
I've noticed the Ghia has the wood-dash surround which i'm not keen on, and the Ghia alloys don't do it for me either. I understand the 1.6 and 2.0 TDCI units are fairly new engines whereas the 1.8 diesel engine dates back to the 80's - is this correct?
I've also noticed a few people having problems on various forums with their Focus diesel engine management units - spluttering, rev-limited, dying at 70mph on the motorway etc. Are these issues solely related to the 1.8 TDCI?
Coming from an Impreza i'd like to have some decent performance, hence why the 2.0 TDCI appeals, but the 2.0's seem to be pretty scarce compared to the 1.8's. Also, a 2.0 TDCI Titanium 5dr seems to be like hen's teeth!
So.... any advice on what spec and what engine to go for would be appreciated!
The 1.8 tdci is the older 8 valve engine with 115bhp. Not a bad thing but a heavier diesel engine though plenty about for parts and lots of advice on reliablity issues.
The 1.6 is a 16 valve unit and comes in 2 power levels 90bhp and 110bhp. differences are more than a simple remap job and cover turbo and intercooler IIRC. My fiesta is the 90bhp version and now has around 105bhp from a bluefin, still returns 55+ mpg without paying attention to economical driving and is a light engine. I have not experienced one problem with the engine so far.
The 2.0 was the first modern diesel I drove and is a very good engine from the experience I have had of it. They are rare but worth seeking out as the biggest flaw with the other 2 motors is the lack of a 6 speed box. It is a flexible motor and in C-max form still manages to cruise at 90 leptons and return a good mpg. My dad has ran 2 of these now and not had any issues come up with the motor either.
Personally if I was buying now and looking at a focus I would find a good spec Zetec Climate or a Titanium. I believe the only thing the Ghia adds as standard that the others lack is cruise control but a lot of them will have had it fitted as an extra.
These 2 may fit your requirements.
http://www.jennings-ford.co.uk/usedsales/view.aspx...
http://www.jennings-ford.co.uk/usedsales/view.aspx...
The 1.6 is a 16 valve unit and comes in 2 power levels 90bhp and 110bhp. differences are more than a simple remap job and cover turbo and intercooler IIRC. My fiesta is the 90bhp version and now has around 105bhp from a bluefin, still returns 55+ mpg without paying attention to economical driving and is a light engine. I have not experienced one problem with the engine so far.
The 2.0 was the first modern diesel I drove and is a very good engine from the experience I have had of it. They are rare but worth seeking out as the biggest flaw with the other 2 motors is the lack of a 6 speed box. It is a flexible motor and in C-max form still manages to cruise at 90 leptons and return a good mpg. My dad has ran 2 of these now and not had any issues come up with the motor either.
Personally if I was buying now and looking at a focus I would find a good spec Zetec Climate or a Titanium. I believe the only thing the Ghia adds as standard that the others lack is cruise control but a lot of them will have had it fitted as an extra.
These 2 may fit your requirements.
http://www.jennings-ford.co.uk/usedsales/view.aspx...
http://www.jennings-ford.co.uk/usedsales/view.aspx...
We have a 1.8TDCI ourselves, but I've driven both the newer 1.6 and 2.0 versions and IMO our 1.8 can hold its own against these engines. That said a 6-speed in it would be lovely.
The Ghia has electric windows all round which I think is one of those things you don't realise how useful it is until you have them.
The Ghia has electric windows all round which I think is one of those things you don't realise how useful it is until you have them.
it propels the car along and thats about it , naff power delivery and coarse and rough sounding , i would be looking at the 1.6 tdci , nice and smooth and £35 road rent.Cheers for the advice guys.
Depending when/if I get a new job i'd like to go for a 2.0 TDCI Titanium if I can find one. The ford garage in Inverness has a nice red 2.0 TDCI GHIA SE but it's way overpriced at nearly 12K for a 57-plate car. I can go to motorpoint and get the newest-shape 2.0 TDCI Titanium on a 57 plate for less!
Depending when/if I get a new job i'd like to go for a 2.0 TDCI Titanium if I can find one. The ford garage in Inverness has a nice red 2.0 TDCI GHIA SE but it's way overpriced at nearly 12K for a 57-plate car. I can go to motorpoint and get the newest-shape 2.0 TDCI Titanium on a 57 plate for less!
Yugguy said:
Well we must have a different 1.8tdci from everyone else in the world then, as ours pulls from 1500 rpm all the way to 3500 rpm, and is far smoother and quieter than the new 1.6 110bhp TDCIs that I've driven.
i had a 1.8TDCI in the MK1 shape, good unit when its running. i had a 1.6TDCI unit a couple of weeks ago as a hire car, i wasn't impressed with the engine refinement or power.. but yet the very first 1.6TDCI engine i drove a few years ago felt better..TBH I think diesels, perhaps because they're forced induction, can vary so much in their power output, from one engine to another of the same. When I get chance I want to put ours on a rolling road as I'm convinced it's putting out more than the standard spec. I've been able to drive a wide variety of diesels in the last couple of years, A4 S-line 140bhp DSG, Passat Bluemotion 110bhp, Bravo multijet 120bhp, Vectra Sri 150bhp, to name a few, and I like ours the most.
Go for the 1.6 Ghia TI-VCT
The TI-VCT engine pus out 115 bhp, the car is quite light so not bad performance as long as you dont carry alot around with you. It is fuel efficient if you want it to be.
The Ghia offers more than just cruise control. You also get a better steering wheel, full electric windows, some (very usefull) internal storage compartments and a bunch of other stuff that I can't remember.
The trim is not really wood effect, it is just a brown veneer and looks alot better than the cheap plastic that is on all other models.
Things to look out for
1. Styling pack - this gives the car full leather interior, metallic paing, heated front seats and electric drivers seat.
2. I was in the same position, I wasn't the greatest fan of the Ghia's alloys, what to look out for is alot of cars (including mine which you can see on my profile) have the upgrade to the 17" alloys. These look fantastic, almost too big for the car, they were only £200 to upgrade on purchase. These also come with much upgraded tyres. Conti2s on mine.
The TI-VCT engine pus out 115 bhp, the car is quite light so not bad performance as long as you dont carry alot around with you. It is fuel efficient if you want it to be.
The Ghia offers more than just cruise control. You also get a better steering wheel, full electric windows, some (very usefull) internal storage compartments and a bunch of other stuff that I can't remember.
The trim is not really wood effect, it is just a brown veneer and looks alot better than the cheap plastic that is on all other models.
Things to look out for
1. Styling pack - this gives the car full leather interior, metallic paing, heated front seats and electric drivers seat.
2. I was in the same position, I wasn't the greatest fan of the Ghia's alloys, what to look out for is alot of cars (including mine which you can see on my profile) have the upgrade to the 17" alloys. These look fantastic, almost too big for the car, they were only £200 to upgrade on purchase. These also come with much upgraded tyres. Conti2s on mine.
Hi Mate,
About a year ago, i had to get rid of my much loved A4 s-line for similar reasons and decided to go for an 06 1.8TDCI focus zetec climate to reduce running costs and expenditure on a car.
I was reasonably impressed with the focus, the 1.8 tdci is unbelievably economical and really cheap to run (2nd year service £120) and tyres etc are at least half of what the A4 was. However, i found the 1.8 really quite noisy and harsh in terms of engine noise and often wished i had gone for either the 1.6 or 2.0 tdci instead. As someone earlier mentioned the 1.8 is an older unit and is an 8v engine with a cast iron block, wheras the 1.6 and 2.0 are alloy blocks and 16v, possibly making them smoother. Although i was aware of this at the time and thought the 1.8 might have been more durable.
One thing to be aware of, both versions of the 1.6 still come with drum rear brakes which i was surprised about probably influencing my decision further for the 1.8.
The only issue i had with the focus was the temp guage reading erratic, dropping every time i accellerated or moved off from traffic lights. This was never cured by ford who admitted that they were aware of the issue but ford would not approve replacement of any parts due to it being, in there words an "isolated incident" and it wasn't affecting the performance of the car. However check out forums and you'll discover it isn't isolated.
However all in all a good car, although my situation has changed since and i've subsequently changed the car again.
Hope this helps, and good luck with the job front
Paul
About a year ago, i had to get rid of my much loved A4 s-line for similar reasons and decided to go for an 06 1.8TDCI focus zetec climate to reduce running costs and expenditure on a car.
I was reasonably impressed with the focus, the 1.8 tdci is unbelievably economical and really cheap to run (2nd year service £120) and tyres etc are at least half of what the A4 was. However, i found the 1.8 really quite noisy and harsh in terms of engine noise and often wished i had gone for either the 1.6 or 2.0 tdci instead. As someone earlier mentioned the 1.8 is an older unit and is an 8v engine with a cast iron block, wheras the 1.6 and 2.0 are alloy blocks and 16v, possibly making them smoother. Although i was aware of this at the time and thought the 1.8 might have been more durable.
One thing to be aware of, both versions of the 1.6 still come with drum rear brakes which i was surprised about probably influencing my decision further for the 1.8.
The only issue i had with the focus was the temp guage reading erratic, dropping every time i accellerated or moved off from traffic lights. This was never cured by ford who admitted that they were aware of the issue but ford would not approve replacement of any parts due to it being, in there words an "isolated incident" and it wasn't affecting the performance of the car. However check out forums and you'll discover it isn't isolated.
However all in all a good car, although my situation has changed since and i've subsequently changed the car again.
Hope this helps, and good luck with the job front
Paul
Cheers Paul.
I've found a 2.0 TDCI Ghia Hatchback that i'm probably going to travel down to England to see next week.
Perfect colour, has got the upgraded alloys, low mileage, perfect price. Trouble is it's 170 miles away and although the dealer has been straight up with me i'd hate to make the trip then end up not buying it.
I'd have preferred the Titanium but I could be searching for weeks to find one at the right price/spec/colour/engine etc. At least with this Ghia it's got the decent alloys on it already & all I have to do is change the wood trim round the stereo and it'll be prefect.
I'll post again if I end up buying it.
I've found a 2.0 TDCI Ghia Hatchback that i'm probably going to travel down to England to see next week.
Perfect colour, has got the upgraded alloys, low mileage, perfect price. Trouble is it's 170 miles away and although the dealer has been straight up with me i'd hate to make the trip then end up not buying it.
I'd have preferred the Titanium but I could be searching for weeks to find one at the right price/spec/colour/engine etc. At least with this Ghia it's got the decent alloys on it already & all I have to do is change the wood trim round the stereo and it'll be prefect.
I'll post again if I end up buying it.
Ended up buying a different Focus - a 57-plate Aquarius Blue one from Copthorne Motor Company in Crawley.
Flew down this morning and drove it back home through the snow in the midlands this afternoon.
Quite happy with it - it's got full leather seats, parking sensors, tinted glass, electric seats + they are heated too. Seems to munch the miles.
Cheers again for all the advice folks!
Flew down this morning and drove it back home through the snow in the midlands this afternoon.
Quite happy with it - it's got full leather seats, parking sensors, tinted glass, electric seats + they are heated too. Seems to munch the miles.
Cheers again for all the advice folks!
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