I'm considering getting a bigger car and i quite fancy a focus. Looking at the adverts i see lots of different models. Is there a website explaing the basic differences? I do not understand all this zetec business. Basically I want a bigger engine than the 1.4's i have had all my life, i also want air con. Is there anything i should be aware of ie: different engines etc..?
The Focus comes with a 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 & 2.0 petrol engines and a 115bhp turbo diesel lump.
You can discount the 1.4 because its fairly slow and you said you wanted something bigger. The 2.0 engine is fairly thirsty and doesn't offer a great improvement over the 1.8
That leaves the 1.6 which is fairly quick, smooth and returns 40+ mpg, and the 1.8 which is quicker, not so smooth and not so economical. I've had a 1.6 for four years now and I'm happy with it. I've driven the 1.8 and for my type of driving, its slight power advantage doesn't warrant the poorer mpg. You would have to drive both to see what suits your needs.
That leaves the diesel. The TDCi is quite a performer. I don't know how their performance figures on paper stack up against the 1.6 and 1.8 but they seem to be better "on the road" in everyday use. The ones I've come across have left me for dead for in gear acceleration. They offer better mpg but when they are driven hard the economy is only a little better than the 1.6
If I was buying a new Focus tomorrow I would be torn between the 1.6 and the TDCi. If they were the same price I would definitely go for the TDCi but if it was £1000 more expensive, coupled to the fact that diesel fuels costs more than petrol in the UK, I think the 1.6 would be cheaper for me.
Not quite. On the diesel front for utter confusion, there is still the rattley smokey TDdi with 90bhp (and in some markets 75bhp, but not the UK) then we have a 100bhp TDci, and the 115bhp TDci. The 100 version is marginally more economical than the 115, (50+mpg) and is quite sufficient for 90% of drivers.
The 'Zetec' model denotes the sportier version of the Focus with alloys, special trim, silver dials/dash and 10% firmer suspension. However all the petrol engines belong to a family called "Zetec-x" where you can have zetec-e, zetec-s, zetec-se etc to add to the confusion.
Pauls comments on the 1.6 are valid, its probably the best all rounder of the petrol units with a reasonable blend of economy and performance. Probably the best model is the Zetec, but make sure it has the climate pack (air con, heated front screen /mirrors)
Also available is a 90bhp Tddi and a 100bhp TDCi also the 2.0l petrol comes in 3 guises the standard 130bhp, ST170 mode with 172 bhp and 212 Bhp turbo for the RS Focus. all of which are rather faster then the OP's 1.4is :-)
Agreed
What does the 1.6 give when driven hard Tim still over 40mpg or considerably less? The TDCi I have still gives 46mpg even when driven hard well at least mine does.
I truly think it comes down to the number of miles you do if like me and its circa 30 per year then the savings on the Diesel are worth while otherwise stick to the 1.6
My 1.8 can be sluggish with the a/c on, but i've noticed its more affected by high ambient temps rather than anything else. You just have to rev it alittle harder with the a/c on. Perculiarly the ecu runs on a different map whilst the a/c button is pressed, whether the compressor is engaged or not. I suggest you check for a software update for your car if its being very sluggish.
I have the 1.8 which never fails to average less than 34mpg even when driven very hard, however I dont cane it; you don't need to to see 90+mph on the speedo easily. I would guess the 1.6 would be around 35-36, driven the same, Paul will tell you. but obvisouly it wouldnt keep up with the 1.8 especially at higher speeds, and especially with the sillyily high 5th gear.
I have a 1999 2.0 Ghia and the lowest average I have seen is 36.4, generally between 38 and 41 but most of my driving is off peak A roads and M-Ways with a small amount of town work. I dont cane it as such but do open it right up now and then, including throwing it into corners that a lot of other cars might not recover from! The A/C chops possibly 1 or 2 MPG of the figure but its hardly a worry.
This is not only the best car I have had for petrol consumption, but is reliable, and by far and away the best handling car I have driven in years.
The worst car I had thinking about fuel consumption , was a Ford Capri
2.3 V6, it averaged about 23 mpg (12 l/100km), the best my former Ford Sierra 1.8 TD, with an all time low of 57 mpg (4.9 l/100km) and an average of 43 mpg (6.5 l/100km).
But then, it's fun pushing the Focus to its limits, if the highway is empty enough, to make this speed possible. ;)
Yep, the Focus has a great handling, especially after suspension /shock absorber have been exchanged completely with a Sachs Performance kit. Lowering the Focus at about 35 mm.
I would have swapped the Capri for the worst car I ever had for consumption ( and reliability ), a Rover 2600 the SD1 no less, same as the police used to use. It had an onboard computer that never reported more than 19 MPG and averaged around 15 MPG it was horrific. I spent my life in petrol stations, I was either filling it with petrol, oil or water and it broke down at least once a month. I part exed it on a Sierra and never looked back. Thinking about it crime levels were really high back then I suppose it was because the cops spent all their time stranded at the side of the road or in a petrol station.
Absolutely.. shame the highway is rarely empty.
Havent altered mine, i dont know enough about that stuff, this car sticks to the road like glue.
I get 39-41 mpg at high cruising speeds with some town work. Take out the town work completely and it will do about 45mpg. It has managed over
50mpg when petrol was in short supply a few years ago.
It doesn't have much trouble keeping up with anything at higher speed. Its if I have to slow down and accelerate back up there again. Even then its not too bad if you are happy to hang on to the gears a little longer than you might in the 1.8
LOL...But then even if the Capri used tons of fuel, it was quite reliable, like all Fords I had.;)
Yep, another problem, against what most people expect, no highway has no speed limit here over there total length. There are always parts with a speed limit between 80-130 km/h (50-81 mph).
The good thing about it, it keeps the average fuel consumption down.;)
Mine is a Ghia, which has a softer suspension, it was quite comfortable, but while running near Vmax, some curves made you getting wet hands. That was the primary problem, it's completely gone now, it's gluing on the street, no matter about the speed. Sure I have lost some comfort, but the security win, overbalances.;)
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