New Focus owner / just found NG

Think yourself lucky Jesse, in the UK we pay $7.00 plus per gallon!!! All the best!

I just bought a new Focus SVT yesterday. Our gas prices are right around 2 bucks a gallon here in Ohio.

Killer! I'm replacing a 1993 Escort GT with the same 1.8 engine. Awesome engines, by the way.

I bought a 2003 that had bounced around dealerships for two years. They lowered the price from 20,000 to 16,000.

Yes, they are nice, solid cars. The interior is built much better than my Escort.

Same here. I just joined last night. Good luck!

In alt.autos.ford.focus Jesse :

Sounds great, only 0.50 Euro/l, we currently pay about 1.18 Euro/l, or 5.52 US/gallon.

[..]

Not on topic to the Ford Focus. The unit price you pay in the Germany is based on the the taxing policy your government has on motor fuels.

In the United States all federal motor fuel taxes are used for transportation. In most states the same also applies to motor fuel taxes.

Not on topic to the Ford Focus. The unit price you pay in the UK is based on the the taxing policy your government has on motor fuels.

In the United States all federal motor fuel taxes are used for transportation. In most states the same also applies to motor fuel taxes.

---What engine do you get ? The NE states I think also offer the 2.3 PZEV(partial zero emmissions vechicle) Stock is a 2.0 isn't it ?

---But the Escort GT as well as the Mazda Protege ES (top) models had a DOHC 1.8, mine is only the SOHC 1.8. (We kept the car, my dad took it to replace a 1983 Corolla with 220,000 which was still good)

---Cool. Was it still a better deal than getting a new one with the

3000US rebate ?

---Ignoring the extra size, they do feel like a step up in quality.

---I guess we are both freshmen !

Jesse

In alt.autos.ford.focus John R Cambron :

LOL...

[..]

Yes, mine is the 2.0. I think the SVT's all have the 2.0.

I didn't know they made a SOHC 1.8. I thought they were all dual.

The new ones are hard to find around here, plus they are more expensive.

The extra size is hard to ignore. The cabin is very spacious.

Yeah, we're the noobs.

Hi all the newcomers!

Welcome to the group... Hope you are happy with your Focus... Well... I'm welcoming two people so your Focii might be more appropriate ;)

A few notes about engines:

Europe have an RS model, which is a 2.0 turbo at 212bhp and a 0-60mph of

6.2 seconds.

Next year the ST (SVT in the US) will have a 2.5 V6 at 220bhp from a Volvo or Mazda. This is NA so with modding should create a total beast.

Two to three years should bring the Mk2 RS model and I hope for your sake the US gets it. It's set to be another 2.0 litre engine but with

280bhp or more, and a 0-60 of less than 5 seconds, and is set to be 4wd.

See:

for a preview I made.

Also a few notes about the Jetta almost bought by Jesse... VW have not been able to compete with Ford (direct comparision VW Golf and Focus Hatch) for sheer drivability of late... You got a much more fun and exciting drive than you would have with the VW.

Expect less refinement of course, but the 2005 Focus is set to be as refined as the current Golf, which can't be a bad thing, and the drivability is set to beat the current Focus, which happens to be the best in its class.

Enjoy your stay!

-JB

:>> ---What engine do you get ? The NE states I think also offer the 2.3 :>> PZEV(partial zero emmissions vechicle) Stock is a 2.0 isn't it ? :>

:>Yes, mine is the 2.0. I think the SVT's all have the 2.0.

Yes, but at 170hp instead of 130hp in the stock 2.0 Zetec engine. Also, the SVT engine requires 91+ ocatane gas ($2.39 a gallon here in the Phoenix, AZ area the other night) while the standard 2.0 Zetec runs happily on 87 octane (20 cents a gallon cheaper).

:>> ---But the Escort GT as well as the Mazda Protege ES (top) models had a :>> DOHC 1.8, mine is only the SOHC 1.8. (We kept the car, my dad took it :>> to replace a 1983 Corolla with 220,000 which was still good) :>

:>I didn't know they made a SOHC 1.8. I thought they were all dual. :>

:>> ---Cool. Was it still a better deal than getting a new one with the :>> 3000US rebate ? :>

:>The new ones are hard to find around here, plus they are more expensive.

The 2004 model year prodcution run of the Focus, including the SVT ended around March or April. The US 2005 (no relation to the European

2005, just a warmed over 2004) came out shortly after that.

:>> ---Ignoring the extra size, they do feel like a step up in quality. :>

:>The extra size is hard to ignore. The cabin is very spacious. :>

:>> ---I guess we are both freshmen ! :>

:>Yeah, we're the noobs.

I'm not a Focus "noob" since I bought my second Focus in February. It's an 04 SVT 5 door in Sonic Blue with the European Appearance Package. The build date was January 28, 2004, it arrived at my local dealer on February 13, 2004 and I drove it home the next day. Out of

14,003 SVT Focus cars built there were only 48 total, including mine, in that exact combination of body style, color and option package. The only one rarer was that same body style and option package in Red. There were only 29 of them built.

If you haven't already done it check out the forums at

and especially theSVT Focus section. Lots of good information there and lots of helpfulpeople. Besides, then you can impress everyone you know with allsorts of useless trivia like I posted above. :-) me/2

Hey Shell Answer Man--how many 03 Tundra SEs were made? LOL.

Mine:

:>> I'm not a Focus "noob" since I bought my second Focus in February. :>> It's an 04 SVT 5 door in Sonic Blue with the European Appearance :>> Package. The build date was January 28, 2004, it arrived at my local :>> dealer on February 13, 2004 and I drove it home the next day. Out of :>> 14,003 SVT Focus cars built there were only 48 total, including mine, :>> in that exact combination of body style, color and option package. :>> The only one rarer was that same body style and option package in Red. :>> There were only 29 of them built. :>

:>Hey Shell Answer Man--how many 03 Tundra SEs were made? LOL.

At least one.

:>Mine:

See, I told you so. :-)

me/2

Heh!

---Hey Me/2,

Not completely off-topic since its about another Ford vehichle:

My cousin and his wife got themselves a 2002 Lincoln Navigator about 3 weeks ago. But she has had to adjust to the gas mileage.

She previously had a Mercury Villager and was complaining when she put some gas a few days later (87 octane). But she really went ballistic the next week when she actually noticed what it says on the gas door.

Yup, 91 octane unleaded required ! She said it was about 97.00US to fill the tank.

Once again I am very happy with my Focus : )

Jesse

Where in the United States does she live that gasoline costs more than $3 per gallon? In most places, the price difference between premium and mid-grade is no more than 10 cents per gallon -- a difference of $3 to fill a Navigator's 28 gallon tank.

If they didn't want high fuel costs, why did they buy a vehicle with a curb weight exceeding 5000 pounds?

In America, even idiots can buy big, fancy cars. What a country!