Might have - either way, in theory it's ten years. Since the Ibiza is 9 and up for replacement, the optimist in me says it won't be an issue... :)
I'm in the "mostly" camp but then most of my driving is either motorway cruising or gentle meandering A-road stuff...
Yes it does, as does having a top-heavy power band - but most people easily adapt. It also makes it delightfully quiet, engine noise wise, for a given road speed. Given that most Focus-sized cars were either a diesel or a 1.4 or 1.6, I see why Ford did what they did. The 1.4 has short gearing, well spaced, whereas the 1.6 has tall gearing. I seem to remember that finding a
1.8 LX was difficult, finding a 1.8 Zetec was easier, with the 2.0 reserved for the Zetec ESP and Ghia models.I'm not sure that I believe that, though...
I suppose we could throw in the 1.4 with its 75 PS (or was it 74?).
And again the 1.4 with either 42.8 or 44.1.
We had two 1.4s on the fleet and a single 1.6. We replaced one of the 1.4s with a mark 1.5 :) 1.6.
Although the 1.4 is very much the pikey engine of the range, I didn't find them as terrible as the reputation would suggest. Not quick mind... kinda like the 1.6 8v Astra at the time.
I liked the 1.6, but found it an unusual package in Zetec trim: tall gearing, sportier handling, lots of time in second and third gear... I did prefer the 1.8 for hoofing it about, but either / or would have worked for me.
On paper. I didn't compare the 1.6 and 1.8 like for like; the 1.6 was suitably economical on a long haul trip from York to Seaford and back, showing mid 40s. The 1.8 was low 30s over my commute but I was seeing how pokey it was.
Comparing the 1.6 Focus with the 1.6 Zetec-E Escort, the Focus was significantly more economical, but emissions crappery had suitably killed the 1.6 Escort's consumption. Although I really didn't like the 1.6 CVH it was economical in the very late 80s / early 90s Escort before all that fuel injection gunk.
1.4 shows ~92 Lbs / ft, which is around 125 Nm I believe.
A little! ;-)
In the end I didn't buy a Focus but went down the Saab route instead. I like the Focus and for my driving, any engine apart from the 2.0 models would be just fine. Ideally the TDCi...