Focus high petrol usage

A few very informative posts tim, I had always thought high rpm meant high fuel use and more wear on the engine as oposed to the oposite

I did feel it a bit sluggish in 5th at 1.2k rpm but it become so habitual after driving a mk4 golf 1.6 petrol I changed up at feel as oposed to checked a rev counter as I drove it for nearly a decade, could be why I find driving anything else weird at the moment, but I'm getting the hang of it :)

I've been driving at 30 in 3rd and its a lot more pokey and revs sit at 2k rpm, and 40/45 in 4th and over 50 in 5th seems to be much better like this. Although it sounds like I should be pushing higher on the revs for better rpg. I guess playing around a bit and recording figures to find optimum settings as it were will prove helpful.

I got tremendous insight from the instant economy gauge of the 53 Almera

1.8 petrol. It completely changed the way I drive. Amongst other findings already covered in the thread, travel in the throttle that does not cause acceleration still causes consumption to increase. There is a point where one presses on the accelerator very gently, retains speed on the flat and does not cause the consumption to increase, but it's a point, more than a range.

As for the Focus 1.8 at 5k RPM, it had a fatal flaw in my case: I liked the driving effect and the sound of the engine so much that I did not bother to change up, just pressed further. I kept consumption records for the first couple of years and got between 27 (snow) and 35 MPG (before I got the Almera and adjusted). For comparison, I now get between 27.5 and 38 on the 2.0 Accord, still staying at the same place and making similar runs.

I still think the Mk I Focus was one of the best all-rounders ever designed. Yes, I see quite a few of them looking run-down and rusty these days, but I don't think the newer designs are a patch aesthetically on the Mk I. Same story as I would have told you about the Sierra, aesthetically I repeat.

Kostas