28.1mpg.....

Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!

Peter

Well sort of, the rear light clusters are certainly very similar. But the Mk4 is worlds apart from the Mk3 in terms of handling and general driver appeal.

They got better.

Peter

In fairness, if well maintained it's a very bulletproof engine, and it's chain-driven, which is a big cost-saver - how many sub-supermini class cars (surely that would be "mini class", except for the fact that the new MINI is now in the "supermini" class) have got chain-driven engines to boast about?

Peter

Hmmm - Focus / Mondeo / Scorpio, all handled well, all comfortable.

And remember, Ford own Volvo / Aston / Jaguar now too!

In article , snipped-for-privacy@cheerful.com spouted forth into uk.rec.cars.modifications...

Nah, pick a nice long road (motorway) fill it up, and drive at the speedlimit (or slightly in excess if possible) for as long as you can, about 100miles should do. The turn arround and come back. Go visit the rels for the day, let it cool down between runs, and for a couple of weeks at least you will get better economy, not much but enough to make the day visiting the Outlaws worth it.

Clears the crap out of the engine that stop start driving leaves behind, I believe that certain brand owners from the boot shaped country refer to it as an italian tune up.

Heh, I thought the italian one was drive 100 miles on the rev limiter, visit a vineyard, let the engine cool down then drive home the mountain road and scare some tourists by driving straight at them, side by side with a Lancia you've decided to race down a single track road.

(c:

I got confused when you started talking about reefers, I thought you were talking about a jamaican tune up, which is completely different again. Then I read your post properly and it all made sense.

Douglas

Douglas

Pussy :)

Did i not read the other day that some new beemer was getting a PSA derived diesel...?

I've got a Scorpio, so feel qualified to comment. Handling is fairly poor but it has so much grip you're not especially likely to find out. Managed to get it sideways a few times while trying (and once, unexpectedly, by a big patch of auto transmission fluid I think it was) and it is quite tricky to catch / line up again, such that I'd be much less willing to play silly buggers in the Scorpio than in my old TR7, which handles exceptionally well by comparison (probably has more grip too.)

Damned sight more comfortable, though, on the whole.

It's a regional variation. ;)

Hmmm,ok.

eeeewwww no!

I try to drive sensibly, but then mayhem gets the better of me and i have to put my foot down. Driving 4 miles to work a day and 4 miles back probably doesnt help either, but hey ho, i'm loving it!

Oh and i think petrol leaks (a wee little bit) when i fill it to the brim then park it pointing up my inclined driveway, which also doesnt help!

Bwahahahahaha!

Jealous? - of what? - when you've got 2 Alfas, a Golf Cabrio and 2 bikes in the 'fleet', there's not a lot to be jealous of.

They're well wide of the mark there, then.

Young, childless couples tend to have a bit more taste than that - low running costs are probably well down on their list of priorities.

But of course you'd say that.

43,000 miles, two years, four months in the garage, new engine.

Go figure.

I think you're stuck in a time warp.

There's the Mondeo, which trounced the competition when it was introduced in

1993. It was only beaten, on points, by the Peugeot 406 when it was introduced, and the Mondeo was still the drivers' choice of the sector.

All small Fords from the mark four Fiesta, i.e. from 1995 onwards, have had great handling.

Some have gripped well too.

Then there's the Focus. Shoot even the Transit van.

I think you're confusing your inability to comprehend something good happening at Ford with picking fluff out of your navel.

LOL. Is anything in an Alfa Romeo an Alfa Romeo bit these days?

So could you explain, for the benefit of everybody out there still reading, why so many have been sold?

Your breakdown and recovery expenses must make the Russian GNP seem like pocket money.

Because the general public, much like you, have always bought, and always will buy stuff with a Ford badge as they don't know any better.

Beats me why, they just do.