ANOTHER new car for me to try out

Referring to 'business end' is probably wrong for a RWD car.

I should have said a 'torsion beam at the _front_ end'

That's not a point, that's just a loaded argument.

Erm, no it wasn't. Just goes to prove exactly what I just said.

Certainly not with cars that were marketed as rally cars :)

There's more to peerage than price.

That's the software - get it chipped and it won't do that any more! Mwahahahahah! :)

Yup. It'll actually heave well from as low as about 1,600 rpm, and if you plonk it in to third at, say, this speed, it just seems to get better and better.

After 50,000 miles it'll be even better! :)

Indeedy. Try that in the 1.8 or 2.0 petrol model and you'll get sod all.

I'd avoid the LX, 'cos the seats are not as good as the Zetec / Ghia models - the squab is a bit shorter.

Actually, that was alway the case, but it may have changed, I've been given an injunction from Charlie to avoid Ford Mondeo TDCis! :(

you're right - it was a '73 so that was 30 years ago. We had it in from '92 until about a year ago though. The original M3 engine didn't make a bad noise either.

All of them ?

Obviously I'm going to say that seeing as I'm about 18 hours away from one arriving at my front door. The aforementioned TDI 4Mo.

Heh, no, not all of them. And since we didn't specify if the car should be as powerful as the 620ti, I left it to the reader's discretion . . . :)

I was going to put "think Golf" but then increased the size of the VW product.

The "Powerstroke." The current model is a mere 6.0 litre V8, they've used

It was a 7.3 that I've tried, and boy, did it feel _good_. Good in a kinda "will-this-fit-in-to-the-Ka" way.

Try the F250 pickup truck with the Powerstroke donk.

It sounds . . . well unusual, really. This sounds trite, but it sounds like a combination of a petrol V8 and a diesel. At idle, it's a diesel, but it sounds slightly . . . strange. On the move, it just rumbles like a good old fashioned big block V8. Except

Very very addictive. The Powerstroke isn't especially powerful, but just has so much torque. We were towing a full sized V6 truck on a flat bed in the 5.5 litre V8 petrol truck, and it was struggling, so we borrowed a 7.3 V8. Naturally, after dribbling over the passengar seat, they let me drive it. Laden, it felt just fine, unladen . . . heh heh heh heh! :)

Wahey!

Right, that's two ok sounding models out of probably 2 hundred so far then. Getter better, but still not what you'd call a decisive argument, heh.

It's always been the role of the Cosworth and the way it's viewed, regardless of boot or not.

Plus the obvious has to be mentioned, they didn't make them anymore.

Oh, and the Legacy was for farmers, not reps.

That's absolute bollocks. Yes, a few made their way into rallying - but the only reason Ford build the original Sierra Cosworth was to see off BMW in the ETCC / WTCC back in the late 80s.

As the model developed into the Sapphire / 4x4 it's primary role in the range was as a fast mid-range exec. To compete with the BMW 325i etc.

It wasn't me that brought up the Cossie......

So what? - it's still a much better car than the 620Ti.

the mondeo does make a clatter it's subdued but it is noticeable until about 15 mph

i think you are missing the point i'm in the market for a sensible car and have been trying out everything that is sensible AND affordable AND insurance friendly AND will be possible for both my father AND my wife to drive so an estate would be my fist choice seeing as both the vectra and the mondeo have very poor rear visability in the hatch mode diesel because, for the size of the engine, the performance is better than the equivalant petrol engine version there is nothing that's got a 300 bhp + engine that i would trust my dad to drive (he says as he remembers the time my dear old man decided to beat the lights in the cossie and ended up doing a 720* turn as the power decided it wasn't going to stay tamed AND go round the corner at not very sensible speeds) so, out of all the cars you've listed, the audi is over priced and the beemer is everywhere not that i could afford to buy any of the cars listed and keep everyone happy :)

but they don't make them engines anymore do they and i seem to recall the arguement is situated in teh "current" engine range :)

in 2.0 form i would say it's just about right :) now all i have to do is go out and find one for sensible money :) they start at around the £11.5k mark and go up to as much as £16.5

Never said it was. Nice backdown tho :)

Whilst we're on the subject tho, I run a K plate greentop Saph 4x4 as well as the 620, and it's not a patch on the Rover. It's cramped beyond belief inside in comparison, no faster, and basically dated old pap. I wouldn't dream of running it as a daily driver.

So it was aimed at a completely different market group and hence not a 'peer'.

But you did say it was a peer btw... > > > Erm. These are the cars it was competing against when new. > > > Erm, no it wasn't. > > Just goes to prove exactly what I just said. > > I think you'll find it was. > 2lt turbo price range £18-£22k ish, ISTR.

:0

The argument is current generation, but the sub plot didn't specify so ner ner....:-)