Bored with under powered, basic spec Focus....

Ush1

Bored out of my tree abit with my 04 1.4 Zetec Focus. It's woefully underpowered and I do alot of motorway driving. It's got no bells and whistles either.

The car only has 42k on the clock and I paid 5 grand about 14 months ago for it.

What's the best price you reckon I could get an ST Focus for? Would it be worth it to get a '08 one to save on tax? What's the Titanium model like?

Cheers!

Atomic Pineapple

What!? Why have you mentioned getting an ST and then asked what the Titanium model is like?

Get the titanium out of your head and Focus (ha!) on the ST!

You only save €100 on the newer tax scheme on the ST so its not really a big factor when going for a 08 and the emissions bands may be hit hard in todays budget.

You can get 06/07 ST's for around €11k these days which is a bargain if your willing to pay the tax. Irish ST's were all bog standard with everything needing to be added on as extras.

Mine has the auto wiper/lights pack, auto dimming rear view mirror, Sony 6cd changer (a must!), smokers pack, and a few more bits whereas in the UK they came in the ST1-3 variants.

Ush1

draffodx wrote: »

What!? Why have you mentioned getting an ST and then asked what the Titanium model is like?

Get the titanium out of your head and Focus (ha!) on the ST!

You only save €100 on the newer tax scheme on the ST so its not really a big factor when going for a 08 and the emissions bands may be hit hard in todays budget.

You can get 06/07 ST's for around €11k these days which is a bargain if your willing to pay the tax. Irish ST's were all bog standard with everything needing to be added on as extras.

Mine has the auto wiper/lights pack, auto dimming rear view mirror, Sony 6cd changer (a must!), smokers pack, and a few more bits whereas in the UK they came in the ST1-3 variants.

How about this:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1702976

Is the Titanium muck compared to the ST then?

Atomic Pineapple

Ush1 wrote: »

How about this:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1702976

Is the Titanium muck compared to the ST then?

A ST lookalike with 1.6 diesel power!? Why!?

Well yes the ST is a 223bhp (225PS) hot hatch while the titanium is just a run of the mill Focus with some extras is it not?

Henry Ford III

Ush1 wrote: »

How about this:

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1702976

Is the Titanium muck compared to the ST then?

A turbo diesel 1.6 with 110bhp & a 5 pot 2.5 turbo petrol with 225bhp. Take your pick.

That car in the ad. looks dodgy. Half a Zetec and half a w/o ST?

Ush1

draffodx wrote: »

A ST lookalike with 1.6 diesel power!? Why!?

Well yes the ST is a 223bhp (225PS) hot hatch while the titanium is just a run of the mill Focus with some extras is it not?

Can you tell I'm not that up on this?

Maybe I don't need an ST then. Just want a better, more responsive Focus for overtaking. With extras.

Henry Ford III

Zetec Focus should have a decent spec. A/c, abs, c/l, sports seats, sports supension, alloys etc.

1.4 is pretty flat admittedly.

Ush1

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Zetec Focus should have a decent spec. A/c, abs, c/l, sports seats, sports supension, alloys etc.

1.4 is pretty flat admittedly.

Is that the mk2 models? Mines mk1.5 and just has alloys.

Flat isn't the word. The engine just drones at 120kph. Overtaking can be a pain.

Atomic Pineapple

Ush1 wrote: »

Overtaking can be a pain.

It's not in an ST

Ush1

Ush1 wrote: »

Can you tell I'm not that up on this?

Maybe I don't need an ST then. Just want a better, more responsive Focus for overtaking. With extras.

You defo don't need an ST, 1.6 diesel Focus would do you fine. STs are a tad garish too.

homer90

IMO the 1.6 TDCi is a cracker.
Had the use of a 2010 Focus for a week and must admit was pretty impressed.
(For what it was )

I feel the OP is getting bogged down on trim/spec levels......

Zubeneschamali

homer90 wrote: »

I feel the OP is getting bogged down on trim/spec levels......

I have a 1.4 Focus as a loaner at the moment and it drones along Ok on the motorway, but the cabin is absolutely horrible.

A beefier engine would be nice, but if it came in the same low-rent cabin, I couldn't put up with it. I drive an S-Max normally, and every single thing in the Focus cabin is horrible by comparison.

Ush1

RoverJames wrote: »

You defo don't need an ST, 1.6 diesel Focus would do you fine. STs are a tad garish too.

Yeah, I'm not really into that.

What sorta price would be value on 1.6 diesel with decent extras? If I was to trade in my existing Focus like.

Bigus

Go to a ford dealer(with a lot of secondhand stock) try a few different models and get a trade in price &don't commit to buying on the day, and educate yourself in about one hour at the dealers !

Then come back here and we'll give you the inside track.
You'll find a modern diesel fast enough i bet.

klipdrift

Naaaaaaa, you dont want one of them under steering front wheel drive things..............................you want one of these. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d01VBR5nKPw

Atomic Pineapple

klipdrift wrote: »

Naaaaaaa, you dont want one of them under steering front wheel drive things..............................you want one of these. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d01VBR5nKPw

Just save up €25k and get the 4wd 800bhp upgrade for the ST

swe_fi

I have driven the 1.4 and it is really bad so I can understand your pain

1.6 is better but not by much

Get an ST by all means if you want but have you tried the 1.8 TDCi Focus? I had one for a month as a rental, 2008 (the facelifted one) and it was very good I think, was very happy with it.

In real life driving it has really good torque for overtaking (like 60-80-100-120 acceleration, 3rd/4th gear). It revs only like 2500 revs @ 120-130 km/h on the motorway. Good on diesel as well like 0.55-0.65 L / 100km on average.

I would try it if I were you. I haven't driven the 1.6 TDCi, maybe that is just as good or even better?

I'd love the idea of having an ST type car but I just don't see the point to have a powerful car in Ireland to be quite honest.

Lemming

swe_fi wrote: »

I have driven the 1.4 and it is really bad so I can understand your pain

1.6 is better but not by much

Get an ST by all means if you want but have you tried the 1.8 TDCi Focus? I had one for a month as a rental, 2008 (the facelifted one) and it was very good I think, was very happy with it.

In real life driving it has really good torque for overtaking (like 60-80-100-120 acceleration, 3rd/4th gear). It revs only like 2500 revs @ 120-130 km/h on the motorway. Good on diesel as well like 0.55-0.65 L / 100km on average.

I would try it if I were you. I haven't driven the 1.6 TDCi, maybe that is just as good or even better?

I've had a late 2008 (mk.III, UK '58 plate) 1.6 TDCi Focus and it behaves very similarly to what you described above. Revs at 120 are around 2.5k, good diesel consumption, etc. I do a *lot* of motorway driving (M1 in the UK is my daily commute ... ) and if I need acceleration for overtaking, the car has yet to let me down.

Joe 90

klipdrift wrote: »

Naaaaaaa, you dont want one of them under steering front wheel drive things..............................you want one of these. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d01VBR5nKPw

Trouble with Ford is that they have not built a car to lust for since the 3 door RWD Cossie Sierra.

mullingar

Lemming wrote: »

I've had a late 2008 (mk.III, UK '58 plate) 1.6 TDCi Focus and it behaves very similarly to what you described above. Revs at 120 are around 2.5k, good diesel consumption, etc. I do a *lot* of motorway driving (M1 in the UK is my daily commute ... ) and if I need acceleration for overtaking, the car has yet to let me down.

Why do people call the 2008 Focus the mk3?

Its the Mk2 with a simple face lift, known as the Mk2.5

The yet to be released Mk3 is this:

(Fab looking car!)

Edit:


See pic below!!!

Hopefully the 1.4 will be abandoned!!!!



Back on topic:

@OP, Get the 1.6TDCI with the 110hp. My OH has a 2006 one and IMO the best engine for daily driving

Henry Ford III

Joe 90 wrote: »

Trouble with Ford is that they have not built a car to lust for since the 3 door RWD Cossie Sierra.

Nah.

Sierra Sapphire Cosworth - 2wd and 4wd.
Escort Cosworth.
Focus ST and RS

No rwd these days, but that doesn't mean they aren't good cars.

Henry Ford III

mullingar wrote: »

Hopefully the 1.4 will be abandoned!!!!

It's toast. All new model Foci will be turbocharged, with a 1.0l petrol engine being the entry model, and 1.6 and up diesels.

Stevie Dakota

mullingar wrote: »

The yet to be released Mk3 is this:

Err not quite....

Lemming

mullingar wrote: »

Why do people call the 2008 Focus the mk3?

Its the Mk2 with a simple face lift, known as the Mk2.5

There are two versions of 2008 Focii, so simply referring to it as the 2008 Focus is ambiguous at best. I've seen it referred to in quite a few places as a mk.III hence the term stuck in my mind. It is the third iteration in the series of focii, ergo people can be forgiven for referring to it as "number 3".

In any case, you immediately understood which version of 2008 Focus I was referring to, so job done.

swe_fi

swe_fi wrote: »

Good on diesel as well like 0.55-0.65 L / 100km on average.

:eek: that's amazing

homer90

Joe 90 wrote: »

Trouble with Ford is that they have not built a car to lust for since the 3 door RWD Cossie Sierra.

I would agree, until this came along

www.focusrs500.com/

Id have it....

Apologies to OP as this may de-rail the thread.:eek:






:D

dr.fuzzenstein

Joe 90 wrote: »

Trouble with Ford is that they have not built a car to lust for since the 3 door RWD Cossie Sierra.

Had the 04 Ford Focus 1.8 TDDI vvti (very fast for a diesel), had it for 5 years and put 130k miles on it whilst absolutely booting the sh*te out of it.
Other than regular services nothing, but nothing went wrong with it.
If anything it was those horrible 80's-90's sh*tboxes Ford built that would fall apart on you.
Ford exists up to the 70's and then again from late 90's and a lot of diarrhea inbetween.

homer90

swe_fi wrote: »

Good on diesel as well like 0.55-0.65 L / 100km on average.

RoverJames wrote: »

:eek: that's amazing

Indeed, works out at 434 - 513 mpg :D

Budget fuel increases.......... meh !!

Joe 90

homer90 wrote: »

I would agree, until this came along

www.focusrs500.com/

Id have it....

Apologies to OP as this may de-rail the thread.:eek:






:D

Very nice I agree but it still drives the wrong wheels:)