Hello Guys 'n' Gals!

I'm currently driving a 2006 1.6Ti-VCT Focus hatchback, but need to carry lots of 'stuff' (mostly gardening) due to having an allotment plot. I think the Mondeo Estate is probably a bit too much car for me, but the Focus Estate seems to fit the bill.

As I live in West London, fuel economy is also important to me. The question is this - if I go for a 1.6 TDCi, does it have enough 'oomph' to carry heavy stuff short-ish distances, or would I be better off sacrificing some fuel economy for greater load-lugging ability with the 2.0 TDCi?

I'm excluding the 1.8 TDCi, as i've heard that it's a bit of an old engine, based on the Endura-D from the 80's. I've also read that it suffers from a bad flat-spot around 1800-2000rpm? If anyone knows otherwise, thoughts and opinions are greatly appreciated!

I think the 1.6 would have enough 'oomph' as you put it, but you will find that you will have to rev it harder to go places than you would in the 2.0. So you may find there wont be much difference in fuel economy when driving short distances around town. You may find your even better off with some petrol engines, diesels aren't very efficient when it comes to driving around towns and city's

[quote name='gaz6076' post='37408' date='Aug 15 2009, 11:10 AM']I think the 1.6 would have enough 'oomph' as you put it, but you will find that you will have to rev it harder to go places than you would in the 2.0. So you may find there wont be much difference in fuel economy when driving short distances around town. You may find your even better off with some petrol engines, diesels aren't very efficient when it comes to driving around towns and city's[/quote]

thanks for your reply gaz.

The reason I was looking to diesel was due to the very poor 25mpg average that my current car manages. I do also do some motorway driving (not daily), and my daily commute is 16 miles round-trip, on faster roads (A4/A30), so do you think a diesel would suffer that badly?

'oomph'. It's all about the 'oomph'. Aka - bhp/torque and sheer drivability!

Diesels are at their worst when driving around town. I know that the 4x4's can reach as little as 10mpg around town. Stop starting at the lights is a killer. Obviously the focus isn't going to be as bad but you get my point

How much town/motorway driving do you think you do? E.g. 50/50 60/40

[quote name='gaz6076' post='37410' date='Aug 15 2009, 11:43 AM']How much town/motorway driving do you think you do? E.g. 50/50 60/40[/quote]

I'd say currently my driving is split 40% town/35% 'A' road/25% motorway.

So do you reckon a 2.0 TDCi Kuga (2WD version) is also out of the question?

Im not sure about these 'crossover' things like the kuga and the renault koleos. Apparently they are designed to be better for town driving than the big 4x4's. Personally i think you would be better off MPG wise with the estate rather than the kuga.

EDIT: Taken from [url="http://www.ford.co.uk/Fordforbusiness/FueleconomyandCO2TaxSavings"]Fords Website[/url]

[u]Focus (new shape)[/u]

[b]1.6 TDCi Duratorq diesel:[/b]

CO2 emissions: 119g/km
Annual vehicle excise duty: £35
Fuel efficiency (combined cycle): 62.7 mpg

[b]2.0 TDCi Duratorq diesel - manual transmission: [/b]

CO2 emissions: 147g/km (estate)
Annual vehicle excise duty: £125
Fuel efficiency (combined cycle): 50.4 mpg (estate)

[u]Kuga[/u]

[b]2.0 TDCi Duratorq diesel 4x2: [/b]

CO2 emissions: 159 g/km
Annual vehicle excise duty: £150
Fuel efficiency (combined cycle): 46.3 mpg

[b]2.0 TDCi Duratorq diesel AWD: [/b]

CO2 emissions: 169 g/km
Annual vehicle excise duty: £175
Fuel efficiency (combined cycle): 44.1 mpg

So a big drop between the 1.6 and 2.0 estate on both MPG [u]and[/u] tax and the kuga is even worse

I think it comes down to personal opinion. I would take the 1.6 but if your wanting a bit more 'oomph' and don't mind sacrificing more of your hard earned cash to Mr Darling then take the 2ltr

[quote name='gaz6076' post='37490' date='Aug 16 2009, 10:49 AM']I think it comes down to personal opinion. I would take the 1.6 but if your wanting a bit more 'oomph' and don't mind sacrificing more of your hard earned cash to Mr Darling then take the 2ltr[/quote]

As I can't stand Mr Darling and want to take his comedy eyebrows off with an axe or a blow torch, it looks like i'll go for the 1.6 TDCi...!

On a serious note, thanks for spending some time doing some research for me gaz, it's more than expected and greatly appreciated.

[quote name='DaveFord' post='37605' date='Aug 16 2009, 11:22 PM']As I can't stand Mr Darling and want to take his comedy eyebrows off with an axe or a blow torch, it looks like i'll go for the 1.6 TDCi...![/quote]

I cant stand them either. Your welcome. I had a bit of spare time on my hands so it wasn't a problem. Glad i helped you come to a decision. Hope your happy with it.

Do you think there should be a thank you button on these forums for people like me?

[quote name='gaz6076' post='37688' date='Aug 17 2009, 03:26 PM'] I cant stand them either. Your welcome. I had a bit of spare time on my hands so it wasn't a problem. Glad i helped you come to a decision. Hope your happy with it.

Do you think there should be a thank you button on these forums for people like me? [/quote]

Oooh, here's a thought - what about a Volvo V50 DRIVe 1.6 TDCi, with stop/start?

More importantly, if Volvo can fit stop/start to the 1.6TDCi engine, why haven't Ford done the same thing? This could potentially result in a Focus with under 100g/km of CO2 output. Important, in these eco-friendly times we live in....

...and yes, there should be a 'thank you' button!

The only thing I know about volvos is that their engine is in the 225 ST, so I can't help you out there

This stop/start thing will be great for driving around the citys I would think. I've been meaning to read up on this, intrested to know how it works.

Don't know why ford havent jumped on the band wagon yet but I'm sure they will soon..

[quote name='DaveFord' post='38431' date='Aug 20 2009, 06:27 PM']...and yes, there should be a 'thank you' button![/quote]

You there vinnie?

[quote name='gaz6076' post='38456' date='Aug 20 2009, 08:56 PM']This stop/start thing will be great for driving around the citys I would think. I've been meaning to read up on this, intrested to know how it works.

Don't know why ford havent jumped on the band wagon yet but I'm sure they will soon..[/quote]

This is what I've found-out about Volvo stop/start on the C30/S40/V50 DRIVe range, featuring the 1.6 TDCi engine as found in our beloved Focus...

[quote]When the driver puts the gear lever into neutral and releases the clutch while at a standstill, the engine switches off. The next time the driver presses the clutch, the engine starts up again. This technology has reduced fuel consumption and thus CO2 emissions by 4-5% in mixed driving conditions. Start/Stop technology is particularly effective in urban traffic, when the saving can be as much as 8%.

When the car is at a standstill and the engine is switched off, some electronic systems such as the air conditioning step down to standby level in order to save fuel. However, Volvo's Start/Stop system continuously monitors the comfort level and automatically reactivates the air conditioning if, for instance, the temperature increases in the passenger compartment. The system does not set any limits for comfort-focused features such as the sound system or other facilities that the occupants will want to maintain.

This innovative monitoring system has been made possible due to an additional small battery which supports the larger battery by providing extra power. Thanks to this extra battery, Volvo's DRIVe models also feature particularly quick and smooth start-up. The audio system also remains unaffected when the starter motor is activated. This distinguishes Volvo Car's solution from other systems offered by the competition. The standard larger battery has also been upgraded to handle up to 175,000 Start/Stop cycles.

The driver continuously receives feedback about system status via the in-car information display. The Start/Stop function can be engaged and disengaged via a DRIVe button in the centre console and in the default setting, the function is activated.[/quote]

Source - [url="http://www.carpages.co.uk/volvo/volvo-start-stop-24-02-09.asp"]http://www.carpages.co.uk/volvo/volvo-star...op-24-02-09.asp[/url]

Some interesting stuff there, and I like the idea of not losing the air conditioning, particularly in the middle of summer!

I think these start/stop systems are the way to go. The current ones are said to be slow/sluggish on restart but mazda are working on a new system that monitors the position of the pistons so it fires the one that's ready to go. I think ford will be waiting for this before they borrow it for themselves, after all mazda and ford are she same things