Mk1 focus drive

[thesilverfox]

I'd just get a Caterham. Cheap, cheerful and outrageously good. Came very close to buying one for myself second hand, before realising I have no garage to put it in when it's wet, cold, winter etc :D

[ford focus edge]

Mates dad's got a westfield had a go in that and its a tad to on the wild side for me im afraid more into overpowered 4wd jappie cars or big brutish holden's and aussie fords. Why could'nt ford of made a beefey mk1 focus insted of the rs :( which caterham where you going to buy. If i was loaded enough to have a second car im afraid to say it would be a vauxhall monaro 6.0v8 vxr at 18 i admit thats wishful thinking but were all allowed a dream :P

[mcouchard]

Hi guys and girls, after seing an old friend from high school today on my travels he has just bought a mk3 focus zetec-s 1.8 tdci. He let me take it round the cark park for a quick spin and vice versa with my mk1 and im not just being sour about his brand new shiny ford and me with my 5yr old one :( i found his mk3 not as much fun to drive. It still had all the feel of a focus but it didnt seem as eager to want to be thrown about as much and im worried that the focus has lost some of its soul for the sake of a smoother ride and drive. Was just wondering how many of you guys have had a mk1 and then bought a mk2 and felt the same or even with a mk3.

Mike

Not to be too contriversial but does the Mk1 Focus really drive that well. I realise by now I have quite a bad example with everything that has gone wrong. But I much prefer driving my Mk1 Renault megane 1.4 16v in comparison the Focus feels like I'm driving a water bed there is no feeling or feedback. I never have any idea what speed I'm doing unless my eyes are glued to the speedo and the acceleration between 50 and 60 is a tad bit slow. At motorway speeds it is great and cruises effortlessly, which is where it truimphs over the smaller megane. But around town and on country lanes I find it too numb, I personally like to know what is going on and feel that I am going in corners etc. Probably a combination of what I am used to and the fact that its a more modern car.

[ford focus edge]

The only renault ive driven is a 2001 clio, it wasnt bad but i wouldant buy one lol. The focus does mute speed rather well but personally i like that i can be doing unmentional speeds and not notice but when you really push a focus round the tight and twistys you can have a wrestle and a good play with it. What kind of problems have you had with yours and how come you find it slow from 50-60 if i use the gears in my 1.6 it irritates people in 318i bmw's etc

Mike

[mcouchard]

The only renault ive driven is a 2001 clio, it wasnt bad but i wouldant buy one lol. The focus does mute speed rather well but personally i like that i can be doing unmentional speeds and not notice but when you really push a focus round the tight and twistys you can have a wrestle and a good play with it. What kind of problems have you had with yours and how come you find it slow from 50-60 if i use the gears in my 1.6 it irritates people in 318i bmw's etc

Mike

Problems: clutch, clutch bearing, front springs, alternator and gear linkage all replaced within three months of purchase, fuel economy is currentely 28mpg and its now making strange noises when braking. I think the rear brakes have locked up as my wife said they were making a grinding noise before it skidded last night. Which could explain the futher drop in the fuel economy on this tank it has taken a massive dive looks like it will be mid 20's. I have yet to investigate the brakes as yet though.

Acceleration: I have just found that when accelerating up hill on a slip road a few times there hasn't been much pull and it has strugggled to get upto 60mph with ony two slim adults on board in the summer. I don't drive the Focus often, but since I have left it in forth gear until I reach 60mph to overcome the issue. This might be what most Focus drivers do I suppose, but I usually change into 5th at 50mph on other cars I've driven unless the car is particularly full.

[ford focus edge]

My brakes are poo currently mostly due to the snow and ice here and the fact due to college being closed its been standing for a while dosent help i dont think but that will just wear off as the temp heats up and the car gets used more. Fair does though your sounds like an absoutle pig lol no offence but thats badd! hope they were replaced under a warrenty. on hills because the focus is admitadly a heavy beast it struggles in 5th on hills etc i always go down to 4th and feather it up rather than foot hard down in 5th. On normal roads i change up into 5th at 40 n just let it gain speed in its own time unles theres a need to gain speed more quickley like a citroen saxo trying to overtake me for example..

Mike

[mcouchard]

My brakes are poo currently mostly due to the snow and ice here and the fact due to college being closed its been standing for a while dosent help i dont think but that will just wear off as the temp heats up and the car gets used more. Fair does though your sounds like an absoutle pig lol no offence but thats badd! hope they were replaced under a warrenty. on hills because the focus is admitadly a heavy beast it struggles in 5th on hills etc i always go down to 4th and feather it up rather than foot hard down in 5th. On normal roads i change up into 5th at 40 n just let it gain speed in its own time unles theres a need to gain speed more quickley like a citroen saxo trying to overtake me for example..

Mike

Fair enough no it is a pig and I suspect its ex AA and being so honest I would feel obliged to tell the propective buyers so it looks like I'm stuck with it. My wife said the brakes were better yesterday but because of the ice today I've given her my car as I have put winter tyres on the front of it.

Ahh Citroen Saxo's no I would let them past its safer that way for me, a Toyota Yaris or Smart car on the other hand is a diff matter.

[ford focus edge]

How much are winter tyres, mines currently on sports (Pirelli p6000's) and there crap in the rain and cold but brilliant on dry sunny days stick like bird crap to a windowscreen. We need more people like you telling us about the car's history! all i no about mine is that is was owned by women all its life even still though it looks like one of them tried to remove the stero with a knife :( not happy about that but it was the car's only fault at the time.

Why not!!! i love harassing the boy racer's in there 1.1's by far and away the best though is the buissnesman in there bmw's carving them up, not letting them out of junctions and overtaking them and seing the length's they'l go through to overtake you back etc gives me such a warm feeling inside it really shuldant but i agree with you on the smart car's and why just the yaris all toyota's are dangers mostly due to the fact nearly everyone driving one is older than time its self! getting cloce to a rant here lol

Mike

[mcouchard]

How much are winter tyres, mines currently on sports (pirelli p6000's) and there crap in the rain and cold but brilliant on dry sunny days stick like bird crap to a windowscreen. We need more people like you telling us about the car's history! all i no about mine is that is was owned by women all its life even still though it looks like one of them tried to remove the stero with a knife :( not happy about that but it was the car's only fault at the time.

Why not!!! i love harassing the boy racer's in there 1.1's by far and away the best though is the buissnesman in there bmw's carving them up, not letting them out of junctions and overtaking them and seing the length's they'l go through to overtake you back etc gives me such a warm feeling inside it really shuldant but i agree with you on the smart car's and why just the yaris all toyota's are dangers mostly due to the fact nearly everyone driving one is older than time its self! getting cloce to a rant here lol

Mike

Winter tyres are the same price as summer tyres I got 2x Toyo Snow Proxes on the Megane they are mud and snow rated and were £46 each. I got an extra steel wheel from a scrap yard £25 and used my full size spare so that I have six wheels so between nov and march I can have the winters on, then in march put the wheels in the shed and bring out a summer pair for the rest of the year. Winter tyres are a more softer rubber and will wear out very quickly in the summer. The optimum temperatures for winter tyres is below 7 degrees hence nov to march works quite well and in snow they are great last year the megane wheel span at the slighest opportunity in the winter months despite haveing new continentals on it. this winter nothing not even on the ice although I am being careful.

For the Focus I followed the Which? best tyre advice and got a local place to order in Bridgestone ER300's (summer tyres) £66 each usually £75 a piece to replace the worn out Michelin's on the front. They have only been on a month and I have driven it in the snow once and it is okay I only felt them slip once braking on my drive, but they aren't a patch on the grip I get from the winters on the Megane. Trouble is its alloys on the Focus and the tyres are much more expensive generally so I'm reluctant to get winters for that.

Best feeling I ever had was beating an nearly new Audi RS4 away from the traffic lights in my then 8 yr old 1.4 16v Megane its was a beautiful moment. the middle aged businessman almost ditched the Audi trying to undertake me after the lights. I think that was purey down to faster reaction speeds and knowing my car, I haven't tried it again since.

[ford focus edge]

I'm just goin to stick with my p6000's for now on the day to day they suit my driving style ie your avrage 18yr old student who's late for a lecture. If my car was on steelies id get a set of winter tyres or just a massive set of rs wheels with on pz zero's muaha i think thats what there called at least.

Out of curiouisty have you seen the new renaultsport megane? just being a megane driver what do you reckon of it to me it just looks like a vxr astra with a worse badge on :P

Mike