Advice On Buying 1.6Tdci Focus Estate

[barble23]

hi. we are looking for a estate car due to imminent baby arrival.....we have owned in the past a focus sport which we liked so we have looked at a few focus 1.6tdci vehicles...the vehicle would be around a 56 plate..what are the things we should be looking for?we would be buying a car with f/s/h/ and we would like to know if it is safe to buy a car with 100,000 miles on or are they money pits?just the budget is tight.........if there is anything else in should know please let me know any input is welcomed as cannt afford to make a mistake on this purchase....... :)

[artscot79]

stay away from diesels would be the best advice given the price of diesel it wouldnt be my option i have 2kids and dont need an estate. as for the mileage make sure the car doesnt have a dpf diesel particulate filter or big bills may be looming as with any car you want a full service history at 100k expect to have to replace stuff regardless rear bushes being the most common as are water leaks in the boot and front passenger footwell make sure all electrics inc aircon work make sure you get 2 keys .

if you can you should buy from a garage that way you have a warranty and come back should anything go wrong theres plenty of diesel owners who can advise more on here so cummon chaps lol

[Chucky]

I your considering a diesel don't get a 1.6 or 2.0 they have DPF 's 1.8 is the best. 1.6 are prone to turbo's failing due to oil starvation. I have a 1.6 56 plate and it has cost me dearly!! New turbo and DPF (diesel particulate filter) I still have it because i have spent so much on it. I only wish I kept my Honda!!

[barble23]

never knew about the dpf!!!!what would the preferd option be,taking into consideration costs of tax and insurance and running costs....any advice is great as i cannot get this decision wrong which i have in the past(dont buy a renault megane)..........what should i buy?

[NorthSussex]

The engine type you chose depends on the type of journeys you usually make. Lots of short journeys and a low annual mileage get petrol; long distance and high annual mileage get a diesel.

[Stoney871]

1.8 tdci.

£115 tax, no DPF, no DMF, good power, reasonable fuel economy.

The 1.8 is the only fully Ford engine in the range and bomb proof, the rest are Peugeot engines and have more to go wrong.

[artscot79]

as stated unless you do a lot of miles a diesel wont benefit you and so a petrol would be better dont expect to get 60mpg from them either they just dont do that in the real world hence why so many buy them then come here wondering why also some need new turbos around the 100k mark usualy new shocks as well quite a few are rarely serviced and ran to the ground so be aware theres the belief by a few out there that its a diesel it doesnt need serviced or cleaned.

its down to budget mileage and what u hope to achieve 100k or more on an 06 is still 20k a year. i managed prams into the focus and i still can put 2 car seats and my 8yr old in the centre seat so an estate it doesnt have to be ,a mondeo would have a bit more room, you can get a galaxy or older c max as well .focuses still have strong resale so if it looks to good a deal be cautious and thorough, dont be afraid to prod around check everything even under the bonnet my 06 was over 4 grand

arthurs rule number 1 never buy a renault pugeot or a citroen the only time they are reliable and sturdy is after theyve been crushed and made into bean cans,yeah yeah theres the odd good one but thats it fixed too many to say theyre even half decent.

.

[Pidu]

arthurs rule number 1 never buy a renault pugeot or a citroen

I had a rule never buy "F" cars - French and Ford :P

And look at me now :D

[NorthSussex]

I run a 1.8 petrol 2008 estate and get 38 mpg on medium and short runs on A & B roads, no motorway driving, a diesel will better this, but the fuel costs are higher, the purchase cost may be higher and the road tax will be lower, so it is swings & roundabouts.

One advantage with the estate over the hatchback is the estate boot has no sill, a completely flat floor, but it’s not safe to load higher than the top of the back seats unless you install a guard to prevent the load coming over into the passenger area in the event of a crash or hard braking.

[artscot79]

i can say hand on heart ive fixed few fords and many many french cars all renaults pugs and citroens 60 percent electrical then engine about the same

[barble23]

wow thanks for the replies.....i have to agree i will never buy a french car ever again!!!....i have always bought fords or vauxhall and one bmw and never had any problems apart from normal things........i would still plum for an estate focus if i can find one just need the extra room,i also have a dog which we squeeze in at the moment and with a pram it could be tight for him......looks like the 1.8 diesel maybe the better buy(do you agree)cheaper tax and we also travel to devon a few times ...if i bought a 1.6 petrol how do the figures compare ie mpg and road tax.....................also if i looked at a mondeo which engine types are safest to look at................can i also say what an amazing feedback and replies thankyou.....

[Pitmonster]

Economy is affected a lot by journey type and driving style. What you do with your right foot will have a massive impact.

My 1.8 TDCi gets 55-60 on the motorway

but can go as low as 40 in heavy stop-start city traffic. It's the same with all cars.

But fuel cost is not the only cost in owning a car.

I seriously looked at the 1.6 TDCi when I bought mine, and although the official economy figures for the 1.6 are a bit better than the 1.8, I wondered if I would see that in the real world?

Add in the dreaded DPF (1.6 has it, 1.8 doesnt) which could cost up to £1k to replace at 75k miles, plus rumours of turbo failure on the 1.6, and I started to seriously wonder which was the right choice.

Finally there are more 1.8s for sale and they are typically at a lower price than the 1.6.

Sure, the 1.8 is a bit noisier (especially when cold) and a bit more muck comes out of the tailpie on hard acceleration, but it's still torquey and quick and I reckon the total ownership cost (which is not just limited to fuel cost) of the 1.8 is probably less than the 1.6, so I don't regret my choice at all.

Whatever you choose the Focus is a great car and I'm sure you'll love it.