Hi all, currently Driving a Corsa SRi 1.8, which is lovely, but i'm too old for a corsa (19) and its time to move on...

Currently thinking about:

Focus Zetec TDCi 1.8 3dr, with about £5k to play with, so would be around an '05 plate, guessing from a bit of research.

What's the Focus owners view on this car and engine?

And could someone also talk me through the order of Trim levels, and what you get in each one?

Any other useful information would be appreciated!

Oh and i'm 6ft4 with boat for feet, guessing i'll fit i okay?

Cheers guys :)

Hi Lewis,

That's the best diesel engine to get as it's bombproof and proven.

You might be able to push up to a 2007 with your budget if you don't mind a few miles on the clock - i got mine in september with 70k on the clock for £4500 + trade-in of a 1999 Mk1 Focus with 118k on the clock.

I'm 6'1" and fit with plenty of room, the steering is adjustable for height and reach.

I have the Sport model but you're better looking for Zetec or Titanium versions as they'll have more toys (but may be pricier and less available).

look for footwell lights, auto headlights, climate pack (heated front screen) and good alloys.

The 1.8 is not the best for economy but the engine is a cracker and the only all Ford one in the range - the rest are Peugeot/Citroen blocks and have a much maligned Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) on the exhaust and a Dual Mass Flywheel (DMF) which is not very well loved either.

Best to take any prospective car out for a spin and feel the poke for yourself. and don't plump for the first one you find unless it's mint.

There's loads of mods available for the Mk2, see my signature for inspiration, also many members here will have a wealth of knowledge and ideas that you can tap in to.

Good hunting buddy and don't be afraid to haggle a bit.

Exactly what i was after mate! Thanks

What sort of MPG do you get out of yours under day to day usage?

The real hunting will start in June, so i'm just researching until then :)

I'm getting about 38mpg around towns and 55+ on motorways.

I usually get 440 - 470 per tank which is twice what I was getting from a 1.8 petrol.

Tax will be £120 and insurance will be better too.

I had mine remapped to iron out low gear lag which can be a pest around town but once you get onto the power you will love the torque and it will put a smile on your face.

If you've never driven a diesel before it will be a different experience but you'll soon pick it up.

Ooo thats not as good as i was hoping tbh :(

Do you drive it quite hard / notice a drop after fitting the chip?

Yep only ever driven a Diesel pick up, and discovery 4 :) but they where just small trips :)

If i just turn up at a used car dealership would they let me take one for a test drive? i've never dealt with dealerships before, only person to person on autotrader...

Hi lewis I've got a 1.8 tdci on a 58 plate and I'm getting just shy of 600 miles on a tank and I don't drive like miss daisy I do 90 miles a day and its great , if you go to a dealer don't be afraid to prod and poke around and insist on a good test drive your the one with the sheets in the sky rocket so your in charge.when I was looking for a diesel I test drove a few models from a vw golf an astra and a pug 207 and the focus came out on top good luck with the hunt I'm sure you will find a good en. Also have a look at the guides on here guys like lenny and stoney have done some great mods .

The lag is not too bad, you just have to get the gearing right on junctions or the pull away is a bit slow.

Practice makes perfect.

On mapping my car i went from 115BHP to 147BHP and improved the power range on all gears so the lag is now barely noticable.

Trust me though, once the power comes in you will be very happy.

Overtaking uphill in 4th never gets old.

Hi stoney how much was your remap sounds like a plan lol.

I used a Superchips Bluefin, not cheap but effective.

I had the BHP independently verified by one of my friends that works for the D.O.T as a vehicle examiner and got readings of 146, 148 and 149BHP.

You can go to dedicated Remappers too but it costs roughly the same and unlike a Bluefin map you can't swap back to the original settings without going to the mappers again.

Sounds good can you only use the bluefin on one car ?

Sounds good everyone, i'll pop buy one and get a nice test drive :)

You guys get yours from a dealers, or autotrader etc?

Proper looking forward to derv torque :P

Sounds good can you only use the bluefin on one car ?

You order a unit for your car and then upload a copy of your original map to the company.

They rework the map and send you the update then you download it to your car.

AFAIK it only works with the original car but you can pay a reduced fee to buy more licences.

The time has come :D

And the hunting will begin tomorow :D

Good hunting Sir.

What does anyone think to this?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201222473732310/sort/pricedesc/usedcars/engine-size-cars/1-7l_to_1-9l/quantity-of-doors/3/transmission/manual/fuel-type/diesel/price-to/6000/maximum-age/up_to_7_years_old/model/focus/make/ford/postcode/n88hl/page/2/radius/1501?logcode=p

Really nice spec, not a huggdee fan of the wheels, but hey

Also, can anyone tell me when things tend to go or need to be changed on a focus, ie cambelt, clutch etc etc