Eric Bloodaxe

Have tweaked my earlier post on this topic (above) to include Autocar's test results for a 125 Titanium. From test drives I have had, I didn't find drastic differences in 100/125/140 for normal day to day driving (the 140 only has 10nm more torque), the advantage the 140 does have is at the top end, and the lower overall gearing lets it exploit this. A lot depends on what kind of driver you are and where you drive, individual cars also vary. (I had an Audi A3 2.0tdi 140 PS for some years, the service dept were always suspicious I'd had it chipped, but it was just a good'un!). I'm sure you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of your 125, and there's always something to look forward to next time!

So nipped into my local dealer this morning armed with my tape measure, much to their amusement. 2 ST-Line Xs they had in stock had exactly the same seat dimensions as mine, so it looks like it really is a case of "they're all like that, Sir"! At least I've now satisfied myself that I haven't got a misbuild with all the seat problems on this model.

Managed to try out friend's Mk 7.5 Zetec today and found it much more comfortable than mine. Sure enough when we measured the seat it was a good inch or so wider between the bolsters on the backrest. So I now need to measure some Mk 8 ST Lines and see if mine is to spec or not. At least I've proved to myself I'm not going nuts - the Mrs is not so sure!

Ditto that. Annoyed that I've struggled for 6 weeks trying (as I thought) to come to terms with changes to the systems since my last Ford, when it now seems it doesn't work properly anyway. Grrrrr............!

Thanks for that update - obviously no point in hassling the dealer at the moment then!

As Bobr says, it's unlikely to harm your car if it's operating correctly. I'm not a big fan of these systems myself, and usually disable it on start up. There are some points in the areas I drive where I know from experience a long wait is likely (eg level crossings, complex sets of lights etc) where I'll switch it back on just before I get there. This is a bit awkward in the Mk 8 as the button is hiding behind the handbrake, unlike my last car where it was right under the infotainment screen.

Well, mine is still on build 17276 having backdated itself from 18025 on 9 April. No further problems since then (lost GPS signal 2 weeks ago up the Dales, restored on restart once home). Been back up the Dales this weekend (we keep a static caravan up there as a walking base) and lost GPS again. Came home today, stopped halfway back and restarted and GPS was restored. Can't really pin down whether this is an issue with the car or just a bad area for signals - mobile signal is hit and miss up there and the wi-fi on our caravan park comes and goes also. Losing GPS is annoying though as it partly disables the traffic sign recognition, which is a feature I really value. I had hoped the update/backdate/whatever from 18025 to 17276 might have solved it, but certainly find I don't get the annoying message (as per the OP) with 17276.

Not sure on this either, but I seem to recall reading that the 1.0 was not particularly light when it first came out. (According to Wikipedia the 1.0 is 213lbs, the 1.6 4cyl 251lbs, so I would guess the 1.5 triple is not much more than the 1.0.) Agree 10ps is not a lot, but there may be a greater advantage in torque which is where the 1.0 Ecoboost loses out somewhat to the VW Group 1.5, which has around 184lbs/ft from memory. All speculation on my part for now, but wouldn't be surprised to see it come minor facelift time.

Just reading that the new Focus comes with the 1.5 triple in 150 and 180ps versions. Got me wondering again about the future of the 140ps 1.0. A 150ps ST-Line would be a more interesting alternative to the 150ps fours in the Polo and Ibiza.

Just spent another morning driving around with multiple stops and restarts and still not getting the annoying message on Sync. My car was definitely showing build no 18025 when I first got it (1March) but changed to 17276 yesterday without any intervention from me so this suggests that wi-fi update is operational. I would have thought an update would be a higher build no, but all seems to be working fine so happy with things for now. Yes, it certainly caught me out the first time I tried it!

Actual mpg for my first 2 tankfulls (calculated brim to brim) were 44.75 and 45.39, mixed roads but no motorway driving and not a lot of heavy traffic. About what I was expecting, based on my friends experiences with an Ecoboost Fiesta and Focus over the last 5 years.

Now here's a funny thing. Been driving round all morning (around 80 miles) on various errands, starting and restarting the car about a dozen times, not noticed the message mentioned in the OP once, whereas the other day it was coming on at every restart. Just checked the Sync details now, and see it scanned for an update at 08.55, which is while I was parked in a strong public wi-fi signal area outside our GP surgery. The details still say Sync 3, version 3, but the build no. has changed to 17276. It was previously 18025 as mentioned by Martijn89 earlier in the thread. I didn't see any icon regarding an update as the handbook suggests, but I was rather preoccupied whilst driving and had no reason to be looking out for it so don't know if it came up or not. The handbook suggests it only comes on for a few ignition cycles and as I say I'd been switching on and off all morning. So something has certainly happened, but if this is an update wouldn't it be a higher build number? My first experience of Sync 3 so wouldn't know.

If that is the case, I may as well switch off auto update until I make a dealer visit and get rid of at least one annoying message. My car indicates that it has scanned for updates on 29 March at 15:58, so something must be happening? Or is it just calling up Ford and getting no answer?!

Just entered my VIN on the Ford website which informs me that a Sync update is available for my car. Can't do the usb method at present as my old PC is not connected to the web (old windows version no longer supported for security) and I haven't got round to getting a new one!). The car is however connected to my home broadband with a very strong signal so I assume it should get the update through the auto update feature in due course? Or will it have to wait for a visit to the dealer? Must say Sync 3 seems to me like a system that's still at the beta test stage, not one on public release.

Absolutely. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the MINI's bottom 3 gears were quite low, whereas 4th upwards were pretty high, which would explain the differences there, and unless you're in the habit of racing away from traffic lights 0-60 times are pretty academic anyway. As for the Mk 7.5/Mk 8, they are not night and day different and the figures were for a 3 door Mk7.5 as against a 5 door Mk8 in Vignale trim with pan roof which I guess is a fair bit heavier. So in the real world probably little if any difference between the two though as I suggested earlier in this thread, the Mk 8 may feel a little slower due to better refinement.