Focus 1.8TDCI

pburns

Anyone any experience of this in terms of refinement, drivability etc?

Thinking of downsizing in July (probably change my mind a dozen times between then and now) and this seems a good bet on paper - just creeps into Band B for motor tax and VRT. Also 115bhp, with the torque of a diesel engine should shift it along satisfactorily enough.

maidhc

I have a 2003 one. Wonderful car actually, and it moves a lot quicker than the 115bhp would suggest.

It isn't the most refined engine in the world, and it stalls easily until you get used to it. It can do about 540 miles from full until the fuel light comes on with my average driving.

My father has told me he wants first refusal of it when I am shifting it on, so I'm not the only one that likes it.

Churchy

Just bought one for the wife , only had it for 2 days so no info yet on fuel economy but pulls very well.
Intending to sell it in the summer as it should import into the south easily.

Henry Ford III

Lynx engine is older iron block and an 8 valve head, but the 2nd generation common rail TDCI variation is still very good.

It's reckoned that these engines actually produce a bit more power than officially claimed btw. A little too close to the 2.0 units infact.

Neilw

Henry Ford III wrote: »

It's reckoned that these engines actually produce a bit more power than officially claimed btw. A little too close to the 2.0 units infact.

I had a late 2003 tdci sport focus for a couple of years, nice car, handled well, great seats (same as the st170).
I had it on a rolling road and it made 130bhp first time and 131 second time, only mod was a k&n panel filter.

Neil

Copied from the rr printout
Focus TDCi (115ps) K&N Panel Filte 130.2Bhp/242.1lbft

cantdecide

pburns wrote: »

Thinking of downsizing

From what? You mean new??

pburns

cantdecide wrote: »

From what? You mean new??

Well I have a Mazda 6 at the moment (petrol) and i just haven't made up my mind about the new model. The pre-production models looked great but as usual, most of the Irish specs leave a lot to be desired - skinny wheels, no spot-lamps etc. Mainly though I'm concerned it's just too big - not quite Mondeo-size, but close. And the Mondeo is reputedly the size of the last Granada...

Recent time driving a Focus (old) and a Mazda 3 have convinced me that smaller cars are so much handier in town and on back-roads. Fine handling cars both but the current 3 is too ugly. Which leaves the road-testers favorite, the Focus...

bazz26

I recently downsized too to a 1.6 Focus TDCi Ghia and that has 110 bhp. I read that that can be tuned to about 130bhp easily enough. Standard version has plenty of torque and very good power delivery though there is a little bit of turbo lag. Returns close to 600 miles from a tank of fuel. I would imagine the 1.8 is a good bet too.

The 1.6 is a PSA unit but the 1.8 in the Focus is Ford's own engine. In 2006 Ford detuned the 1.6 to 90bhp so that it would not class with reintroduced 1.8 TDCi. Try and go for the Ghia spec Focus, it has some nice toys and makes downsizing more bareable.

pburns

bazz26 wrote: »

I recently downsized too to a 1.6 Focus TDCi Ghia and that has 110 bhp. I read that that can be tuned to about 130bhp easily enough. Standard version has plenty of torque and very good power delivery though there is a little bit of turbo lag. Returns close to 600 miles from a tank of fuel. I would imagine the 1.8 is a good bet too.

The 1.6 is a PSA unit but the 1.8 in the Focus is Ford's own engine. In 2006 Ford detuned the 1.6 to 90bhp so that it would not class with reintroduced 1.8 TDCi. Try and go for the Ghia spec Focus, it has some nice toys and makes downsizing more bareable.

Is your Focus saloon or hatch? Think I'd go for the hatch, although Focus saloon quite handsome. A Focus 1.8TDCI with Zetec Connection pack is probably the car on the market most ideally suited to my needs.

Hell, I'll probably end up in a nicely-speced 6 though. 140+bhp, relatively light - and I just like the way modern Mazdas handle - very Ford-like...

bazz26

pburns wrote: »

Is your Focus saloon or hatch? Think I'd go for the hatch, although Focus saloon quite handsome. A Focus 1.8TDCI with Zetec Connection pack is probably the car on the market most ideally suited to my needs.

Mine is the hatchback which seems to be more common in diesel form from doing research. My first choice was the saloon too but in the end it was a small compromise as the car I bought ticked every other box for me. To be honest I've always had saloon cars but the hatchback is very practical indeed.

pburns wrote: »

Hell, I'll probably end up in a nicely-speced 6 though. 140+bhp, relatively light - and I just like the way modern Mazdas handle - very Ford-like...

Not surprising since the 6 uses the Mondeo chassis. Would you consider
the new Mondeo 1.8 TDCi, it is available with 125bhp or the 2.0 TDCi which has 130bhp or 140bhp.

pburns

bazz26 wrote: »

Not surprising since the 6 uses the Mondeo chassis.

Don't think the 6 and Mondeo are as closely related as, say, an A3 and a Golf. Mazda went their own way to a great extent AFAIK.

bazz26 wrote: »

Would you consider
the new Mondeo 1.8 TDCi, it is available with 125bhp or the 2.0 TDCi which has 130bhp or 140bhp.

No, if I go for that size of car it'll definetely be the Mazda rather than the Ford. They're better-looking, a bit less ubiquitous and just classier. Besides I'm a bit of a Mazda-phile...

It'll need to be speced out similar to this though:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=843866

Ireland (and maybe GB) have that horrible plastic grill from MPS versions on the new Sport models with big ugly bumpers (maybe it's just me?).

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/214428/mazda_6.html

So I'd probably have to go for Exec SE and get them to put 18''s on - a bit messy...

E92

The 6 and the Mondeo have absolutely nothing in common, bar the fact that Ford owns Mazda.

And the new 6 is based on the old one too.