2008 Ford Focus opinions??

Boardwatcher

Hi everyone

I called in at a Ford Garage today to take a test run in the new Fiesta. While it was okay to drive (1.25 petrol), i did not like the cheap feel of the interior. I also think i have got used to driving a bigger car (the Primera) and going back to a supermini might be too big a step backwards:(

While i was there i had a mooch around the used cars and came across a 2008 1.6 tdci Ford Focus Zetec. It has 40k miles on the clock and is a UK car, so not registered here yet. I took it for a spin and was impressed. It had a tag of 16,500 on the window. The guy took a look at my 2002 Primera Accenta with 120,000 miles on the clock and gave me a price of 13,500 with the trade in. With a bit of discussion, i offered him 12k. He is going to come back to me on that.

I am just looking for the opinions of others here, i suppose first on the car itself and the 1.6 diesel engine, and secondly, on what you think of the deal with the trade in. I was thinking myself i might have gone in too quick at the upper end and maybe should have offered him 10k and been willing to walk away

Anyway nothing is written in stone yet, but it will be interesting to see if he comes back to me on that.:rolleyes:

Mc Love

Is that the new look Focus?

Boardwatcher

Mc Love wrote: »

Is that the new look Focus?

I should have said, but yes it is the facelifted model and looks well in a light blue colour and 5 spoke 16" alloys. The mileage is a tad high for a 2 year old car but then i guess it is a diesel.

Mc Love

Would you get more money if ya sold yours privately? I am looking at getting the same car from UK with VRT included for same price with 20k mileage on it.

Boardwatcher

McLove, when you say 'the same price' do you mean 16k with the VRT included or 12k??

I don't think i would expect much more than 2000-2500e for my own if i sold it privately. It is an 8 year old car with 120k miles on the clock. Granted by next saturday it will have a new NCT and just been serviced, but do i really want the hassle of trying to sell it privately??? The trade in route and be done with it seems appealing to me, but maybe i am just being lazy:rolleyes:

What is your opinion on the car/engine type?

Mc Love

Boardwatcher wrote: »

McLove, when you say 'the same price' do you mean 16k with the VRT included or 12k??

I don't think i would expect much more than 2000-2500e for my own if i sold it privately. It is an 8 year old car with 120k miles on the clock. Granted by next saturday it will have a new NCT and just been serviced, but do i really want the hassle of trying to sell it privately??? The trade in route and be done with it seems appealing to me, but maybe i am just being lazy:rolleyes:

What is your opinion on the car/engine type?

Yep 12k with VRT added on! I was looking at the 1.8 TDCI but a mate of mine who writes on here is a big ford head (prize to whoever guesses right) and he advised me that the 1.6 TDCI is better engine. Its got better fuel economy and cheaper tax than the 1.8 albeit just 50 euro cheaper.

EPM

Mc Love wrote: »

Yep 12k with VRT added on! I was looking at the 1.8 TDCI but a mate of mine who writes on here is a big ford head (prize to whoever guesses right) and he advised me that the 1.6 TDCI is better engine. Its got better fuel economy and cheaper tax than the 1.8 albeit just 50 euro cheaper.

HF?

1.6 TDCi is better by a mile IMO. Make sure it's the 110 bhp version

Boardwatcher

Hmmmm McLove, well in that case it doesn't look like i'm getting a great deal overall. Of course i would have a 12 month warranty, but that is only as good as the garages customer service reputation.

i will have to give it some thought. I was kicking myself as i knew i came in too high with my initial offer, i should have said 10 and prepare to come up to 11. Darn it!

Mc Love

Its a 3 year warranty too Boardwatcher from the date of registration I believe. But I suppose you are saving a bit not having to go over and collect the car, but its still a saving of a few grand

And correct EPM - It would be HF III

Fishtits

I reckon your Primera is worth 1,000, the Focus at a push is worth 14,500 so the deal isn't that far off the mark.

The Focus might not be the most sparkely offering out there but it is bullet proof in terms of reliability... bar none. Ford got it right with that one.

Mc Love

As well as the handling. Depending on what type your car is you could get between 1-2.k Have a look on carzone

Boardwatcher

Fishtits wrote: »

I reckon your Primera is worth 1,000, the Focus at a push is worth 14,500 so the deal isn't that far off the mark.

The Focus might not be the most sparkely offering out there but it is bullet proof in terms of reliability... bar none. Ford got it right with that one.

1,000:eek: Is that all? With new brake pads, new front suspension and arms done last year, and top of the range model, auto dimming rear view mirror, reversing camera, leather steering wheel etc, not to mention a 2 year NCT, jaysus i would have thought 2k at the very least

Mc Love

Have a look on Carzone BW - I'd say 2-2.5k for yours

Boardwatcher

Mc Love wrote: »

Its a 3 year warranty too Boardwatcher from the date of registration I believe. But I suppose you are saving a bit not having to go over and collect the car, but its still a saving of a few grand

Thats a few grand i could do with keeping as i am near cleaning out my account if i go with 12k.

Ask your friend if he has a spare one in the UK for the same money:rolleyes:

Are you sure about that 3 year warranty? I always thought it was 2 years with ford.

Mc Love

Boardwatcher wrote: »

Thats a few grand i could do with keeping as i am near cleaning out my account if i go with 12k.

Ask your friend if he has a spare one in the UK for the same money:rolleyes:

Are you sure about that 3 year warranty? I always thought it was 2 years with ford.

Keep an eye out on autotrader.co.uk. AFAIK its 3 year warranty

bazz26

€16,500 sticker price is crazy for an imported 08 Focus Zetec 1.6 TDCi. I know someone who bought a similar car about 12 months ago up North and it cost him around €14k including VRT. I'd imagine they are worth considerably less now.

Also a 02 high mileage Primera is not fetching anywhere near €3k on the used car market. I reckon it would sell for around €1800 privately. So it sounds to me like the dealer is not actually giving you €3k for your Primera as the Focus is overpriced to begin with.

I would not include the Primera in the deal as a car of that age and mileage is worth very little to a dealer, they will probably just pass it off to the trade. Once the dealer comes back to you ask him for his best straight deal price on the Focus. I would also ring a few dealers up North for their best price, calculate the VRT and see how much it will cost you to land one here. If it works out close to the cost to change price then even if you let the Primera go privately for half nothing you are better off.

fonecrusher1

Fishtits wrote: »

I reckon your Primera is worth 1,000

No thats just wrong i'm afraid. The cars worth about double that figure.

If i was offered 1000 euro for the car that the OP described i know what i would say. Heres the intials; GFY.:)

A few months ago my friend was advised by a car salesman that his 2000 corolla was worth 500 euro. Clueless.

an 02 primera is worth at least 2000 privately with a two year test and service history, but the dealer is no doubt starting the bidding by giving 2 grand for it and knocking 10 per cent ish off the screen price of the focus, his screen price has lots of fat in it too, comes to about 13500 then. To do better by not trading in you'd need to get over 15 per cent off the screen price and get 3000 for the primera privately, or source a focus like mcloves example. 12000 to go up 6 years isnt too bad really. Forgive my crude estimates, tis late !

I can't see him coming back saying yes to €12000 though, I reckon he'll come back with €12,750 with a view to settling on €12,500, if he gets back to you at all that is.

Boardwatcher

RoverJames wrote: »

I can't see him coming back saying yes to €12000 though, I reckon he'll come back with €12,750 with a view to settling on €12,500, if he gets back to you at all that is.

We'll see i guess. No word today anyway. I had a similar experience in a nissan garage a couple years back. Walked away from the salesman as he would not budge on his figures.

A few days later he was on the phone asking me if i'd do it for the initial price i had offered! As it happened i had seen a better car for similar money elsewhere and had gone for that:) I think 12k with a trade in is prob too much to offer for that focus. Perhaps the others are right that i should look to the UK, however the people i have asked to look into it so far have come back with nothing

Boardwatcher

bazz26 wrote: »

I would not include the Primera in the deal as a car of that age and mileage is worth very little to a dealer, they will probably just pass it off to the trade. Once the dealer comes back to you ask him for his best straight deal price on the Focus. I would also ring a few dealers up North for their best price, calculate the VRT and see how much it will cost you to land one here. If it works out close to the cost to change price then even if you let the Primera go privately for half nothing you are better off.

That seems like the better route on reflection alright. If i got 2k here privately and a good deal in the UK, then i will surely make a saving.

Does anyone have any experience with Northern garages. Can you haggle the way you can here? I have no experience with any of that and would be afraid of getting screwed over.:eek:

whowantstwoknow

I have a 2008 focus. Its in for warranty work where I raised an issue with a noise from the fuse box when using switches etc.

Dealer says its the relay that making the noise and is expected, ie it happens in the mondeo etc.

I cant really say I heard the noise when I first got the car but would like to know if others out there have a similar behaviour with the fords?

Thanks

W.

whowantstwoknow

whowantstwoknow wrote: »

I have a 2008 focus. Its in for warranty work where I raised an issue with a noise from the fuse box when using switches etc.

Dealer says its the relay that making the noise and is expected, ie it happens in the mondeo etc.

I cant really say I heard the noise when I first got the car but would like to know if others out there have a similar behaviour with the fords?

Thanks

W.

You'd be better off starting a new thread to be honest