Forum menu
Not on either of ours. TBH mine feels pretty floppy, which I'm suspicious of, though still positive, but it's much the same in every gear. Certainly neither has any stiffness. Though whether or not that's an issue I don't know, it's not a common fault that I've heard of.
Well it hasn't been driven for a longtime and the gearbox is guaranteed for 12months. Technician is checking when gearbox oil was last changed as it has 7 official services so maybe the 8th is a major again....(They are servicing it)
TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR - Member
Looking at the imortant figures BHP/Tonne, it has just a tad under 80, so it seems I was a bit wrong to claim it as gutless, as it's never going to win a race, but that figure should be perky enough.As you were.
No sorry you were right first time (stats or no stats). When you drive them, they feel gutless 🙂 [b]HOWEVER[/b], this means you need to drive in the correct gear and change/brake at the right time (like propa driving an that). It also means you are less inclined to drive like a prize tit and shred yer Michelins.
We put 50k on ours and Mrs Boblo will be going back to 'that sort of car' after a brief but ultimately silly asignation with a 2.0 TDCI Focus that's a bit hungry for new parts.
Despit my admission above, I don't get all this 'drive in the right gear' nonsense.
Of all the 'underpowered' cars I've driven the over-riding annoyance has been hills - living in the Deryshire Dales/Peak District I've seen a few.
A steep hill, lets say you enter in 3rd gear, hit a corner and you're down to 2nd, sometimes even 1st, then the gear becomes too low and the engine revs too high, so you change up. Third becomes too high within seconds, so it's back to 2nd and revving the hell out of it - back to 3rd, repeat to fade (or until engine blows up). Yes you could always crawl up at 20mph in 2nd all the way, but personally that doesn't appeal to me.
Also...
Cruising at 68mph in the middle lane of the motorway in 5th and fancy getting out into lane 3, but the 75/80mph traffic is coming too frequently and fast. Dropping down a gear would probably see a piston flying through your bonnet and the acceleration from 68mph in 5th is frankly, erm well - just not there.
In my case it means not leaving it in 6th and chugging around 4th gear bends. My diesels are pretty low geared plus the torque... Makes for lazier driving which you can't get away with as much in a 1.6 petrol Focus. I'm not as bad as a typical '5th gear only' minicab driver, I just don't like revving the nuts off things to get power (apart from motorbikes that is..).
Certain back roads of Huddersfield put the Peaks utterly to shame for tight/short and twisty very very steep roads. I can honestly say I've never felt any car wanting on these roads.
Diesels are great. Any petrol will work more than adequately on the above though. Ffs the 67bhp 107 that I have on hire did 90 in the fast lane over saddleworth and changing lanes was easy.
I also drove a aygo on German roads in winter. Loved it. I think its a driver having confidence in his/her own ability rather than delegating/expecting a car to perform.
On the twisties from hudds to uppermill once a lad in a audi a2 more than kept up with me in a talent-compensator mx5. That's driver ability shining over lesser equipment
Early impressions, impressed. Not a squeak or creak and firm/poised with no slop for a 6yr old car.
You won't find a better handling car with as much steering feel as an old shape Focus even an Estate (Front wheel drive.) Even parts from Ford are comparable with copy parts from Unipart etc. These are cheap to run especially the petrol ones. The 1.8TDCI is a great motor but diesel parts are expensive if they go wrong. I have the 1.8 petrol and its not bad, better on motorways, 5th is a good cruiser. If I had my time again I'd go for the 2.0l petrol 136bhp or the 170 ST.
Its also quite nippy. What do you 1.6 naysayers drive normally? 2lt-turbo petrols?!!! 😆
On the slow-claims. 1st upto 2nd maybe however it corners very nicely!
Only issue is a noise from the power steering pump whilst reversing lock to lock. Covered on warranty anyway.