Downsizing to one car – any better alternatives than a Focus?

My missus and I are going from two cars to just sharing mine – she's already sold her fiesta.

I've got a S reg Laguna which has quite frankly been amazingly unreliable. I've got a budget of 3K and its replacement needs to be nice to drive, cheap to repair and economical. As we're sharing it also needs to be smaller than the Laguna.

I'm thinking I cant go really go wrong with a Focus, perhaps the 1.8 petrol version, or do any owners care to advise me otherwise? 🙂

Bugger, stuck this in the wrong forum. Can I move or the mods?

I don't have a lot of experience with cars but my own cheapo mk 1.5 Focus TDDI LX estate is nice enough for what it is, well bolted together, it's got a few rattles and foibles but then it's fairly well travelled. But the boot's tardis-like, the seats are comfy, the handling's adequate… it's not going to tug on heartstrings but I've got no complaints of it. That might change if the DMF suddenly dies Being the estate it's a bit bigger but it's still not a particularily big car, which is just as well as I can't drive.

My dad's got a newer Zetec, an early mk 2, and tbh I don't like the engine much at all but other than that it's a better car- nicer place to spend time really, better stereo and nicer finish. It's been very reliable while he's had it though it does have an easy life. Again, vast boot space. Not a huge amount of backseat room though.

Swede – I love those things, the mad buggers in delhi are hilarious.
I thought I had to get my eyes checked when I counted 10 people in one of those

Skoda octavia… the estate if you wanna stick bikes in it. Fantastic value for money and basically a VW in a cheap dress so super reliable.

I'd look at the 1.9 TDI.

That said – Focus are good and tick all your boxes.

Plenty of room for bikes and easy to hose out mud, sick and onion bhaji crumbs.

I saw one the other day TheSwede and wondered how much a Rickshaw costs…

What about a Mondeo? pretty solid car.

The rickshaw hits 2011

Nah, the 2011 doesn't have that authentic straight from dehli feel.
The other one needs a lot more dents and obligatory smoky 2 stroke too

Octavia/mondeo too big methinks. The missus will also be using it and she was used to a fiesta so something the size of a focus is about the biggest I can go as a compromise.

The rickshaws look like a brilliant solution. We've got (or had as I haven't seen them for a while) the pedal versions in Cardiff but they're a bit slow and not too good at keeping up with motorway speeds.

Citroen Berlingo – we hammered ours and nothing ever went wrong. Easy to drive, practical and economical. Bit marmite though…

Focus – 1.8 I reckon.

The missus will also be using it and she was used to a fiesta

Get her to drive a couple on test drives. Big cars are rarely anywhere near as difficult to drive as people expect them to be. Some are easier – in old Jags, you can see all 4 corners and have really good visibility, whilst most small cars have fairly small windows.

An octavia is the same size as a focus.

A couple of years ago I swapped my missis' 206 for an X-Trail. She actually cried when we picked it up, was convinced it was far too big and she'd never be cake to drive it. In fact it is only about 8 inches longer than the megane I had at the time. By the time we got home(i made her drive) she loved it and now we're looking to change again for something newer, she won't consider anything else!

Doubt you'd get one for 3k though, good ones start at 5ish. They are fantastic cars though

aye, octavia is based on the golf so same size as the focus, the mondeo is noticeably bigger but nicer (more comfortable) because of it. If you try an octavia, the 1.6 petrol is ok for mostly town driving but a bit underpowered for motorway mileage. 1.9tdi is better but you pay a premium for it. The hatchback is actually longer than the estate by an inch or two so don't discount it.

I'm currently driving a 1.6 petrol focus (X reg) and its great for what it is. Things to look out for are suspension issues (apparently, but I've never had any with mine) and I've had a few niggles with the brake lines but overall, so long as you don't ever take it to a ford garage, they're reasonably cheap to keep running etc.

For that sort of money a Focus is the way to go. Google Honest John for advice on what to look out for and which model to buy

My mate has a focus estate and i have an octavia estate (06) an mine is almost certainly bigger. Four of us drove down to the alps in it no problem and it still got 40mpg with the bikes on the roof.

Focus fer sure, got a s/h '05 1.8d estate recently. the diseasel gives good mpg, and is surprisingly perky (well, it is my first diesel). loads of boot too.

I've got an 06 Focus 1.6 LX 115HP Petrol (and a 09 Mondeo but I think you're right – it's a good bit bigger than the Focus so a big step up from the Fiesta) and have been very happy with it. Owned it from new (well, technically second hand but it only had 17 miles on the clock from the dealership) and it's good to drive, reasonably economical, powerful enough unless you think you're Lewis Hamilton and need 200Bhp and fits in lots of kit/bikes/etc so long as you fold the back seats down.

Issues – The AC stopped working shortly after we got it but the garage fixed it under warranty (eventually – useless muppets took 5 goes to replace the right part…) and the power steering hose came loose (also repaired under warranty) three years in. That aside, nothing else and it's passed both MOTs so far with no issues. It still drives and feels like it did when new and it's held up well to dealing with a baby/child who likes to try and trash it 🙂

One reason we got the Focus (and the Mondeo) is that they're pretty cheap for what you get and if you do trash it, parts are cheap too.

An octavia is the same size as a focus.

It's pretty much in the middle between a Mondeo & a Focus – length wise anyway

uplink – Member

it's pretty much in the middle between a Mondeo & a Focus – length wise anyway

Hatchback focus maybe, my mate's focus estate is the same length as my octavia estate – mine's an '04 Mk1, his is a '55 focus

Was always a Golf man myself, then had the T4, when it came to replacing my wifes car I was set on a Golf, but have heard so many story's of flywheel clutch probs on the TDIs costing loads each time, that we ended up with a petrol Civic. It's returning 45mpg and the bottom of the back seat flips up to allow you to put bikes in behind the front seats and still use the whole boot. That was me sold as the dogs can still go in the boot.
Not sure your budget would reach the new shape ones though you might find a bargain and they are super reliable.

I've been going for Fords and have had them for the last 7 years.

I tend to go for the Mondeos, but always reliable and very low running costs.

Current car is the 115 TDCi hatch, so far this week I've got the consumption upto 61.7.

I've put over 100K on it, spent very little on running other than oil changes, tyres, general consumables basically.
Everything else is fantastic. With 178K on this week, I'll have to move it on soon, although I can't fault it.
Will certainly get another Ford, may even down-size to a Focus.

imo:
French; cars don't do electronics.
Italian; cars don't do electronics either.
German; cars are too expensive to run and contrary to suburban myth, have been overtaken by Ford in the independantly generated reliablity reports.
Japanese cars; again, parts can be expensive and sometimes not easily sourced.
Korean cars; not owned one, but don't think they could touch a Ford.

I reckon you've already picked a good car for the money, Focus at 3K.
😉

S

A couple of years ago I was wanting to get a focus (similar budget) but ended up going for a mondeo as it was a better spec for the same price

I go for the Mondeo Zetecs, I would dread going back to a car without cruise control.

Ref the clutch thing. As I mentioned above, the last two Mondeos I've had were no problem at all, a 51 and currently a 53.
I put over 70K on one, over 100K on the current one, with no issues, and everything still works fine, air con, electronics, its all sound.

S

I commuted 120mls per day for 4yrs in a variety of Ford Focus's. I love them. Lovely handling car and a nice family size.

£3k isnt gonna get you a car without its little issues so look out for noisy rear suspension. Its some fancy dan multi link suspension and is prone to a few quibbles. Mind you they are also cheap enough to sort so even then dont nbe put off.

The zetec engines arent very economical tbh. my wife got about 30mpg out of her 1.8zetec but then it never got to stretch its legs on the shool run. I always had tdci models and they are pretty speedy and good on fuel.

If it was me i would consider as low a mileage as possible tdci hatch.

Focus – good choice.

Mazda 3 – dull as ditchwater to look at, but drives well and does all a Focus will do. It's a Mazda, so it will be reliable (between me/Mrs North and her parents, we've owned 6 Mazdas – never had a problem with any of them).

Yup, as much as I like Octavias and would happily have one, I just know that despite similar lengths/floorpans etc the gf would just look at it as a shell and not the physics of it and think its too big!

Around 30 mpg doesnt sound too great from the 1.8 though, wonder if the 1.6 is much better.

Coopersport – is the civic you mention the oldish one? i.e. not the one with triangular exhausts and same shape as the original type r?

Will also check out honest johnnys advice too.

Honda Civic! Better imo than a focus.

Reckon I'm getting about 36-38mpg from my 1.6 petrol but that's all town/traffic driving.

I wouldn't bother with a Diesel compared to the 1.6 unless you're going to do a lot of miles.

I don't think the OP's ready to add a 'A' into the middle of OP yet molgrips.

German; cars are too expensive to run and contrary to suburban myth, have been overtaken by Ford in the independantly generated reliablity reports.

I know that VW parts can be very cheap. Merc apparently also have a policy of discounting parts on older models.

Servicing at either's dealers is likely to be pricey though.

Coopersport – is the civic you mention the oldish one? i.e. not the one with triangular exhausts and same shape as the original type r?

It's the new shape one, triangular exhausts an all. Wasn't convinced to start with but am now completely sold. Wanted the diesel but the 1.8 petrol is so economical I'd have to do about 75k in 3yrs to make it worth while. Think they came out on a 55 plate? As I said you'd be lucky to get one on a 3K budget, but I doubt I'll go back to a VW in a hurry.
Even the VW specialist who services my T4 said he'd buy a Honda over a VW at the moment! They keep him in business I guess.

The new shape Civic diesel is a fab engine though, so part of the price premium is fabness rather than simply fuel economy.

Other cool stuff on it includes the flip-up rear seats, allowing you to put a bike in across the back and still have a boot.

I get about 34-35 from the 1.6 petrol octavia in town driving, 45-50 on long motorway runs

The OP has a 3k budget.

Agree the diesel Honda is a great engine, and the revvy V-Tec petrol isn't to everyones liking ( me included) but the deal I got was to good to refuse!