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

Yeah, he wont' get a civic diesel for 3k…

My model Focus but on a 54 plate is 3.8k according to Parkers:

http://secure.parkers.co.uk/cars/used-prices/Valuation.aspx?deriv=29239&plate=77#amount=5000&years=3

So that means you're looking at the older (98-04) model unless you can find a bargin/stretch your budget.

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

Mainly to be used for work commuting ect and the occasional long trip away so guess premium of a diesel isnt worth it for these miles? I probs average around 12-14k per year.

My Laguna is a 1.6 which is quite a small engine for the size of car and is fine on the motorway so a 1.6 Focus should be simialr performance I imagine.

Looking around the mk1 Focus and older (oap :D) civics would be in my price range. Shame though, I like the idea of the flippy seats but it doesnt sound as though they're on the older civcs.

where are the UK Foci made?

I do about 9-10k miles per year and the numbers definitely didn't add up for diesel but then again, I bought nearly new (so £10k ish) so it might be different when paying £3k

Foci

😆

clubber – Member

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

There doesn't seem to be a huge price premium for Focus diesels, I ended up with mine almost by coincidence… Perhaps the price isn't helped with the paranoia some people seem to have about the dual mass flywheels?

The economy benefits aren't big, though they're definately there, and the engines by repute are more complicated (my engine bay's pretty busy with intercoolers and turbos and such) but I do reckon that even mine, the crappest of the Focus diesels, is nicer to drive than the 1.6 Zetec. I learned in a diesel to be fair, and I'm used to a vtwin motorbike with similiar power delivery, but I much prefer the breadth of power in mine to the stronger but narrower engine in my dad's 1.6. Just a matter of taste this of course but I don't think I'd be too happy if I'd gone for the petrol.

That said, his does sound less like it's powered by cutlery.

clubber – Member

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

There doesn't seem to be a huge price premium for Focus diesels, I ended up with mine almost by coincidence… Perhaps the price isn't helped with the paranoia some people seem to have about the dual mass flywheels?

The economy benefits aren't big, though they're definately there, and the engines by repute are more complicated (my engine bay's pretty busy with intercoolers and turbos and such) but I do reckon that even mine, the crappest of the Focus diesels, is nicer to drive than the 1.6 Zetec. I learned in a diesel to be fair, and I'm used to a vtwin motorbike with vaguely similiar "3rd gear all the time" power delivery, but I much prefer the breadth of power in mine to the stronger but narrower engine in my dad's 1.6. Just a matter of taste this of course but I don't think I'd be too happy if I'd gone for the petrol.

That said, his does sound less like it's powered by cutlery.

Oh, according to Autotrader the Octavia estate comes in 50mm longer than the Focus estate of similiar years but 70mm narrower tip to tip, so pretty similiar in size. Neither should feel like a big car though really, mine does feel a little wide but then I'm used to motorbikes so anything would seem wide!