Ugly as sin, as Top Gear agree, but still the best in its class...
Not only is it more refined, comfortable and civilised than before, it's
still just as fun in handling... the spirit of the focus lives on.
I would personaly look beyond those minging looks and snap one up if i
had the dosh...
Also its got the roomiest boot out of its nearest competitors...
Long live the Focus. All hail Ford ;)
-JB
per - 01 Nov 2004 16:17 GMT
> Also its got the roomiest boot out of its nearest competitors...
The new Skoda Octavia has that claim too, with it's 560 litres luggage
space...
/per
Johnny BlazE - 04 Nov 2004 19:57 GMT
>>Also its got the roomiest boot out of its nearest competitors...
>
> The new Skoda Octavia has that claim too, with it's 560 litres luggage
> space...
> /per
Octavia is more likened to a mondeo... In Parker's it's listed as
"Medium" as is the Mondeo...
The Focus is "Small Family" a la the Skoda Felica and Favorit :)
See www.parkers.co.uk
-JB
per - 04 Nov 2004 20:51 GMT
> >>Also its got the roomiest boot out of its nearest competitors...
> >
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> -JB
Don't know how Parker's logic works, but the Octavia is built on the Golf
platform and is priced lower than a Golf or Focus.
/per
Stephen F. - 05 Nov 2004 09:31 GMT
>>>Also its got the roomiest boot out of its nearest competitors...
>>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> See www.parkers.co.uk
Hardly. The Octavia is the same wheelbase as the Golf (shares the platform)
with just a bit more of a boot on the back. The Superb is in the same size
class as the Mondeo and Passat. The Focus, on the other hand, is the first
compact car to break the "unofficial" length limit of 4.2m, according to a
German auto magazine. Take that also with a grain of salt, as the Germans
tend to forget anything which isn't a Golf or Astra, as the Mazda 3
obviously already came on the scene with dimensions which force a new
paradigm in the compact segment.
As I was threading my way along my favourite twisty road on the way to work
this morning, I was asking myself if I would really want that extra 14cm of
width (!) and 17 cm of length on top of my current Focus. Nope... don't
think so. I would like to have the self-aiming lights, though.
Johnny BlazE - 07 Nov 2004 11:48 GMT
> Hardly. The Octavia is the same wheelbase as the Golf (shares the platform)
> with just a bit more of a boot on the back. The Superb is in the same size
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> width (!) and 17 cm of length on top of my current Focus. Nope... don't
> think so. I would like to have the self-aiming lights, though.
Ahh thanks for that... the Octavia just seems a lot bigger and is always
being offered as an alternative to the mondeo as equivalent comapny car
is all, so i just took it for a given...
And yes, the current Focus is blistering fun around those twisties... my
dad tends to have fun with it... The new focus is minging and wide, but
i'm sure the handling will be amazing..
Whereabouts do you drive yours and what spec is it?
-JB
Stephen F. - 08 Nov 2004 07:49 GMT
> Ahh thanks for that... the Octavia just seems a lot bigger and is always
> being offered as an alternative to the mondeo as equivalent comapny car is
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> Whereabouts do you drive yours and what spec is it?
It's s TDCi Sport, and I hammer it up and down the Swiss alpine passes.
Subjectively it's quicker than my Mazda MX-5 was in the twisty mountain
roads through the Alps, mostly due to the huge amount of torque for uphill
runs and lots of tire on the road (only 185/14s on the MX-5). However, it
understeers like a pig and you can't drop the top, so it's not quite a 100%
satisfying replacement for my dearly departed MX-5.
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Cplgi - 04 Nov 2004 20:23 GMT
And in North America, if one wants the new Focus platform, choices are Mazda
3 and Volvo S40... I am disappointed that Ford does not want to offer Focus
on the new platform here until at least 2007... The current offering is
just like Focus after redesign in Europe in 2002 (?).
Cplgi
> Ugly as sin, as Top Gear agree, but still the best in its class...
>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> -JB
Justin Case - 04 Nov 2004 20:38 GMT
Certainly looks like the new Focus is going to be an excellent car. I was
pretty convinced it was the best thing around in the latest model "small"
family hatchback area until I saw the new Citroen C4. The best thing about
the C4 was that it looks like a Focus........ It looks as though it has the
same TDCI engine too although it is not as "fast" as the new Focus TDCI,
different computer settings I assume............ Looks rather excellent
though...................Should be cheaper than the Focus too.........
Will probably test drive both and then decide.................or then again,
I may just keep my excellent 2000V 1.8 Zetec with both packs.........lots of
goodies and a great car to drive and own (apart from those bxxxxx Ford
dealers)
I think it will be a great success and will take some of the Focus
enthusiasts. It certainly has me interested........
Just think, no more crappy Ford dealers and customer service............or
are Citroen no better???
Justin Case
-ps Sorry to mention the C4 on a Focus site ...-
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
> Ugly as sin, as Top Gear agree, but still the best in its class...
>
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> -JB
Alan - 06 Nov 2004 10:24 GMT
>Just think, no more crappy Ford dealers and customer service............or
>are Citroen no better???
I once had a new Citroen and put it in for it's first 'free' service
(the labour was free but I had to pay for the parts).
I made the mistake of not asking how much the parts (oil, filter etc)
were going to cost.
Yep, you've guessed it - the price of the parts was so inflated that it
came to the same price as what they would have charged for a service
with labour. They even detailed on the bill for the bits of paper they
put in the footwell to keep it clean while working on the car.
I never went back.
I guess that there must be good and bad dealers with any make of car.

Signature
Alan
mailto:news2me_a_2003@amacleod.clara.co.uk