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[Broomies Mate]

It's a terribly sad day for me.

I have swapped my Omega (99 3.0 Elite) for another car.

I cant tell you what I swapped it for because if I do, I'll get stoned to death.  All I can say is it has a blue oval badge on the front and back. 

On the brighter side, it goes around corners very nicely..... shame it doesn't go along straights like a rat with a rocket up its arse.

Anyways.  Not long until I jump back into an Omega......... Just waiting for the right one to come along! 

[Grrrrrr]

Shame on you, my son.

Still, forgiveness is at hand. Just nip down to your local Cauhall stealers, place your forehead to the ground and say 'Hail Vauxhall!' three times.

Then you can go home with a clear conscience.

[Grrrrrr]

Cauhall? Typo - Vauxhall.

[Andy B]

.... it goes around corners very nicely..... shame it doesn't go along straights like a rat with a rocket up its arse. ....

sounds like SWMBO's Roadster 

[Stallion]

.... it goes around corners very nicely..... shame it doesn't go along straights like a rat with a rocket up its arse. ....

sounds like SWMBO's Roadster 

 

[Broomies Mate]

It's day two with this piece of shit and I'm not happy.  Nothing wrong with the piece of shit, it's just..... well.... a piece of shit.

So, wanted ad placed.  Going to look at an Omega tomorrow in Bedford.  Seems far too cheap to be any good, but who knows.

If you have anything I'd like (3.0 Elite Saloon) please PM me.

 

[Martin_1962]

It's day two with this piece of shit and I'm not happy.  Nothing wrong with the piece of shit, it's just..... well.... a piece of shit.

So, wanted ad placed.  Going to look at an Omega tomorrow in Bedford.  Seems far too cheap to be any good, but who knows.

If you have anything I'd like (3.0 Elite Saloon) please PM me.

 

Is it gay wheel drive then?

[TheBoy]

We had a Focus as a lease car for 2 years, and was without doubt the worse car either of us had ever had.

Whilst the car was comfortable enough, it suffered from lack of power from its 1.6 engine, and what power was there was delivered badly, it suffered the ability to stop quickly, and it hated corners^*

We both didn't like driving it, feeling it was too unpredictable to be safe.

Mrs TB's brother had the 1.8 version, on the same lease scheme (as he works for same company), that was every bit as bad, just had a more acceptable delivery of power.

Our other car, which we still have, was a 1.6 Rover 25.  The Rover was quicker (acceleration and top end, and delivered it better), stopped quicker, and out-handled the Focus in every respect.  The Rover 25 is also considerable larger in the cabin, and the boot is about twice the size. The Focus had more headroom though (although no sunroof).


Within days of picking up the Focus, we could not wait for the 2yrs to be up. Ironically, we replaced the Focus with the Silver Bullet



^* We never understood why motoring journalists liked the Focus. We assumed it was the usual bias/corruption of journalists, and the likely comparison was the woefully awful Escort that it replaced.  However, with about 6 weeks before the scheme finished, and we already had a replacement car (the Omega), I started driving it at 100% on the limit everywhere.  To my surprise, it actually did corners better, more predictably, and 99% of the time, whilst on the ragged edge, you could position the car precisely in the corners.  That remaining 1% lead to a few heart stoppers, mind

[Kevin Wood]

I reckon the only reason most people buy a Ford Focus is because they're the type who've "always bought Fords", and their level of automotive discernment is such that they weren't put off by the utterly dire Escort Mk 3/4/5/6 / Orion that they probably had before it.

[Broomies Mate]

We had a Focus as a lease car for 2 years, and was without doubt the worse car either of us had ever had.

Whilst the car was comfortable enough, it suffered from lack of power from its 1.6 engine, and what power was there was delivered badly, it suffered the ability to stop quickly, and it hated corners^*

We both didn't like driving it, feeling it was too unpredictable to be safe.

Mrs TB's brother had the 1.8 version, on the same lease scheme (as he works for same company), that was every bit as bad, just had a more acceptable delivery of power.

Our other car, which we still have, was a 1.6 Rover 25.  The Rover was quicker (acceleration and top end, and delivered it better), stopped quicker, and out-handled the Focus in every respect.  The Rover 25 is also considerable larger in the cabin, and the boot is about twice the size. The Focus had more headroom though (although no sunroof).


Within days of picking up the Focus, we could not wait for the 2yrs to be up. Ironically, we replaced the Focus with the Silver Bullet



^* We never understood why motoring journalists liked the Focus. We assumed it was the usual bias/corruption of journalists, and the likely comparison was the woefully awful Escort that it replaced.  However, with about 6 weeks before the scheme finished, and we already had a replacement car (the Omega), I started driving it at 100% on the limit everywhere.  To my surprise, it actually did corners better, more predictably, and 99% of the time, whilst on the ragged edge, you could position the car precisely in the corners.  That remaining 1% lead to a few heart stoppers, mind

This is a 2.0, and it goes alright if you literally rag the balls off of it.  The Zetec engine has next to no torque and such a small power-band..... how people live with it I'll never know.  Cornering wise, it is actually really rather good.

FWD and no way of turning off the traction control, which, really is rather annoying as it wheel-spins and torque steers (but no torque?) even under moderate acceleration, killing what little engine power there is.

Seats are hard and unsuportive, steering wheel is in the wrong place, it has 3 pedals instead of the better 2 configuration and the pedals are so close together I keep jabbing the brake pedal when I want to change gear.  The Stereo is shit, the heater blower on it's highest setting is like an asthmatic blowing on you, the boot it tiny and it beeps at me everytime I lock/unlock the doors.

I could go on. 

[TheBoy]

I know other's with Focus's, and they love them.  When I drive them, the age old problem of inconsistency in the bends comes in (unless cornering on the limit).


A ST peeved me off the other day, doing the stunt of lastminute.com, cutting everyone else up on the motorway and slip road in the process.  So I took it as a challenge 

There is no doubt, in a rolling start in a straight line, the ST is rapid, but this idiot coun't get it around the roundabout, and the power down, and I left him for dust. He was about 4 cars back when we got off the roundabout, and never did catch me up on dual carriageway before I turned off about 10m later...

[Broomies Mate]

Would you consider me a complete nutter if I said I am seriously considering an Alfa 166?  :-/

There is a 2001 (X) on AutoTrader, 3.0 V6 with 98k miles for £1,475.

Any thoughts?

[henryd]

Would you consider me a complete nutter if I said I am seriously considering an Alfa 166?  :-/

There is a 2001 (X) on AutoTrader, 3.0 V6 with 98k miles for £1,475.

Any thoughts?

You buy an Alfa with your heart,not your head, and yes I would, in a heartbeat

[Broomies Mate]

Would you consider me a complete nutter if I said I am seriously considering an Alfa 166?  :-/

There is a 2001 (X) on AutoTrader, 3.0 V6 with 98k miles for £1,475.

Any thoughts?

You buy an Alfa with your heart,not your head, and yes I would, in a heartbeat

Oh 'dangle berries'.  I was hoping someone would tell me it's a ludicrous idea. 


I very, very much like the 166.  Just terrified of the servicing costs.  They cant be THAT much, surely?  :-/

[Vamps]

Would you consider me a complete nutter if I said I am seriously considering an Alfa 166?  :-/

There is a 2001 (X) on AutoTrader, 3.0 V6 with 98k miles for £1,475.

Any thoughts?

You buy an Alfa with your heart,not your head, and yes I would, in a heartbeat

Oh 'dangle berries'.  I was hoping someone would tell me it's a ludicrous idea. 


I very, very much like the 166.  Just terrified of the servicing costs.  They cant be THAT much, surely? :-/

Can anything be, compared to the Omega.....