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[duggs]

Seeking opinions on the Focus please as we're looking for the 1.4/1.6 version for the missus.

Her 1.8 Vectra is starting to play up but more importantly....is costing her too much on fuel.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[D]

Is there an echo in here?

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=97857.0

[Webby the Bear]

Mrs WT Bear has a 1.8. I think it's a nice little run around and is quite good on fuel economy so I presume the 1.4/1.6 will be even better.

Quite comfy too.

However I know TB will disagree with all of that! 

In summary I'd say, good run about for someone who just wants to get from A to B. Nowt more, nowt less 

[r1]

my mrs wanted a focus as a change from her old corsa i wasnt keen but she had found a nice one and she wants four doors so a 20 mile drive later turned up to see a nice focus.car was tidy good miles and a long mot chap started it [nice cold engine] and it sounded fine.she drove it about a mile and stalled it pulling away from a junction.wouldnt restart so left him with it and walked away while he waited for the aa, he phoned later to say it was a fuel pump proplem and he was getting a new one but we never went back.

[Stallion]

Seeking opinions on the Focus please as we're looking for the 1.4/1.6 version for the missus.

Her 1.8 Vectra is starting to play up but more importantly....is costing her too much on fuel.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

What year focus you interested in?

[2woody]

the Focus is a great car, a real "game-changer". Before Focus, all front-drive cars handled poo, but then Focus arrived and changed all of that.

my personal fave would be as early a Focus as you can find, in 2-door, but without the wider tyres.

[GastronomicKleptomaniac]

Cracking cars - couple of weakpoints are rear exhaust silencers seem to rot through fairly quickly, and the rear foglamp/ reversing lamp plugs get splatted with road grime and salt and so stop working... new plugs are a couple of quid.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Not realy any bad cars out there these days.

DO look at them closely if buying an old one as they dont last as well as they should.

[sticka_v8_init]

Great cars really, handle like go karts and comfy. Would say they are as reliable in proportion to being looked after like most cars (except French/Italian). Any faults should be easy fixes with a Haynes. Good luck in your hunt fella

[duggs]

The main reason for buying is economy over the running costs of a Vectra B 1800cc   so we're looking towards a 1.4 or 1.6 really although a 1800 might work IF its a fuel saver over what
my wife is driving now, the Vectra.

Our purchase would be more governed by price than year as I guess we've only got about £1000 available to spend so I guess it won't be a youngster !

[Lazydocker]

The 1.8 Vectra is, and always has been, a thirsty beast so anything will be an improvement

[duggs]

THAT is interesting to know Paul....darn it !   This is the second one I've got for her ...Oops  !   SO pleased she doesn't read the forum !

[Lazydocker]

THAT is interesting to know Paul....darn it !   This is the second one I've got for her ...Oops  !   SO pleased she doesn't read the forum !

Certainly my experiences... My 2.0 Cavalier was better on fuel than a 1.8 Vectra C that SWMBO had as a company car for a while

[TheBoy]

the Focus is a great car, a real "game-changer". Before Focus, all front-drive cars handled poo, but then Focus arrived and changed all of that.

my personal fave would be as early a Focus as you can find, in 2-door, but without the wider tyres.

Got to disagree with that. 2 years of owning a 51 plate 1.6LX showed me it was an awful car to drive normally, or even slightly spirited.  It began to behave if you drove it 100% everywhere, but even then, I was still convinced it was going to kill me.

Both Mrs TB and I used to argue who would take the Rover 25 to work, as it was quicker, handled a million times better, and stopped. Oh, and more reliable.  Both of us felt the Focus was inherently unsafe, as it was inconsistent in corners.


Assuming it was just ours, we borrowed her brother's 1.8LX (on same lease scheme). That was a better car in that it would nearly keep up with the Rover 25 (1.6), but every bit as bad as our Focus when shown a corner, or needing to stop quick.

The MkIIs aren't any better - had one as a hire car for UK leg when the MV6 broke down in France (we had a beaten up Astra-H for French leg). Still shite. Only the boot had grown to be more usable.



So to the OP, would I have another? Never. Ever.