What car ITRO £5-7.5k

Pulsedriver

Pulsedriver

Pulsedriver

Soldato
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19 Dec 2003
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Hey all,

Having come from a string of cars of all types, mainly VAG but also the odd Ford here and there...

I am finally looking to get something a bit newer than i've usually owned, let's say about 2006 onward.

The MUST haves are;

5 Door
Isofix
Xenons - always wanted a car with Xenon headlights - fed up of rubbish vision at night on country lanes.

The HANDY-to haves are;

Bluetooth/iPod - means I don't have to mess about fitting a new head unit to use my iPod and Phone.

Heated Seats - not essential but handy.

Cruise control - again just a bonus not essential.


Mileage around 20-35k (no higher - fed up of buying cars at the 50-60k mark which need all the auxiliary work doing to them)

I had pretty much narrowed it down to a Focus, but trying to find a combination of all the above is difficult, not after a mpg guzzler, something at least 35-40mpg would be nice.

I have found a couple of models, but they are the 2L Petrol (145hp) and 2L Diesel versions, the petrol supposedly does 40mpg combined which would be impressive.

A Mondeo is too big for me, I prefer hatchbacks.

VW as usual overpriced, and zero extras unless you pay lots more for them.

I'll be doing around 250-300 miles a week.

Any ideas?

Not a fan of Peugeot, Citroen, Renault.

Seat's again seem overpriced (have had a few Seat's over the years - good cars but overpriced again).

Does anyone have the 2L focus petrol / diesel and can comment on the real world mpg / tank range to empty? (And also if the diesel is noisy/tank-like to drive)

Thanks :)
 
Skoda Octavia? Although if you think the Mondeo is "big" you might not like it, despite it essentially being a VW Golf.

Your budget should even get you into a Mk.2 vRS?
 
Don't bother with the 2 litre diesel focus, I had one and it wasnt impressive in any way really. Power was ok, economy quite poor for a diesel and it was very very poorly out together, rattle from day one, the really annoying, hard to locate type. Interior is very Fisher price in the focus too. The engine is far better in the mondeo oddly enough though has its own issues.

If you really want a diesel focus, the 115ish 1.6 is far better, 60mpg and a very smooth little thing. The 2 litre petrol is actually decent though again doesn't excel in any way, I never got close to 40mpg in it but I never get close to the claimed mpg in any petolrol engine as I have right foot syndrome
 
Im not quite sure how to explain, but i've always owned 'smaller hatchbacks' Golf's, Ibiza's, Focus's

And whilst technically speaking, parked next to a Mondeo, the Golf isn't miles shorter, it's just something about longer cars - I think I am still scarred from driving a friends MG ZT - which felt like I had to steer a mile in advance as it was ridiculously long.

Skoda - Not a fan of their design, it's a tricky one, really, and ultimately, it's between a Ford and a VW but the VW may lose out due to their often over-rated, over-priced cars.

Im not after it to race around in, the 1.6 petrol is a bit TOO slow, as I still need to be able to overtake / on the motorway without having to hold up all the traffic, so I suspect 110/115hp + is enough, the 1.6 Diesel is that loud or fairly refined?

... Please don't think I am being arrogant about a Mondeo - I may well indeed test drive one just to see what they are like.
 
Quite refined (its no petrol and therefore quiet engine but its far from rough for a diesel), its a psa engine - personally I would get one old enough not.to have a dpf, though if you're doing the type of driving that suits a diesel it wont be a problem anyway.

You're right in that the petrol 1.6 isn't really worth looking at, the 2litre is fine though
 
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