2010 BMW 320d vs 2015 Ford Focus - which to get?

SqualidChimp

SqualidChimp

SqualidChimp

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I'm considering buying a car in the budget range of £7k-ish. Looking around the 'bay seems to deliver most bang for buck, and excluding cat C/D/S/N I can get a 2010 BMW 320d with reasonable miles for age for the same price as a 2015 Focus. Looking specifically at diesels, and for occasional space considerations including but not limited to tourer/estates in my search. 320d I find nice to drive, and I like the Focus too.

Just looking for thoughts/recommendations? Am I better getting the younger car for reliability? Obviously the Focus will depreciate faster. Just need something to replace my current ageing money sink.

There's a seller acfcars (accept car finance) who seem to undercut other sellers for similar mileage/year for both models.

Need a car fairly quickly. Maybe I'll just grab something quick for 2k if the right car doesn't show up at around 7k. Ideally lower miles, and recent timing chain/belt change if higher mileage.
 
Having considered a 15 plate 320d as a replacement for my partners 2012 1.6diesel Focus - which in five years and 50k needed nothing more than servicing, tyres and a snapped spring - the BMW is better built, quicker and a nicer place to be.

However it’ll most likely cost more to run than the Focus, eventually she opted for a 65 plate 118d Sport which she loves, again, it’s quicker than the Focus and much better built.

The Focus is an excellent car imo but to be fair a direct comparison with a 3 Series isn’t really realistic as they are in different classes of car imo.

If you want a premium badge and RWD then opt for the 320d if this isn’t such a big deal then the Focus represents much better value for money imo.

You’ll most likely end up with a newer Focus with lower miles than a 320d at the same price although the 320d will hold its value better in the long run.
 
Scania said:
Having considered a 15 plate 320d as a replacement for my partners 2012 1.6diesel, the BMW is better built, quicker and a nicer place to be.
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It's a completely different car - the 2010 will be a 2005-2011 E90. There is nothing particularly great about its interior.
 
Thanks for the replies. The tourer/estate makes the 320d look better than the standard I think, whereas the focus gets a bit uglified by it, but still ok :) I guess I will keep looking and see if anything decent comes up at low enough miles to pique my interest.
 
Agreed, I had a 320d for 3 and a half years and put way over 100k miles on it in that time with no real problems at all. Only expenses were servicing, clutch/DMF and brakes so it did pretty well. That said, it did have a rattly cam chain for at least 90k of those miles so I was always waiting for it to go. Because of the N47 engine, I wouldn't recommend one. As Fox says, the interior on the E90 is nothing particularly special either.

I'd go with the Focus, as long as it's got an engine with a reasonable bit of grunt behind it.
 
It's still not impossible though, I believe it wasn't fully 'fixed' until some time in 2011. My November 2010 registered 320d definitely had quite a loud cam chain rattle but it never seemed to get any worse in the time they had it.
 
Phemo said:
It's still not impossible though, I believe it wasn't fully 'fixed' until some time in 2011. My November 2010 registered 320d definitely had quite a loud cam chain rattle but it never seemed to get any worse in the time they had it.
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Yeah there were 2 revisions to improve it.. 2010 cars are low risk of actual chain failure though.
 
You won’t get a 2015 Focus for 7k unless it’s in poor condition, got 100+k miles or it’s a cat d which a lot of ads on eBay never bother informing you about. Seems like you have had a 10 minute browse on eBay and have come up with the prices from there.
The 3 series is a completely different car to a Focus a more realistic comparison is the 1 series. If your looking at getting it on finance can you afford potential 1k+ bills that the 3 series can produce?
 
Dav4 said:
You won’t get a 2015 Focus for 7k unless it’s in poor condition, got 100+k miles or it’s a cat d which a lot of ads on eBay never bother informing you about. Seems like you have had a 10 minute browse on eBay and have come up with the prices from there.
The 3 series is a completely different car to a Focus a more realistic comparison is the 1 series. If your looking at getting it on finance can you afford potential 1k+ bills that the 3 series can produce?
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Depends what you're comparing Dav4. I find the Focus more spacious than a 1 series, they just feel really cramped inside. But it this way if I was getting a hire car for a longer trip away and a 1 series turned up I'd be less happy than if a Focus turned up (just IMHO).
 
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-FOC...518881?hash=item4b49e87761:g:GdUAAOSwlgNbGl~W

£6499 - Doesn't say Cat D. Not my ideal car though. has low miles.

Dav4 said:
Seems like you have had a 10 minute browse on eBay and have come up with the prices from there.
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Well, you know what they say about making assumptions mate. ^_^ I did have an actual look. My budget is certainly well below the average price and I'm willing to wait for the right car at the right price. It seems that you in fact had a 1 minute look and decided to go on a judgement spree ;) If you had a 3 year old Focus and tried to trade it in, you'd be lucky to get anything near that back.
 
SqualidChimp said:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-FOC...518881?hash=item4b49e87761:g:GdUAAOSwlgNbGl~W

£6499 - Doesn't say Cat D. Not my ideal car though. has low miles.



Well, you know what they say about making assumptions mate. ^_^ I did have an actual look. My budget is certainly well below the average price and I'm willing to wait for the right car at the right price. It seems that you in fact had a 1 minute look and decided to go on a judgement spree ;) If you had a 3 year old Focus and tried to trade it in, you'd be lucky to get anything near that back.
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dodgy advert to me, doesn't say SweeetFA about the car

for that price with that mileage rings alarm bells
 
ShiWarrior said:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201806127421743?price-from=6000&advertising-location=at_cars&make=FORD&body-type=Estate&radius=1500&price-to=8000&fuel-type=Diesel&year-from=2015&sort=price-asc&model=FOCUS&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&postcode=ox394je&page=1

bit more
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201807128370373?body-type=Estate&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&fuel-type=Diesel&make=FORD&sort=price-asc&price-from=6000&radius=1500&model=FOCUS&year-from=2015&advertising-location=at_cars&price-to=8000&postcode=ox394je&page=2

might be able to knock him down a bit because of the MK 4 due out
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Yeah, those prices seem in the right ball park. I'm slightly thinking more favourably towards the 1.5 over the 1.6 due to it being the newer more efficient engine (as well as euro 6). Both good finds!

ShiWarrior said:
dodgy advert to me, doesn't say SweeetFA about the car

for that price with that mileage rings alarm bells
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Hmm yeah thats what I'd have thought but a) it is the 1.6, and b) it is the huglier estate version... It is however one of my two preferred colours of Focus :P not that that means much, but my other preference is the grey which both the ones you linked were :)
 
I know you've explicity specified diesel - but the 320i is worth a look - I've got 10 plate and it's been great with no major issues, I get 50+ mpg on motorway/long journeys, the 'business' edition is worth looking out for as you get full leather, heated seats and the 18" alloy's + Nav/Bluetooth
 
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