Hmm :|

digitalwolf · 16 Aug 2006 at 23:14

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. On the car front.

I love my Saxo, it's a wicked car, but I need more than speed. I need something bigger, safer with a couple of gadgets and most of all slightly better refined.

Today I had a scary moment in my Saxo, all self inflicted and I ended up in a grass verge. Luckily, the car is fine, and i'm ok but I feel I just want something more safer, a bit more refined and a bit lighter on the insurance maybe.

The image isn't the reason why I'm thinking of chopping it in, I couldn't give a damn if people say chav or whatever. I just want something a little more bigger,spacious etc.

Everyone will now say fool, you shouldn't have got the Saxo in the first place.

I'm strongly considering the Focus 1.6 Zetec, but I will want to change it's appearance slightly because it looks slightly boring on 15" alloys.

How does the Focus 1.6 compare to my Saxo VTR? The ride, the performance, the handling.

paradigm · 16 Aug 2006 at 23:17

1.6 Focus = slow. Besides that when I had mine, there was no way on god's green earth that my friend in his 1.6 Focus (2004) could keep up, straight or twistie.

If you want something bigger than the saxo, but just as fun, it needs to have a reasonable amount MORE power, as I found out.

[TW]Fox · 16 Aug 2006 at 23:21

If you want something bigger, better and more refined with gadgets, get something like that, not a Focus, which is still a small car with a miserly amount of kit.

The future is bright. The future ends in deo.

paradigm · 16 Aug 2006 at 23:22

[TW]Fox said:
The future is bright. The future ends in deo.

Put that in your sig now, or I will

digitalwolf · 16 Aug 2006 at 23:23

I'm thinking Focus 1.8 Zetec.

Still no better? Also, is the handling anywhere near as good as the VTR.

I mean, traction control, A/C, good ncap, deadlocks, ABS etc.

Not asking for the world really. Just something slightly more spacious and not creaky.

paradigm · 16 Aug 2006 at 23:25

digitalwolf said:
Also, is the handling anywhere near as good as the VTR.

No (but then, not a huge amount actually is).

agw_01 · 16 Aug 2006 at 23:29

paradigm said:
Besides that when I had mine, there was no way on god's green earth that my friend in his 1.6 Focus (2004) could keep up, straight or twistie.

But then your Saxo was stupidly quick!

I kept up with Si's Saxo uphill in my 214. You left me for dead on the straights!

digitalwolf · 16 Aug 2006 at 23:29

I've just read the stats on the Focus 1.8 Zetec.

Seems quite nippy.

I've jumped in my mums 1.6 Mini One and I hated it, was damn sluggish compared to my Saxo.

paradigm · 16 Aug 2006 at 23:33

agw_01 said:
But then your Saxo was stupidly quick!

I kept up with Si's Saxo uphill in my 214. You left me for dead on the straights!

It was exactly the same, mine may have put out slightly more power (just) due to it being abused from birth, but at the end of the day the only real difference was the lack of fear of the driver.

digitalwolf said:
I've just read the stats on the Focus 1.8 Zetec.

Seems quite nippy.

I've jumped in my mums 1.6 Mini One and I hated it, was damn sluggish compared to my Saxo.

No, they aren't particularly nippy at all, I even contemplated an ST170 after the VTR and that didn't even cut *** mustard.

If you want something anywhere near the same level of fun, just keep the VTR until you can afford something good

digitalwolf · 16 Aug 2006 at 23:35

But I don't rag the crap out of my Saxo though. I'm mainly urban driving so as long as the 0-60 is below 10s i'll be happy.

The Focus 1.8 Zetec can't be that much slower than the VTR.

ajgoodfellow · 16 Aug 2006 at 23:37

Drive it - that's the best advice

After going from one to the other then you'll see the difference in performance and handling and whether you'll be happy with a 1.8 Focus or not

cymatty · 17 Aug 2006 at 00:14

agw_01 said:
But then your Saxo was stupidly quick!

I kept up with Si's Saxo uphill in my 214. You left me for dead on the straights!

Westy didnt keep up with me in your 214 on the motorway.

Oh and keep the Saxo as El says you will struggle to find anthing quite as much fun for reasonable money.

saitrix · 17 Aug 2006 at 00:41

digitalwolf said:
But I don't rag the crap out of my Saxo though. I'm mainly urban driving so as long as the 0-60 is below 10s i'll be happy.

The Focus 1.8 Zetec can't be that much slower than the VTR.

I found the insurance on a 2.0 Zetec surprisingly low. That would be faster than a VTR in a straight line, yes it won't go round a corner quite so fast but will still go round them well. The 2.0 Zetec also got the 16" version of the alloys.