Replacing Focus Mk1.5, with what?

The £5450 2009 1.8 has had 3 previous owners. 194 miles away. 7h30 by train. 250 mile drive each way, 5 hours.
The £5700 2010 2.0 has had 1 previous owner. 129 miles away. 4 hours by train, not too bad a drive if I can find someone willing to drive my car back.
I don't know if this means much given that the cars are 5-6 years old.

The 1.8 does look nice with the upgrades but it'll basically take a day of driving or train to get it. but is cheaper and more chance of getting it down to 5k. Less miles on the 2009 too.

EDIT: 1.8 sold
 
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How about this?
Titanium 2.0 68k full dealership history, no keyless or heated seats or sport pack or bluetooth though, but £4995 with scope for some haggling and could potentially p/x my car as it's from a dealer.
 
Could you go take a look at it? Since you're just down the road from it :D
Heated seats would be really nice, especially for OH who always complains that it's cold, and leather would be really good but they seem to be like hens teeth.

Model you got sounds good. Did your Zetec come with any factory addons that are standard with the Titanium? Auto lights, wipers, all round electric windows etc?

I talked to the owner of the 2010 model you linked to earlier, explained that I'll have to travel across the country to see it and all I've got is £5k cash. He said minimum he'd take is £5.5k but I imagine there is possibility of meeting in the middle. This one seems really nice and is newer with low miles but I just don't have another £500 til I can shift my car or wait/save longer. Even for £5.5k there is more car on offer than the red one near you! Both 2.0 too.
 
Suppose I should look at the Mazda3 as well... £4,390MAZDA3 2.0 Sport 5dr FSH FULL MOT Only 45k - 1 owner

Appears to have full dealer service history. Auto lights and xenon wipers, cruise etc etc, no leather though. It just doesn't look very modern, the interior has nothing to shout about and the exterior looks like a cheap Mk2 focus.
Is a bit quicker than a Focus though but not by much!
 
It does look dated, even the newer ones! You're selling your ST220 soon yeah? To get a Focus ST :D
I know I'd feel miserable looking at that Mazda interior so I'll just have to be patient!
 
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Was just considering a diesel Astra as they are cheaper than a petrol titanium 2.0 Focus Mk2, and are a little quicker too! Can remap them too but not really my cup of tea.
My mileage doesn't warrant a diesel but the extra power while still giving good MPG wouldn't go amiss :) Does seem as though they have a shopping list of things to go wrong though...clutch and flywheel, gearbox bearings being the main culprits
The Astra does look more boring than even a pre-facelift Mk2 Focus though, even the SRi's with exterior pack...dull as sin, not not as dull as a Mazda 3 :D

I don't really want a Zetec and would prefer a Titanium, but the Zetec S with it's bodykit, alloys and lowered suspension does look good. Can't believe they don't put electric windows all round on those though!

How about this Focus Mk2.5 Titanium 1.8 in silver which isn't as bad as Avacrap blue, £4095 private, 1 owner, 70k, dealer history.
 
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I doubted myself and just clicked though a whole bunch of Zetec Climate's, but all of them have winders or just two buttons on the drivers door card :confused:
 
They do look really nice in blue :) But both are quite a distance from me, London!
I wouldn't mind spending a little less, perhaps 4.5k as this will leave me enough to pay for insurance and tax up front for the year :)
I can't see what else I am paying over a grand extra for besides lower miles?
 
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wow a lot of kit for it to eat through in four months!

Think I'm going to stick to getting a Ford Focus, I know where I am with those having spent countless nights trawling through posts about them. Seems all the low mileage Titaniums are exceeding £5k atm so may have to lower my sights and get one with a little more mileage, like the one I listed above for £4095. Low mileage seems to command another 25% on top of this! :(

If I'm going to spend my entire budget of £5k on the car then it has to be a 2.0, though if I can get the car purchase down to £4.5k or lower I can pay for insurance and tax up front, saving me £60 a monthish :)
 
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So there is this Mk2 pre facelift 2.0 for £3998 with Xenons and parking sensors. Low miles.
And thisMk2 facelift 1.8 for £4095 with more miles than the pre, and no Xenon or sensors.
 
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Of those the last one seems the most appealing, being low miles and from a private owner, but it's out of budget. I'd given him a call a week ago when it was listed for £5700 and he stated he would take £5500 and has subsequently lowered his asking on AT.

How does the 1.8 for £4095 I listed above look? I'd really prefer the 2.0 but I'd need to save a little longer or buy from a dealer who will take my Focus in as p/x.
 
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1.8 Zetecs seem to be a good bit cheaper than 1.8 Titaniums, which in turn are a good bit cheaper than 2.0 Titaniums.
Focus Mk2 Facelifts also seek to have increased in sale price over the past 6 months :(

70k on a 7 year old car doesn't seem too bad? Is it worth its asking price? Its 80% of what you paid for your 1.8 Zetec but has done another 25k. Owned from new too.
 
Given the owner a ring, wifes car from new, had a repair to rear quarter when she reversed into wheelie bin on the drive, repaired by Ford. Says the damage can't be seen and that I wouldn't have known if he didn't tell me.
Full dealer history, due a service this April (How much does a dealer service cost?)
Has both keys, locking wheel nut key
Had 3 new tyres in Jan, other one a little older, all Uniroyals
Had a rear coil spring changed for last MOT as there was a fracture

Sounds good, earliest I can get there now is Wednesday unless I can get a shift swap!
 
Told me where it's been serviced too... 5 at Aberdare Ford and 1 at Merthyr, every April, around 9k each year.
Tempting to get a shift swap tomorrow and take the full priced train down! Rather than waiting til Wednesday and getting cheaper tickets :) and risking it selling before then!
 
Much to worry about about the miles?
Just about the right age to haggle around the cambelt...shame it doesn't have one! ;)
It's a 150 mile drive away, but I'll likely be taking the train which goes around the country, takes almost 6 hours. If I can find someone to tag along as a second pair of eyes who will drive my car back I'll drive it, though a return Advance ticket costs the same as a tank of petrol for my Focus! The new one would need half tank at least to get home too! :)
Just hope it isn't a ticking time bomb like UHT's was...that car had all the toys, heated leathers, xenons etc.
Suppose I could always retrofit the OEM Xenons and Headlight washers, though I'd hazard a guess the standard halogens are better than the Mk1.5's :)
 
So this happened on Monday...

Driven it around 600 miles already, all at night in absolutely shocking weather mainly along the A470 and A487 so no real chance to push it.

I have noticed a tiny bit of vibration in the throttle pedal between 3000 and 3250 revs which is mildly irritating when travelling along at 75-80mph. The vibration goes away above these revs. I've had a google, and it apparently could be one of the drive shafts. Didn't notice it during the test drive as while accelerating it doesn't spend long between those revs!

There is a tiny ding on the nearside front passenger door where it looks like another door was hit into it and has been touched up. Can hardly see it though, and a couple of chips on the bonnet. Latest MOT has an advisory of "Front (both rearmost) Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement"
Seems to be a common bush to go on Mk2's so wasn't too bothered by that. It isn't making any sqeeks or knocks or bangs!

Got it for £3825 in the end :)
 
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