Starting to like my Focus :(

[Bailes1992]

I'm gutted to say the least... the bloody thing is growing on me aint it

Now the main thing thats concerned me is the MPG, my 406 used to avarage about 35mpg. I've only driven the Focus around town since I've had it and averaged about 25mpg, infact it never really gets chance to warm up, and when it is warm I thrash the life outa the thing. Ontop of that it's overfueling due to a dodgey lamda.
I fill up the car around once a week if I have chance.
I filled up this evening and all week the car's idled for hours, done handbreak turns in empty carparks, got the speedo off the clock on the ice while only going walking pace and generally mucked about being a child and just got 24.1mpg.
I filled up and thrashed it up some dual carrigeways to Sarn to see the GF as she finished work, saw Becca and then thrashed it back down the dual carrigeways, drove through the center of Bridgend, then down to a seaside resort called Porthcawl, got on the M4 at Porthcawl and sat on the motorway for abit till I got to Cardiff. When I got to the A4232 in Cardiff I pulled off into Culverhouse Cross and down the A48 into Bridgend. At no point in this journey was I hanging about, I even overtook 3 gritters as I hate the sound of the salt hitting the car. I did around 50miles in the space of an hour. I got into Bridgend and decided to fill up again so see what sort of economy I got...
47.5mpg

I never got that much in my 406 TD! Most I got was 44mpg on the motorway going to Swindon and back!

And while I was sat on the motorway I realised it's just as quiet as the 406, just as comftorble and I sorta felt sorry for the old girl. I've spent the last month giving it grief about how it just isn't a 406... and it isn't, but it's just as good!
The only two issues I can find is the nackered track rod end meaning anything about 70 and the car vibrates and the lambda sensor?
When I got onto the A4232 which is a concrete road in Cardiff...
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&sourc ... 41,,0,2.71
The track rod end was making a whipping and knocking sound, instead of panicing it's going to let go like I usually do with most car problems I just turned the radio up

This car is really starting to grow on me... So if anyone would like to donate me a Peugeot 406 before I genuinly start to think the Focus is a good car, I'd be much appreciative

[STALLED]

Keep it up and we'll ban you

But the Focus' are good cars - I've driven my fair share of them and for driver involvement, they are much better than anything else comparable (excluding a 306)...

Oh and get your suspension fixed you lazy sod!

[Bailes1992]

Keep it up and we'll ban you

But the Focus' are good cars - I've driven my fair share of them and for driver involvement, they are much better than anything else comparable (excluding a 306)...

Oh and get your suspension fixed you lazy sod!

I keep meaning to do it but I need to get a small two armed puller to get the joint out of the hub. I keep forgetting to pick one up

[FarmerPug]

remember your 406 was a big estate, and your focus is a family hatch, the extra bulk does affect the fuel consumption.

[Captain Jack]

I find the Fords of the early noughties quite boring. I wouldn't, however, mind a new Mondeo or even a Fiesta.

[steve_earwig]

The new Mundano is a much better looking car than its predecessors (something about filching the design team off of VAG?) but it would still be a cold day in hell before I ever drove anything with the blue oval badge of crapness again. New Fiesta? Landfill.

[Welly]

Bailes, are you sure you've worked out that mpg right?? I'd be really amazed to see a 1.6 petrol pull a 47mpg driving the way you described.

I'd say you'd get an avg of 28-32 door to door and high 30's maybe 42 at best on an easy run.

[Bailes1992]

Bailes, are you sure you've worked out that mpg right?? I'd be really amazed to see a 1.6 petrol pull a 47mpg driving the way you described.

I'd say you'd get an avg of 28-32 door to door and high 30's maybe 42 at best on an easy run.

Yep... filled up to the second click and couldn't get no more in

[Welly]

mmm, to be fair Sam a 'brimmed' tank is when you can see the petrol sitting in the filler neck - then you know it's full

You can lose a litre or two waiting for the airlocks to clear in the filler and get much different amounts of fuel in there.

Maybe you sloshed it in there a bit too fast?

[Bailes1992]

mmm, to be fair Sam a 'brimmed' tank is when you can see the petrol sitting in the filler neck - then you know it's full

You can lose a litre or two waiting for the airlocks to clear in the filler and get much different amounts of fuel in there.

Maybe you sloshed it in there a bit too fast?

No I wait about 10s before trying to get more in Don't worry it's correct.
It matches up pretty well to Fords figures too. They say 49mpg Motorway.
Bare in mind on the motorway I was doing 60-70mph and on the A48 30-60mph but accelerating gently other than when I overtook

[Welly]

Ok, fair do's I guess I'm still trying to come to terms with my T5's mpg and wanted to drag you down with me

Hope you have a good christmas matey.

[Bailes1992]

Ok, fair do's I guess I'm still trying to come to terms with my T5's mpg and wanted to drag you down with me

Hope you have a good christmas matey.

Ta mate
My Dad's T5 aint too bad, he does mainly motorway miles and gets about 28mpg running Tesco's Momentum

[Welly]

That's about right, mine's never dropped below 25 and the highest (on a run to Portsmouth) was 33mpg

I also run Tesco's momentum

[Bailes1992]

That's about right, mine's never dropped below 25 and the highest (on a run to Portsmouth) was 33mpg

I also run Tesco's momentum

Yet people with Focus ST's are complaining sub 20's? I don't get it

[steve_earwig]

Maybe it's the type of driver: older, mature farts in the Volvo (sorry but...) and young kids in the Frauds, all acne and testosterone with no control of their semi-suicidal urges and scant regard for the fact their car is named after a jam rag.