advertisement


Ouch

I wish I'd never read this thread now. I live very rurally in a lowish income area and was honestly in blissful ignorance that the focus was so looked down upon. I'm ashamed to go out now :(
Anyone looking down on them hasn't driven one, they're great (as is the Fiesta). I have some fantastic memories from when I had mine - a hoot to drive and full of character!
UXu0Bcpl.jpg


KHCzYXel.jpg


RWp4HOgl.jpg


cIoE8Jml.jpg



fQ0U7aol.jpg
 
I’ve never had a problem with the Focus. Had one for a month back at the end of 1999, rental, while we sorted ourselves out after returning from Saudi. Very comfortable, great handling (taught the rest of the industry what could be achieved) and all the petrol engines were pretty good to excellent. The whole thing was a revelation.
 
I’ve never had a problem with the Focus. Had one for a month back at the end of 1999, rental, while we sorted ourselves out after returning from Saudi. Very comfortable, great handling (taught the rest of the industry what could be achieved) and all the petrol engines were pretty good to excellent. The whole thing was a revelation.
Same goes for The Indestructible Mondeo. £350 plus a traded in dead Saab, I bought it as a stopgap and kept it 4 years / 60k miles. It was a great car, against the odds. Neat handling for a big car, good ride on the .motorway, comfortable. I'd have another. It was one of those cars that you wanted to dislik e or at least disregard, but through simple persistence and competence it got under my skin and made me smile.
 
Same goes for The Indestructible Mondeo. £350 plus a traded in dead Saab, I bought it as a stopgap and kept it 4 years / 60k miles. It was a great car, against the odds. Neat handling for a big car, good ride on the .motorway, comfortable. I'd have another. It was one of those cars that you wanted to dislik e or at least disregard, but through simple persistence and competence it got under my skin and made me smile.

As a non-car person I have to say the Mondeo is the only Ford that attracts me. It’s grill is vaguely Aston Martin and it’s proportions are impressive: substantial but just short of showing off ‘big’. I like the classic Volvos for the same reason.
 
I wish I'd never read this thread now. I live very rurally in a lowish income area and was honestly in blissful ignorance that the focus was so looked down upon. I'm ashamed to go out now :(
With apologies, I know the Focus is a good car (I said so in the post). My problem with Fords is not the badge, or the image, it's the interiors. I just find the Focus and Fiesta interiors unpleasant to look at, for the same sort of reasons I disliked cheap 1980s stereos. If it had a nicer interior, I'd be happy to drive a Focus. We had a Ka for about 10 years. It was fun to drive and a cheery little thing, but the interior was a bit naff.
 
As a non-car person I have to say the Mondeo is the only Ford that attracts me. It’s grill is vaguely Aston Martin and it’s proportions are impressive: substantial but just short of showing off ‘big’. I like the classic Volvos for the same reason.
They stole a few of AM's design cues during the time they owned it. To the good in my books. The Mondeo is not a bad looking car. The AM kick-up on the C pillar is now widespread though.
 
With apologies, I know the Focus is a good car (I said so in the post). My problem with Fords is not the badge, or the image, it's the interiors. I just find the Focus and Fiesta interiors unpleasant to look at, for the same sort of reasons I disliked cheap 1980s stereos. If it had a nicer interior, I'd be happy to drive a Focus. We had a Ka for about 10 years. It was fun to drive and a cheery little thing, but the interior was a bit naff.
To be fair the Ka was the bargain basement model. My mum had one, her last car, bought new in I think 2004 for the princely sum of £4995. Yes, under £5k, brand new. She kept it for 10 years or so by which time tinworm had set in. A shame, because it had only done 30 odd thousand miles. As you say it was a bit cheap and cheerful, but it was great fun, drove well, neat handling and all the rest. She loved it, having driven 70s and 80s Fiestas for years she felt right at home.
 
@stevec67 - concur with that sentiment.

My parents went through two Ka as a the second car/ shopping/runaround on that basis. Within what it was meant to do - the original Ka was a brilliant little thing. A kind of modern Morris Minor.

Mes Parongs were at a bit of a loss when, v tidy but well over 10yrs old, loved but getting a hint of 'fizzy on a wet night' if you looked closely - their Ka got rear-ended in a hit & run. Tried a new Ka2, no like, not at all.

So then ..actually, why not the same again? Dad went hunting (this is c. 8yrs ago ) - landed a mint, 30k mile, FDSH 'run-out special' Ka with ALL the options (yes - a leather interior, air-con... it was hilarious) for £1050 - off the forecourt from a Ford dealer! And giggled all the long/twisties way home. The deal, and the car, was a hoot.

They recently swapped that for a new Hyundai i10; hits the same spot. Simple, sufficient, and effective - yet still has the 'engaging to drive' thing. A really good little car.
 
They stole a few of AM's design cues during the time they owned it. To the good in my books. The Mondeo is not a bad looking car. The AM kick-up on the C pillar is now widespread though.
They also bestowed various silly things on AM, such as an amazing locking system from the transit..
Well, at least for a while.
 
we've had a lot of engine changes recently.
Looking back, 2008 Merc 2.8 diesel averaged 41 mpg
2.2 Honda 4X4 diesel averaged 46
1.1 3 cyl Suzuki 4x4 petrol av 43
much newer 2018 merc 2.2 diesel 4x4 averaged 48
this Honda hybrid CRV 4x4 (90% use of petrol engine) is doing 42.

Nothing terrible, nothing great, though the mercs performance and 4x4 system with near 2 tons was most impresive. Highly advanced engine that and withoute the estate body and 4x4 probably over 50 with ease.

The hybrid is to ease ageing brains into an electronic future. It's rubbish as an economy car, but VG in all other respects
High hopes for hydrogen here, but waiting at least 5/6 years now to see what settles. If we find fuel costs too much we have the bus.

I think battery tech is moving faster than hydrogen for now, and also depends on your thoughts on how the hydrogen would be used? Via a fuel cell to produce electricity or into an ICE as now, just water as an emission.
Some intersting stuff happening with batteries, 'solid state' being one and Lithium/Sulphur another. The speed of the evolvement is amazing, but then, so was getting to where we are now with modern day LED for lighting.
 
In the UK I agree, it is, but some major work is ongoing nevertheless...here in Scotland two separate groups are running a village on Hydrogen and another company in orkney has already a contract to work with the RAF developing a hydrogen fuel trainer. Trial flights happened last year. It's persuading the government to invest that's the problem, although as countries like Korea (S) continue to develop it, it will spread. I'd guess it's electric until 2028 or so then a slow balancing out with hydrogen and whatever else is discovered!

For electric to work now, there just isn't enough power in the system. A lot of time and money is going to have to happen simply to ensure that when every Mr and Mrs Smith in the UK get home from work and plug in to recharge, the power is actually available to do it, because right now, it isn't. Not even close.
 
In the UK I agree, it is, but some major work is ongoing nevertheless...here in Scotland two separate groups are running a village on Hydrogen and another company in orkney has already a contract to work with the RAF developing a hydrogen fuel trainer. Trial flights happened last year. It's persuading the government to invest that's the problem, although as countries like Korea (S) continue to develop it, it will spread. I'd guess it's electric until 2028 or so then a slow balancing out with hydrogen and whatever else is discovered!

For electric to work now, there just isn't enough power in the system. A lot of time and money is going to have to happen simply to ensure that when every Mr and Mrs Smith in the UK get home from work and plug in to recharge, the power is actually available to do it, because right now, it isn't. Not even close.
Well, it’s only 2022, and I’ve a couple of friends who use solar to charge their battery storage during the day and cheap rate electricity overnight, then plug in the car in the evening. I’d guess well before 2030 there’ll be many of these set ups, almost independent of the grid and its issues.
 
Hydrogen is a horrible gas to store, you cannot liquify it and it attacks many metals.
A closed carbon cycle making and burning LPG would be a more practical solution
 
Hydrogen is the Betamax to Battery's VHS. I don't even think it is a contest, the battle is already over- there's no way the amount of investment and R&D put into EVs is just going to be written off and redirected to start from scratch on Hydrogen, including the refuelling side.
 


advertisement


Back
Top