Indeed, 100,000km is a lot of mileage. But I must remind you of
the high interest rate currently. Like I mentioned before, you must
be prepared to have a higher monthly installment if you do not
intend to pay any downpayment.
With regards to the new Ford Focus, here's the models
available.
1) 1.4 3-dr (Hatch-back)
2) 1.6 5-dr (Hatch-back)
3) 1.6 4-dr (Sedan)
4) 1.6 Estate (Station Wagon)
The Focus is a good car. In fact, this 2nd generation Focus is
better than the previous one in terms of handling. In terms of
looks, some may prefer the previous generation though. There's
nothing special in the interior, unless u appreciate the Sony Hi-Fi
system which is specially made for the car. Some will even consider
the interior design to be bland and not as radical as the previous
version. It's a matter of personal preference.
Go for a test drive and you will be impressed with the ride
quality. The car will go where the steering wheel directs. The
steering is very precise in that sense. However, being continental
build quality, one can't help but lament the lack of horses in the
1.6 litre engine. 100bhp is not very impressive. Expect moving off
to be slow even if you floor the throttle but the car is really
quite ok the moment it is on the move. The engine sounds refined
but it is really not as frugal as Japanese cars. You must learn to
accept figures like 9-11km/litre, which is not quite the fuel
consumption promised in the promotional catalogue.
The tiptronic function is fun to play with, though the kick down is
a bit slow after you input the gear you want. Change up at 3500rpm
and you will feel how spirited the car is, but then again, it is at
the expense of fuel consumption. So if you are really concerned
about the fuel consumption, be prepared to live with sluggish move
off when you dictate the gear to change up at around 2500rpm.
Personally, I feel that the sedan is nicer-looking than the hatch
this time round. The estate is for people who really appreciate the
additional boot space. The 3-dr Hatch is really an entry level car.
You will have to make do with manual adjustment for the wing
mirrors and it comes with a manual gear shifter to squeeze the
horses out of the 1.4 litre engine. Until the Focus ST arrives on
our shore, the 3-dr Hatch is really the next best thing you can own
from the Focus family if you want a hatch that is sporty-looking.
Do note that entry to the rear bench can be quite cumbersome and
that is precisely the reason why we see more of the sedan and the
5-dr Hatch on our roads.
