Which conti car

[Tiger156]

Between those 2? FOCUS, it shall be! They still have the 5-year free service stuff, don't they?

[F1fan]

what do they have in the Ghia trim besides the electric chair?

[F1fan]

But the new Mazda 3 looks pretty impressive too and is based on the Focus platform and chassis

 

ya ford still giving 5 years/100,000km warranty

[Tiger156]

Agree. The new Mazda 3 really looks good and "out of the box". When will it be available for viewing?

[F1fan]

heard from mazda SE early next year leh....they just launched mazda 3 during the Frankfurt motor show

[Tiger156]

Actually when you wanna buy? And what's your budget?

[Etnt]

The warranty is 5 years, but only 3 free servicing (labour).

 

Some things from the Ghia trim that you would want:

Intermittent wiper control

Cabin lights with map reading lights

Horns (this be be fitted aftermarket)

 

Other things you can ask for:

Scuff plates

Clear side indicators

Mud flaps

Exhaust tip (this is purely cosmetic)

[Throttleb]

u may not like the looks but try the new M Megane.

[F1fan]

i can buy anytime, but not in a hurry. budget is around above 75 to about 80+ la.

[F1fan]

have you tried it? any good?

[Tiger156]

I Know! Buy a 2yo AR156! Got everything you mentioned:

 

Ride - Cruise pretty quietly at 100kph with tame ride.

Handling - Beauty, sticks to the ground.

Looks - Unique, with a lob-sided plate, coupe look (hidden rear handle).

Performance - Superb, 155bhp, 186Nm, 8.6s, 10km/l.

Equipment - Nothing fanciful, EBD, ABS, F1 selespeed (dry clutch), front-rear fogs, alarm, engine immobilizer, blah, blah, blah....

Space - Good for 5, boot can put 2 golf sets and 2 boston bags.

Resale Value - Errrrrrrrr..., that's why you can get it cheap...

 

Sorrie, can't help it....

Edited September 8, 2003 by Tiger156

[Seansene]

Even the intermittent wiper control can be fitted late on. With a flat head screwdriver, it takes all of three minutes to change!

[Etnt]

I know, but if can squeeze if out of the SE, all the better

[Seansene]

True, plus it's quite expensive for just one stalk!

[F1fan]

2 yo roughyly how much do you know?

 

you must be driving one yourself. Hows' the maintenance like? very scared leh alfa......

[F1fan]

sean, your focus brakes are they noisy?

 

i find the test car tat i drove, the brakes are kinda noisy.......especially when you released the brakes when ready to accelerate off, when coming down a slope.

[F1fan]

sean,

 

any cons on the focus? from your personal views la after driving the car for awhile

[Seansene]

Yeah, the brakes can get noisy, esp when they're wet. Noticed that it's slightly worse in the autos, because of the transmission creep, and the fact that the noise comes in on light braking.

 

Other cons?

- Wind and road noise can be heard, esp above 90kmh, so turn up the music.

- Stock brake pads generate loads of brake dust, I've changed to Mintex, which solves the problem.

- No left footrest for the manual.

- Wipers tend to shudder (again, change them)

- Low end torque isn't very strong. If you look at the dyno of the Zetec engine, there's a actually a power 'hole' just below 1,000rpm where the power drops, but I've learnt to work around it.

- Lower back support is missing, so I use a cushion. This may not affect all drivers though.

- The rear styling in the sedan is not as well-resolved as in the hatch. The facelift is better, but I'd like to see Focus MkII improve it to the point where it doesn't look like an add-on.

- Dash is not flat so forget about placing soft toys on it, unless you glue them on.

 

If this list sound like minor gripes, they are. I'm more than satisfied with the Focus. If there's anything major I want changed, it's coming from the beng in me: more power! bigger wheels! Lower suspension!