Focus to be built here from 2011...

[Tles]

Originally Posted by zetec

The traction control is what kicks in. No real problem, just turn it off.

Peaky cars like Civic Type R's are a to drive in the city, a grunty hatchback like the XR5 is an absolute pleasure to drive, it'll cope with anyhting including passengers and doesn't need to be flogged. It's my favourite car to drive daily the XR5. Like a small Falcon, high torque, great sound, smooth and refined, an awesome daily cruiser that whe opened up is not far off an XR6 turbo for straightline to be honest.

And for the 130i, you're not wrong there regarding performance, love to fang one, although packaging-wise it'd be a pain in the bum to live with, best suited to a 2 seater as the rear seat is shocking.

Front wheel drive knockers will forever rattle off about torque steer, european indicators or the "dangers" of not being able to drift in the wet. Really what it all boils down to is a lack of people who've actually stepped out of their EA 3spd and into a modern tail-happy front wheel driver that's properly setup (like a Focus or a Mazda 3) and the lack of people who actually know what the hell they're talking about! Most sporty 1200kg 2.0L front drivers will run rings around cars twice their size and will happily show a 6 cylinder a thing or two in a straight line whilst using less fuel. People just need to get off the horse and try them for a change. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Then you'll know what all of us small car guys and girls have been banging on about for years!

I laugh when I see $3k shitboxes with $6k worth of subs, rims and bodykits being flogged with two sicko looking blokes (if you can call them that) reclined past the rear windows in the car, thinking their VS Executive V6 with HSV kit is the ducks nuts while a modern, safe, efficient and classy looking Euro hatch obliterates them through a round-about, probably cost the same in total as the bling barge did and will be a hell of a lot more reliable. It'll smoke them off the lights, outhandle it with a flat tyre and still pass roadworthy with nothing more than the signature on a sheet of paper. As for the left indicators, I drive a manual with left hand indicators and apart from wrapping myself around telegraph poles daily and losing control every time I turn a corner... It's a no brainer. Again - try it before you knock it, it seriously has so little impact on anything that it's not even worth thinking about.

Have sold our XR5, but an awesome daily driver/tourer/ Sunday fun box only lacked cruise but would so effortlessly cruise that it mattered not. Having owned high revving lowish torqued small cars before I was amazed at the large car feel of the Focus and interior room - size of old Mondeo or Telstar inside. Ultimately not super quick but smooth effortless and chuckable all day long. Different car to our Terri Turbo yet similar in the ways that make the TTG such a joy to live with.