Warwickshire Lad

Hmm my Titanium (same engine and colour as yours :D ) came with only two front mats as standard although the driver's side one is secured down with some clip things that come from underneath the driver's seat. I did buy the official Focus mats which are better and they also come with the fittings as well, if you don't have them already. I paid about £20 from my local dealer. Also bought the stylish aluminium gear knob as well, also improves the look. P.S. What actually is submarine lighting ? Sorry if I'm being thick.

I like the footwell lights, they're a cool little feature. 8)

The dealer I bought my Focus mk2 from said to me on the day I drove it away, that unless you retune the engine, filling with 97 has no real benefits over filling with standard 95... :shock:

600+ miles is a lot in any one week, why do you need to rack up that many... just curious... :D

I would be interested in knowing an answer to this, at the moment it's the cigaretter lighter socket although that means the cable dangling over the dashboard. If there's a better way then speak up or forever hold your peace !

Amen to that, I'm very happy indeed with choosing a Focus. Here are the other cars I considered and why I ruled them out :- whizzpopper Astra : It looks a lot better than it used to but I think it's general image still put me off. I only seem to see people "of a certain age" driving them ! VW Golf : Highly regarded but I still think the design is a bit "boxy" and I think the other manufacturers have caught up quality wise. Audi A4 : Really nice as something with a bit of class, but not as good looking and a sleek as the Focus. Bit of a rep-mobile. Alfa Romeo 147 : Absolutely fantas

I just phoned CD Bramall in Leicester (they're called Evans Halshaw now) and they said that there is a Ford bodykit which can be installed on any Focus and not just when you buy new. Apparently they've got a brochure so I'll go down at the weekend and have a look. I really do prefer the kit as shown above rather than the MS Design one, so if the price is right then I may well go for it.

ioa_pol, this is also the question I'm asking. I would really like it a bit lighter if possible. If a Ford tech is lurking on here perhaps they'd like to pipe up or send me a PM. :)

Can you tell me what product you recommend for Jeans ? :D

I note that on some models of the mk2 Focus, there is an option to adjust the power steering from relatively light to heavy. Unfortunately my 1.6 Titanium does not seem to have this option in the menu. :( A few days ago I exchanged one Titanium for another, and have noted that in the new car the steering is noticeably heavier than the previous one. I was wondering is there any way I can get the steering lightened up a bit so it was as easy as the old one ?

Luckily I have the brochure and a scanner ... :) I must admit I like it, and also Kevin I liked the MS Design one that was on your Tonic-coloured car... hmm I've been getting a few naughty ideas lately about getting one fitted. I think that both look sporty but without being too "chavvy" if you know what I mean. Thing is though, Ford specify their kit as an "Option" so presumably it's only available when you're buying new. :(

Totally agree Robbins. It's cash for me, every time.

On the Perrys website they quote interest rates of over 14% for 5 years. Borrow £12K to part-fund a brand new car and you end up paying back over £18K. That's a rip-off, and is "much closer to £20K" as I originally said.

As you should well know it depends on the Interest Rate you're paying. Fail to haggle and you could easily end up paying well over the odds.

I just thought how many people are buying their new cars on Finance as well, that could makes a £12K car "which is a great deal" actually cost much closer to £20K once you've paid off the Interest. A friend of mine who bought a low-spec Fiesta a few years ago has probably paid the same in repayments as I did on a nearly-new Focus last month. I am a person that does not like to have anything on-the-knock. Good things come to those who wait and actually SAVE money first. People pay much more than they should for things sometimes, whether it's for cars, houses or whatever. In particular

As a person who would never buy brand new :- Point 2, I've also got Ford's warranty and the backup from Ford Direct. Point 4, the few dealers I tried gave me a derisory offer on my part-ex (a Fiesta). I decided to sell it privately and got a good price. Failing that there's always eBay for anything more unusual. Point 5, I know where you're coming from but I did a lot research on the Internet scouring lots of dealers nationwide as well as Autotrader etc, and there are a lot of variations of spec especially on something as common as a Ford so there's almost always something for everyone

If you've got money to burn then buy new, so each to their own. Neither am I from Surrey, nor am I well-heeled, nor do I spend limitless cash on cars and trying to make my bodily appendages larger, either. So I don't 'do' brand new. In about 3 years I reckon I'll be driving round an Alfa 159 which will cost a fair bit less than 10K (today's list about £25K). Happy with the Foccy in the mean time though. :D

I take it you have ordered brand new, so what I don't understand is that if you're in "cost saving" mode why didn't you buy one of the many nearly-new examples that are available at forecourts right now, and let someone else take the 30% depreciation (at least a few thousands worth) ? You've really got me there... :?

I consider myself encouraged !

The text "FORD FOCUS" doesn't look like it's in the same font as the official logo - the text should be slightly thicker and more elongated. An OK first effort, but it would be nice if they could be made more "interesting"...

Well, from looking at my squeaky/rattly Titanium, that was made in Germany. My replacement next week hails from Spain. As other people have said I hope it does not make a difference where it's from.

I had a "salesgirl" next to me when I first drove a Focus mk2. I looked at her just as much as I did the car.... :oops:

Totally agree with that, the car just sticks to the road like glue. Very light steering and pedals too so driving is less tiring. Cruise control would be nice too but Titaniums don't have it for some unknown reason !

I have the same 115 engine in my Titanium and I can't fault it really. I don't go out and rev the thing like a madman, but it does everything I want in daily use. The dimming rear-view mirror and auto headlights are very nice features, as well as the footwell lighting, and I think you get most if not all of that on the Ghia. I am currently in the process of exchanging mine due to some unwanted noises coming from the car, but fingers crossed the replacement will be trouble free.

Latest on this is that a replacement Titanium has been sourced for me, which is nearly identical to the one I've got - hopefully minus the rattles and squeaks! :D Here is a full list of all the ones I had :- * Rattle coming from underneath the passenger seat * Squeak (like a bird chirp) coming from the rear seats * Occasional vibration/rattle coming from the dashboard * Slight vibration/rattle coming from the seat-belt assembly * Also noticed the creaky front-suspension on speed humps I'm amazed the original owner put up with all that ! I have had to pay a few hundred pounds extra fo