Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices

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Thu 14 Dec 2023 15:10
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - Hojo_81

Hi I'm on the lookout for another car up to £7.5 max, considering a Ford Focus MK3. Noticed from 2015 the engines are mainly Turbo in 1.5 or 1.0 guise. I was hoping for a 1.6 N/A but can only find a few and they are all auto powershift. Did they phase out the 1.6? I don't want a turbo car, diesel or auto.

Other option is a Fiesta with 1.25 engine there seem to be plenty of those post 2015. Having thought more about it maybe a 5 door Supermini would be better, as we don't really need a Focus sized car, so could go for a newer/lower milage car for same money if I went smaller.

My main priority is reliability, I've been stung heavily before with VW TDI group cars in the past. Turbo actuators, EGR, Throttle body and ABS pumps all failing and electrical issues. Managed to avoid the dreaded DPF failing but it caused me many an oil change.

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Thu 14 Dec 2023 15:45
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - Xileno

You will have to get an early MK3 for the 1.6 engine. My neighbour's is a 62 reg and has it.

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Thu 14 Dec 2023 18:12
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - badbusdriver

A smaller car might not as much newer as you think, it really depends on the model. Some smaller cars, like the Fiesta, are always in demand. But there is nothing to fear with the 1.25, just be aware that there were two power outputs available, 82 and 59bhp. You don't really want the latter unless just being used in town.

But with reliability being paramount, you could/should also be considering Toyota Auris and Yaris, Honda Civic and Jazz, Mazda 3 and 2.

Also Kia Ceed and Rio, Hyundai i30 and i20.

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Thu 14 Dec 2023 18:18
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - gordonbennet

wot no recommendations for German engineering, there was a time but that appears to have long gone.

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Thu 14 Dec 2023 18:58
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - elekie&a/c doctor
Avoid any Ford model with an ecoboost engine. Wether it be the 1. 0 or the 1.5/1.6 engines they’re all troublesome. 1.6 non turbo is what you want in a focus. Friend has 2013 model focus and it’s been fine , just waiting for the power shift gearbox to self destruct.
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Thu 14 Dec 2023 19:10
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - corax

I have an 11 reg Focus estate with the 1.6 VCT engine. It's not powerful, but it's smooth and free revving, good on fuel, and perfectly adequate for my needs. It's been reliable so far.

I like the mk3 Focus in the bronze colour, but that's probably because I've got a soft spot for the Firebird that Jim Rockford drove.

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Fri 15 Dec 2023 00:46
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - Hojo_81

Thanks all, so early mk 3 then that's going to mean a 10 year old car at least at best, not too keen on that. After suggestions here and having a scan around I think I could probably get a Civic 1.8 9th gen or even the newer shape Mazda 3 2.0 from 2015 at very top end of budget. I was looking at Ford due to cheapish repair costs, plentiful cheap spares and reliable Yamaha designed engines or used to be.

We have an older Jazz in the family 2006 plate 1.2 I think done over 130,000, paid 1.3k for it 4 years back and it's never let us down, had some brake issues though and not that cheap to put right, plus an Albanian gang sawed thr Cat off in the park and ride a few years back. But always starts and engine runs smooth as.

Will definitely look at the newer Jazz and Yaris and Mazda 2, assume the n/a petrol motors are all solid choices. With the Hyundai/Kia's are there any robust engines to lookout for, no experience with these but friend had an i10 and ix20 and no major issues with those.

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Fri 15 Dec 2023 11:23
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - John F
Avoid any Ford model with an ecoboost engine. Wether it be the 1. 0 or the 1.5/1.6 engines they’re all troublesome.

Could it be that the 1.0 litre 'ecoboom' s reputation is now undeserved? By 2016 had its problems not been addressed and rectified? Are there many reports of failures after this year? There must be zillions of them around by now - many appear on Autotrader in this country with high mileages.

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Fri 15 Dec 2023 13:13
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - galileo

Ford ecoboosts of all sizes have a poor reputation in the USA. To be fair, car buyers there expect cars to last 150,000 miles, conditioned by past experience of lazy, simple V8 engines and typically high mileage usage.

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Fri 15 Dec 2023 17:21
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - badbusdriver

Could it be that the 1.0 litre 'ecoboom' s reputation is now undeserved?

Very possibly, but you forget that potential unreliability is not the only reason one should swerve an Ecoboost.

Another is the cost of a belt change, which I believe is fairly prohibitive. Based on Autotrader search results, the youngest 1.0 Ecoboost Ford the OP's budget will get them into (assuming no insurance write offs and a max of 60k miles) is 2017. The recommended interval is 10 years or 150k miles.

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Sat 16 Dec 2023 09:08
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - John F

Could it be that the 1.0 litre 'ecoboom' s reputation is now undeserved?

Very possibly, but you forget that potential unreliability is not the only reason one should swerve an Ecoboost.........Another is the cost of a belt change, which I believe is fairly prohibitive.....The recommended interval is 10 years or 150k miles.

Interesting. The interval for the last century designed Focus 1.6 Zetec was 10yrs and 100,000 miles, so not much progress there. However, these are cautionary recommendations as only a tiny fraction of a percent should fail before then, and probably very few afterwards. I have long thought that more damage was done to Zetec engines by having their belts badly changed and possibly replaced with an inferior product than if the original was left in situ. Our Focus belt lasted the life of the car (21yrs and 161,000 miles), as it was designed to do. I have no intention of ever changing our Peugeot 1.2 puretech belt unless it looks dodgy on inspection, although in our dotage its mileage is unlikely to exceed 7,000 per annum. I suppose belts in oil are more vulnerable to deterioration than dry belts if correct oil maintenance is neglected and/or cheap inappropriate oil is used by careless or unscrupulous garages.

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Sat 16 Dec 2023 22:54
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - Big John

I have no intention of ever changing our Peugeot 1.2 puretech belt unless it looks dodgy on inspection, although in our dotage its mileage is unlikely to exceed 7,000 per annum. I suppose belts in oil are more vulnerable to deterioration than dry belts if correct oil maintenance is neglected and/or cheap inappropriate oil is used by careless or unscrupulous garages.

My sister experienced the boom with the 1.0 ecoboost in a Fiesta earlier this year with premature cam belt failure (9 years / low mileage). It's been repaired but it required a new cylinder head - not cheap but all ok now.

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Sat 16 Dec 2023 11:42
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - Engineer Andy

Could it be that the 1.0 litre 'ecoboom' s reputation is now undeserved?

Very possibly, but you forget that potential unreliability is not the only reason one should swerve an Ecoboost.

Another is the cost of a belt change, which I believe is fairly prohibitive. Based on Autotrader search results, the youngest 1.0 Ecoboost Ford the OP's budget will get them into (assuming no insurance write offs and a max of 60k miles) is 2017. The recommended interval is 10 years or 150k miles.

I've also read on numerous occasions owners of the earlier versions of that engine (i.e. in the 2011-14 Focus and earlier ones of the 2014-18 car) saying how poor the real world mpg of the 1L turbo engine was in comparison with the claimed figures.

HJ's REAL MPG section appears to bear this out. Strangely enough, the 1.6T and 1.5T seems to fair much better on that score. Maybe people driving them too hard?

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Sat 16 Dec 2023 17:19
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - ambra

Not sure if it would 'float your boat' but you can get the 1.6 Sigma engine in the slightly larger C-Max in Zetec trim until 2018 reg.

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Sat 16 Dec 2023 22:40
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - Hojo_81

I wouldn't rule out a Cmax, extra space could come in handy. It's been a non starter on the car search this weekend nothing about, too close to Christmas. Will resume search again in new year. Thanks for all the info on this thread.

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Wed 7 Feb 2024 12:21
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - Hojo_81

The car search has resumed. Is the 1.6 ti-vct in the CMax the reliable Yamaha one as below.

www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202311113856657?s...a

I've seen a few about within budget less than 10 years old , a lot of car for the money.

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Wed 7 Feb 2024 13:15
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - catsdad

That will be the Yamaha one. In the CMax it will have a cambelt rather than the chain. However it’s a conventional belt, not one running in oil, so changing it is not the big issue it is in the later Ford engines.

The advertised car looks good but you can only tell by seeing it and test driving. It won’t around long if it’s a good as it appears but always buy with your head.

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Wed 7 Feb 2024 21:45
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - Hojo_81

Thanks for confirming, at the moment it's between a CMax or the smaller Yaris, as there is a fair few locally. I would like to try Mazda 3 2.0 and Civic 1.8 but none about locally within budget.

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Thu 8 Feb 2024 06:45
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - badbusdriver

Thanks for confirming, at the moment it's between a CMax or the smaller Yaris, as there is a fair few locally. I would like to try Mazda 3 2.0 and Civic 1.8 but none about locally within budget.

As was said, if that C Max is as nice as it looks, it won't hang around, especially seeing as (according to Autotrader) it is £500 less than the average price. Don't waste time potentially losing a very good car locally, waiting to try something which may not appear. The C Max drives well, is practical, spacious and flexible, and (with that engine) is very reliable.

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Thu 8 Feb 2024 15:10
Ford Focus - Ford focus 2015 onwards engine choices - Hugh Watt

.

As was said, if that C Max is as nice as it looks, it won't hang around

Not to say you're wrong, but it's been on AT since 21/11, and has come down £400 in price...

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