D3 ES 5dr Estate

Great car but would not buy with my own money!

Company car supplied in 2011 - went for the new D3 5-cyl diesel due to 150bhp but superb torque figures and the sound of the 5-cyl engine rather than a rattly 4-pot.

Pro's: A great drivers car with a strong engine, extremely comfortable, great handling if a little light on the front end under acceleration out of roundabouts and good looks with 17" alloys & twin pipes. Nice and compact estate suitable for my missus to blat around in (she struggled with the A6 - far too big). Comes with HUGE front discs that looks as though they've come off the T5 so braking is excellent. Standard stereo is very good with great sound quality. Motorway driving is great with mid-range torque meaning no nasty moments and ease of overtaking.

Con's: This is a Ford Focus in drag so rear legroom is non existent behind me (I'm 6ft 2") and it is only really a small estate so not suitable for 3 labradors, tents and canoes and some of the marketing would lead you to believe. Interior looks and feels cheap and doors make a horrible clonk but that's not really important! 5-cyl economy not great and I've never broken 50mpg even on a 1,000-mile round trip to Amsterdam. Average only low 40's with motorway giving mid to late 40's. CO2 figure means 19% BIK so this will not attract company car drivers when a 3-series on 13% BIK is only a few grand more.

I've done 30,000 miles with no problems. One recall for clutch master cylinder that was dealt with promptly. Front set of tyres gone at 20k and rears on the way.

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