Buying a new Focus - which engine and gearbox?

Should I buy a Focus 2011 1.0 Ecoboost 125ps (6 speed manual) or a 1.6 ti-vct 125ps (6 speed automatic-dual clutch) both 5 doors? 80 per cent of my driving time is urban. What other options do i have?

Ecoboost or TSI?

I would like to buy a Volvo V40, Ford Focus or Seat Leon but wonder which model has the better engine (reliability, consumption, power)? As I want decent performance for reasonable money, I'm considering...

Rear window washer alignment of water jet

I bought the above car New last year,and had fitted by the suppling garage the extra large rear spoiler. The problem is the washer jet does not aline to the centre of the rear screen,I have spoken to the...

Give us a brake

On the BBC2 programme 'How Safe Are Britain's Roads' they did a piece on an Automated Braking System that stopped/slowed the car when another vehicle or pedestrian was in front of it. I have tried to find...

What's best for value - Civic, Focus or Mazda 3?

I have a 2006 Honda Civic 1.8 i-Shift, which has 24,300 miles on the clock. I am now looking to trade it in and am considering the automatic version of the new Civic, the Ford Focus Zetec Powershift and...

Number of Real MPGs submitted, by engine option

While we can see the total number of Real MPG submissions for a given car model, we can't see what portion of that total make up the individual engine choices for that car. EG: 2011 Ford Focus has 256...

Why are new cars sold with misleading fuel economy figures, like my new Ford Focus EcoBoost?

I would like to warn any of your readers wishing to save money on fuel that the new Ford 1.0 EcoBoost engine is not the way to go. I recently bought the Ford Focus Zetec EcoBoost 125 and the mpg is seriously...

Could you do a long range economy test on a hybrid vs a modern diesel?

I love diesels as they suit the terrain here in southern Spain; lots of steep hills where you do not need to change to a lower gear to easily get up them, but we have to go with the flow I guess. I have...

How can I tell whether a hire vehicle is petrol or diesel?

We hired a Ford Focus last week but were concerned when we came to refuel the car. On opening the fuel inlet there were signs for a black fuel pump, i.e. diesel, and also a green pump, saying super unleaded....

I'm looking for a new car to replace my Astra

I currently own a Vauxhall Astra CDTi (120) - it's lovely but is seven years old and needs to be replaced. I am currently considering a Ford Focus or Nissan Qashqai. I like a car with a bit of thrust,...