2017 Ford Focus Estate 1.0 Ecoboost Titanium

Just after Christmas last year this 2017 Ford Focus 1.0 Titanium estate was waiting for us at Hannover Airport when we flew in from Heathrow.

Last year, when we arrived, the hire company gave us a car that was much too small for the task, and so we went up a size, ending up in the estate car category. Despite having driven many different cars, and the worldwide popularity of this particular model, I have only driven a Ford Focus once before (very briefly), and so this has been quite an experience.

This Focus estate has one of Ford's best engines, a three cylinder 1.0 litre turbocharged petrol unit producing 125 bhp, an incredible figure given its tiny size. As I found out on the 160 km journey from the airport (around 100 miles) when we picked it up, this is more than adequate for moving the Focus' considerable bulk at highly illegal speeds (or at least they would be illegal in Britain), and the car cruises nicely at 90 mph. Being a 2017 model, it is also equipped with a lot of very nice features.

The much derided original interior of the third generation Focus (launched in 2011), was replaced a couple of years ago with an updated version, which is much better quality and easier to use. The Titanium trim comes with such niceties as a rear parking camera, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, Android Auto, automatic folding mirrors, cruise control, Bluetooth, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry, lane keep assistance, lane departure warning and numerous other niceties. There is even an automatic parking feature (which I have yet to try) along with a 'lady button' to put the steering into superlight mode for city parking.

The car feels composed and stable at high speed (where the law allows, as around half the German Autobahn is derestricted), the steering is not too heavy, and the pedals all have a good and positive feel to them. Compared with my Seat Toledo, there are a lot more soft touch materials in the cabin, and the fixtures and fittings, whilst not being quite like a Mercedes-Benz, do not really feel cheap at all.

The handling, long known as a Focus strong point, seems fine, although the roads I have driven it on have not been the best for exploiting this. The dichotomy between the obvious practicality of the car and it being pleasant to drive is perhaps not surprising given that 2018 is the Focus' 20th anniversary, so Ford's engineers have had a long time to perfect its overall dynamics. The high performance Focus ST estate is probably a tempting proposition for many, given that it has the same practicality as all the other estates, but has much, much more performance whether with a petrol or diesel engine.

My sister wanted some boxes and a desk shifting from one of her old flats to her new one, and so the Focus duly obliged. The boot is not the biggest for an estate at around 476 litres, given that the one on my Seat Toledo is 550 litres, but of course, it is a more practical shape than the Toledo. The rear space is also no more than average, compared with the almost limousine like rear legroom of the Toledo. I doubt that this is too much of a problem for most people, though, but it was quite annoying that it took two people and an Internet search to work out how to remove the rear load cover...

In summary, it is easy to see why the Focus enjoys huge sales and critical acclaim. It is probably a bit dated in terms of styling next to newer opposition such as the Vauxhall Astra estate, and certainly loses in terms of practicality compared with even the sub £10,000 Dacia Logan MCV, but it provides an excellent compromise for most. The range of engines, particularly the 1.0 and 1.5 litre Ecoboost petrols, seem excellent, and recent updates have meant that it can have all the latest technology. One area of concern, however, is the list price, which is comparable with a far more prestigious Volkswagen Golf, and seems too high, although substantial discounts are available. My personal recommendations in this category are probably the Skoda Octavia, the Seat Leon ST, both of which offer similar quality and bigger boots for less money. Or, if you don't need the estate shape, the Seat Toledo or Skoda Rapid twins, which are much cheaper, and have a bigger boot, are an excellent option too.

2014 MG3 Style 12,000 mile ownership report

One of the two permanent vehicles we have is a 2014 MG3 Style (yes, I know the trim names are a little stupid)... I have had the pleasure of owning her for a while now, and she has been an overall delight to drive.

I picked her up at the end of November 2016, and since then she has covered about 12,000 miles with a total mileage of around 45,000. She was originally a company or fleet car, from what we can work out from the log book, and she was bought to replace a far less sensible 1996 Rover 216. Needless to say, she has been much more reliable than the former pride of Longbridge, and shows just how much quality and reliability have improved in around 20 years.

As MG advertising continually seems to point out, the previous generation Ford Fiesta, which was replaced at the end last year, was, spec for spec, around £5,000 more expensive than an MG3. This would mean that the equivalent MG is around two thirds the price of a Fiesta, and has lower insurance costs to boot. Whilst this is broadly true, the picture is a little more complex than that.

The Fiesta does have the same boot size, has roughly the same exterior dimensions and actually has less interior space, but it can be sold and serviced at any Ford dealer nationwide, and has much more choice when it comes to specification. The MG3 has just one engine and gearbox choice, when a Fiesta has about seven engines and three gearboxes to consider. This MG engine in question (which, for Rover fans, unlike the older MG6 petrol is unrelated to any previous MG Rover product) is a four cylinder, 1.5 litre chain cam petrol unit with variable valve timing producing 105 bhp. This is actually quite a lot in a car with group four insurance (highly suitable for first time drivers), and means performance is surprisingly brisk.

I have heard lots of journalists criticise the power unit for being rough and needing to be worked hard to maintain decent progress, and although it does need more revs to get going than the 1.0 litre three cylinder turbo in my Seat Toledo, it really is not that bad. It is torquey enough, is quiet at most revs, seems to spin progressively and even has a pleasant exhaust note. Sadly, MG have since released a turbocharged version in the MG GS and also a brand new 1.0 litre three cylinder turbo in the new MG ZS, which makes this look rather old-fashioned indeed. True, when compared with the 1.25 litre in the previous generation Fiesta and current Ford Ka+ (which dates back at least 15 years) it does not look too bad. However, with embarrassingly high fuel consumption and emission figures for a modern supermini, I can understand why some writers are not impressed, and getting an average of just over 38 mpg on ours, when compared with 50+ for a new generation Fiesta, is not brilliant at all. However, with a relatively low annual mileage, and given the MG3's much cheaper price, it is not that bad in context.

The two cars to which the MG3 are often compared are the Ford Ka+ and the Dacia Sandero. Both are as practical and have similar issues with cheaper interior plastics than, say a Volkswagen Polo, and, when comparably equipped, they are about the same price. They also offer better fuel economy. However, this somewhat misses the point. The MG3 is actually more of a cut-price rival for a Mini, and offers similar customisation options (some of which are truly hideous).

There may be a bit of cheap plastic in the interior and "pull up" exterior door handles (as opposed to the more modern "pull out" on virtually every other modern car), as well as an inefficient engine, but the MG3 is a stylish little car. All models have LED running lights, colour co-ordinated air vents and racy instruments that do a little dial sweep when the engine is started. The car is also fitted with hydraulic power steering, when virtually every other small car has the vaguer, but lighter, electric power steering set up. This means that the car car be a little heavier to park than some, but it is never too heavy, and the car is an absolute joy to drive. The handling is an absolute revelation, with the feedback through the steering a delight like few others and plenty of grip. The trade off is quite a firm ride, and this can get tiresome at times, but I personally think it is a great compromise.

With interior space from the class above (easily fitting four six foot tall people), luxuries on our upper level Style model like cruise control, parking sensors, automatic lights, automatic wipers, Bluetooth, DAB radio, diamond cut alloy wheels and a USB port, the MG3 is very easy to live with day to day. What is less easy is the clutch which bites a little higher than expected, and a gearbox which can be a little vague (in comparison with a Ford or Volkswagen), but if you have driven older cars, such as a 15 year old Corsa or Peugeot 206, it is definitely not as bad at those.

To sum up then, the MG3 is actually something of a bargain and a very fun car to own. The only problems with have had are a washer jet which seems to get blocked up too easily, and parking sensors which sometimes do not operate in the rain. That is it for 14 months of ownership. Fiestas, Polos and Corsas may be more plentiful and offer more choice of trims, but I am still very pleased indeed that we will be keeping our MG3 for many years to come. It is a very suitable car for a younger driver (provided they have one with parking sensors, as the visibility and door mirrors are a bit compromised). I would certainly take one over our old friends the "recycled last generation Fiesta" Ford Ka+ or the infamous Dacia Sandero.

1996 Rover 416 SLI

On 1st March 2018, I ventured out with my extremely patient lady wife to the snowy wilds of Hinchley Wood, near Esher, where I picked up this 1996 Rover 416 SLI automatic. The owner and his wife had had it from new, and after 22 years of faithful service, he had given up driving.

With a full service history, garaged all its life and having had just one owner from new, it seemed to be a snip at just £255 having won the auction on Ebay. Having owned three other examples of Longbridge's finest products, it certainly felt comfortable slipping into the driver's seat (which will need a fabric repair) and cranking the 1.6 litre Honda D-series engine into life.

Once we had got the paperwork, taxed the car and said goodbye to the previous owner and his son, I ventured out onto the slightly treacherous Surrey roads, made even more amusing by the fact that the car had two bald front tyres and a brake pedal softer than an armchair. Gingerly making my way back to our flat behind my lady wife in the far more modern MG 3 (eighteen years more modern to be exact), I then set off to SE Tyres in Epsom to get some new rubber.

Having had the brakes at least marginally improved by having them bled and some of the fluid replaced, and having procured two new tyres (safety first), I then was able to more thoroughly examine the driving habits of my latest purchase.... With nice steering, a comfortable ride, a smooth automatic gearbox and a reasonably powerful engine, I can see why the previous owner had grown fond of her. Opening up the bonnet, I was amazed at the condition of the Honda D-series motor. It is by far the cleanest Rover engine I have ever seen (and that is saying something, considering I have owned three of them).

She needed a good valet, has a dent in the wing and several small rust patches, but she sailed through the MOT the next week. Of course, I have to try not to get too sentimental about old Rovers ( I have comprehensively failed at this on at least two previous occasions), but she was genuinely a lovely old car. The owner even left me the original roof rails (genuine Rover parts), a warning triangle and a set of jump leads (I didn't need to use them), a sign of duty, care and attention.

What do we do with low mileage cars with full service history and an amazingly low number of owners? We take them drag racing at Santa Pod, of course! More about this in a future instalment.

1997 Mazda 323F

Last year, I left a temporary phone which I was using whilst my main one was away for repair on a train, and I lost within it a memory card with all my pictures dating right back to 2005. One of these was a photograph of the 1997 Mazda 323F which I owned whilst at university.

Back in 2002, my friend very kindly allowed us to get a car for use up in Durham in connection with our student house. For some reason, I chose a sporty looking Mazda 323F 1.5 Innsbruck Edition. With only 90 bhp, it wasn't exactly fast, but it looked stunning, had a big boot, relatively good passenger space, frameless doors and a nice set of alloy wheels.

This was not the average car of most 19 year old students, and she drove like a dream. With a firm ride, but amazingly good grip and handling, this 323F was a pleasure to pilot, and was very reliable to boot. I drove all over the country in her, along with many trips to the Metrocentre in Gateshead, Newcastle Airport, Jesmond to see my twin sister, and much more besides. She wasn't the most economical car, but with petrol at around 80p a litre at the time, it wasn't a massive problem!

Slight quirks were an air conditioning button that lit up even if there was no air conditioning (there was an electric sunroof instead), a blue soft touch plastic dashboard and an indicator stalk on the 'wrong side' of the steering column. I had to sell her in the end to a car trader from Luton (there wasn't much point in keeping her post university as there were already two cars at my mother's house), but I had three amazing years with her. The fact that they are still less than £1000 for a decent example is rather too tempting...