Carrier brag!
By David Morgan
WHY do they persist? I've ranted for years about family cars being fitted with inappropriate low profile tyres that ruin ride quality, generate road noise, harm economy, don't like snow and can be more prone to hydroplaning.
And here's a perfect example.
Ford's otherwise fine Focus Titanium Estate, powered by one of the best and frugal turbocharged 1.6 petrols I've stumbled across, arrived with the model's high level of standard specification and an option – 18-inch alloys shod with 40 section tyres. I could have cried!
As soon as I pulled away I could feel the tell-tale vibration of minimal rubber on tarmac and as my speed rose it didn't take long for this comfortable family cargo ship to start feeling rougher than it needs to be and building a cacophony of road noise that was as disappointing as it was irritating.
It was bad enough for me but a back seat passenger complained that it was so noisy he could not join in the conversation. Now, some would say that was no bad thing, but Ian ought to have been able to make himself heard!
What a tragedy. The new Focus is hardly the "looker" of its immediate predecessor but estate guise suits the new style and I was looking forward to a long run in this roomy and great handling car – but road noise blunted the experience.
I know they look good. I know some people are willing to pay a lot extra to have them fitted. And I know manufacturers make good money from "big wheel, low profile tyre" options.
None of that excuses the practice. There are tens of thousands of people driving around in family cars today that feel rough and ride noisily simply because wheels are overlarge and their tyres look like rubber bands.
The solution is easy – smaller wheels and higher profiles. For me the smallest manufacturer's standard wheel diameter fitted with a 50 section cover, or more, is perfection. But it can be a "hard chav" trying to convince motorists to go this "unfashionable" way, and even harder to persuade manufacturers to ease off on the low profiles! Interestingly the Focus Estate's steel spare Spacesaver wheel is 16-inch diameter and the tyre has a mighty 90 section.
All of which says nothing about the rest of the car – a cracking family load carrier that's outstanding to drive, is fitted with excellent passive and active safety features and in Titanium trim is comfortably equipped.
Ford offers 20 versions of the Focus Estate with high tech petrol or diesel power. Prices range from £17,095 for a 104bhp 1.6 Edge to £25,445 for a two-litre TDCi Titanium X Powershift offering 161bhp linked to a six-speed automatic transmission. Every one has the same high design integrity as its stablemates with the same cavernous cargo area.
The standard boot is good for 476 litres of luggage and by flipped the seat squabs forward and dropping the 60/40 split seat backs, you can slide 1,502 litres of cargo into the back with no obstructions at floor height and good height. The loading floor is covered in a tough fabric carpet and the load area is wide, free from any real wheel-arch intrusion and fitted with six handy tie-down hoops – four on the floor and two on the seat backs.
The Focus Estate has been carefully designed. The loading lip is low and easy to slide outsize or heavy objects over, the tailgate is wide yet lifts just high enough for average height people to close and the security cover rail is easy to remove and fix with its spring-loaded wind-away cover.
I like the seating Ford provide for their run-of-the-mill models. Well trimmed and very supportive with a firm feel. On a long run from Moray to Scourie I arrived feeling fine – though deafened by the road noise. The dashboard is bit on the glitzy side for some. There's something fussy about its design with too many moulding swoops and brightwork. Mind you, the Ford Focus has its ancestral roots in Essex, so a little glitz should surprise no one. In any event is all works well and Ford's carefully themed blue-needled instruments are clear and easy to read at day or night.
But the real star in this 4.55 metre long car is its engine.
Ford have come up with a cracking smaller capacity petrol unit. The 1.6T EcoBoost makes up in performance and general economy for any lack of cubic centimetres. As I proved with the same sized EcoBoost Mondeo I drove before Christmas, albeit with another 10bhp, the turbocharged four cylinder design is smooth, perky, commendably quiet, offers good pulling power and pretty frugal into the bargain.
Giving fuel consumption figures is fraught with difficulty. Ultimately it depends on how individuals drive (and that varies enormously), the kind of driving you do, road surface, the hills and traffic you encounter, the weather and the car's general equipment. As I've already suggested low-profile tyres will harm fuel consumption.
One thing is for sure, the Government's misleading Combined Average figure should only be taken as a guide and balanced against the average Urban figure. Most cars' real-world averages fall between these two values.
The Focus Estate 1.6T EcoBoost's official Government Combined Average is 47.1mpg. But a more realistic measure of fuel consumption is in what I'm going to start calling the motorsnorth average – my overall average that covers around 300 or more miles with mixed town and open road driving with two people on board. The Focus Estate 1.6T EcoBoost managed 41.1mpg under these circumstances – not bad considering the gales and rain I encountered in Sutherland!
The combination of 1.6T EcoBoost power and the Estate's standard six-speed manual transmission make this a genuinely satisfying family holdall. The heart is willing and brisk, can be very frugal on a light throttle and includes as part of the package a Start/Stop programme that I personally find irritating and of little impact on overall economy on our north of Scotland roads. But the EcoBoost option is highly efficient and great to drive. All Focus models handle well and it's a pleasure to take this car on a long run. Add the outstanding practicality of the Titanium's Quickclear electrically heated windscreen and powerful air-conditioning and it's the perfect mount for the luggage-rich family on the move. The Focus EcoBoost carries a three-year/60,000-mile warranty and needs servicing every 12,500 miles. A great car – spoiled by low profile tyres that would be more at home on a Porsche 911.
Rating: 7.5/10
FINAL THOUGHT: Superb family estate based on Ford's latest Focus. Excellent 1.6T EcoBoost petrol engine is frugal and brisk, despite being detuned to 148bhp compared to the similar 1.6T Mondeo. Fine cargo carrier let down by daft 40 section tyres that generate a lot of noise and harm consumption.
Ford Focus Titanium Estate 1.6T EcoBoost Stop Start
- Price: £20,845
- Capacity: 1596cc
- Power: 148bhp
- 0-62mph: 8.8 seconds
- Maximum speed: 130 mph
- Economy: Combined 47.1mpg, Urban 36.7mpg
- CO2 emissions: 139g/km (VED E)
- ESP: Standard
- Insurance: Group 19 (new 1-50 Grouping System)