Ford Focus Diesel or Gas? 2nd hand with a budget of 500k+

**regaia** · July 3rd, 2012 02:45 PM

Get the Focus TDCi 6-Spd MT! I test drove one of those and it was fun to drive, especially if you like rowing through the gears like me

I promised myself I'll purchase one of those but when the time came, phased out na! walang hiyang ford! sinira pangarap ko!

**turnpike** · July 3rd, 2012 03:26 PM

hahaha, yep, i have to agree, i also like rowing through the gears. yun nga eh, phase out na, kaya second hand na lang tinitignan ko, plus yun lang kaya ng budget eh :P

**ghosthunter** · July 3rd, 2012 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by turnpike

how does the sequential shift fair? ang nagamit ko pa lang na plus/minus shifting is yung sa lancer invecs2 ata, at nadismaya ako. ah yung sa honda city din pala, nagamit ko, medyo may delay, yung buttons nya sa likod para akong naglalaro ng GT using a logitech driving wheel, very digital. sa medyo twisty road, ok ba yung AT trans? or yung sa sequential shift?

Here is a link to Niky's article regarding the Focus TDCI Powershift:
Welcome to Bigbigcar.com

As for paddle-shifts, the ones found on the Lancer EX and the ASX are satisfyingly fast on the shift.

**niky** · July 3rd, 2012 04:19 PM

Also did a more recent test-drive to compare it to its only competitor with a diesel:
American Diesels: Ford Focus TDCi vs Chevrolet Cruze VCDi

The Powershift is very competent for an automatic, but the CVT in the Lancer has a better manual mode and the Sentra's CVT is otherworldly. (The Corolla CVT's programming... not quite there yet... but it's very quick... almost as quick as the TDCi).

**ghosthunter** · July 3rd, 2012 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by niky

The Powershift is very competent for an automatic, but the CVT in the Lancer has a better manual mode and the Sentra's CVT is otherworldly. (The Corolla CVT's programming... not quite there yet... but it's very quick... almost as quick as the TDCi).

LOL! ... the Sentra was "otherworldly" indeed. Great weight balance combined with a torquey engine, good CVT tranny and crappy tires (plus two insane test drivers) results in a daily driver that you can drift around city street corners.

**turnpike** · July 3rd, 2012 06:57 PM

those articles were a nice read!

but alas, the chevy cruze is out of my budget. maganda, but out of budget.

as for the tdci powershift, im rethinking, less worries on a newer focus rather than on a 2008 model MT focus. but still, iba pa din ang MT. hehe.

as for the lancer, i havent had the pleasure of driving the new one. ma test drive ko sana yung sa kaibigan ko, MT, kaso medyo nakainom kami so wag na daw muna, pag wala na daw inom, hahaha. (don't drink and drive, hindi ako driver nung gabing yun, hehe)

**niky** · July 4th, 2012 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by ghosthunter

LOL! ... the Sentra was "otherworldly" indeed. Great weight balance combined with a torquey engine, good CVT tranny and crappy tires (plus two insane test drivers) results in a daily driver that you can drift around city street corners.

Disclaimer. I was not one of those insane test drivers.

**turnpike** · July 4th, 2012 11:17 AM

im sorry but can you guys elaborate on "otherwordly", hehe. i havent been reading on reviews about the sentra :p

**niky** · July 4th, 2012 11:29 AM

The Sentra 200 has a very light but long body and a heavy engine up front. It also has a CVT that's very aggressive. Old automatics, in "L" mode, will stick in 1st or 2nd gear only. For the Sentra, "L" mode means it will stay at the highest rpm possible at all times, but will allow you to go as fast as you want.

What this means is that when you let off the gas... engine braking starts, immediately... which transfers all the weight to the front, and the ultra light rear end can lift slightly. If you know what you're doing, you can use this behavior to initiate a drift by shifting weight off the rear tires when turning... then get back on the gas to steady it through the drift.