A Ford blunder of a good car
Steering to left on delivery.
Drivers door wind noise.
Drivers door water leaking.
Tailgate not closing.
Noisy engine.
Very heavy clutch first thing in morning.
Nearside doors not in line with rest of bodywork.
Main Ford dealer did not take written details of faults and fixed none of the faults.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 10th September, 2002
Understated and rapid BMW basher
It took just a 20 minute test drive to fall in love with this car. The 3.0 V6 Duratec lump is creamy smooth, sounds wonderful and gives the car serious performance (0-60 in 6.5 seconds). The interior quality and ergonomics are as good as, if not better than my previous BMW 328i, the Recaro seats are superb and the handling and chassis feedback are wonderful. It also has a slick gearbox and indeed a lovely weighty, well oiled feel to all the controls. This is a real drivers car, make no mistake.
I've racked up 4,500 miles in just over a month, yet the car hasn't missed a beat and still feels as tight and new as the day I picked it up. Apart from the engine which has become noticeably keener and more free-revving as the miles have gone on.
My only complaint really is the fuel consumption which can drop into the low 20's with serious hard use, although it will achieve 32 mpg on the motorway. Not bad for the performance on tap though, and not noticeably worse than the 328i. Whether the dealers let the ownership experience down remains to be seen, although friends who own Fords assure me that this often reported downside to Ford ownership is massively exaggerated. I am keeping an open mind for now.
This is a refined, beautifully built and elegantly understated performance saloon with an engine which is easily the match of the fabled Beemer straight six, and with a useful turn of speed. After this admittedly limited ownership period, I cannot seriously fault it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th July, 2002
20th Sep 2002, 04:13
An update: Now racked up 14,000 miles (yes, I virtually live in my car) and still impressed. First service was a bit of a milestone as I was apprehensive about Ford dealers, but to be honest I needn't have worried. The work was carried out efficiently by my local Ford dealer, and the staff were extremely pleasant and helpful (most were gobsmacked at the mileage on the car which seemed to be quite a talking point).
When I picked the car up, it had been valeted inside and out, and had gained an evil smelling air freshener (still, the thought counts). The bill was pleasant surprise at £102.16 all-in, including replacing a dicky sidelight bulb! Dug out a copy of the invoice for the first service on the 328i - £296.61 (4 years ago!)
Car continues to run well and the performance and handling are still very impressive. I think this is going to be a pleasant relationship.