The 1.6 "Duratec" is the same old junk from the Mk1 Focus, which should have been taken out and shot long ago IMHO.

Is that old mill still lumbering along as a bargain basement option?]

My dad had one in a Focus estate. With sensible gearing, it might have been passable, but Ford mated it to a very high ratio gearing (not just fifth) and it was a slug.

The Mk 1 Focus used the Iron blocked Zetec E in 1.8 and 2.0 litre versions, the 1.6 were the all alloy Zetec SE Fiesta/Puma engine (Yamaha designed unit). There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of those engines, totally reliable and will do galactic miles.

The Mk 2 Focus (and C-Max) used the same 1.6 but the 1.8 and 2.0 were the all alloy Duratec which is the Mazda derived engine. Ok its lighter than the Zetec E and a little more powerful but that does not make the older engine a dog. Its these later all alloy engines that are fitted in the V40/V50.

When the Zetec 1.8 originally came out in the Mk5 Escort I hated it, so overgeared that it made motorway driving a chore. Never had this problem with any Focus I have driven.

Edited by thunderbird on 04/03/2012 at 17:50

The Vectra got marginally better MPG than the Mondeo (37mpg compared to 33mpg).

33mpg - oof - that might be a deal breaker. I was expecting nearer 40 from this unit in an s40......

I think you'd do very, very well to get 40mpg on average. Best I've had from the Mondeo over a tank was 42mpg, and that was on a long, slow journey the length of Ireland, basically the ideal trip. Worst over a tank was 17mpg, that was over the deep freeze last winter, doing short commutes in the snow.