Comments on: 2008 Ford Focus XR5 Turbo Review

By: Numb1er

Numb1er — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:01:49 +0000

Andy there is no way that a Colt Ralliart can keep up with a XR5 Turbo. I’ve driven both cars and the XR5 has alot more grunt. If not why would people buy this over the Colt. XR5 best there ever was best there ever will be.

By: Phill

Phill — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:18:19 +0000

Is that 400m time Fair Dnkum???Seems a bit fast.

By: Yanzo

Yanzo — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:49:56 +0000

interior… very nice, fords interiors are very consistantly eye pleasing. exterior… can’t complain. engine… not as impressive as when i saw the vtec. but wtf is up with the way you open up the hood? wtf???

By: Donna

Donna — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 06:45:45 +0000

We just bought the LV in Performance Blue (no stripes) with leather and sunroof. Trouble is my hubby hogs it so I’ve only driven it once but made sure the experience was worth it! Had an XR6 T in auto a couple of years ago, but love the size and manual box in the XR5 T more than I thought I would. I can put up with the few nuisances it has like no C/C, foot rest and being a bit noisy (not too bad) because as a package it is sensational. Love the engine and gear box, engine noise, seating/comfort and paracacality and it can go like stick if you want it to. No regrets so far – just want to drive it more!!

By: Watto_Cobra

Watto_Cobra — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:19:46 +0000

That was a pretty good mini-review Hugo. Good stuff.

By: Hugo

Hugo — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:58:21 +0000

One of my friends recently purchased an LV XR5 and I must say, it seems to me to be a thoroughly impressive hot hatch for the dollars. Not to impliedly deride the car’s looks, chassis or build, but I still think the motor is its standout feature. That engine is brilliant!

I thought my mate was bullsh##ting about being able to drive around in 6th gear at 40km/h without the motor struggling, then I sat in the passenger seat and ate humble pie while he demonstrated. Then to add insult to injury, he went up a steep hill – still at 40km/h in 6th gear – and the thing didn’t even break a sweat. Then opened it up on a straight shortly after, and it sounded awesome! Indeed that is a fine engine..

I’d always harboured the unfortunate misconception that the XR5 weighed in at 1440kg+ and hence I never bothered to test drive one when I bought my last car (an MY08 WRX.) At 1360 odd kg, it’s about the same as a 5 door Golf GTi and with considerable advantages in both power and torque, I’m surprised it isn’t faster to 100km/h.

The suspension on the XR5 is fantastic too, sadly better than my WRX, although to be honest, I think the car’s still not quite spot on.

Front wheel drive still kills it for me, and whilst it’s probably among the more capable of the breed, you’re never far from your friends in the ’steer’ family (understeer, torque steer, and cousin lift-off oversteer..) if you really push it. Whilst the grip is commendable, I don’t imagine those 18 inch 225/45 Continentals would be cheap to replace either. And what’s with the miserly 50 litre fuel tank?

The lack of cruise control too (esp in Victoria, with our speed camera infested highways) is somewhat unforgiveable this day and age. Certainly not a deal breaker in itself, but an unnecessary inconvenience by its curious omission.

In all though, I guess one has to remember the XR5 only costs $37k or so, and that said, on a bang-for-your-buck assessment, it pretty much trounces all the competition in my book.

By: Sal

Sal — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 01:00:25 +0000

This is a good machine but I can not understand why no cruise and hard to believe no left footrest engineered for RHD version…..even for the larger UK market. My test drive noticed a huge turning circle 11.7m and annoying road noise (like all Mazdas and the Focus). No car is perfect so it is good value but……I will wait for the new Subaru WRX 4WD sedan for only $3000 extra.

By: andy

andy — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 06:36:45 +0000

Try a ralliart Colt cheap as and fun to drive, I bought one for only $25k drivaway and got a ralliart upgrade for another $500. 128kw 240m/n and ONLY 1120KG!!! Do the maths, it keep up with a XR5 with heaps of change in the bank

By: edd

edd — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:01:41 +0000

Jon:

i own a 2007 FN2 CTR. the one they sell in australia. if youre considering a new CTR make sure youre a person more concerned about how a car drives and feels as opposed to how much power it has. if youre a person who enjoys big oopmh at the hit of the throttle then even a GTI is better than the CTR for that. if you like hanging onto a high speed corner at 7800rpm while wondering whether to change up or stay in gear then CTR is for you

By: Buckles

Buckles — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:44:09 +0000

Ronald, congrats on your purchase! I’ve always had a soft spot for the S3 :)
The only thing I would questions in also the resale of the S3 and in addition to that…the Mods you can put in a GTI or an XR5 with relative ease that will give you 300Hp or about 200KW (Chip, CAI & Zorst)…Ok, it’s missing Quatro but relative investment in proportion to performance is the point i’m trying to make :)

By: Ronald

Ronald — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:24:13 +0000

I test drove the XR5, Golf GTI, Volvo C30 T5, and the Audi S3. I was only ever seriously considering the GTI or XR5 due to budget restrictions but after stepping out of the S3 it was hard to look back. Coughed, wheezed and spluttered up the extra $20k and don’t regret it for second, now that’s a hot hatch!!! Quatro and 188kw…to sum it up in one word…WOW.
Now if good sense had prevailed I probably would have chosen the GTI over the XR5, similar cost, loads more for your $, much better resale.

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:06:47 +0000

@ Edd:

hello..which model CTR do u own?

im just curious to see which hot hatch is the best as i am currently looking around.

cheers

By: edd

edd — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 06:39:37 +0000

Fasthonda – yeah i feared that would be the case all along. thats why after reading some things here im curious to see if a somewhat more soft-riding XR5 is actually more ideal for the twisties when riding the twisties too hard in my CTR makes me rethink the steering and suspension setup. im happy with my CTR, but i’d like to know what the competition is like too

By: Buckles

Buckles — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:52:13 +0000

Hendrik, Thanks for the heads up dude!

By: Buckles

Buckles — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:46:29 +0000

Falcodore,

Ford only charge a small extra for metallic, they charge a LOT more for the Hero colour, Electric Orange…
To be frank, I don\’t know whether to call the MPS a sleeper or Boring. Its a Hot Hatch and even with the fancy machined wheels looks *yawn*. An XR5 in EO crawls to the other end of the WOW spectrum but in Black or Blue…it\’s just sexy.
Quite a few reviewers have jabbed Mazda for putting so much power into the engine which apparently makes it torque steer but also lacking in other areas…to quote them \”it appears Mazda have set out to make the fastest hot hatch but thats about it\”

By: falcodore

falcodore — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:36:14 +0000

While the xr5 is a nice car the mazda 3MPS would be my pick, it has a few things the ford was missing. The 3 also drives brilliantly in the twisty stuff & when overtaking nothing in the segment comes close. Also mazda do not charge a premium for mettalic paint whereas the others do, why is that?
I wonder if that fisrt sentence in the article was a stab at toyotas efforts, sloptivo anyone?! lol

By: Hendrik

Hendrik — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:58:48 +0000

Buckles & RICBOY,

Ford released a dual-clutch gearbox for the new LV Focus in the UK and Europe this year, because we get our regular focii from south africa which is still producing the LS, we only get the 4-speed auto or the 5-speed manual.

Now the new LV XR5 turbo which is imported from europe doesnt come with a dual-clutch gearbox, only the 6-speed manual.

So thats why we dont get the dual-clutch 6-speed auto here.

hope that clears things up :-)

By: ZANDIT

ZANDIT — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:52:35 +0000

Absolutly love this car, Had a white one in the showroom where i worked(white has only just been added to the range) and was only ten grand away from being able to get it(hand brake came on!!) so we got a mits lancer vrx!!
Love the orange in the LS model but i think its not quite there on the LV, you have got to see this in the white.

By: Buckles

Buckles — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:14:00 +0000

RICEBOY:

There is no DSG Gearbox for the Focus ST as yet from what we know…
Ford are introducing their own dual clutch automatic gearbox in the ST next year from what I’ve heard…I think its going to be called dura-shift

By: fasthonda

fasthonda — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:16:04 +0000

EDD:-If you think that the Civic Type R has too much body roll then I feel that you are going to be disappointed with the other hot hatches.
I bet, apart from the Megane R26 you’ll probably find the other hot hatches won’t feel as planted and may have even more body roll than your CTR.