XR5, should I?

BPXR6T · 17-03-2007, 12:33 AM

Hi All,

I'm liking the look of the XR5. What's the good and the bad of them? We've got four at work but I've so far not been able to catch any of the owners in the car park for a chat.

I've read a stack of reviews and like what I'm reading. I've also watched a couple of youtube clips. One fanging an XR5 around the mountains in Melbourne at night, sounds very nice indeed.

I've never owned a front wheel drive car before so this is a whole new world. I'll be getting out of a BA XR8 ute. What can I expect in comparison with performance.

From what I've been able the gather around the web the 0-100 times are around 6.7 and the 400m in rougly 15.3 seconds. Does that sound about right? So the XR5 is roughly .3 of a second behind to 100 and .6 over the quarter. I can live with that until I pile on some mods.

Performance isn't the only driver for going the XR5 route. I need a smaller car and something that can carry a couple of mates. What's passenger leg room like in the back? I'm six foot, are my back passengers going to have to sit on their legs?

How do reliability and service costs stack up? Any big quality issues like with the BA/BF falcon range?

Thanks for any info.
Michael...

orsest170 · 17-03-2007, 01:42 AM

Hey there Four Barrell,

Well the short answer is yes you should. The XR5 is a brilliant all rounder that combines effortless acceleration and brilliant handling with a smooth and compliant ride (geez, I sound like a Ford promo). The only bad thing for me is the lack of cruise control, but I’m just about over that now.

I wouldn’t get hung up on acceleration figures though, because the XR5 is quicker than the numbers suggest. The 0-100 times are affected by the fact that you have to make a change into 3rd gear at 97 km/h (which adds a bout .4 secs) and it is also a bugger to launch off the line cleanly.

Some of the guys over at fordxr5turbo.com (check it out, it’s a great site) have run 14.4 in stock trim, so they can pull good times when driven well. Its strength though, is in gear acceleration. Once it’s rolling, it’s quite rapid, and from a roll would go close to matching your XR8. But the best bit about the acceleration is how effortless it is (due to the peak torque coming in at about 1600 rpm). For example, from 80 – 120 in 5th gear or 6th gear, the XR5 would actually be quicker than your XR8.

But the thing you will notice when you test drive one, is the handling. Sure big cars these days handle very well, but they just don’t have the agility of smaller cars, and you will love the way the XR5 goes around tight corners and through roundabouts. I actually find the XR5 more sure footed and confidence inspiring (especially in the wet) than my old XR6 (which was lowered with Koni’s). The front wheel drive factor is only a problem if you want modify the car and chase massive power. In standarrd trim, the torque steer is virtually non existent, and understeer is only ever an issue when you’re right on the limit.

They are quite roomy for a hatch back (and the Recaro's are sensational), and there are a couple of guys well over 6ft over at the XR5 forum that reckon they have no problems with leg room.

The XR5 is built in Germany and is appreciably better built than the other Focus models coming out of South Africa. I’m yet to hear of any major reliability issues, and I spend an unhealthy amount of time over at the XR5 forum. You will save at the bowser too, as the XR5 will use about 20% less juice than the XR8. Anyway, I could ramble on all night, but the best thing for you to do is take a test drive, and like everyone else, I’m sure you’ll be won over within a bout the first 60 seconds.

Hope that helps.

Simon.

P.s Don’t worry too much about missing the awesome rumble of your V8, as the Volvo 5 pot sounds almost as sweet – and I aint kidding either!

DOC · 17-03-2007, 01:55 AM

Oresti170, although what you have written is good, and 4 barrel you want a smaller car ( and if it's a must i suppose this is the one ), but take for a drive first and see for your self.

Of course all owners you ask will swear by them ( same for any model ), and yes i have driven them and yes good but when power is mentioned i must have had a dud because it does not give you seat of the pants acceleration. In fact if i had one i'd probably loose my licence trying to wring its little neck out to try and get anywhere.

Front wheel spinning when you power it up feels wierd at best and does not do it for me either, not quite like the back stepping out when you boot into it.

If your after one i think one of the Orsm Boys has an orange one for sale but could be wrong. good luck with your outcome

PS if they sound close I'm going deaf

:

BPXR6T · 17-03-2007, 02:22 AM

Yeah, your on the money in regard to a test drive. I won't be laying down cash before I take one or a spin. I'm still a few months off purchase so am in research mode.

I just found an article talking about the ST(XR5) receiving a gong for the most reliable car in the 1-3 year range. I also found something that mentioned an AWD turbo focus being shown at the Euro motor show in March 07. That would be seriouly interesting.

I've been looking at wrx's but don't like the styling. Insurance is a damn sight better on the Focus too. I received a quote for $780 from aami and they wouldn't even touch me with a wrx.

I've driven two front wheel drive cars breifly in the past and did find them a little odd. But only when seriously fanging it. I guess its not really right comparing the handling of a Dawoo Cielo and pov pack lancer to an XR5 though. ;)

I'm after something small and zippy to do the commute to the city everyday and have a bit of fun in the hills on the weekend. An XR5 is looking to be a good option thus far.

By the way Simon, I'd have to agree on the exhaust note. The one I've heard has had a little work on the induction and exhaust side, it sounds absolutely brilliant.

Doc, I can always fire up the GT, clevo power ute(soon to be turbo), or EF 4.0 turbo if I'm feeling the need to hang the rear out.

But thanks for the input, always good to hear a range of opinions.

zetec · 18-03-2007, 01:14 AM

Drive it, words won't do. It's the drive that will seal your decision one way or the other.

Marshy79 · 18-03-2007, 03:49 PM

Man i was tired and bored of cars..... then i bought the XR5...i love it!
Its a drug!

First front wheel drive for me... and I had to learn to drive it...its a total different kettle of fish when going hard.

But these cars are insane if you can find some twistys.

Hard to launch for sure... engine note is to die for and adds to the experience 20 fold.

Mikey B · 18-03-2007, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marshy79

Man i was tired and bored of cars..... then i bought the XR5...i love it!
Its a drug!

First front wheel drive for me... and I had to learn to drive it...its a total different kettle of fish when going hard.

But these cars are insane if you can find some twistys.

Hard to launch for sure... engine note is to die for and adds to the experience 20 fold.

Hey Marshy...what do mean by 'hard to launch'? Easy to stall or an aggressive launch?

Cheers,
Mike

JD2004 · 18-03-2007, 11:01 PM

Jump on board the www.fordxr5turbo.com forum and see what we have to say about this little rocket!!

Which state are you from? as you might be able to meet some owners and have found out some good things that some people are not ready to chat about on the forums.

If your in Vic, im happy to meet up sometime and show you what its all about

and im sure there are a few other XR5 owners down here in the same boat that would love to show you around our beasts

Luc

Casper · 18-03-2007, 11:11 PM

After seeing one in action at Deca today.. you really DO want one. Hell, I want one too!!

Teki04 · 19-03-2007, 01:02 AM

Just quietly... I WANT ONE!

No seriously, I hate you.

SpoolMan · 19-03-2007, 01:07 AM

There a great car handle well, go well and you already have everything you need a nice sound system, great looking exhaust, recaro seats, sports gauges there a complete package for the car enthusiast nothing to spend on mods they have everything..
Nothing like a bit of boost for some torque..

**MR_LON** · 19-03-2007, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DOC

If your after one i think one of the Orsm Boys has an orange one for sale but could be wrong. good luck with your outcome

:
hey doc where did you hear this, afaik im the only Orsm boy with an xr5 & i HAVEN'T put it up for sale, confused as to where you got your info

eXtremist · 19-03-2007, 07:31 PM

I'd rather not tell you XR5 is a good car and tell you that you should buy it and you end up buying it, and come down on us like a tonne of bricks, its best that you go to your local dealer, test drive one, and test drive the competition, and sit at a table with all the brochures and compare the pros and cons.

Note: A few of the new XR5's didn't come with power windows in the rear, and they will try and get you to purchase one, only purchase one with full power windows.

Marshy79 · 19-03-2007, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikey B

Hey Marshy...what do mean by 'hard to launch'? Easy to stall or an aggressive launch?

Cheers,
Mike

Well im in a diff kettle of fish... mines got an ECU remap which does make things a little difficult to start.

The car is near impossible to stall really.
You can let the clutch out in first... or second... or third (have not tried 4th) and the car will drive itself with no acceleration.

But anyways... its just hard to get it going straight off the line in gun mode. Once its moving... sure! Just hard to get it going. Too much balls... its a fine line really. Im a **** driver tho lol

BPXR6T · 19-03-2007, 09:39 PM

I think its highly likely I'll buy the XR5. I'll take it for a test drive when I'm back in Melbourne in a couple of months. Good to hear its hard to stall as I'll be creeping through city traffic everyday.

Its all very exciting to be looking at something totally different. I've only ever owned big RWD cars with one exception. Good to have some variety in the stable.

Nappa · 20-03-2007, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eXtremist

I'd rather not tell you XR5 is a good car and tell you that you should buy it and you end up buying it, and come down on us like a tonne of bricks, its best that you go to your local dealer, test drive one, and test drive the competition, and sit at a table with all the brochures and compare the pros and cons.

Note: A few of the new XR5's didn't come with power windows in the rear, and they will try and get you to purchase one, only purchase one with full power windows.

There has been a bit of a change in the type of cars we are getting, in the last 2 months every XR5 that we have had come in (thats about 6 cars), has had manual rear windows and zetec headlamps. From what i've seen there arnt many left with full power windows.

Whitey Ford · 20-03-2007, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FourBarrel

Its all very exciting to be looking at something totally different. I've only ever owned big RWD cars with one exception. Good to have some variety in the stable.

I've owned XR8's and regular falcons (all manual, lol) and my XR5T is epic.

I swore I would never buy Ford again but then I saw an orange XR5T and went straight to my dealer and put a deposit down, unseen and undriven.

**Fordman1** · 20-03-2007, 04:25 PM

Drove one recently - I loved it !!!! It sounds great, the seats are awesome, it looked fantastic (Orange which I love - but not everyones kettle of fish), and was a good size inside.

I wish I had one...........

Buy one mate ?

Dooo it, Dooo it !

Now I understand from this forum that there is a Focus Freshening later this year. Check to see if this applys to the XR5 too. After all it may be better to get the latest and greatest even if there are only a few small changes.

Whitey Ford · 20-03-2007, 04:38 PM

Its just a trim/wheel change afaik

Nappa · 20-03-2007, 05:16 PM

the XR5 will remain the same while the other models will get the change.
im glad the turbo, will remain the same its fantastic looking car

Whitey Ford · 20-03-2007, 06:20 PM

Actually, go buy an Mazda MPS3.

Don't give Ford a dime. They're treating me like an idiot.

Guliver_TwiSt · 20-03-2007, 07:22 PM

Personally I would get the new HONDA CIVIC Type R...

Rave reviews all over the NET...

Undoubtedly a far better car! (way better looking too)

8000RPM before you hit the Red Line.. and better 0-100 times than the XR5 even though slightly less power. etc...etc...

If you do your research you may find that it is belived to be the Current Hot HATCH King :d

Good Luck Mate!!

Piotr · 20-03-2007, 10:23 PM

Only in real life driving a XR5 would be much better massive torque on tap all the time. And lets not kid ourselves we don't go above 5k all that often

zetec · 20-03-2007, 10:30 PM

I do.

But each to their own, I can honestly say that I'd love to fang a Type R any day (Steve, help me), but I would not stand to be seen in it for more than 5 minutes. I can't stand it, I don't like the interior at ALL, it's WAY to rice boy busy and the exterior is just over the top for me. Full respect to its abilities but I for one much prefer the ease of the XR5's torque, the looks and the packaging/space it offers.

A car to me is more than the fastest in a straight line and the most wildly "look at me" styled. Hence why I don't like the Type R or anything Holden builds.

To be honest, I'd give my left nut for a series 1 Integra Type R ANY day, but no other Type R really does it for me. Interstingly, the original Integra Type R wasn't over the top, it was very understated and horny. Purposeful without being overt.

My 2c, different but in no way more important than Oliver_twist's who appears just as happy in one as I would be in an XR5.

Teki04 · 20-03-2007, 11:42 PM

I'll let you all in on a secret... I drove one. Here is my view (taken from another forum)

So I finally got my hand on one of these beasts.

Firstly, Secondly, And Thirdly,

WOW! The snap, crackle and pop whilst slowing down made me go all happy in the pants! The engine just sounds superb. The exhaust note, even better. A few on-lookers also got happy as we stormed by

The handling was actually quite impressive, especially given the size. Nothing like my current car, but still extremely fun. It is so poised on the road, and feels very safe and secure. The clutch and gearbox are both brilliant (clutch is really light though...) and makes you want to exploit the engine (something I did very often!). I quite like the subtle turbo sound, but the 5 pot is just unreal. Have I said how good it was yet?! I had a smile on my face and could hardly keep a straight face (i.e. an 'I'm not going to buy' look!).

Steering was actually really good though. Actually felt a little light, but still well-weighted and very accurate, with good feedback. Suspension was great considering it runs on 18s!

Things that was a little disappointing;

- No cupholders in the rear (or many places to put things - no centre arm rest too)
- No Cruise Control, Xenons, Climate Control or foot rest.. all of which come on the MPS3 Sports Pack and my Clio too. Things I'll dearly miss
- The dash. Um, quality was no where near as good as the MPS3 or the Golf GTI... and dare I say the new 225 Cup I also had a sting in. I was just disappointed. The glove box felt flimsy, as well as all the other 'storage' areas. Boot space too was also... limited. Still, for those exhaust sounds, well worth it

All in all, I was impressed. Value for money - I'm not sure how Ford managed such a great handling, engined and suspended hot hatch for the money! I really was taken away from the 5 pot engine. It was fabulous. I want that engine.

In comparison, the MPS3 was well built, insanely quick in a straight line and also feature-packed. It was however going insane when putting power out of a corner, and the gearbox to me just didn't feel as slick and 'smooth'. Still, great value, especially for the price! Oh, not a fan of the styling though

And then the 225 Cup. Ballsy in a straight line, fit and finish I believed to be better then the XR5T, and it sure knows how to handle. But, the styling (as much as I still love it...) wasn't and will never be as nice as the XR5T [Unless of course you get a 225 Cup in the new Torro Red - now that's horn!]. Features though, were great... and the full leather actually looked great too (better seats then the MPS3). Steering, was also good but a little less 'real' then the Electro-Hydralic set up in the XR5T.

Basically - the engine in the Focus has character. Something I'm sorry to say all turbo 4 Cylinders lack. Hence I have an NA 4 Cylinder... and will more then likely own a 5 pot (with turbo) in the future.

**I forgot to mention, I still haven't been in a Golf GTI. Funnily enough I went to VW today, and has a massive 1.5 hour talk with the guy that sold me my Clio! He now works at VW. Great guy and we had a nice big chat about the Clio, Golf GTI, Polo GTI, R32, 225 Cup etc etc. Nice guy... who also sold my mate (with a 172 Clio) a Golf GTI 3dr - so I'll get a drive of that sometime soon and then make my decision... which at the moment is XR5T!

Danny · 21-03-2007, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Piotr

Only in real life driving a XR5 would be much better massive torque on tap all the time. And lets not kid ourselves we don't go above 5k all that often

When your Cam proflies go from Stun, to Pulverise after 5k, You tend to want to actually...

Marshy79 · 21-03-2007, 07:38 AM

Pretty much sums it up what Teki04 said.

I personally thought the dash on the MPS was worse than the XR5... but that comes down to personal choice.

Out of all the cars.... i thought the XR5 had the best seats too. The GTI / R32 had the next best... harder... but their square bolsters would stop that hot patch i get on my sides with my seats.

photn · 21-03-2007, 09:33 AM

hmmm XR5T = dream car. BUT VW Golf GTI is comming in second as it has a bettersense of luxury i suppose. has a better reputation. If i was given a Golf GTI i would defend it to the hills, but would i buy one, not sure. the Xr5T on the other hand....would i buy one. Hell YER!

Whitey Ford · 21-03-2007, 11:48 AM

I've heard someone more famous than you say that before.. and it was about a VXR Astra of all things

photn · 21-03-2007, 12:03 PM

i dont know what your on about ;)