[Ofah75]

Hi all...am new to this so hopefully I am posting in the right category .....

I have finally made my mind up that the B-Max is the car for me and will hopefully be ordering my Zetec next week. Just after some advice really, as I only do about 4000 miles a year I am thinking about ordering the 1.4 petrol. Just want to see what other owners views are of this engine in the B-Max, is it powerful enough etc ?

Many thanks in advance

 

[Davis_Zadian]

Welcome to the site Ofah75

 

[Ofah75]

Thanks DZ

 

[arm987]

Have you tried the the 3cyl yet? Think you will be stunned by performance. MPG is not a big thing for you but remember there is NO road tax on this model,and I think when the time comes to trade in this will be the "best buy".
I have the 1.5D on a decent run get 55.3 mpg and around town late 40s
BUT above all order a spare wheel. The supplied kit is really criminal been there and done that!
Tom

Edited by: arm987

 

[makem]

No excise licence?

I have a 3 cylinder 1.0 Ecoboost and expect to pay £30 soon.

 

[Maudie]

Good Morning Ofah75. We do roughly the same amount of milage as you, mainly town driving & were recommended the 1.0 EcoBoost (100 PS (74kW)) Zetec. We also ordered the City Pack (Folding door mirrors & reversing sensors) & the spare wheel. We were not sure if it would be powerful enough, but a test drive soon answered that for us.

We have only had our car for about 6 weeks & unfortunately haven't done many miles yet as my husband has not been well, but for the journeys we have taken we have been really pleased with our choice, especially the power on the A roads.

Hope that helps.

 

[Ofah75]

Thanks for the advice everyone

I like the 3 cyl but have been offered a brand new 1.4 petrol for 11k ( cancelled order) and it seems a cracking deal ! Arm987, there is no chance of trading it in as my daughter has her eye on it for her first car lol.

I'm pulling my hair out over this decision ....arrrggghhhhh

Ps this is a great forum guys

 

[Geriatricus]

As an actual owner (I paid for myself) of a 1.4 petrol with 6000 miles on the clock now, I feel able to comment.

a) A 90HP (or whatever they call it nowadays) engine will never give scintillating performance in a bodyshell as heavy as a B-max, so in reality it is slightly underpowered.
b) The steel wheels ride smoother and softer than alloys, but don't try to put it on the doorhandles.
c) The consumption does not match the listed figures (there's a surprise!), but I am getting around 38mpg on mixed driving since the sun came out.
d) The boot (seats up) takes our weekly shop for two OK even in the 'flat' or higher position, and it got around 6 full dustbin bags in with seats dropped, during a recent clear-out.
e) The seats are comfortable and accessible (even the back for adults).
f) The trim level will govern the toys (sorry features) available and, consequently it appears, reliability.
g) As I am in Engineering I am not a fan of the 'pull the guts out of a small engine' school but if you are just keeping it 3 years that does not matter.
g) Conclusion, if you want to rush round, then it is maybe a requirement for a smaller higher power engine; but if simply getting from place to place comfortably is the need, then it should suffice.

Geriatricus

 

[makem]

I also have 6000 miles in a 1.0L Ecoboost which I also paid for myself. I have just come back from as far away as Lands End having spent a week touring in all kinds of terrain, some very steep hills indeed. I think mine is 125PS.

We were two up with two folding cycles, two 20k cases and a 15k case together with all the other odds and end you need whilst away,

The car was never underpowered even with that load and many times beat standing traffic. The only time it struggled was on a very steep hill on a corner where the car had to turn in its own length. Because th weight was mainly in the back the front tyres scraped and lost traction. Other than than it peroformed majestically and I say that having come from a Celica T Sport. I nearly made the offside door handle touch down lol

We achieved 54mpg on motorways at a constant 60mph and at a constant 70mph (I never exceed the limits!), it dropped only 4mpg. So on the return journey from Lands End to Essex, in one stint I drove at a contstant 70 wherever possible.

I think mixed town/local dual carriageway driving gives 42mpg with two up. Compared with my previous cars thirst, I am more than happy even though it is now 50 quid or more to fill up.

I still have the alloys and can see no reason to change although I would be interested in an explanation of the difference. I keep my tyres at maximum pressure as I prefer a hard ride (in more than one way lol) I used the folding mirros many times in Cornwall and had they not folded, I could not have passed some cars or got down some lanes.

My wife is learning to drive and three times has nearly had the pistons
out of the bonnet! Stopping in 2nd gear without using the clutch makes a
horrible noise in those three cyclinders. I think they do well.

 

[Ofah75]

Most of my driving is at weekends and its local just picking up my daughter then taking her home plus the normal couple of holidays a year but with 2 heavy cases!

Most people suggest the ecoboost but its just getting my head around the fact it's only a 1 litre engine lol and my dealer was very pushy with deal on the 1.4. Can anyone suggest a decent Ford dealer ( if there is one) in Essex or 50ish miles away.

Thanks again

 

[makem]

Local dealers to play off against one another:

Chelmsford: Lookers - they do a fair bit of trade so it may be worth while going to a smaller place such as their Witham branch

Basildon: Essex Auto Group - they are next door to Fords manufacturing plant so get a lot of trade from Ford employees - if you know one you can get a discount. They do deals as they have a great throughput of vehicles.

Both the above are trustworthy but still want to get as much as they can from you.

My method with a car that is available now:

Go look at secondhand/reps offcasts with low mileage and get a price without PE. Get known by the agents as needing a car soon. Could buy new but dont like buying into research so maybe buy s/hand. Now got to another dealer and do same. Now check out same dealer new cars and let them know you have looked at s/hand stuff

Always try to go near end of month. So now you have 4 or more salesmen/women after your dosh and they don't think you have a PE, thats the time to ask for what they can 'throw -in' for you to get a deal.

Once you decide which you would buy from is the time to mention PE if you must but you always do better selling private. See which then offr best deal.

As for 1 litre, don't forget it has twin turbos and is no way underpowered. You take one out and stand with other cars at traffic lights. See who gets away quickest lol

 

[arm987]

On clicking your "web site"am told "cannot be found" this is an ipad at times can be odd. Enjoyed your comments and would like to visit your site
Please let's have your web address
Armour

 

[Davis_Zadian]

tryhttp://makem-goes.co.uk/instead. the link posted above fails for me too.

 

[arm987]

Thanks-have you been to all of the marked places or am I reading this the wrong way?

 

[arm987]

I mean has Makem been to all the marked places?

 

[Davis_Zadian]

I believe they have ... quite the traveller

 

[makem]

Thanks-have you been to all of the marked places or am I reading this the wrong way?

Yes, I have, over the last few years, since I divorced my 2nd wife. Wife No.3 is from China which explains the wide travelling in China. (Wife No.1 died young)

Sorry about the link, I changed it and as I have been away I forgot to change it here too. I must add more places in the UK.


That is very strange! I have edited the link to my site in my profile but the change is not reflected on the forum pages. Maybe it takes a while to update? I seem to remember in the past it was immediate.

Anyway, I can confirm, the link is: http://makem-goes.co.uk

Oh, and another thing, if you live in Essex, how about us meeting up before or after you make the plunge? If before, you can have a good look around my car and maybe even try it.

We would be the FIRST EVER forum members to meet lol (unless there are secret meetings

Edited by: makem

 

[makem]

Sorry all, I forgot I had made the link myself rather than use the forum method.

Oh the joys of getting old

The link works correctly now.

 

[Geriatricus]

I still have the alloys and can see no reason to change although I would be interested in an explanation of the difference. I keep my tyres at maximum pressure as I prefer a hard ride (in more than one way lol)

OK, you asked for it so prepare for one of my standard hobbyhorses:

Aluminium Alloys in the cast form (i.e. Alloy wheels) have lower internal friction (which exhibits itself as lower damping capacity), poorer integrity (cast vs wrought/welded) and significantly lower impact and ductility than wrought steel alloys used for wheels.
Also the makers (OEM) subsidise (I have read) the car manufacturers during supply of Alloy Wheels for use with low profile tyres. Let's deal with this one first. The easier damage (and lower initial integrity) of the alloys/low profile tyres leads to high levels of replacement outside of any warranty guarantee. This means that the OEM's get loads of dosh from us owners when the things hit kerbs, potholes, matchsticks in the road etc.
The reason they damage more easily is that the combination of poor mechanical properties as impact & ductility(relatively), coupled with the low profile passing the impacts through easier, means small incidents create significant damage.
For the type of ride Makem likes, the damping capacity is not relevant, hard low profile tyres on large Alloy wheels will inevitably allow you to feel every bump in the road. If that is what youi like then no probs. I have a spinal problem and hate hard riding cars, to the extent that I had to reluctantly decline to ride in the first Honda Jazz my daughter had as it was like sitting on a skateboard as it went along - virtually suspension free.
So I always go for steel wheels to help damp out the road inconsistencies, coupled with high profile tyres (more 'air/rubber suspension) for the minimum feel of the road roughness.
Suspension designers will always claim that they take these factors into consideration, but to verify their statements, try the same vehicle on Alloys/low profiles and Steel/high profiles and report your findings.
I did say that it was a hobbyhorse of mine so anyone who has read it through cannot claim they were not warned.

Geriatricus

 

[makem]

Thanks for the laugh! (matchsticks lol)

Well I suppose us men who like women, prefer some discomfort for the benefit of better looks, go for alloys.

As far as I can see, you are right, they offer no benefit other than looks, same as high heels.

I can understand why you need as far as possible, a bump free ride and of course, the extra distance between the road and your metal, the softer the ride.

However, you do lose some control and feedback which I prefer. So for me, the looks and the feedback plus control outweigh any benefit of steel wheels.

I also have a back problem having split a disc whilst moving a 3 ton lathe stupidly bending down whilst pushing. I had two laminectomies which cured the problem as long as I am not stupid again.

In my previous post over many years I drove many vehicles of all sizes and wheel types. Actually, I never gave a thought as to why some drove better than others. I think suspension has a great deal and maybe more, effect than tyres when passing over the matchsticks.

Thank you for the explanation and I hope giving your hobbyhorse an airing helped make today a good one