Suspension

[incubus]

Just had a read of the Manual and you can only turn the ESP off on the 2.0ltr Sporty jobby... ;) Oh well i'll just have to put up with it i suppose... :blink: Jonfish obviously knows what a Focus handles like.... :( I still prefer the C4 as i'm a Techy and Gadget freak.... :)

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[rcandelori]

Unless you want to be tailspinning around corners, it would be best to leave the ESP on.

[wozza]

ESP basically stamps on the brakes when it feels any slip and cuts power thus making you slower. If someone who is fairly decent behind the wheel is driving the ESP just gets in the way.

 

Take your car on track and try it yourself you will notice you get better laps with it off and far more fun ones.

 

Car is very unlikely to tailspin unless you go into a corner too hard and lift off the throttle. As with a lot of FWD cars lifting off does result in oversteer. If your not expecting it and slam on brakes etc then yes your gonna spin. If you go with it and adjust steering and throttle you can bring the car back.

 

ESP is a good thing to have when your just driving along when your driving the car a bit harder and having fun it just gets in the way and stops the fun.

[Stuey]

I have had mine on a track and it will oversteer if you make it, lift of the power and the back will drift out, but to be honest it is nothing that you cant catch. I will have a word with the photographer who was working at the track at the time as he has some pictures of mine with the back wheel in the air top gear style and with the back end out...

[Rich_Eason]

All you guys have the luxury of being able to bomb about and try out all these things...

 

I've spent the last week driving about in Bristol and my VTS is currently recording an average of 14mph :lol: B) hardly blisteringly quick enough to test the back end and traction control :P

[terrwilk]

I have the VTR+ 110BHP version and i'm wondering if my Shocks are diff from some other versions...??? I ask because iv'e read that there are problems with Shockers..? As for Handling..mmmmmmm... :P Not sure about this 1...I'm still a little confused with this ESP Malarchy..? Before my C4 i had a Ford Focus and that things handling was Legendary..a couple of miles from my home there is a stretch of road with a crazy bend at the end.... :) I loved it in the Focus..But in the C4 even with the ESP its just not the same..Just dont compete for pure cornering joy... B) I corner it about 10mph slower in the C4 cus i just know it'll brake loose... :lol:

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Mmmmmmmmmm....... its not fair really to compare a diesel to a petrol car.

The front end is far heavier on the diesel along with the other beefed up components. yes the Focus had a rep for good handling, still not sure why you would want to throw a diesel car around like you would the more nimbler competition.

 

Maybe its just me but, we drive on rubbish country roads in Norfolk......... cos there is nothing else here ....... but thats another gripe for another day......and yes the C4 can get unsettled, but there again I would expect it too, however, there is a difference between slinging the car round bends and negotiating potholes and other country fare on the road, eg dirty tractors crapping all over the road, lorries dumping diesel, potholes, cracks, settlement, dead animals, loose gravel etc to worry about.

 

I like to "make good progress on the road", we all do, so try not to pull the HDI C4 apart too much, eh?

[incubus]

True...Its not the same..But this corner that i am so fond of is like a bend on a race track..Beautiful Tarmac with a lovely sweeping bank up and down.. :) The point i was making was that the Focus did it without any Trickery..it held the road like a Go-cart as opposed to the C4 going round it like a nervous nelly... :lol: and i might add the Driver... :) My other point was the ESP Dulling down the fun... :) I now know i cannot turn off the damn thing like you can with the 2.0ltr VTS. Dont worry it does'nt put me off the C4 1 bit..I love it.

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Lets not forget that the C4 is only 2 years old..The Focus has been around for Donkeys..The C4 prides itself on Gimmicky Technology..or thats what the adverts would have you believe...Now..! if the C4 could handle like a Focus then !!WOW!! what a motor it would be..? IMO the C4 should not have Suspension problems..Jeeezzz... Citroen has built weird and wonderful Suspension systems for Decades..So now are they fitting cheap Shocks and Suspension units....Shame on em...... :(

 

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Phhhewwww...I'm off for a lie down now.... :P

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I still love it...... B)

 

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[jonfish]

Another two penneth. After my original type focus, I was quite happy to sacrifice some handling finesse for improved ride comfort because 1) I am now an old git (as in my hatch kind of reminds me of a GS!) and 2) the potholes just get worse. What I was originally most disappointed about compared with the test drive was the poor ride. I put this down to the 17" wheels on my car compared with maybe 15" on test car. Low profile tyres really are sheer vanity..... So I was a bit miffed that both the ride AND the handling were WORSE than the focus. Now after new rear shocks I would say the ride is better than the focus and the handling improved though still not as good. Of course as others have said in this thread a big lump of a diesel in the front doesn't make for totally fair comparison with a petrol.

[wozza]

Mine deffinately rides better than my friends focus he could not believe how smooth it was in comparison and he said the seats were loads better. I wasnt sure of the seats until a recent trip to Liverpool we did in his car. And i got out thinking the seats in the Focus were ***oops***.

 

Nothing like the ones in the C4 which have some nice support as well as comfort.

 

But with the thing about handling if they get a bit skittish during hard cornering its not really anything to worry about though my clio did it as well so im kind of used to it. it wont let go for a fair bit after though it just doesnt give a confidence inspiring feeling. But thats what it is just a feeling the car itself should remain fairly planted.

 

What kind of suspension setup does the focus have on the rear as thats probably the difference im gonna guess its not a torsion beam like the C4.

 

Alternatively lowering springs £108 they are and about £40 fitting. Will see a big difference in handling ability.

[Welshguy]

Alternatively lowering springs £108 they are and about £40 fitting. Will see a big difference in handling ability.

 

I can back that statement up - mine is lowered 30mm all round and handles like its on rails...more important...no/very little body roll when cornering. You do sacrifice ride quality though.