Conference terri::cars_uk

    So....
    
    Has anyone managed to get a test drive in a production model? I tried
    last week in the Manchester area and EVERY single Ford dealer had sold
    their demonstrator!!! Seems a bit stupid to me...
    
    Lets have a subjective view as to how it drives if anyone has managed
    to get a test drive.
    
    Mark.
    

    
    
    Any readers know if there is a turbo conversion (technics ??) available
    for the XR2i (and how much it costs) ?  Also does anyone reading this 
    own/lease one and willing to give a report ?
    
    
    Nev. (whose old R2 is coming up for renewal)

    
    	"Another duff fast Ford" - CAR magazine cover earlier this year !
    Inside it goes on to slamm the car from almost every angle, and there
    is a very cutting interview with Mr Ford during which some of the
    inadequacies of the car are highlighted... 
    
    	Rat

    
    Well back in the UK for a long weekend , i discovered that no-one
    hires out Nissan 200SX ( not even Guy Salmon) unless someone knows
    different...
    
    So, to find out just how bad it was i hired an XR2i.
    
    Performance is not bad, but it does have it's problems :-
    
    1.	The engine feels very strained at over 4000 revs,  It is certainly
    not a free-revving unit.  On Winding B roads there is no dropping
    from 3 to 2 and watching the revs jump up and getting a fairly decent
    noise as well.  It sounds awful, and does not like it.
    
    2.	Torque steer.  I had forgotten how bad it could be, and this
    is bad.  Even a slight use of the right foot going round a corner
    gives insecure feelings, and heavy use makes it hard work on the
    arms.
    
    3.	Driving poistion is ok'ish, but they have forgotten simple things
    like leaving a space to the left of the clutch for your foot to
    go when cruising on the motorway.  Silly, simple but bloody annoying.
    
    
    The rest of the car :-
    
    1.	The inside looks like a 1.1.  The radio was the same as inside
    an Escort 1.4L two weeks earlier.  Not what you expect from a top
    of the range.  The sunroof was tilt only (worse than the tilt/slide
    on the Escort), and the wheels are pressed steel, alloy being extras.
    
    2.	Noise, fairly well surpressed, as long as the engine does not
    stray to far over 4000.  I once had it up to 5500 reves ( red line
    at 6300 ish) but that was the limit !!
    
    3.	Economy seemed to be about 30 to the gallon, about the same
    as the current mobile.
    
    4.	Only saw one other in 650 miles motoring.  Perhaps the public
    have seen sense ?
    
    5. 	Suspension on the soft side, but handling when pushed was quite
    good (though the torque steer really is bad - or it seemed so to
    me).
    
    I can think of a lot of cars that are cheaper, better equipped,
    as good performance, better engines, handle better etc
    
    The car doesn't know where it is aimed at.
    
    Don't buy one.
    
    Nigel

        

    A typical Ford.
    
    Grant

    
    If the XR2i has got torque steer what's the soon to be released
    Turbo going to be like?
    
    Gulp.