16th Jul 2011, 05:29
It's interesting what you're saying here, as I'd imagine the tyres were a hard compound, they were very low profile and seemed to have no real "give". From memory, I think the rear tyre pressures were higher than the front as well. Also when I bought the car, it needed new front tyres, the dealership fitted those, but the rears were fine, so the front tyres would've had more tread on them.
Of course, ESP would've solved all this and I'm surprised it wasn't a standard feature (it is on the 2.5 V6).
I've sold the car now and got a Ford Mondeo with higher profile tyres and ESP, traction control etc, and it's far more secure in the wet. I'm treating it to some Vredestein Quatrac 3 all season tyres in a few months ready for the winter, as I've found in the snow etc there's a huge difference between "summer" tyres (what most people unwittingly leave on their car in winter), and "all season" or "winter" tyres.
4th Mar 2013, 15:57
You're right. My 2.7 V6 span for absolutely no good reason in the dry! There were no warning signs.
This car is a death trap in terms of the unpredictable snap oversteer, but the apologists and enthusiasts will blame the victims and continue claiming this car handles well.
It doesn't!
It's twitchy, prone to spinning and not that fast, stylish or well-made.
6th Jul 2013, 14:41
Never had problems with grip in the wet with my 2006 2.0 SE - the car was great at 0-35mph, and then had a flat spot till 60-90mph where it cruised along nicely. In the wet or dry on country roads, the car is great fun round the bends. However the ABS in this car is downright dangerous. Forever cutting in when you hit a bump when braking - nearly overshot junctions on a number of occasions. Also, in the snow these things are downright dangerous. The smallest incline on snow, the ABS kicks in, and you aren't stopping and the steering will be non existent.
Also the fuel economy is poor and the cabin is very cramped.
I had a MkI 1999 Hyundai Coupe, and that was a much better car (faster, more room inside, same gizmos, reliability etc, better on fuel and not dangerous). The only thing the new shape coupe improves on is the cornering, which I suspect is more to do with the 18 inch alloys rather than better suspension.
You get a lot of kit for the money with this car, but you're buying a compromise and its looks over ability. I went on to buy an E86 Z4 Coupe - now that is a car!!!!
16th Feb 2011, 15:27
I have had problems with various cars, losing grip when you really need it. It comes down to the tyres. If all tyres are in contact with the road, and grip is lost, even if they are not the driven wheels, then the tyre compound was probably too hard.
The harder the compound, the less warning you get when they come unstuck, i.e. centrifugal forces overcome any grip.
On FWD cars, the rears might need to be softer as there is no weight helping the grip. You need to find a better tyre, but the fronts might wear more quickly.