Challenged by an Old Flame

A couple of days ago, I came across a Ford Focus 2.0L sedan hogging the fast lane. While I didn't tailgate the Focus, the guy behind the wheel must have felt challenged, because he sped off.

It was as though he had something to prove or he just felt good about driving the Focus really fast, or both.

To be honest, I can relate. After all, the Focus is one of the best handling cars I've ever driven. So, I can easily relate to the feel-good factor of the car.

Did I give chase in my Kia Forte 2.0L? No, I didn't. While my Forte has a more powerful engine, I'm determined not to press it too hard.



You see, the one thing I learnt driving my old Focus S2.0 hard is that, while the engine and chassis can take it, the transmission may not. Sure enough, despite being certified as a "sport" model, the Focus S2.0 transmission went kaput even before reaching 100,000km.

So, while I still drive fast, I'm determined not to destroy my Kia Forte's transmission by driving the car too hard.

Which would I prefer to be in, now that I've had a feel for both cars? The Focus or the Forte? Well, of course the Forte.

While my red "Looker" can't handle corners as good as the Focus, it is so much more value for money, especially in terms of spare parts. Being a far more popular car, the Forte won't face the kind of supply chain problems that drive the spare part prices of the Focus up to unreasonable levels - unreasonable because they are comparable to those of luxury marques such as the BMW, Mercedes and VW.

Yes, I kinda miss driving my old Focus S2.0, but I'm not going to be spending on another unreasonably pricey Ford. Not when there are other options around (more of this later).