2012 1.6 Petrol Focus with PowerShift - Reliable?

[misterme]

Hello,
I'm after some advice please on a 1.6 Petrol Focus with PowerShift.
I'm not necessarily after an auto but all the cars in my price range seem to have it. I have read some horror stories online about the PowerShift, but most of them seem to be in America...so my question is, is the box that bad? Will I regret buying a Ford Auto?
Thanks!

[LuS1fer]

My mother has one (2012 model)and has had no problems at all. She's not exactly the Stig and it's always used in full auto.
I have driven it and my main gripe is the same I have with all modern turbos which is that it accelerates very slowly before coming on boost, even moving manually. I just don't think autos suit small capacities.

My similar engined Fiesta ST is obviously more powerful and I also dislike the whole turbo thing but the manual selection of gears is infinitely preferable if you have to endure these turbo things.

Edited by LuS1fer on Tuesday 1st March 23:57

Edited by LuS1fer on Tuesday 1st March 23:58

[misterme]

thanks for your reply, i'm looking at a 1.6 so no turbo (i believe?)....honest john doesn't have a good thing to say about the power shift...

[Car Fan]

misterme said:

thanks for your reply, i'm looking at a 1.6 so no turbo (i believe?)....honest john doesn't have a good thing to say about the power shift...

You're correct, a 1.6 petrol Focus PowerShift will be naturally aspirated (no turbo).

I've driven a Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost with this gearbox and thought it was fine, as dual-clutch transmissions go it isn't the best available but there was nothing wrong with it.

I would just check that any car you are considering has had the necessary gearbox fluid changes done as per the service schedule, I'm not sure of the recommended age/mileage interval but Honest John suggests three years:

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/askhj/answer/46728/doe...

Edited to add that further reading suggests that reliability issues refer to the earlier dry-clutch PowerShift transmission, so the later wet-clutch gearbox would be a better bet. I might be wrong but I suspect that the version you are looking at is the problematic dry-clutch system.

Edited by Car Fan on Wednesday 2nd March 23:13

[LuS1fer]

misterme said:

thanks for your reply, i'm looking at a 1.6 so no turbo (i believe?)....honest john doesn't have a good thing to say about the power shift...

Ah well that would explain the low speed lethargy. In any event, my mother bought hers (a 12 plate) at 1 year old with 2k on the clock and it is now coming up to 4 years old and has 14k on the clock and no issues as yet.