SECONDHAND SENSE: BIOFUEL MOTORING has had a mixed press of late. On the one hand, there has been an enthusiastic welcome from environmentally-conscious motorists, while on the other we have begun to hear of predicted food shortages in some parts of the world as producers rush to maximise profit from fuel demand rather than food production.
We have had biofuel cars in this country for three years now - Ford's Flexifuel Focus model was the first to be introduced in the summer of 2005, but we have been slow converts so far. Flexifuel cars have sold in relatively low numbers, despite substantial rebates on VRT rates on the price of the car itself and reductions in tax on the fuel itself (it costs about 20 per cent less per litre than conventional petrol).
The Focus Flexifuel runs on a mixture of 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent petrol. The first questions people ask is whether the performance is the same, and if it behaves in the same way as a conventional car. The short answer is yes. The only difference you will notice is the fuel consumption is higher, and your fuel needle will move towards empty more quickly, therefore reducing the tank range on a long journey.
The car will take normal petrol too and, I suspect, that many people have taken the lower VRT rate and now run the car on standard unleaded petrol.
For those who run the car on biofuel, the reduction in CO2 emissions is in the order of 70 per cent, so the carbon footprint argument makes sense.
If you are unsatisfied with the argument for change, then you may rest easy about the arguments for buying a Ford Focus. It is one of the most impressive cars ever made by Ford, and it also has a five-star crash rating in the EuroNCAP programme.
A 2006 Flexifuel model (it only comes with a 1.8-litre engine and has traditionally been available in the base LX version) with alloys, electric windows, CD player, multiple airbags and metallic paint and with 43,000km up is on offer for €16,450. A 2007 model with 12,000km is on offer for €17,950.
STAR RATING: 7/10