2010 Ford Focus TDCi 2.0 turbo diesel

Summary:

Excellent long distance tourer, as well as being practical

Faults:

To date, there has been nothing wrong with it.

General Comments:

The Focus is the underrated seller in this segment. It combines performance with excellent fuel economy. The suspension is just right. With great handling and compliant ride, the Focus out handles many larger cars.

Some minor irritations, such as poor interior lighting and a very sharp take up of the clutch. Another irritation is the radio, which tends to have major FM stations not sound as good as they should.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 28th September, 2012

17th Oct 2012, 06:16

I have the 2007 LT version of your car. Have had it since new, and will keep it until the wheels fall off (it's worth barely half what I paid for it now).

I have around 72,000km on it now, and I'm still on the original tyres, which have at least another 10K left in them.

The only warranty issues I've had were the CD player packed up very early and a centre drive line bearing went at 35,000km.

The battery died in early 2011 right before the Brisbane floods; that was expensive.

I've had minor electrical issues, such as the boot light sometimes takes ages to come on, the glovebox light switch stayed on so it needed adjustment, and the 3.5mm Aux socket in the glovebox is stuffed, so I will remove it and solder in a permanent plug lead instead, eventually.

You are right, the interior lighting is utterly woeful, however I'm very impressed with the headlights, especially after installing some Plus 90 H7's.

I absolutely love driving it. I drive a lot of rental cars (Corolla's, I30's etc) for my work, and my TDCi Focus is better to drive than all of them. Last year I drove it down to Hobart and back from Brisbane, with 3 people plus luggage for most of the way, and it was great; 1000+km out of a tank unless fully loaded.

The only thing I don't like is the 1-2 gear shift can be notchy when it's cold; it gradually got worse after around 30,000km. Slightly improved with a gearbox oil change, and hasn't got any worse since then. Now it's out of warranty, I might take it to a gearbox specialist for their opinion.

My favourite part of the car is the engine. My first TD, and I can't see myself ever going back to a petrol engine.

In reply to 17th Oct 2012, 06:16

6th Apr 2013, 04:14

Glad to see we agree. My car has covered 50 000 km and I have consistently bettered the 5.6L/100 km fuel economy. Have found when the tank is full, the Kms from full to empty can vary, despite me filling the tank to the brim. Very odd. Just as odd was the car lost some power on one country trip and resorted to a limp home mode. Started it two days later, computer reset itself and has never done it again. Could have been dirty fuel.

Still an excellent car. Handles superbly and still very enjoyable to drive.

2007 Ford Focus Zetec 2.0L

Summary:

Great reliable, sporty little car

Faults:

At around 50000klm, the car started idling funny and would sometimes take a push of the accelerator to start it. Dealership did fix this under warranty; turned out the idle control valve needed cleaning, but this was after they replaced the battery and spark plugs free of charge for me.

Paint on a small part of the front bumper has faded slightly.

Ford use soft brake pads, which do need replacing more often then other manufacturers, but the brakes are responsive.

General Comments:

I own the Zetec model of the Focus, and have been really happy with car since buying it second hand with 30000klm on the clock.

This car is fast and reactive for its small motor and price.

The car is also very cheap to maintain, with its good fuel economy and cheap services.

My experiences with my local Ford dealer have been pretty good; they have dealt with any problem I have had.

This car is reliable, as I have never had any serious issues with the car since owning it. And I have had troublesome cars, and I'm not just saying that; my last car was an Astra, and I'd rather shoot myself in the foot than own another Astra (or any other overseas Holden import).

When I was looking in the market, I was considering the Focus, Lancer VRX and Mazda 3 SP23. In my opinion, the SP23 was had the most modern interior and nice looks on the exterior. It also drove nice, and overall it would have been my first choice if I could have found one that was not several thousand dollars more the the Focus.

The Lancer though was another story. While I was looking in the market, they were the cheapest out of the 3, but there was a reason for that. The Lancer did not feel anywhere near as enjoyable to drive as the other two. The throttle was nowhere near as responsive and the interior looked cheap and old styled compared to the other two. I choose the Focus as it came at a good price, had a very smooth drive and for a 2 litre motor, felt very responsive.

My experience with the Focus has been enjoyable and trouble free; I love the car, and would purchase another one.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th February, 2011

3rd Jul 2013, 17:45

The 2.0L Zetec engines were discontinued in 2004. It was replaced for 2005+ with the Duratec 2.0L, used in Mazda cars.

In reply to 3rd Jul 2013, 17:45

21st Nov 2015, 07:42

Zetec is just a mid trim level now; does not refer to the engine. The post 2005 cars had a Mazda sourced engine that was marketed as Duratec.