Faults:

Clutch, exhaust, oil leaks and so on.

ABS sensor.

Bad rust in the last year of ownership led me to scrap it.

General Comments:

The Focus of this generation is overrated in my opinion. A decent enough car to drive and look at, but those are about the only positive things I have to say about it.

Had it a long time as I needed an economy car for work. The 1.8 petrol isn't the best choice; fast enough but only does around 36 MPG at best. Apparently more reliable than the diesel engines at least. My neighbor has the same car except with the TDCi engine and is always telling me about how problematic it is.

The car is OK to drive, but this is the most overrated thing about it. Most reviews (not on here but the "professional" journalist reviews) always rave about the Focus's handling. Yes the steering is nice, but it is no race car.

Comfort isn't exactly great either. This Titanium model is near top of range as well. Plenty of equipment yes, but I found the ride fidgety and the seats less than comfortable in the long run. Dashboard also looked cheap and plasticky, and dated looking for a 2008 car, looks more like something from 1998.

Overall not a bad car, do not get me wrong, but certainly nothing special or better than any other cars in this class.

Faults:

Exhaust, suspension, brakes, etc.

ABS sensors.

Air con weak.

Locks a bit hesitant to work.

Rear windows jammed.

Exterior rough with rust and paint fade.

Interior looking worn.

General Comments:

A great run about, this Focus is still soldiering on after 15 years. Quite nice looking in light blue, shame about the rust.

Style model is kinda basic, but still has front electric windows, A/C, and so on all the expected stuff for a 2008 car. Interior is comfortable and stylish, refined to be in and comfy seats. Spacious enough.

1.8 is a bit expensive to tax and insure in my opinion, considering it is an older car. But performance is OK and it does anything between 38 - 40 mpg though, not bad for petrol. Ford dealers are terrible in my experience, they just laugh at you if you come in with a car like this. Find a local independent to help you out. Repairs and servicing costs should be reasonable. A less complicated engine than the diesels.

Had it had lower mileage and better condition, they are still quite expensive to buy used (around £3000 - £4000, ridiculous for the car's age) but the price of used cars has risen stupidly in the last couple of years. Mine is barely worth £1200 at the condition and mileage. MOT is coming up soon and I do not think it will pass, I will sell it and if no one wants it I'll take scrap value (£300 - £400).

Low mileage mint cars aside, the average Focus at this age and mileage, should be bought cheaply, run for a year or two, then scrapped.

Faults:

Replaced the handbrake as it didn't engage fully.

General Comments:

Fantastic handling makes this a car that you can buy for practical reasons, but still enjoy driving.

I bought a Focus after considering a Mondeo, Golf and an Alfa 159. I needed to run this as a family car, but wanted something that would be fun to drive.

The car has been very reliable and has good fuel economy, so that's the boring stuff out of the way. However, I did need to replace the handbrake (under warranty) after the car rolled a little on steep hills while in traffic.

It's roomy in the front and back, with a boot that would be large enough for most families.

I have the LX model, though have added fog lights, sun roof and alloys (the car looks very bland without alloys). The only thing I miss is that there's no mpg read-out on the trip computer, just number of miles. The fuel efficiency is very good, but without knowing the mpg for sure, I lose the kick of being able to say my diesel gets X to the gallon.

The cup holders are in a terrible position and pretty unusable, and my wife hates the location of the handbrake on the passenger side, which means you are constantly rubbing knuckles with the other person.

The heated windshield and big wide wipers are useful in the appalling Irish weather. Plenty of adjustability in the seats and steering wheel too.

The best thing about the Focus is its handling, which is just a dream. It's great fun going through twisty country roads as it goes through every bend beautifully. You find yourself nearly making engine noises "vrrrrrr, grrrrrrr" as you glide around corners.

The engine is quiet and has a decent punch to it, although you need to change into second gear almost as soon as you take off from lights as it runs out of puff quickly. In general I change up @ 1750 revs and down at 1000 revs; if you go below 1000 revs it gets wimpy quickly.

I bought this car second hand from a Volvo dealer and have found them very good - they fixed my handbrake problem without fuss.

This car does everything well and has exceptional handling. The only possible rival in its class is a VW Golf.