A surprisingly nice small hatchback from Ford
Squeaky rear drum brakes.
Surprising handling and very smooth automatic transmission.
Good use of rear seat room.
Engine and road noise levels could be lower.
Throttle response delayed and spongy. Zetec 2.0 has good midrange, but top-end performance is lacking.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 18th September, 2000
Fast and furious
I had a call back for the electrics, nothing wrong with mine till it came out of the garage, the exhaust rattles and the engine was lumpy under acceleration.
Fixed after 8 trips back to the garage in Darlington, make your own minds up what garage.
I had 2 new tyres on the front, apart from that nothing.
I love the car, it looks good and drives even better. The fuel consumption is excellent and it holds the road like snot down a pensioner's nose.
We will be getting a Ford Puma 1.7 next, didn't like Fords till now, we have had most makes of car and Ford are OK.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 18th August, 2000
Value for money, especially the 1.8LX
Nothing so far, just got it on Friday 11th August 2000.
The car is very well put together, more so than the Sierra that I had.
The Focus is so cramped for space it is a major job just to replace a bulb in the side repeaters!, apart from that the car is a very good drive, just not as good for bombing down the motorway as my Sierra, but never mind it's new so.......
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 14th August, 2000
Good value family car
Electrical failures are common with the fog lights not working. In addition, a number of product recalls have taken place with defects in the central locking. Dealers tend to be un-co-operative after sales.
The car drives well, although the superlatives by the press are largely undeserved. The gearbox is like cream and at speeds up to 70 miles an hour it is wonderful. At higher speeds, it is ordinary. Be careful of dealer service. It purrs along beautifully on the motorway and is excellent value for money but do not expect it to live up to the hype.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 10th August, 2000
Yawn yawn yawn
Nothing as of yet.
Not as good as it is made out to be. Uncomfortable, hard seats, you sit too high so you feel like you're in a 4x4, dashboard WAY too big - seems like miles of plastic in front of you, you can't see the end of the bonnet.
Too quiet - so no idea of what's going on under the car, engine dull and lifeless, no character whatsoever.
However, good ride, handling excellent, very brisk well laid out dash apart from the size.
I don't think the styling is that dramatic - it just looks like another modern car - YAWN.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 6th August, 2000
Some people are never satisfied, they probably have not made the car for you yet. Did you not test drive or look at the car before you bought it? Or did you get it in a lucky dip?
I had a Focus when my car was been serviced, and I totally agree!
The dashboard is huge meaning you cannot judge too well where the front end is - and I'm 6'2"!
I much preferred the Golf I was lent last time, and cannot wait until the Mk5 is released in 2003 - PRAISE THE GOLF!!!
A brilliant car, buy one
Only problem was quite major when the driver's door refused to shut. It turned out the car had missed a recall to have new door latches fitted and this was carried out free of charge. Better late than never.
A truly fantastic car, from its futuristic looks to its punchy engine. The best car Ford have ever made and what an improvement on the Escort.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 9th July, 2000
Update on original entry
Almost a year on the focus is still racking up the miles and has just passed 30k mark. Engine as strong as ever and NO PROBLEMS at all!
Wear and tear beginning to show up (my fault) cracked wheel trim, minor scrape on rear bumper. Flys on the motorway which has been its main habitat lately.
My Focus, after 34 thousand miles, can still sit at 120mph (without trying) with 5 people for around 30 minutes. So quiet is the engine that no one even knew that it was traveling so fast. I even accelerated it in first gear up 60mph with 3 guys.
Downers: it has high fuel consumption, hits minor ditches quiet hard, but this car has the best handling.
Very sharp brakes, this car is a joy to ride.
I too have suffered cracked wheel trims, this car is hard to tee-cut (moon dust silver) & can scratch easily, but you have to at least test drive it to know why it's a top seller.
The max speed a focus can attain in first is around 32Mph without risking serious engine damage. To get 60MPH out of first gear the engine would have been running at 13000 RPM... that is not quite within the rev range of your average ford.
(Please note, that things like this are governed by gear ratios, and do not matter how highly tuned the block is)
It is just about impossible for a stock focus to hit 1300 RPM. genus...
18th Dec 2001, 07:50
Thanks for your comments they are going to influence my decision regarding the purchase of the car. I had already heard FORD were not reliable and you ratify it.