Faults:

Had to change a back strut bearing after 40000 miles.

Putting the shift stick in reverse can be a hassle sometimes. The stick tends to "jump out" into neutral if you give it some gas.

Rust sadly. The 12-year guarantee is a joke. This one rusts like any other old Escort.

General Comments:

My Focus is hands down a great car.

As you can see above, the workers of the Saarlouis factory clearly had a better day when they assembled my Focus.

The handling is the best thing with this car. The chassis ain't anything spectacular per se. Regular fine-tuned Ford parts from the shelves and light weight makes this car very enjoyable and communicative to drive.

The engine is also a quite enjoyable experience. Ford somehow managed to make the engine reasonably quiet under 3000 rpm, but if you floor it, the engine starts to accelerate and scream in a manner that would make a Corolla blush. I do have to say I enjoy this little extra effort from Ford.

The interior. I love it. Many people hate it. It looks cheap, it probably was cheap to build and it feels cheap. This isn't exactly the best thing with the car. Although, the setup inside is extremely logical and every button serves its purpose.

The seats are great for trips under 100 miles. Longer trips than that... take the Volvo. This is also a love-hate thing, because you sit very upright and the seating position is more like a MPV than a sports car.

Now, lets talk about the space! There's so much space inside this small car. The estate is phenomenal - everything fits in this car. Tubas, drunk passengers, lumber, tons of skis... and everything at the same time!

To sum it up. This car is equilibrium, because everything is so damn well balanced. You wouldn't want to change to a bigger engine, it would spoil the handling. You wouldn't want to change the seats, it would spoil the roominess inside. See where I am going?

Don´t be fooled by its weird design. This car is much more mature than many of the cars manufactured by premium car makers. This car is an extreme example of logic and pragmatism with a light touch of well... going on a small road 50 mph a spring evening, I am not sure I would rather drive an Audi or a BMW. Because right there... this car would feel so right.

Faults:

Where do I start?

Warped brake discs.

Fumes pumping back into the main cabin.

Alternator.

Bearings.

Coil pack.

Shock absorbers.

Faulty sensors.

Catalytic converter.

Faulty coolant cap (watching steam come out of the engine bay is not fun; it could have been anything really).

General Comments:

Hmmmm...

This was my first car, and I bought it because I needed to get to work (as many people need to). So on the first day, I took it to work, and at the end of the road I lost power. The coil pack had gone, so I got it fixed and thought it would be best to get it serviced, which cost me a little over £1000.

Now this has really put me off, I've heard a lot of people that swear by their Focus, and a lot of people just tear their hair out because of the problems that arise with Fords in general. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not manufacturer biased, I don't care who makes it as long as it is a good car. I enjoyed the way it drove far better than my current Vectra (1.8), and the interior was better (the plastics in my current Vectra are shocking, but a nice stereo makes up for it).

But stay away from the 1.4, the car is heavy and it picks up speed like a 3 ton whale glued to the patio.

The car was an ex disabled with under 30K on the clock, so I thought it would be reliable. I should have guessed again.

I am now getting rid of my Vectra, which makes me happy and I want to buy a 2.0 litre Focus... I just don't know if I dare.