Faults:

Engine blown at 11500 miles.

General Comments:

Terrific fun to drive. Handling/steering/shifting belies the price.

Engine feels much more lively than 151 horses -- the torque of 150 lb ft likely helps.

Reliable -- No issues except the blown engine (I have no idea how the previous owner used/abused the car -- and Ford replaced it no questions asked),

All the comfort I need -- Leather/heated seats/Factory Sony 6-disk in dash mp3 with 500W/sunroof at a very very reasonable price point.

Faults:

Nothing in the time I had it.

General Comments:

I really liked it at first, but I would never buy a front wheel drive car with this kind of power again; it's great in the dry, which is not very often in the UK. If the road was even slightly damp, it would result in the traction control kicking in, or turn that off, and wheel spin in the first 4 gears.

The fuel economy was an eye opener after running diesels for 5 years; quite similar to a V8 Lexus I once had. Only did 16mpg in the winter, though was around 22mpg in warmer weather.

It was really nice to drive in a steady manner, the gearbox was slick and the handling good for a front driver.

The heated leather Recaro's were a nice touch, as was the Sony stereo. I miss the xenon headlamps also.

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.