Faults:

Water pump and timing belt changed, engine is a bit noisy so I replaced the alternator and pulley; that seems to have been where the noise was coming from as it is much quieter now. Slight oil leak on rocker cover gasket, but every high mileage car I look at has this, nothing to worry about. I do every oil change.

Had major work to the brakes and suspension at last service and MOT, again expected wear and tear of age and mileage, no big deal. Exhaust center and heat shield was replaced.

Inside the air con needs a re-gas but I am not too bothered. Seats are looking a bit worn now. Everything else works fine.

Outside looking rougher but it is 13 years old and has nearly 130K on it. The car is a very nice light blue/silver and still shines in summer when washed. No major rust. Some car park dents on each side but obviously not the car's fault; I wish people would take more care opening doors when parked next to my car!

General Comments:

When the Focus came out to replace the Escort way back in 1998 it was never a car I liked; I thought it was a bit too much of a departure from the Escort which I had at the time, which was an early 1990's one (1.4 LX). Still, back in 2011 I had a late 1990's Honda Civic at this point which was a good car but starting to show its age, so I needed a new/nearly new car and found this 2009 Focus which is obviously a much more modern and updated version (2005 - 2010 second generation) that I liked the look of and bought it right away after a test drive.

I think it is a really good looking car from all angles. Mine has the rear windows tinted and is really sharp with the original alloy wheels.

Inside the good looks continue with a clean layout for the dashboard and light grey materials is a nice contrast to the darker grays which usually most manufacturers have everywhere and is kind of dull, but with this car I like the nice touches here and there. Zetec spec is mid range and has electric windows, air con, all the usual stuff. Spacious enough. It is a nice car to be in as a passenger or driver, very quiet and smooth, smaller cars have come a long way post year 2000, they drive like much bigger cars and are very refined. Back in the day most smaller cars were rattly and noisy, but not the modern Focus.

Ford dealers are less than helpful when talking about older cars, so it is no surprise people always recommend you find a local independent garage. Servicing costs and repairs are as cheap as it gets for this car. With the current situation of the world it does not look like it is getting any easier, and people want an easy to live with and reliable car. Find a good mechanic and a well maintained car and the Focus will deliver on economy and ease of ownership.

The 1.6 petrol is probably the best all round engine. Not super fast by any means, but gets you were you want to go. You will see around 40 mpg. I would avoid the diesels as they might be a bit of a false economy - a friend of mine has a Focus from around the same time period with the diesel engine, it has cost him about the same amount of money he saved on fuel to repair things like the injectors and other issues he has had! So play it safe and get a petrol engine, they have less problems when the miles rise - so long as you keep up with oil and belt changes.

Overall it has been a fun car to drive and own, and very economical. Insurance is also reasonable so long as you are not under 21 years old. Tax is around £200 (the same as all older petrol cars now) but again why buy a low or zero cost to tax diesel when you spend much more than that on purchase price and other repairs? I still maintain petrol is best. At the age and mileage mine won't last forever, but I would say when you do the math the petrol's have worked out the same or even cheaper than the diesel version, so it makes sense to keep an older petrol car long term and run it into the ground.

The fact I have kept this car more than 10 years says it all, just a very good car to live with, and I would recommend it to anyone. You can get these cars in this age range now for as little as £2000. Find a well looked after low mileage one in a nice color and spec and enjoy!

Faults:

Nothing at all.

General Comments:

First the nice things:

1. Impressive gas mileage: Got 36.5mpg on a recent 300 mile trip, almost entirely highway, averaging 65-70mph, all windows down, sunroof open.

2. Has a handy "overdrive off" switch for highway driving and steep hills.

3. Sync system is pretty easy to use.

4. Despite some hard plastic, I felt the interior was quite nice and solid-looking, no squeaks or rattles. Even with the optional sunroof.

5. The ride is nice for a small car with 16" wheels and relatively low-profile tires.

6. Huge trunk, even with the 8" subwoofer stealing some of the space.

7. Decent backseat room.

On to the not great stuff:

1. Overdrive gear is too tall for this car in the northeast. At 75mph you are only doing about 2500rpms, and most of the highways around here are 55-65mph speed limits.

2. Gear spacing is too wide... there is a BIG power dropoff when going full throttle 1st to 2nd. Granted, it is a 4spd auto, but I've driven 4 speeds that were more efficiently spaced.

3. Drivers armrest is too hard, causing me elbow pain on long drives.

4. While quieter than my previous Mercury Milan 4 cylinder (07), the engine does get rather boomy during moderate acceleration.

5. Handling is merely OK... based on my understanding, this era of Focus had the suspension significantly softened compared to previous generations. More body lean in cornering than I expected.

6. The "Audiophile" sound system is rather disappointing in sound quality... despite the 8" trunk mounted subwoofer, there seems to be a dearth of bass/midbass for rock music, although I'm sure really low bass heavy music such as rap & r&b would be just fine.

7. Drivers seat thigh support merely adequate... feels a bit saggy under your left leg.