Ford Focus reviews

I have owned my focus pretty much since new, its a top spec model with most upgrades i could get at the time. It see's alot of use and abuse and gets used as a general workhorse, that being said so far it have been a great car and pretty much does everything i ask of it. Performance wise it is a little lacking, the 1.8 TDCI engine is not the quickest and occasionally leaves me wanting for a bit more go. Also the 5 speed gearbox is not as nice as fords 6 speed box as found on the 2.0L variant. (i would suggest the 2.0L over the 1.8) handling is great, no faults there. Running costs generally are good, i do alot of motorway miles but also cover significant town driving. On a combined run i will see as low as 44MPG but more recently i have been seeing closer to 58MPG average over each tank. (that is somewhere between 550 and 650 miles per tank with that costing arround £66 at current fuel prices (£1.40L) Overall the car has been great so far, and i plan on keeping it untill it dies. I would recomend one. Comfort wise i have no issues, ride is subtle enough to be comfortable yet firm enough to inspire confidence when putting the boot down. (sports spring option fitted) So far i have only really had one thing go wrong with the car over the normal wear and tear that 85,000 miles gives you, that is an alternator failure, (£200 fort he part and £200 to fit) As for space and practicality i find this car great, I bought this car as I thought an estate would best suit my needs, i do alot of mountain biking, camping and competitions with RC cars all of which require a decent ammount of space. I can get 3 full large downhill mountain bikes and 3 people with a days kit each in. I have also loaded the car up with a roof box and had 3 people with 18, 10th scale RC cars and camping kit for a weekend away. I have also spend a night or two sleeping in the car as an alternative to normal camping when needs be (5foot 9inches, you have to lie diagonally to fit when streched out) load bay is approx 5ft 6inches long)

Love it - I like the fact that it has built in economy features - eg engine cut off when idling. Great family car and good for long journeys.

It does eveverything I need it too cheaply and reliably can't ask for more than that.

The car has very good handling in all conditions and is very practical. The 1.8 tdci engine has perhaps is now outdated by the engines in more recent models. The Focus is a good all round car in my opinion.

I have owned this vehicle from new 2004 and have had it regularly serviced according to mileage. The water pump has been renewed and gas cylinders in boot have been replaced. Brakes have been renewed also. I am very pleased with it's function so far and have no plans to change.

Only had this vehicle for a month

I HAVE BEEN DRIVING A FOCUS SINCE 1999 AND MY PRESENT ONE I PURCHASED IN JANUARY 2012. IMPROVED EMISSIONS AND PETROL CONSUMPTION MAKE IT CHEAPER TO RUN, IN FACT MY ROAD TAX IS REDUCED. ALL MY FOCUS'S HAVE BEEN RELIABLE, GOOD TO DRIVE, COMFORTABLE, AND STYLISH. I WILL PROBABLY CHANGE MY CAR AT THE START OF 2015 AND GIVE MY PRESENT CAR TO MY SON. THE CAR HAS GOOD ALL ROUND VISIBILITY AND EXCELLENT ACCELERATION WHENEVER REQUIRED.

Satisfactory

Very impressed with the car, could do with a bigger boot.

The diesel focus is well put together given it's realative cost and for the type of driving I do (a lot of A road and motorway) reasonably economical. To date, touch wood, there have not been any major problems with the car. The only down sides are minor gripes really - it is hard to judge the extremities of the car and without parking sensors it is not particularly easy to reverse. With the back seats down the book space is good but why not make it flat! Overall, a decent car for the money.

Bought as ex-demo 7 years ago. No high maintenance costs so far, but probably not as fuel efficient as a later model.

I have now driven a Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec Climate for seven and a half years. It replaced a well-loved six year-old Rover 25, when I decided I needed a slightly larger car and following the sad demise of the MG Rover Group. It was a well-chosen replacement. It is used to maximum capacity when four people are going on holiday for a week, with all required luggage and sometimes a wheeled walker. It can get up hill and down dale in some of the steeper parts of North Yorkshire, for example, though I would steer clear of the steepest, narrowest and most twisted roads. That may feflect my own lack of experience and confidence on those roads rather than the car's abilities. The second (and current) Focus I bought at the end of June 2010. One of the last of the Mk 2s, it is a rare colour for that model - ink, a colour newly launched when I bought it so I couldn't see one on the road! Good choice though. In my first year of ownership of the first Focus, bought April 2006, I travelled 14000 miles, and was doing 12 - 13000 therafter until about two years ago. There was one mechanical failure of the first car, outside of the guarantee period (can't remember the details now) which was fixed at the expense either of FoMoCo or my own (very good) local Ford dealer. So - no criticisms on the reliability front. Rover cars - Metros (Austin and Rover) and the last model 200 and then a 25 - gave me excellent service over more than twenty years. They were the right car for me and my circumstances at the time I owned them. I can say the same of the Fords. Should I be in a position to replace this vehicle at some stage in the future, Ford have certainly earned the right for the relevant model in their range (probably a Focus) to be test driven. From a "Corporate Social Responsibility" point of view, I would have preferred it if Ford built cars in Britain, given their market leadership here (and the recent closure of the Transit plant in Southampton leaves a nasty taste in the mouth). There is no guarantee I will continue to drive Fords in the future but - politics aside - I have no complaint and much praise for my previous model 1.6 Zetec Focus.

The Ford Focus estate is a practical, easy to drive and farly economical car. It appears to be a popular choice for motorists as I see many on the roads. Maintainance costs are cheeper than some of the fancier cars. All in all for me a good buy.

the cost of petrol to high

it might just be a bad penny out the bunch but since having the vehicle its been nothing but bother. within 3 months of purchasing the car the coil went. Easy to replace and not too costly, within the following 12 months a fault engine light came on, so into the garage it went to get a check over...to find it was just the coil, again! 18 months later at the service and MOT, same thing, the coil needed replacing again. since then (Jul 2013) the engine light has appeared again and frustration has set in, time to get rid. It will not encourage me to look at ford again.

I just love the new Focus ST. It has everything, practicality with performance and good looks. I can't wait for Ford to bring out the RS version . .

Exhaust slightly noisy at point of moving off. Tyres extremely expensive. Speed and load rating seem excessive for the performance. Steering tends to be a little imprecise at lower speeds, has a tendency to wander. Overall very well equiped. Very comfortable, and relaxing ride. Average performance.

I have two of these cars now (one 2.0Ltr Ghia & one 1.8Ltr Zetec) - I have found them excellent to drive, reliable, well-fitted out with equipment and comfortable. My onl slight criticism is the fuel consumption, especially the Ghia wasn't great on urban driving - but I'm happy with both on motorway driving.

I have found that the ford focus is very reliable car and have been very pleased with it.

I don't normally rate a 1600 engine in any car. To me they consume the fuel of a 2 litre but with no guts. Although I find the focus comfortable, the layout and creature comforts are rather poor.