FORD FOCUS HATCHBACK READER REVIEWS

My car

I took delivery of this car in April 2012, after negotiating a discount of roughly 18% plus options worth over £2500 all in the price was just over £18000 which I think was a good deal.

We bought the car for better running costs, as previously we had a Focus ST. So far fuel economy is hovering around 50 mpg in daily driving and high 50s on longer trips. The cost of Tax is £20 for the year, first year is free. Overall very happy with running costs.

The car drives very well with good handling and with 18 inch alloy wheels fitted the ride is smooth.

Standard equipment is very good with everything you need for a family car. Voice control, Bluetooth and DAB radio where you can sync IPOD and MP3 is easy to use as is contolling your Mobile phone through radio. Space and practicality are very good especially with two young children.

The only issues we have had with the car are some loose trim in the boot which was quickly repaired under warranty, so far my dealer experiances have been fine with quick and reliable service.

Overall very happy with my purchase.

My car

I test drove the above car yesterday. I liked it so much. I bought the 1.0 Ecoboost Titanium X. Pick it up at the end of this month. I will only comment on the driving as I havent played with the kit in the Zetec or Titanium X. FOr a 999cc 3 Cylinder Engine. Its incredible, feels more like a 1.6 Diesel. A nice bit of tourqe from about 1500rpm all the way up to 4/5k rpm. Pulls nicely at 70mph on the motor way. At idle, you cant tell if the engine is running. Its an incredible engine, I can not comment on the fuel economy as all I had was a 20 minute test drive. The steering was perfectly waited. The gear box not quite as good as a Golf, which I feel as one of the best gearbox's going(so smooth). But the Focus was very close. Ride was very smooth, compared to my 57 plate Civic I currently have. If you are worried about having to rev this engine hard, dont be. At 70mph, the Focus was at 2500rpm, and my Civic(with a 1.8 litre engine) sits at 3000rpm. The cabin plastics felt nice, lower down they became abit more brittle, but compared to the Civic...well, it was luxury. The digital displays tick the box's for me with the dials in front of the driver, clear and easy to read(not obscured by the Steering wheel...like on the Civic). I am really looking forward to taking delivery of my Ford Focus 1.0 125 Ecoboost Titanium X. The engine is a peach, the interior is pretty good. Plastic quality doesnt match the German's just yet. But looks ALOT more interseting, and is a worthy second!

My car

I wrote a review for this car when I first took delivery in July 2011, and overall I'd still say its an ok car. However, in terms of the owning experience, I've had some very serious problems with the clutch pedal , which developed a tendency to stick to the floor after 10k miles. It took my dealer 6 weeks to figure out and repair the problem (leaking hydraulic fluid). (I recall that Toyota were similarly complacent with a similar issue). So in retrospect, the owning proposition and the attitude of Ford to safety has led me to knock a few stars off this car. It got a 5 last year from me, but has now fallen back to 'average' in my opinion. I keep wondering what else will go wrong...I'll do another review in six months or so.

My car

We used to own this model, but are delighted to have sold it on.

After only a few miles, the after depressing the clutch, the pedal refused to rise back up. A faulty clutch master cylinder was diagnosed and duly replaced, We started to lose confidence in the car after this, and gear changes never seen right despite dealer assurances to the contrary.

The seats are far too small and to uncomfortable for any thing more than a trip to the shops.

I was for ever banging my head on the hatch door when using it, and we struggled to achieve 50mpg.

The dealer seemed more interested in selling us service deals and extended warranties than actually ensuring the car was good as they claimed.

The heated windscreen is handy on the few frosty mornings we have here near the seaside, but otherwise the equipment was basic considering the price of the car.

It's a disappointing car given all the hype about good it is.