USED Ford Focus Estate (04 - 11)

My car

Our third Ford of which this is our second Estate but a big disapointment.As for comfort and equipment it is very good , road handling is good and it corners well. However the engine is totally unsuitable - reliable but a 1.6 engine for a size of this car was never a good idea. It struggles up hills, is last away at the lights and accelerates poorly. Worst of all is petrol consumption - an avearge of 23 miles per gallon. It is an automatic which will reduce petrol consumption but it is almost unaffordable to run.

My car

I had hired this car for 8 weeks over the summer for my family whilst in the UK and found it very comfortable to drive and very economical.

The boot space was excellent, easily fitting in a twin pram (of a large size) and the family's luggage. My only problem was the lack of space for my children and their car seats. My two year olds feet were againt the back of my seat, (I was driving) and I'm no giant at only 5ft 7", this was even worse when we wanted to recline his chair for sleeping; and my other son was in a newborn rear facing seat, and to allow room for it, meant the passenger seat had to be fairly forward limiting the leg room for my 5ft 10" husband when he joined us!

But despite that, I am considering purchasing one when we return to the uk as for local driving without the other half, it would be ideal.

My car

I drove this car for a week and did 400 miles. It was one of the most economical, and comfortable cars I had ever driven. This car is definitley recommended.

My car

I had this 2.0 TDCi estate as a hire car for a couple of days when my BMW 525 diesel was in the garage. I have to say I was very impressed, considering it's 'just a Ford'.

The build quality was very good, with no rattles or squeaks, and the performance was surprisingly good, with mid-range torque feeling as good or better than my BMW.

Roadholding was unbelievable - it's far better then the 5 Series Tourer on bends. To crash this car you'd have to be doing something really stupid! Comfort levels were very good, too, with no complaints at all on the roads I drove it on.

With regard to interior space - well, it was OK. Rear legroom is a little tight, but more than adequate for most. Boot space is superb. Why can't Ford stick a 2.5- or 3.0-litre diesel into the Focus... it would then be a great competitor for the likes of Audi and BMW.