USED Ford Focus Hatchback (98 - 04)

My car

Having read various reviews on here prior to writing this review,it saddens me to say i have had nothing but trouble with my 2000 W focus.The engine management light pops up that much im pretty much used to it now,problems starting car(which was dodgy wiring) and overheating-the current problem at the minute. looks awesome for a 22yr old and ive spent so much i feel i cant give up on it. hopefully i can dream of many faultless miles in it yet to come!

My car

It does most things well. Very reliable, and cheap to run.Gearbox and driving position feels about right. It would be unkind to compare it with a more expensive car (when new), but i'm going to! From what i'd heard i thought it would be better. My wife bought this as a replacement for her Corsa and it's an improvement without doubt. However if i was to grumble...the seats are unsupportive, the engine is harsh at higher revs, there's no light in the back (useless when i'm attempting to put my young son into his carseat). MPG is not bad, but my 2 litre Alfa 166 is much heavier, older and still does over 30 mpg. It just doesn't compare in terms of driving experience, the steering isn't as direct and the other thing i really notice is how loud it is on the motorway. Finally, i tend to bash my knee on the dashboard nearly everytime i get in it. The Ford cost 5 grand, i could have bought my alfa 5 times over for that, and its just as reliable and cheap to service it has bags more character and still feels special to drive. However...it is better than that old Corsa.

My car

Lovely car to look at and to drive but my biggest gripe is the poor fuel economy - my car doesn't even do 300 miles on a full tank. The economy averages around 32m.p.g., not good for such a modern car. It goes well but is certainly no pocket rocket, my old 1.8 astra was far nippier and more economic than this one. Its'a shame cos it's very good to drive but simply ocsts to much to run on a day to day basis.

One thing to look out for is the cost of the tax disc - from April 09 the tax for this car is a whopping £260 a year! Choose carefully or you will have to become accustomed to opening your wallet frequently!!!

My car

I will say one thing about this car which sums it up "Brilliant". I have owned the car for almost 3 years and been very happy with it having had no serious problems at all during that time, it has never let me down is comfortable makes long distance driving a breeze,i can relax while i drive not be cramped in like a sardine,thats how the mk5 golf and the new focus is,i will be changing my car hopefully next year to a st170 5 door in grey as soon as i find the right one at the right mileage and right price.To be honest the only bad thing i can say about this car is lack of power for the engine size i sometimes feel it could do with just that extra bit more say another 10 or 20 bhp that would be the icing on the cake of a otherwise brilliant car.