Ford Focus Hatchback (1998 - 2004) 1.4 CL 3d (01) (2002/02) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Great if you want a cheap, reliable, tough and practical car. Not for anyone who enjoys driving or has an enthusiasm for cars. Go for the 1.6 upwards - it's worth the extra cost !

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Would you buy this car again and why?

No. If I ever had to drive a focus again would go for a 1.6 / 1.8 with a high specification.

What are you likely to buy next?

I replaced this with a BMW 3 series.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchise

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£6,000

When did you buy the car?

June 2005

Did you get a good deal and why?

The CL version has minimal kit (electric windows the only plus). Also lost £1000 in value the second I drove it out of the dealership.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Low insurance group (4).

What was the dealer like?

Not good. Could not find the service history and I had to wait weeks for this to be rectified. Barely enough fuel in the tank to get to a petrol station less than 1 mile away. They did replace the tape deck with a CD player though.

What's it like to drive?

Very slow and dull. Unless insurance is a real cost issue avoid the 1.4 CL at all costs. The 1.4 zetec engine is too small for the car and the performance as a result is weedy. Handling average at best.

What's it like to park?

Easy enough.

Have you had any problems with the car?

The ECU failed but the dealer fixed this immediately. HT leads needing replacing after about 6 months.

What's most practical about your car?

Low insurance cost and high MPG.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Very ill equipped car. Favourite accessory was the 15 inch zetec alloy wheels which I fitted myself.