Ford Focus Hatchback (1998 - 2004) 1.8 Ghia 5d (98) (2001/Y) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

I fell for the "family guy" marketing campaign and didn't have the sense to notice it's too small.

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

"It's a good car". So, so, wrong.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Absolutely not. Too small, too unreliable, not especially cheap to run considering how common they are (24mpg, £600 for all-round brakes).

What are you likely to buy next?

Something bigger. Toying between a Freelander and a Rover 75 ... or Passat estate, or maybe another Volvo. OK, I don't know, but it won't be a Focus.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£3,400

When did you buy the car?

July 2006

Did you get a good deal and why?

Reasonable deal from eBay - overexaggerated the condition of the car, but the price was still fair.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Wanted something smaller than my Volvo S60 for economy purposes.

What was the dealer like?

What's it like to drive?

I don't know why people think it's good! The 1.8 is gutless, and it rolls everywhere with front grip being pretty damned poor, even with decent tyres. I wouldn't mind the 1.8 being gutless necessarily, but I can only eek out about 24mpg. Considering I replaced a 2 litre turbocharged Volvo with this for economy. I only get 2mpg more and lost all the performance and space!

What's it like to park?

Good steering lock (clonks excepted).

Have you had any problems with the car?

Oh yes. A camshaft broke (£1,200 to fix - required a new top end), cooling fan fuse (I mention it only because the fuse was an odd size and surprisingly difficult to come by), and there's something wrong with the steering that I fear is going to be expensive.

What's most practical about your car?

For a "family car" it's not practical at all. The boot doesn't fit a double buggy and the car is too narrow to get more than two child seats in.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

It seems to have a "cost Dave money" system called the ignition. The Ghia is surprisingly basic - A/C is provided, but there's no ABS, no cruise.