Ford Focus Hatchback (1998 - 2004) 1.8 TDCi Zetec 5d (2004/04) Owner Review
Want to know everything there is to know about this car?
-
Summary
What does this car say about you?
Not much really.
What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?
My friends and family liked the car as it had a good engine and it was in the colour of Grey/black. They test drove the car and only 1 person also experienced the judder issue.
Would you buy this car again and why?
I wouldn't go for the 1.8 TDCi engine again after the judder issue i experienced. I would look to buy the Focus Mk2 1.6 or 2.0 TDCi model.
What are you likely to buy next?
Ford Focus 1.6 LX 55 plate.
-
Buying experience
Type of dealer you bought from?
Independent
Did you buy this car new?
No
What price did you pay?
£3,550
When did you buy the car?
February 2009
Did you get a good deal and why?
I bought this at trade price with an extra £50 for the MOT through a friend. This also included 3 months TAX.
Is there any special reason why you bought this car?
TDCI engine which was economical and frugal, nice colour and good equipment level. My annual mileage had also increased.
What was the dealer like?
The trader was fine to deal with and i felt like i was getting a good deal.
-
Driving it
What's it like to drive?
I found the engine to be so frugal and it got about 40mpg in the time i used this (i did think it would be more economical), however, i did notice that the fuel guage barely moved from the full after a 57 mile motorway trip at 75-80mph. This power delivery is very smooth on the motorway from 1500 to 3500 rpm. The judder issue around town was the only offputting part. This could cost over £1000 to put right there was issues with the DMF or injectors.
What's it like to park?
Very easy to park.
-
Living with it
Have you had any problems with the car?
The day i purchased this, i noticed that it sounded a bit rough when stopping the engine and it didn't always start at first. It then decided to judder at 30mph in 4th gear which was not a good sign. I read up about the injectors and DMF issues (common problems), then i got this checked with diagnostics and no problems appeared. I decided to trade this in, in case of future problems.
What's most practical about your car?
The size of the Focus was an advantage for carrying passengers, especially being the 5 door model, coming from a 3 door Corsa.
Favourite gadget, option or accessory?
The quickclear front screen was good for winter.
