Ford Focus Hatchback (2005 - 2011) 1.8 FFV Zetec 5d (08) (2008/58) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

My mum chose blue and blue is my favourite colour?

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

They love it. They ask if they want to swap.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Never. If it was a diesel with good economy and the seats were more comfortable yes.

What are you likely to buy next?

We recently chose to have a Renault Clio. We've taken my mum around to a number of garages (Nissan, Seat, Ford, VW, Toyota, Citroen, Peugeot, Kia, Hyandai, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Mini), but the other seat my mother found perfect for her condition was the Clio. It's also a very comfortable drive. It has all the gadgets as a bonus. Cruise control, sat nav, automatic lights and wipers. It's also a diesel. So we hope to go further on a tank!

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

Yes

What price did you pay?

£18,000

When did you buy the car?

December 2008

Did you get a good deal and why?

It's our Motability car. We paid around £300 advance payment for the car. Evanshalshaw.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Motability car.

What was the dealer like?

OK. Persuaded us to go for the 1.8 rather than the 1.6. 1.6 was nil advance payment. Also persuaded us to not go for a diesel. Dealer also told us bluetooth was standard with the Zetec but we had to pay for it. Not sure about that one to be honest.

What's it like to drive?

The car isn't what you call economical. A full tank (12.1 gallons) we can get 360 miles. Which calculates to around 29.7mpg. But the on board computer says 28.9mpg. My uncle has had a Volvo S80 2.8 petrol, and he used to get 30mpg. Ford petrols are really gutsy. The car is very nice to drive. The grip is immense. It puts other cars in its class to shame. Gearbox is perfect. It has 125bhp so it's not slow either. Pretty nippy and nifty wherever you are. Over 3500rpm and it's like a rocket.

What's it like to park?

Parking can be proved difficult. The back of the car is to a slant so you can never judge the distance behind very well. Can be quite annoying. If you are parking forwards it's quite easy. Steering is a bit heavier than most cars as it's electric. The steering can be changed from Comfort, Normal or Sport.

Have you had any problems with the car?

It had come out of a service when it had done 12,000 and the car cut out a few days after. The RAC told us the oil level was below minimum. The car seems to be twiddly and shaky on cold starts. On cold starts the engine makes a terrible noise. Almost like an old diesel engine. There was also some error with the on board ICU or something. Evanshalshaw fixed it. Service from Evanshalshaw isn't very good though. They don't seem very warming towards customers. My mother who's the Motability car's holder, finds the seat's front and back uncomfortable. She has a number of problems and her lower back is one of the worst. We regret not thoroughly test driving the car before choosing it.

What's most practical about your car?

The car inside is massive. We've had a tall fridge/freezer in the back and a digital piano. The car is in a league of its own for space and practicality.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The car really hasn't really got many gadgets. I like the feel of the steering wheel and the steering itself.