2002 Ford Focus Zetec review from UK and Ireland

So far nothing has gone wrong with my car at all.

When it came to buying a new car the Focus didn't even enter my mind until, walking past a Ford dealer on my way to test drive a Polo I spied a 2.0 Zetec Focus sitting on the forecourt and was immediately taken with its appearance. The big alloys and lowered front clearance with fog lights give an unmistakable impression of performance.

The interior of the car is well designed and all the knobs and dials have a very satisfactory feeling when used.

The controls, including the radio, are so intuitive that I've yet to approach the manual for help.

The radio itself is excellent, and while not having to open the boot to get at the changer is good, the performance in changing from one CD to another is frustrating if like me you can't decide what to listen to.

The only problems I have with the interior are the lack of a light in the rear, and the driving position. I'm Joe Average in stature and don't need the driving position of a 450lb Gorilla, but I do find the steering wheel obscures my view of the top of the dash, especially the indicator lights.

Generally the performance is good, although the engine sometimes feels a little sluggish below 4000RPM, and if you really want to blast off it needs pushing hard.

The 0-60 sprint *seems* sedate, but I feel this has more to do with size and handling than performance. Anyone with a stopwatch can prove to you that its no slouch.

Overall I've quickly come to believe the Focus is by far and away the best car in its class.