2003 Ford Focus Zetec review from UK and Ireland

Nothing.

Just a temporary hire car, but impressed me so much I had to put a review on here.

In the past 4 months I've had a Golf, an Astra, a 206 and finally this Focus, and it's the best of the lot to drive by a country mile.

Sharp steering, powerful, well servoed brakes, knife through butter gearbox, brilliant handling (a blat over the Cat and Fiddle in the pouring rain one evening provided the test) and an eager, revvy engine. It's a 1.6 family shopping car, but, performance limitations apart, drives like a finely honed hot hatch. It feels like it's been set up by someone who cares about how a car feels. It doesn't need to be this good, but it somehow adds to the feelgood factor when you find out that it is.

Comfortable and stable on the motorway (70 mph = 2,900 RPM) decent seats, smart and well built interior (as well put together as the Golf and better than the Astra or 206). Quickclear windscreen is a bit of genius and superb on the frosty mornings we've had of late. 34 mpg average and it was driven hard!

Never driven anything that impressed me so quickly. I'd spend my own money on one tomorrow! A real feelgood car in the days of boring, derivative and dull hatchback clones. Just hope the forthcoming facelift model keeps the dynamic excellence.