Faults:

Few minor faults. Air con went 2000 miles. Dealer fixed.

One recall to do with brakes, again dealer fixed free of charge.

General Comments:

Cheap car for what you get.

Handles better than my 205 cti. Remember it's a Ghia, so built to smooth out roads. Which it does. Awesomely well. Still sticks like superglue on corners.

Power delivery is sublime from the turbo diesel. 0-60 9.3, petrol 2.0L is 0.2, however with endless torque I get 30-70 of around 7.5 compared to petrol's 13+. Very low stressed also c. 50 mpg!

Full of free extra features, heated front windscreen, cruise control, self dipping rear view mirror, automatic wipers and lights etc.

Faults:

No problems at all.

General Comments:

Steering and handling are excellent for this small wagon.

Turning circle is tight, a plus for u-turns in Manhattan.

Acceleration is also fine for the engine and box it's in.

The ride is comfortable.

Fuel consumption OK -- about 23 city, 31 highway.

And you can't beat the price. I paid $16,800 for a fully loaded SES (except for a sunroof -- don't like roofs with holes in them).

Too bad Ford terminated the wagon. It's the best small wagon around, with as much or more cargo space than many SUVs. It's also a far better buy than my other purchase consideration, the Legacy wagon. The Legacy beats the Focus on fit and finish; but the Legacy is about $5k pricier, and has crappy front axles.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

This car is the Mk2 5 door Focus, 55 reg, built Feb 2006. We also have a Mk1 5 door Focus 1.6LX 54 reg, and previously owned a Peugeot 306 1.4LX 5 door.

Handling is excellent, however steering is very light, far lighter than Mk1 and with less feel. Ride quality very good, absorbs bumps far better whilst remaining very much planted to the road and stable.

The engine is the old 1.6 unit found in the Mk1, however the Mk2 is a considerably heavier car. The Mk2 has shorter gearing, and is still not as sprightly with this engine as it's predecessor. It's fine for most purposes, but the newer 1.6 or a bigger unit may be preferred.

As mentioned, gearing is shorter, but still a 5-speed box on this model. A 6th gear (present on newer/bigger engines) would be welcome for M-way cruising, 70mph is done at about 3400-3500rpm in 5th.

Inside is very comfortable and spacious, with very supportive seats. The air-conditioning seems to be inconsistent, and for the most part nowhere near as good as the Mk1 or even the Pug 306, but I cannot say if this is due to a problem or the need to recharge it. Radio/CD is good.

A full tank of petrol costs £45-50 and will provide approx 400 miles of driving, both urban and m-way.

I bought this car for £8000, eight months old with 12900miles on the clock. Ex-rental, full Ford Direct warranty (not that I've used it!).

Overall I'm very pleased with this car. I would prefer a higher spec, but as a used car its unlikely that such excellent value will be offered with anything other than this 1.6LX.