2007 Ford Focus SE Sedan 2.0 from North America
Summary:
Good value for the money
Faults:
So far, the only thing that has gone wrong on my 2007 Focus SE is a bad battery (which Ford replaced under warranty), and I replaced all tires with Michelin Touring tires (80,000 mile). Within 2 weeks of owning the vehicle, one tire popped and another one leaked air. I did not like the quality of the tires, so I replaced them. I'm glad I had one of those tire inflation cans, because it was raining hard the day I got a flat! I was not about to change a tire on the side of the highway.
Makes a funny squeaky sound over bumps during cold mornings..... where's it coming from?
Those oil changing places flooded my engine with oil, and my spark plugs were soaked with oil, and I replaced the spark plugs with Autolite Iridium Xtreme. My car runs good now.
Happy Camper... :)
General Comments:
My friend has a banged up 1995 4 dr. automatic Mercury Tracer (or Escort), and he has over 100,000 miles on it with no major problems. I thought, how bad could a 2007 Focus be?
The interior and overall quality build is acceptable for the price, and meets my basic transportation needs. I hear a lot folks complaining about the seats, dashboard, quality, etc... but in this "compact" car segment, the Focus is a good deal. Toyota Corolla's are over priced with similar options (and a smaller engine/car).
I bought it to save money on gas and get reliable transportation that's fun to drive too.
It's my second American car (I usually buy Nissans).
The Focus does the job. I have extras like alloy wheels and sunroof (which I love). I've been calculating my gas, and I get about 33-34 miles per gallon (Automatic Transmission), if I take it easy with the accelerator and drive normal. For those who love to constantly pass up cars on the highway, gun the car during stop signs/traffic lights or love to speed over 65, your mileage will drop under 30!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 21st June, 2008
25th May 2011, 06:49
The car is now on 34000 miles, and is still providing reliable service.
The only problem I had was the dashboard temperature control for the cabin heater broke - or more accurately the cable came adrift. To fix this problem, I had to get the stereo removed and then re-attach the cable. I modified it a bit to make it stronger. A bit annoying and fiddly, but the repair cost nothing, and the car still worked, albeit without a heater. I searched on the Internet, but despite the Focus being a very popular car, I couldn't find any other reference to this problem, so can only assume mine was a poor quality plastic clip.
Other than that minor issue, it provides good service, and is comfortable with a huge boot. It's no ball of fire, but then I always knew a 1.6 would be adequate rather than fast. The handling and ride combination, together with sharp steering is still delightful - I've driven cars costing far more than the Focus, and have been disappointed. The way this car steers through the bends inspires confidence, and the gear change is excellent, being light and snappy.
The 1.6 ti-VCT is, in my view, the best of the 1.6 petrols. Being of variable valve timing, there is an extra surge of power around 3500rpm, which is useful for overtaking. It's quite torquey and economical. One point to note however is that the ti-VCT has a cambelt rather than a chain, so that will be an expense in the future - although I doubt I will have the car by then, as there's a new model out now.
Some journalists have criticised the interior quality, since some of the plastic trim is hard and not the latest trend for 'soft feel'. What a load of nonsense. It's all well assembled and no creaks or rattles. Leave the 'soft-touch' nonsense to the journalists who wouldn't know the difference between a thrust washer and a dishwasher. People who equate 'soft touch' plastics to high quality don't know what they're on about, and certainly know nothing about engineering. The Focus interior is perfectly good and durable. A family hatch well suited to family use, then.