2003 Ford Focus Zetec review from UK and Ireland

Temperature gauge went faulty at 12,000 miles. Fixed first time under warranty.

Creak from tailgate over bumps appeared around the 20k mark - fixed first time under warranty.

Fabulous car. Lively performance, good economy (35 mpg av) and fantastic handling.

Great "dual role" car. Practical and reliable for carting the kids about and doing the shopping yet entertaining enough to warrant going out for a blast on your own just for the sake of it. With the best will in the world, you wouldn't do that in a Golf or Astra, but the Focus rewards hard driving in spades. Still a sharp looker too.

Gripes are confined to just two things. Firstly the interior plastics look a bit cheap after my previous mk4 Golf, although the endless problems I had with that car show the core engineering isn't much cop. Secondly, the seats aren't the best after a couple of hundred miles.

Other than that, it meets or exceeds every criteria for an affordable family hatch. It's full of really thoughtful touches too. I really like the fog light switch that resets to off when you turn off the headlights, for example. Also the heated windscreen with heated washer jets, the steering wheel that adjusts for reach as well as rake, and the brilliant speed sensitive power steering which makes a mockery of the latest technological breakthrough being trumpeted by VW for the mk5 Golf's steering. The Golf has a tenth of the Focus's feel and weighting.

As a package, and especially if you enjoy driving rather than just wafting from A to B, the Focus is still the pick of the class. Buy one before they ruin it with the new model which is bound to be heavier, slower and duller.