2001 Ford Focus Zetec review from UK and Ireland

Absolutely Nothing. Solid reliability so far.

I initially chose this car over rivals due to the amount of praise it has recieved from the critics.

As a used car, the Focus makes an excellent buy. The used values are a few hundred greater than rivals such as the Astra, but it was certainly worth paying that bit extra for it.

This car is simply amazing to drive. The Zetec version has stiffened suspension, which makes the ride a little firm, but if you appreciate great handling this will not bother you. The power steering is very precise as is the gearshift.

As for performance, the 1.6 litre is quite impressive. The engine is the Zetec SE, (developed with Yamaha) which is more advanced and actually quicker than the 1.8 version. The power is delivered very smoothly, and the engine pulls well from low revs.

Running costs are dirt cheap. Fuel economy is excellent (it actually does achieve almost 50mpg on a long journey), and likewise the insurance is very reasonable. Servicing is cheap and these cars are so popular any garage can do it. It's never let me down, but apparently they are cheap to fix if anything does go wrong.

The actual quality of this car is brilliant, so much better than previous Fords. All the controls and switches are chunky and easy to use. The equipment on board is impressive, as mine came with the optional air conditioning.

The interior is very comfortable, and it's a pleasure to spend time in the car. The design has been around since 1998, but you wouldn't think so because it still looks the part inside and out.