2002 Ford Focus Zetec from UK and Ireland - Comments

Rear tyres went out of shape before they wore out. Replaced at 30k due to vibration and noise. Replacements are just starting to go the same way 20k later.

The odd bulb here and there.

Otherwise fault free.

The sports suspension in Zetec trim is well worth seeking out. The standard LX and Ghia models are good, but the Zetec is that bit sharper and the body control is better.

I work for a car leasing company and so get to drive all manner of cars. The Focus 1 still stands out for "just so" dynamics and feel, and I would argue in pure driving terms is actually nicer than the new model. Certainly it feels set up more for fun than refinement or safety - probably the last car in this class ever to be able to claim that.

I've pepped up the old 90PS 1.8 Endura Di engine with a Bluefin re-map. It now sports 127 bhp and 285Nm of torque with a dyno print out to prove it. It's still a bit down on power compared to the latest VAG engines, but the car is 150-200kg lighter than a Golf 4/5 or Focus 2 so performance stands comparison with these much more expensive cars. On that note, my Focus cost half as much to buy on the used market as a similarly aged Golf TDI, even with the cost of the re-map factored in. I wanted a TDCi really, but a chipped TDDi gives more power for a lot less outlay.

The assembly quality is excellent with tight panel gaps, deep, lustrous paint and a generally taut feel to the whole car even after nearly 50,000 miles. The interior plastics are cheap looking though, and I've marked it down on comfort because the seats are pretty naff. The driving position itself is excellent however.

With the re-map done 10,000 miles ago, the engine hasn't missed a beat and has only needed one oil top up between changes as ever. It returns 46 mpg average which is the same as it did pre-mod. The car is well out of warranty now anyhow, so gets serviced outside the dealer network. Interestingly, when I did take the car in for its last dealer service they said nothing about the re-map despite claiming to have road tested the vehicle. I can reverse the re-map at home in about 2 minutes if I need to anyhow.

Overall, a great car. The standard engine is dull, but if you can afford the TDCi or a good re-map, it's unbeatable for the money. Better still you have a really nice choice from about £4k upwards - knackered old shed money in Golf TDI terms.

You cannot have that torque. It's a mistake or, if they sold you that, they are also...I can't say on this site.

That torque figure is spot on infact its slightly less than the blufin graph shows from the focus they tested with the the unit installed.

I have a tddi focus and will be getting the bluefin soon, as I've heard great things about them. the tddi focus responds better than most cars to the bluefin althou even standard I find it's a great engine, maybe not a tdci, but still quite nippy with loadsa torque, remember these engines still have a direct injection 16v turbocharged intercooled engine and its no surprise to me that the bluefin chip lets the true power of the engine out to play.

To the first commenter, mine is actually a couple of NM down on the Bluefin claim, although the tuner did explain very clearly that engines can vary by a good 3-4 bhp out of the crate, and the one used in the graph was a probably a particularly "good" one. That said, mine was still making 92 bhp as standard at 50k when Ford claim 90PS as new, so clearly mine wasn't bad either.

The car has also been run on another dyno at a recent club meet where it matched the Superchip dyno to within 1 or 2 NM and bhp all through the rev range, so unless both dynos are "out" by almost exactly the same amount, the figures are accurate. And then there's experience. Before, the car would get blown away by 130PS Golfs and the like, but now it's easily as quick when going in a straight line, and a lot quicker when not. The dull printouts merely confirm what the butt-o-meter suggests! ;)

To the second commenter: Thanks for the supportive remarks. Just one thing though - all diesel engines in the mk1 Focus are single cam 8 valve units.

Cheers.