2003 Ford Focus Zetec review from UK and Ireland

Warranty expired may 06 and MOT was due so I took it in for a service. The air conditioning needed re-gassing (as I had not used it through winter). They looked for a leak, but couldn't find anything wrong with it - has been fine ever since.

Front nearside (passenger) seatbelt stopped retracting, but was fixed under warranty.

Apart from that, faultless :D.

Fantastic Drive, I head off into the peak district and cover the snake pass regularly and this car really does make it so much fun. It may not be as fast as some hot hatches, but the grip more than makes up for it. Quick in quick out, and if it does start to slide, it all adds to the fun without being on the verge of losing control.

Then when you get back, you can still jump in it on a sunday morning and head down to the shops.

The interior isn't something you'd see at london fashion week, but it's hardly an eyesore either. A very neutral design which all looks very smart does the focus justice.

As I mentioned, the 1.6 zetec petrol isn't as quick as some (like my previous car, rover 214 with the k series honda engine). However, the reliability makes up for it - starts everytime (unlike my previous car, rover 214 which blew up on the M1).

Even though it's the 3 door model, there's always loads of space in the back (as passengers often remark) and the front allows plenty of room for the larger driver (I'm about 6 foot tall) who may struggle with smaller cars.

I'm starting to look into another ford, maybe a new shape focus TDCI or Mondeo TDCI.

I'm planning a roadtrip to austria during april 07, and as my focus is nearing 40,000 miles - little rattles (heat shield) and squeaks (door pocket) are occuring more and more. As a result I'm looking at another ford - maybe a focus tdci (new shape) or mondeo tdci. A bit more power, and diesel because I do a lot of motorway miles.

I'm from the school of thinking that, if you've got enough money to do so, it's cheaper to buy a newer car every couple of years, than to have to pay for repairs on an ageing car.

Extra info: bought from a local dealer when 2 years old for £7000. According to parkers and glass's guide it's now worth 3,800 at the bottom end and 4,500 at the top.