Moderately priced Good lines Good dash layout Many dealers to use for price wars

Cramped quarters in back seat Hard to use seatbelt buckles in back seat Headrests create blindspots to the rear Cheap feel to doors/hood/trunk lid Poor record - many recalls

The wife was going between this and a new Mazda Protege as replacement for her 93 Protege with 180,000 miles on it. I seriously doubt she'll get anywhere near those kinds of numbers on the odometer with this Focus, simply because at 44,000 miles, it's already showing signs of falling apart. Everything on the Focus screams 'cheap' from the sound of the thin sheet metal doordoor closing to the fragility of the plastic coverings on the headlights (which have a tendency to crack when struck by pebbles kicked up by highway traffic; a replacement is about $200, plus labour - you can't buy the cover by itself, you have to buy the whole headlamp assembly - good thinking Ford...). The mileage, which was supposed to be 32 highway is actually averaging at 24 highway - more than a 'slight' variance. This makes the small gas tank particularly irksome, as you're filing up every 3 days if you drive 40 miles each way to work. Latest bubble is the trunk latch that stopped working - the dealer wanted $110 for the part plus $300 to replace it because it's a 'really complex repair' - it's not, but it was a good story on their part. Then there are all those recalls having to do with wheels falling off and weak pillars...

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Mazda Protege Ford Escort

Great sound system Handles well Decent Horespower

Stalls Blind Spots Radio stops playing for no reason

Once I hit 65K miles the horror FOCUS stories started. The car now begins to stall for no apparent reason, causing major inconveniences, and when I compare the Focus to my 1996 Ford Escort on Gas Mileage, it doesn't come close. The towing company knows me well! I honestly don't believe the proper maintenance by the dealership is being preformed.

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Ford Escort

sound system, response time

gas mileage a bit off. dealerships are conniving and spiteful.

I had my engine light come on within 3 months of ownership, at around 2k RPMs my engine would start to rumble and seemed to threaten a stall. I took it to the ford dealership and they charged me $100 to fix something that should have been free. Very disappointing. Otherwise, the car does indeed handle well, and there is a good amount of space throughout the interior.

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eagle premire

Gas mileage, handling, driving, acceleration (pulling out into traffic), roominess.

A little bit of road noise.

I have been so pleased with this car. I was used to driving a more "expensive" vehicle and purchased this when mine gave up and I couldn't afford another one like it. One of the things I never thought about was how much a car would cost while I owned it, such as for repairs and parts. This has been such a relief compared to the cost of my previous car. Everyone that rides in it is so surprised at how nice it is. It is a little bit loud, but I usu. have the windows open or the radio on, so... It gets great gas mileage and feels substantial,but still handles well. My friend has one, too and he got into an accident and came out fine. My brother liked mine and bought one for a second car for his teenagers to "share". It is very spacious and roomy for the size and feels like more of a full-size sedan. My husband wanted to go with a bigger car, but now would definitely purchase another and maybe a hatchback this time.

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BMW, Oldsmobile 88

Good on gas mileage

The car seemed to be fine and then the winter hit. The car's rear tires were towed and had to be fixed. One of the front disc brakes cracked and broke under 20,000 km. The front disc brakes squeel - I had a shimmy and vibration at 18,000. I have all season on the car now and need winter tires - Not sure front and back or just front or back. Since this is a leased vehicle I seem to be having a problem getting my head around the major and minor problems associated with the car. And, to make matters worse I have to invest in winter tires.

The car is great to look at and the newer ones are even better. I like the mileage on highways.

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Chrysler - New Yorker - front wheel drive Ford - Tempo - front wheel drive etc. etc.

I like the shape and the dash set up

Everything else.

I thought that the Focus was going to be a great little car. It was my first ford. I have been very disappointed! I have 57k miles and I have gone through two sets of tires, two master cylinders, one front brake job, two blower motors, a front seat, an ignition that froze, a broken alternator bracket, a cylinder head, my radio turns itself off and my headlights are taking on moisture. All this plus recalls on top of it.Gas milage is below what it promised and the dealerships seem incompetent when it comes to repairs. Now I find that my rims are bent all four of them. I do not drive rough, but I do drive often.

Handling Suspension Power Exterior Appearance Turning radious Comfortable seating and roominess Good Extras for the price Fuel Ecomony

Cheap Plasticy Interior Ford Customer Service Faulty front tire (Firestone) had to be replaced at aprox. 20,000 miles

I feel bad for other owners of this vehicle which have had problems. It sounds like the ZTS model isn't worth the money, but for over 2 years now, I have been happy with my car, which is the SE model. Yes, it did have it's fair share of recalls (none of which I actually had a problem with) and my breaks just started to squeek and I will admit, that I ride them pretty hard sometimes. I've had more problems with Ford Service Department and Ford mechanics than I've had with my car. I had a problem with my radio turning itself off a couple of times and the interior button to the trunk works when it feels like it. Other than that I have had no major problems, it gets decent gas milage and has never stalled out or left me stranded (knock on wood!). It also has a lot more power than most new midsize cars I've driven. I even took it out to the sand dunes twice with no problems; it didn't get stuck. I bought this car almost right after they came out and I was nervous buying a car without a reputation , but haven't yet regreted my decision.

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Honda Civic VW Beetle and Jetta

gas mileage, handles well

Stalling out thing is BAD

when the salesman drove the car around the lot I said " no way" . I ended up with the car and have not liked it since i drove it off the lot! It is too small. If a family owned this car car and had three kids and two of them were in car seats there would not be enough space for the third child in the back seat. the first week I had the car I went out to it one morning and the radio was playing...with no keys in the ignition. Same thing happened several months later, I had left the car for several hours with no keys in it and the CD was playing when I returned to the car. This car has stalled out on me once and acts like it wants to ALL the time! I am starting to believe the saying "fix or repair daily".

Fuel economy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I like the car but the fuel economy sucks. I get no where near the advisered fuel mileage. The vechile has been back to the dealership 4 times and I get "There is nothing wrong with the car".

The interior is roomy and the drive is fun. Love the car otherwise

Those brakes and the cheap interior quality. Disheartened to hear that the leather seats in the ZTS model only applies to the front seats and not the back seats. The sales agent made no mention of this to me.

Love the car, except for that annoying squeak in the brakes. My only regret is that I didn't buy the 2003 with heated leather seats, mirrors and Advance trac which I hear is standard on the ZTS model.