They're an inexpensive rental.

Where to begin? Interior materials are cheap, ergonomics are terrible, road and wind noise at highway speeds are deafening (so it's a good thing the stereo's pretty good), engine is slow to respond, mileage is poor for such an underpowered car, handling is uninspired and front-end torque-steer is downright unpleasant, slushbox transmission is unpredictable, seats are small and uncomfortable, doors and trunk are light and tinny and the whole package screams "I am a cheap car with no redeeming values!" I can't believe that Ford claims that the European version of this car was so popular in countries that enjoy relatively inexpensive offerings from Germany. I smell a little PR exaggeration on Ford's part (gee, what a surprise.)

I just spent a week driving a Focus SE all over south Florida. If you even remotely enjoy the pleasure of driving, do not buy this car. You will be sorely disappointed. After returning from my trip, my 2001 Jetta GLS 1.8T felt like a Mercedes E-Class compared to Ford's little econobox. If all you want is an inexpensive commuter with no regard for anything but cost, maybe the base model Focus is a fair choice. However, adding any options such as engine upgrades or "sport packages" seems to me to be an awful waste of money because the platform is simply too limited by the designers' efforts to engineer a cheap car that appeals to a broad market of consumers who are concerned only with purchase price. Focus IS the weakest link. Goodbye.

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2001 Nissan Sentra SE - for the same amount of money you'll get an infinitely better car.
2001 VW Jetta - Spend a few thousand more on a Jetta GLS 1.8T or Wolfsburg and you'll get one of the best compact sedans currently available at any price.

I like this car. I got it to replace a 1978 Pontiac. So the fuel efficiency although not as good as it should be, is way better than the 8-10 mpg i got in my pontiac. The styling is nice. The handling is great. (Awesome in the snow!) The stereo is NICE. The trunk is good! It ran stable at 115mph (hehe!)

3 recalls so far. Problem with AC, but i have a warranty for the next year from the dealer we bought it from so...its all good for now. Slow acceleration (I am 16 cmon!) I might have to get a super charger or something like that to improve this issue. My engine whistles after a while of running...dunno what that is...sounds like i have some special air intake system lol.

It makes a good car for me being 16 years old. Its a great replacement for my beast pontiac. Fuel efficiency is better than my pontiac so... Umm... i can carry a lot of friends around which is cool. Umm...yeah its a good car I like it. Get one used like i did, only 10000 (thanks to my dads wonderful bargaining tactics) Get one used and youre covered. I am going to have to do something to help improve performance.... probably a turbo or a super charger, maybe like some sort of computer controlled performance chip like a Vtec or something i dunno. Oh yeah and new rims!

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Umm i have used a 2001 PT Cruiser. The cruiser has a 2.2L engine but a ton more power and comparable handling. But the cruiser is my dads, this car is mine and it cost 10K whereas his was almost 20K so...gee... go figure. Other than that, i have used a 1978 Pontiac. The only things i liked better on the pontiac was the power (5.0L V8!) Rear wheel drive (good for peel outs and racing) and the tachometer, oh and i can actually work on the pontiac whereas this car i cannot! 5.0L vs 2.0L well... i dunno...

Great handling
Peppy Zetec
Great view from the inside

Excessive wind noise
Poor workmanship
Fit and finish

Here we go:
1. The hood and trunk had to be aligned as they had to be slammed to close.
Still not fixed event after 3 dealer visits.
2. Another 2 visits to the dealer for recalls.
3. RUST, imagine that. Take a look at the under side at the top corner of where the
number plate sits. The paint did not seat properly and subsequently wanter has proliferated and
rust has occured.
As well on the trunk seam, the paint has cracked and is not rusting.
4. ABS is very noisy but works in snow.
5. Excessive wind noise/buffeting on the driver side A-pillar, suspect the hood mis-alignment
to be the cause.
6. LOOK at this. Take a look at the piece of plastic under the rocker cover ahead of the
rear wheels. This is susceptible to break (mine has) and is vibrating >80km/h, I fixed
it with crazy glue.
7. Exterior moulding fell off.
8. Noisy rear suspension over undualtions, rubbed some oil on the bushings, fine now.
9. POOR gas mileage.
10. Brake squeals, suspect metallic pads, will change to semi or organic.
11. LOOK at this. Lift the carpet in the trunk and look for a water puddle.
This is coming from a missing sound deadner that is supposed to cover an access hole
that is missing.
Found some tar based sound deadner from a Lincoln and no more leaks, quieter too.

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VW Jetta, much better build and quality
despite less powerful engine.

For the price paid on the 2000 Focus SE Sport (2.0L, cruise, air, CD, Manual) - $19500 CAD - the entire package is great. The handling, stereo, looks, and interior space are the most outstanding qualitites.

There are very few complaints from me. The gas milage is definately a bit questionable (from the sticker numbers) but not horrible. The only thing that really gets me is the seatbelt buzzer that goes off even if the car is idling and no-one is in it.

I have owned my Focus now for 14 months and have driven it 25000 miles in all conditions. I have been very happy with all aspects of the car - I got what I paid for. This is not a sports car or a luxery sedan - but an inexpensive low/mid range car. Yes there have been a couple of recalls and the sevice I recieved has been excellent. Poor service (as others have noted) should not be reflected on the quality of the car but on the dealership itself. I would highly recommend this car for its overall qualities and price with very little down side.

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You name it I have tried it - civic, VW's, taurus, all minivans, contour, sunfire, grand am, neon, etc, etc. Put the sticker price and the options side by side and there is little to compare. You are not buying a BMW so dont expect it, but for anything in this range it gives you much more for your money.

The strengths of this car outweigh any weakness. Its looks, its performance, and its price was outstanding. I love the Z-tec engine, and mated with a standard transmission, gives it the punch it needs. lots of head room (I am six foot, seven), and even more leg room. the tilt/telescopic steering package is a must for any taller customer, makes the ergonomics that much more comfortable

I have no problem with gas milage, unless I stomp on the pedal. then I dont mind paying a little more for some excitement, hell its still cheaper than disneyland. I applaud ford for its record with recalls, safety is a huge issue and for ford to confess to this and to repair the faults is far better than the alternative to being kept in the dark and finding out later with undesirable concequences.

The dealer that helped me into this car was incredible, so far no recalls for me, and I was treated better at ford than I was at toyota (I wanted a new 2001 echo, and they were convinced that they would sell me a used demo 2000 that was idle on thier lot).
I love the gold with black in the hatch back. I know the echo is a different class, but I enjoy the focus much more. I find it comfortable on the highway, in town, on long or short trips. I know there are small issues with it, but when you compare apples to apples, and not the focus to Imprezas, Hondas, Nissans, or other higher end vehicles, the focus wins hands down for its economy.

Drive safely, and always wear your seatbelt...unless you like having yourself ejected through the windshield.. :)

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I test drove the Echo, gas milage is down, but for only two thousand more, we recieved more standard options, and I feel a more superior car.
I feel the people who should buy this car are singles, or couples with minimum children. it is a bit cramped in the back, but I dont have to sit there do I?

People who should not buy this car, those who purchasing a subcompact looking for superhuman performance and are willing to compare the vehicle to BMW's, or other high end autos.

Sony edition came fully loaded, leather, cruise, pwr everything etc... Nicely well put interior. No rattles, squeaks or any other problems I hear people talk about.

European looking front end is a little much for your average Joe.
Two recalls on mine. But were taken care of by dealer in two hrs.

Ive been very please with my Focus. I hear people say they have so many problems and I laugh that they got a lemon. Mine does not have any rattles, squeaks or anything like that. Road noise is quiet. Rides smooth over bumps. Ive driven long trips with it and very impressed on how it drives through hills. Put the cruise on 75mph and RPMs remain the same even up steep hills. I test drove some other models LX(not even the same car), ZTS(similar feel) But it seems they put more attention and quality into the limtd edition. Even the leather interior seems upscaled a bit. I recommend this car to anyone. And if it had a V6, everyone would be all over it.

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95 honda civic- very similar as far as performance goes. Interior of Focus is a little more sporty and original.

Sharp handling, Tight Responsive steering, sporty suspension set-up with almost no body roll! Good build quality. No plastic scuttle in dash etc etc.

Spongy brakes
how come there is no Xenon HID headlamp option?????

Hi guys, I am in the UK and i think the UK spec car may be different from the US spec ones. One thing you'll immediately notice is the price at the US equivalent of US$20K!!!

The Zetec model in the UK basically means that the standard car comes 'sporty' already with ford blade alloys, sports suspension setting, racing style dials,grey plastic aluminium dash, semi-bucket seats etc. The base spec car comes pretty void of extras in the UK so i ordered the following fitted: 4th Gen ABS, Spark Traction Control, Rear Drum brakes factory replaced with disc brakes, Air-Condition + climate controls, side airbags, Ford 6000 CD/radio, QuikClear windscreen, Metallic paint at US$350 extra!....yeah it's expensive here. [But i still think it's cheap, i actually originate from singapore and with 150% tax there on cars a 1.6L Focus ia about US$60K+++!!!!!!!!!!!].

The 2.0 SPI engine is not avaliable in the UK and all models come with a Zetec 16V (in 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0). Auto gearbox is only avaliable for the 1.6L engine.

I have owned the car for 3 mths now and i am quite impressed by it performance and it's build quality. The european hi-spec models (termed 'Zetec' in the UK) come built from the factory in Germany. The engines come from Dagenham in the UK and are bench run-in before being shipped to Germany to be fitted....well, cant complain about the German build quality.....think BMW, AUDI, Merc etc. There have been no recalls yet here for the 2000 car. Just stumbled across this site and decided to have a read. Sounds like there are a lot of disaster stories about horror build quality of some of te ZX3s out there. Maybe Ford should address the differences in build quality from factories around the world......or maybe i havent encountered a disaster yet with my new purchase (fingers crossed!)

Fuel consumption has been verified by monitoring the fuel costs/volume and miles travelled (computed by MS excel spreadsheet). I will report the figues in L/100km as the UK Gallon is different from the US Gallon. For urban travel my worst return is 14.8 L/100KM. For Highway my best return is 7.7 L/100KM. After a lot of driving around, i have found out that optimum highway levels are obtained when you drive in 5th Gear O/D at RPMs of approx 3000-3200RPM. If you push the revs to 4000RPM i returned a value of 9.4L/100KM. These values were calculated by driving distances of >300miles. Maybe the high MPG vales by other owners are for the SPI engine? These are actual values for the 16V Zetec.
PS: Petrol is a rip-off in the UK at ~US$1.25/Liter Phuck! or what? 73% goes to the taxman.....yeah i wish i were driving in the US sometimes.

I have tested the chassis by trashing the car in the country lanes and hail yeah...it is stiff!!! the handling is superbly responsive and sharp at 70mph on a wet mountain road. Tire pressues optimum before test (yeah some of you will say i am crazy - my brother said so too and asked me never to do it again. I wont!)

At speeds of 120 MPH (illegally and on a quiet large open motorway - dont try this at home!), i find no vibration or any mechanical scuttle. The car is more stable and not so 'light steering' compared to some japanese cars i have driven at the same speed (hondas & toyota saloons).

ABS kicks in when needed, the interruption is 12 times/second. Tested this out by skidding on some wet tram rails (at 4am in the morning when there's no traffic). The traction control is by spark interruption in the 1.8 & 2.0 models (in 1.4 & 1.6 TC is by brake gripping - brake TC system). There is an option to turn the TC off with a switch next to the handbrake. Only complaint i have about the TC is that it cuts out too much power from the engine and you tend to lose a lot of power in the corner. OK OK.....maybe i am being too harsh here, this is TC for safety not for racing or kerb racing. TC seemes to cut out more power when turning a low speed corner from standstill at junction compared to speeds at >50km/h.

Only complaint i have about the car is the mushy brakes. I am thinking of putting in a Goodridge braided kit to see what happens. Also sometimes i find that if the MTX-75 gearbox is cold, when travelling at high speed and i shift down thru the gears there is difficulty in going from 2nd into 1st gear. This problem however goes away once the engine (and presumably gearbox too) have reached the optimum running temperature.

Have put 4000Miles on the ODO. Had a 1st oilchage at 1500Miles after the intial run-in of the car. Electrics are working fine and like a dream. SO far no problems.....i will post another comment should i run into one in the future.

I am waiting for the SVT (170BHP) version to be released in the UK (end 2001) and would like to lay my hands on the 4WD RS 310+HP version when it gets released in 2003. Cosworth is back!

Happy running guys,

laters

JM Wong
Focus 1.8 Zetec 5Door hatch
All UK options fitted except leather interior.
*Zetec trim in the UK does not come in sunroof option unfortunately.

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1996 Audi A3 1.8 - handling is much sharper than the Audi
2000 Honda Accord 2.0 - nice luxury ride, cant compare.different class of car

very inexpensive, confortable despite its small size. good head room, good handling. good stereo system, but i did some work to it.

gas milage could be better, recalls were not very pleasent. I was stuck with a rental for nearly a week. very noisy at high speeds.
I have a 5 speed manual transmission and it makes a grinding sound on low rpm's. ive taken it to the dealer but they just gave me round around. It hasnt broken yet but i wouldnt be surprised.
carpet gets wet when it rains, air conditioning smells bad,

here we go:
as i mentioned before it has that noise in the transmission. The car only has 27,000 miles and im starting to hear clicking noises everytime i turn to the crigh. to me, indications of faulty cv-joints. Ive had water acumulate in my car by going over a puddle. there is some kind of black caulk coming apart from the brake light on the back. very noisy car at high speed, thats where the work to the radio had to be done. my clutch slips if i rive it too much at acceleration.the car has gone back for the 3 times for recalls, another for the water which was never fixed and for the grinding in the trans. I gave up on the last one. just was given the run around.this car has given me a great deal of problems and it has been the worst thing i could have bought.

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hyundai elantra 2000. much quiter and better ride. I didnt buy it because of the bad reputation that it had. I dearly regret it. My freind has had one for almost as much as i have. not a single visit to the dealer. Ive had over 5.

Pleasant to drive

Poorly built, not worth all the trips to take it to be fixed.

I have had 4 problems with it in two months, I have spent hours and hours at dealer waiting for car to be fixed. Slow service (they said it would be ready by 5pm, it was ready at 5pm-five days later). Just a nightmare!

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My 94 grand am has had less trouble in 40,000 miles than this one has had in 7,000!

Very roomy, nice sporty bred color, a/c a plus!!!!

nothing yet

Overall this car was perfect once I placed my KMC Rimes on it along with tinting the windows, adding a hood bra, adding an alarm, and most inportant my stereo!!!!!!
Its the BOMB!!!!!

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95 Honda Civic DX
not as fast, not as sporty, I liked my honda better.
My next new car will be a HONDA!!!!!!!!