handle corners well,ok sterio,keyless entry

car was built without thermostat,dealer fixed.
smells bad of oil all the time after oil change.
breaks sqeak bad when wet,rear doors creek bad,rods in rear passanger door broke twice, 2 many recalls.

i thought this was going to be a good care in the beginning, however we have only owned it for 10 months and hate it now for all the hassel, today we went and traded it in for a mercury mystique, as we had our oil changed again and had the same reoccurring problem of it stinking bad of oil and the garage says they see nothing wrong with it. we need to get the engine steam cleaned all the time as the smell is unbearable. i would not recommend this care to my worst enemy. also the dealer ship Sam Dell tried to screw us over big time with paper work and fighting managers at the last minute. do yourself a favor and buy another vehicle.

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ford escort,dodge neon

Modern exterior and interior design. Good gas mileage. Good handling. Nice sound system.

Engine is kind of noisy. Things start breaking down after few months.

Make no mistake - this is a very nice car to drive. Handles very well, it is powerful enough for it's weight (I have a manual transmission, for automatic you need more powerful engine) and it is definitely good looking (just compare to 80% of US built cars!). Gas mileage is very good, but still - not as good as it should be. Interior design is simply cool - no squary surfaces or vents!

I moved to US from Europe, where Focus came out one year earlier. I was impressed with how the car was rated over there, how good gas mileage was (European models are BETTER in this than US models - go figure) and I heard from several people that they are good quality cars, no worries if you own one. Ford in Europe has a very good reputation, believe it or not.

So I came over here and bought this thing and was very satisfied at first.

But: I have the car for 11 months now. I had 4 security recalls on it already (better to have them than not to I guess) and I had to take the car to the shop to fix strange noises in front wheels twice already. It just started again few days ago. The car has 7,500 miles!

Exterior black plastic parts on doors started turning white for some reason after few months - were replaced last time in the shop.

AC does a good job dealing with Texas summer, and that's the ultimate test of any AC I think. :)

Because of amount of times that I had to repair something - I really can not recommend this car. For everything else I would, but it is not worth it if you have to worry if something is going to break!

If you are getting it - definitely get some sort of extra insurance or mechanical protection plan that covers a rental if your car is in the shop!! I am glad I did! :(

Its got alot of room, its comfortable, very very cheap for one with all the bells and whisles, and a ok economy car.

Its very SLOW! I raced a Windstar minivan and i could NOT keep up with it! I have a 5 speed too! I found that it does 0-60mph in 9.8 seconds and a quarter mile of 17.1@78mph! Thats VERY BAD! It looks like a yuppy car!

If your looking for an economy car with a little bit of luxury get a Focus but if you want speed do not get a Focus! I would not get a 5 speed because its not worth it too!

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Hyundai, Kia, Daewoo, and Saturn all faster than the Focus.

it's cute, it's roomy for it's size, i love the stereo system

it's been recalled way to much (around 7 times in the last year!) i'm scared to drive it

i was 19 when i got my new car and i loved it. it was a cute color...orange, a cute new car, and it had a cd player and a loud system. what else could a 19 yr old girl ask for? a year later i know what else i could ask for... a car that does't get recalled once every two months, and on top of that having to go back to the dealership to fix the things that i just got fixed in the recall. i'm not exactly sure how many times my car has been recalled. i'll try to count... no less than six times and i just recieved another recall notice in the mail yesterday. i'm scared to drive my car and nervous when i open my mail box.

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None

1. My dealer.
Say what you want about Ford, but my dealer allowed some small engine upgrades and 17" wheels with full warrenty support.

2. Engine
3. Handling
4. Utility and Space
5. Durability
6. Low Mass

1. Initial build
I took my car home and went over it with a full kit of air tools, torque wrenches, rubber cement, electrical tape, dielectric grease etc etc
Wiring was loose and mis-routed, bolts were at improper tension, seals were too loose, plastic pieces rattled incestantly.
Fixed all of them very easily.
2. 5 recalls - my dealer did all 5 in one day.

The Focus ZX3 I own has 3 main selling points

1. Light weight + low friction = great mileage
My car is a 5 speed with no power anything, no AC, and no anti-lock brakes.
Thus configured, and when I drive sedately, my 2450lb car runs exactly what the EPA rating says it should around town. Driving fast = more fuel costs.

2. The Performace
The ZETEC engine is German/British in design and needs to be treated as such. The way I normally drive, 4000rpm and over, is well within the tolerances of the engine IF it is maintained properly. Quality gasoline, high-grade (I use sythentic) oil, and good air, oil and fuel filters will ensure many years of high performance. The suspension is first-rate, especialy the rear 5 link.

3. The Utility
Space, storage, ground glearance, ease of maintenance. A brilliant design.

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Outfitted as mine is with about 145hp and 17" wheels it is the best dollar value out there.
The Mazda Protege is the only real competition in the same price rage.
The focus handles better and is a better car in terms of performance-oriented AND utility in one design concept. The boring mazda I drove was much more refined (too much!), quieter and smoother.

There is a ton of room. European styling, good gas mileage(28 mpg) Good price. Decent power and good handling.

Awkward feeling of sitting so high in a car. Lots of recalls.

Anybody looking for an economical, nice looking, and fun to drive car should look no further. The Focus is better in every category.

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98 Escort. 95 neon. Focus is way better than both of them.

This car is very roomy and very attractive. I bought it used. I haven't had one problem yet with it. It handles great and is fun to drive. For looking so little on the outside there is so much room on the inside. Lots of trunk space and easier to get bigger items into.

Mine don't have cruise or tilt steering.

I love my car and would recommend it to anyone. I have two children so two car seats. There is still room enough for grocies and what not to fit in the back. If you have kids and not a big budget for a suv or van then this car is the way to go. Inexpensive and roomy.

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Dodge Neon

This car is very roomy and very attractive. I bought it used. I haven't had one problem yet with it. It handles great and is fun to drive.

Mine don't have cruise or tilt steering.

I love my car and would recommend it to anyone.

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Dodge Neon

Put 350 miles on it on my trip to Washington state. Drove it a lot.
Strengths:
1-Good Handling-Has a Euro feel to it.
2-Stereo cranks
3-Decent power

1-Loud, thrashy engine. Not as refined as the imports.
2-Seat comfort is so-so
3-Gas mileage wasn't that impressive with the Automatic I had

I found the Focus to be just OK. If I were looking for a car in its class, I would go for a Sentra or a Protege which are both similarly priced, have better overall quality, reliablility and not a million recalls. An overpriced, underpowered Civic or Corolla is solely for those who don't know what's out there and have $$ to throw away.

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Mazda Protege-Better car all around
Daewoo Lanos-Focus has better power, more room

Ride ,handling,economy,power

I have this clunking ,clacking noise that comes from the rear end of the car everytime i make a turn into a driveway or onto another road when the car rolls back and forth not when going straite down the road.(anyone else out there have this problem)Gummy shifting compared to my Jetta

So far a fine little car(Get rid of the madning clunking)and a great little car it would be.I would recomend this car

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Test drove Hondas,Mazdas,Dodge,Saturns and the ZX3 was a head above then all.