The sony Limited edition focus has a kick A** sound system, it has great handling, very roomy confortable leather seats

MORE POWER !!! i have the ztec engine put still needs more, the brakes squeek alot ( very annoying )

I would recomend this car to anyone, lots of band for the buck

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this is my first compact last car was a cadillac

Roomy for a small car, although it's FAR from the Crown Vic that I traded. Good pick-up for a 2.0L. A V6 would be nice though. Sound system, although very expensive for what you get, is excellent. Single 10" sub, amp and upgraded speakers. Great bass hits. And i like the special edition color (Platinum)

#1 is the gas mileage. Not near what the sticker quoted. Also the gas tank is far too small, about 250 miles to a tank full is not enough. Another problem is the interior. It attracts WAY too much lint and has a heck of a static electric problem when you get out. If I had a pacemaker I probably would be dead by now. : )
The third and biggest problem is with the dealer. The few problems/recalls that I have had to deal with have taken way too much time to fix. My service advisor schedules 20-25 cars per day and only has 4 mechanics to do this. He says that Ford dictates this. I think this is a line of bull. If I ever bought another Focus (or any other car) I WOULDN'T buy it from here.

Great car if it had a little more power, better gas mileage, and a dealer that stands behind their product and could service it promptly. (I bouthg 6 different cars over the years from this dealer (Seminole Ford) BEFORE they were bought by Auto Nation. I NEVER had the problem before now.

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Excorts, Toyotas

It looks cool, kinda strange and bug like. Has that nice tight Honda handling I like. Infared paint is sweet.

Steering position took a bit of getting used to, now I don't notice it, probably going from a truck to a car thing.

I still have dreams about my 89 CRX and firmly believe that my love for it influenced my Focus purchase. So far the only problem with the focus is it's Crappy FIRESTONE FIREHAWK GTA's, 2000 miles and I have to replace one. Firestone said I had road hazard damage, screw you, buy a new tire. One day I will replace the with Pirelli P7000s and never look back. Out side of that its a great car, It will look much better with a roof rack and muddy mountain bike I am sure. Get the manual sunroof. Definitly.

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89 Honda CRX si, 96 Ford Probe GT, 86 Ford Club Wagon.
Looks and handles like the CRX, has nothing in common with Probe or Van.

Lots of room for front seat passengers. Lots of cargo space even with out the rear seat folded down. Solid feeling car with great handling. The strong torque gives great acceleration above 2500 RPMs. Stock audio system is good. A light in the hatch is also nice. Interior light dims off and is much easier on the eyes.

Engine doesn't feel as strong below 2500 RPMs.
Back seats are just oversized child seats (no problem for me, but 5 seater should be taken loosely for those wanting to drive 5 adults).

This is a great car and a really great car for the money. It has the soul of a sportscar with the manners of a daily driver. This is my first new car and I love it. I've experienced the same gas milage disparities that others mention as the best I've seen is 27 on the highway. However, my friend has a 2000 Focus Wagon and he said that it gets better at about 5000 miles when the engine is broken in. Also, this car begs to be driven hard. The torque and power mentioned above makes it seem as the car is begging to be driven at about 3000 RPMs or higher. This surely kills the gas milage but its a small price to pay for a still economical and very sporty solidly built vehicle. This car is a homerun.

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Test drove Toyota Corolla and the Focus felt more solid and stronger.

I really like this car. Very roomy, comfortable seats, large trunk. This is the first winter I've owned this car, it handles very well to the snow, sticks to the road like glue. Got a lot for the $$, power locks, alloy wheels, 15" tires & A/C, only option I added was a CD player. It seems more solid than a Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic. The dealership I bought it from Jim Keim Ford, has an excellent staff, I would recommend anyone in the Central Ohio area interested in a Ford to check them out.

The power locks just started to lock by themselves, called the dealer and they said that it's a common problem, they told me I could get them re-programmed.

I recommend this car for the room, value. You get a lot for your money.

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VW Golf, VW Jetta, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla

Interior Design / Looks
Options / Features for a good price
Yellow!
Nice handling / performance for an econobox

Unforunately quality is more than skin deep. I'm 34 and have owned many Japanese vehicles. Now I remember why. Although I've only put 5K miles on my ZX-3, it's been recalled 3 times and it was just in the shop for a significant power steering leak issue. Maybe I'm spoiled but this is unaccetpable, especially, coupled with a skinny 3 year / 36K warranty. I will say that dealer service has been excellent although its never a good sign when you begin to know the service folks on a first name basis.

Nice package and a good price point; however, reliability issues sway me to an overall negative view.

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Nissan Pulsar, Mazda Miata, Honda Civic, Honda CRX, Mitsbishi Montero Sport - As stated above, the ZX-3 packs a lot of features for a good price but I find myself questioning its short and long term reliability.

Its quick,fast, way better than any civic,looks,people comment on it,sound system,options to customize it,sporty,cool, good view,fun to race people,nice interior,the tail lights are cool, ect.....

the recalls. that is it...

I race my blue ZX3 on the highway here in St.Louis and I always drop the civic. What a good and quick car I have here. I love it.. I just put a pair of subwoofers in the trunk and it rules. In this magazine have it says that ford is coming out with 200hp turbo charged V6 and a 170hp turbo charged 4-cylinder engine. That is great.!!!

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dodge avenger,honda civic=way too slow and sucks,it is for the Japenese. FOCUS IS WAY BETTER.

I love the looks, the roominess. I originally wanted a Jetta but the Focus was more in my budget which was great because it looks kind of like a Jetta. I also learned that it was designed by the same guy who designed the Jetta so that was a plus.

I am really disappointed because this is the first "new" car that I've ever bought. I did my research before buying it and all I found were good things about it in reviews. So I was a bit disappointed that after about a week into the new car I heard a ear piercing screech every time I applied the brakes. The noise is like that sound you hear when Tv stations are doing their emergency tests. I've taken the car in to repair that noise twice already and I drove off in bliss not hearing the noise until later in the day the old reliable, annoying squeak was back to haunt me. Another thing that just happened was my dad was at the gas station filling it up when he literally brushed the open gas door and it caught on his shirt when the gas door fell off. I witnessed the incident and couldn't believe how cheaply the door was made. The hinge is made of cheap plastic. When I brought in the car to repair the gas door with the warranty, I of course had to experience weaseling. The advisor compared it to vandalism saying, " If someone came up to my car with a hammer and started smashing my window, I wouldn't expect it to be covered by the warranty." Yeah I agree but what does that have to do with my problem??? Eventually he gave in (I'm still waiting for my mail notice telling me that the part has come in.) When I mentioned the plastic hinge, he stated, " It's an economy car." I've previously leased a Honda Civic ( a far more economical car) and the hinge was metal and I do not have any complaints about it. Another complaint is the gas mileage. I don't think it quite goes along with the MPG that was posted when I bought it. And lastly the car takes a long time to accelerate. Needs more power even though I have the Zetec engine.

I know that this review is a bit negative but I really wish I was aware of these things before I bought the car...I hope that this info helps in making a decision whether you'd like to purchase this car. I thought maybe the brake noise had something to do with maybe me just getting the lemon of the bunch, but I've seen two other complaints on the site about it. But then again there's tons more that rave about the car, so I don't know if its a common issue.

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VW Jetta, Passat, Honda Civic. I've also seen some new Lexus's that look alot like the Focus. I've only driven the Honda Civic and I'd have to say I like the looks of the Focus better but as far as the reliability and economics I would definately recommend the Honda. I had no complaints about it. Plus the new Civics look alot better than the 97 that I had.

Looks, handling, price, Designed in Europe. America has a bad reputation with compact cars.

fuel gauge, when the light comes on I still have 3 more gallons to go.

Originally my wifes' car, I was quite suprised by this little sucker. I was never a big Ford fan, especially the small cars, but we gave this one a try because it has been designed and tested in Europe. They did not change a thing between the car in the States and the one in Europe. This car is excellent for the price. Excellent handling and looks. The car came with the 16" rims with low profile tires which helps in the handling. The dash has a European flare to it. I quess since this car was originally designed in Europe that would make sense, it would also explain the excellent handling and zippy motor. For a 4-Cylinder it has good pickup. The fuel gauge would be my only complaint because when the light comes on I still have 3 gallons left and it makes the car seem like it is getting bad gas mileage. The gas mileage ranges between 22 and 25 miles a gallon sure beats the 12 mpg I was getting from my truck.

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First compact car, all others were V8's

I like every thing about the car, the acceleration, the looks, and the inside, the seats, its really tight! this is my first car, so im hopping i chose the right car, from what i have read every one likes the car. and when i drive it to my high school, i got looks cuz of how nice it looks!

the only weaknesse that i have noticed, is a squiking when i brake, im not sure if its just dusty, or its cuz its new, but we are going to have that checked out, np! and the thing that turns the mirrors on the drivers side and passengers side are kinda cheap!! didnt like that!

i would recommend this car, to young people not just old people! (everyone)

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