The Focus is comfortable, spacious, and fun to drive. My wife and I were introduced to the Focus in Florida, where we had a Focus SE as a rental car (not too shabby for $29/day). We were so impressed we began pondering a trade in of our 1999 Honda Civic. After thorough research and several test drives, we finally took the plunge--so far with no regrets. (Not to mention this is our first American car purchase.) Being tall people (I'm 6'3", my wife's 5'10"), we appreciate the upright seating. Plus we somehow fit comfortably in the backseat, which seems illogical but is true. The layout of the cockpit makes sense as everything's within easy reach. Even the engine, much maligned in the press, gets the job done, with zip. I would recommend the 2.0 L engine with manual transmission, as the other options just feel sluggish. I guess the best thing about the car is that it doesn't feel like a Ford, but rather a well-conceived German sportster.

None, so far.

We paid $15,100 for a fully loaded ZTS. While we have not had a chance to do much driving yet, as of now we're completely enamored with the car. If Ford continues to improve on this concept--a sporty, elegant slice of heaven for $15,000--it will certainly be a force to reckon with in years to come. I'd highly recommend this car.

Similar Products Used:

We traded in a 1999 Honda Civic for the Focus. We got a good trade in (near blue book), but would have taken less to rid ourselves of the cheapest, most unforgiving seats on the market: those in the Civic. The adjustable seating in the Focus is glorious by comparison, especially for anyone with height. We've also found that the Focus is much peppier and zippier than the Civic, and simply more fun to drive. Plus we can fit four golf bags in the cavernous trunk of the Focus, where the Civic's tiny trunk could only squeeze two or three. Not to mention we got a fully loaded ZTS (leather and all) for the price of a not-so-loaded Civic LX. Our other car is a 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback wagon (which we love), and the ride, comfort, and handling of the Focus is not far off. In fact, the feel is very close for cars with a $10,000 price discrepancy. Finally, having ridden and driven several Volkswagens over the years, I would dare say that the Focus is remarkably similar to the Jetta, if not a bit roomier and, most importantly, infinitely cheaper to maintain.

Cornering, handling and excellent ergonomics. The car drives well and feels very comfortable. The height is excellent. The adjustability of the seats, lumbar support, seat height, steering column (telescopic).

It was not available earlier in my life.

Highly recommended. Paid $15,230 for a car with leather and side-impact bags and CD player + all the fun and power.

Similar Products Used:

Compared to my past cars, even my Jetta GLS 1997, this one is the best.

Very good Handling, Good engine,a Lot of Interior Space

None.

For the price that i paid, this is really a budget.The car is great, Very good handling, the suspention is outstanding, the rear multilink suspention works great, giving extra security in a more sportive driving.
I have a Focus 1.6 Station Wagon, the engine is not like the 2.0 of the american version but with 101 H.P., is more tham enough to go to 200 KM and safely. The interior quality is average,the seats are average too.Very good driving position.The look of Focus is beautiful.
Buy it and you wont be disappointed.

Similar Products Used:

Ford Fiesta 1.25, Nissan Primera 1.6

Feels like a 20$K car. Quiet ride. Fabulous steering . Great suspension. Finish and the design are way better than in any other 14$K car. Ergonomics are great, you can see and feel european design at it's best.
Value....

Engine is just all right ,but when ford will install 170 hp engine(SVT2001?) into focus it will be a lot more responsive.
Shift points in american Focus should be oriented towards style of driving here, not in germany.(we need more kick at the start and a little less of it at 100mph)

Just finished extensive test driving and I'm very very impressed.
Highly recommended.

Similar Products Used:

Hard to find any other car that cheap and that good

This car has very good pickup and is quiet and tight on the road.

For some reason the windshield is cracking in an odd way no signs of stress just cracks from the side and top.We have an appointment to have the dealer look at the windshield on Friday, July 21 they say that they've had no other problems with the Focus windshields.
f

We paid almost $14,000 and yes we would recommend it because it has so many nice features like remote lock etc. It is a good car for the conservative buyer who wants to drive a car that is good on gas and also likes to listen to music during a drive.

Similar Products Used:

Much better than our Colt.

I can't believe this is a budget-minded car. We've had it for 3 months, put 4000+ miles on it, and not one complaint. It's loaded with ABS, airbags every where, cd, etc., and still was more affordable than anything else in it's class. And then there's the way it drives. Stiff, acurate, and the zetec engine is more than enough. Carries the mountain bikes, kayaks, camping equipment wherever we need to go withou the mileage penalty of an SUV. Proud to have one. And my wife loves the Baby-G watch they sent us.

gas mileage could be better

Would definitely recommend this car to anyone who wants to carry a moderate load and still expects decent mileage (if you consider yourselve an environmentalist, how do you deal with 15 mpg?). It's tight, quick, and comfortable.

Similar Products Used:

Saturn, Hyundai, Suzuki

this car is GREAT, it feels better then my vw jetta , lots of torque , my zx3 loves to fly. i love the way you can drive around and get great power without reving it out. you honda owners can't say that can you. all in all i will own this car for a while.

the car can be a little lower

$13,100 is a steal for this car. it feels so much more expensive then that.i recommend buying this car just for the drivablity and economy.
i plan on doing some tuning to this car to make it better. just for me to personalize it.

Similar Products Used:

97 jetta gls, 95 civic, 89 saab turbo,

We can’t say enough great things about this car! We purchased a loaded SE Sony edition in red.

The first thing you notice when you first sit in the car it all the room. I did not have to do the usual small car routine. I am 6’ tall so when I get in a car that appears to be this small I automatically scrunch down in the seat and put the seat all the way back. I had to move the seat up two times! Then I realized I could sit up straight and still had room for a hat. The back seat has three shoulder straps and fits three teens no problem. It’s more like you are sitting up in a comfortable mini van chare rather that a squatty car seat that makes you feel like your butt is about an inch from dragging on the road. I am told that the Focus station wagon is often mistaken for a mini van.

This car is so fun to drive. Corners great (I believe the Sports group has better sway bars or something). The Zteck engine is defiantly a mush have. Much better than the Focus W/O it. The way the front of the car is designed, the hood etc, is almost not visible! No 2-4 feet of hood in the way!

Although you can hear some road noise on unusual road surfaces, it is a fraction of what is herd in all the other cars we have owned and tried. Plus, how often do you drive on that type of road?

If you like music the you will love the limited edition 560 watt Sony Focus (only 7000 made) They are getting hard to find though, we had to drive 140 miles to get ours. So with the Sony edition I don’t think road noise will be a problem on the few unsual roads out there! This Sony system and Xplod speakers, ROCKS!

Well there is not enough room for all the good stuff we have to say.

NONE

$16600 Would we recommend it? YES

Similar Products Used:

Cars in this calss

Excellent handling, great ergonomics, looks great, makes you feel like you spent a whole lot more than you did!

Nothing!!

I bought the ZX3 Hatchback for around $14,000. Yes, I know, more than likely I could have gotten a better deal, but I wanted the car NOW! The Focus really does live up to the hype. It has won too many international awards to list here, but it's safe to say that it deserves them all. The Focus is very "Euro" in looks and handling. Steering is dead on and extremely accurate. The sophisticated suspension system makes severe road imperfections seem smooth, bumps hardly disturb the interior. The dash is stylish and simple, the radio is (quite sensibly)placed above the audio controls. The sound system is excellent, not some bargin bin excuse pulled from the factory. Every detail has been well thought out. The engine on the ZX3 is really peppy and allows to really zip around town. Acceleration is pretty good for an econo car(next year I hear Ford wants to introduce performance oriented Focuses!!). The Focus really has a nice smooth ride for a car in this class, it really shows its colors on the highway. It corners like a demon and its really no slouch. In fact, driving the Focus, you'd swear you had spent twice the money. Oh yes, did I mention it looks SHARP!! The new edge design, while controversial to some, is awesome! I can't believe the stares I get around town (if you buy one get used to this), also, you'll have complete strangers approach you to ask what kind of car it is, very cool!! If you're in the market for a new car, you MUST take a look at the Focus. Budget buyers CANNOT do any better for the money, and even if you can afford that high price luxo model or SUV, check out the Focus, its just as nice (if not better) and the price CAN'T be beat. Ford has a winner on its hand here!!

Similar Products Used:

Dodge Intrepid

Quality is really job # 1 in this vehicle!
The interior components of this vehicle are durable yet great looking
The Focus encompasses safety and sharp looks that beast the competition
The Focus is lager and safer than the Dodge Neon/Mazda Pro/and Saturn Compact

The inside trunk light could be brighter.

The new 2000 Focus encompasses Euro design and Euro quality. The Focus is really something. Many people will try to make the Focus look really bad,but in my opinion there just trying to give it a bad reputation. I recommend anyone to test drive this very nimble and quick vehicle, and you will be impressed. The Focus gives a much smoother and more responsive ride than the competition. The Dodge Neon has a long way to travel to catch up to the Focus.(The Neon is not a safe vehicle;for more info go to http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/small_cars/older_models/neon_old.htm)
The Saturn as well. The interior room in the Focus is huge for its class. The telescoping steering wheel provides for easy and comfortable driving positions.I really like the driver visability. I was extremely impresses by the quality of the interior. I paid close to 16k for mine. I have leather seats and a great sound system.

The Ford Focus has only been out for a couple and months and has already won awards, beating the competition! I recommend anyone in the market for a compact car to take a look at the Focus. Don't let bad reviews keep you from test driving this great car.

******************** * FIVE STARS * ************************

Similar Products Used:

J-S Type