Ford Focus Sedan

bigcompact · October 2001

I have a 2001 SE with Sport Package. And I love it. Now true, my last car was a stripped down POS ('91 Escort), but that car, which is reputed to be unreliable, gave me 162,000 near-trouble-free miles!!!

So far 2400 miles on my Focus in exactly one month of ownnership. Not one single problem.

Oh, and BTW, most of the complaints from Focus owners are from 2000 owners or owners of the 110 hp SPI engine.

seminole_kev · October 2001

and I've been happy with mine. Just wish the 5-door (ZX5) hatch had been available at the time I was looking. 21,000 miles and going great. Fun car to drive.

newdriver2 · October 2001

I got a 2001 focus SE with ABS on it. The brake works fine so far but I notice some 'spring squeal sound' come from the brake panel when I apply the brake slowly. Does anyone have the same problem?

hanumang · October 2001

Do I like my Focus? No - I love it.

Would I buy another? Absolutely.

As far as reliability concerns, it is - at least partially - an issue of those who are unhappy posting more. But anyone can get a lemon.

I've had my Sony Edition since March 2000 (and almost 16,000 miles) and I haven't had any problems with it. And I'm always tinkering with it.

peace

randyrhodes · October 2001

I love my Focus. I'm 6'2 and am very comfortable in my ride. A big change from the '98 Escort. Because of my back injury, I have my seat cranked almost all the way up and still have extra head room.

I get the oil changed at my Ford dealer with
5w-20.

moparbad · October 2001

113HP and 0-60 in 10.8 seconds. These are the performance numbers for the TDCi Focus. The new 1.8-liter Ford Duratorq Turbo Diesel Common-rail injection (TDCi) is the Focus that I want in North America. It is offered in Europe and if I could get it in the US I would buy two of them. No it would not satisfy those who want SVT type performance, but it would make me happy.
Anyone else want a car that has abundant torque at low RPM and gets 44MPG?

iusecad · October 2001

ehaase · October 2001

Our government will have to revise emission control standards before we can get the turbodiesel Focus here. Even with sulfur free diesel fuel coming in 2006, diesels can not meet the upcoming tighter emission control standards. Write your congressman if you want this changed. We need more diesels in this country.

kcdan65 · October 2001

This is in direct response to the success that Hyundai and Kia is having and to help with perceived quality issues, this with the lower rates should help with Focus sales. This is from Edmunds news section.

rosteve · October 2001

I love my 2001 ZTS, but I'm really curious about the gas tank - I know the specs say it has a 13 gallon tank, but the gas light seems to come on early (makes me nervous). Has anyone has experience with driving 'till empty and can validate Ford's specs, or can anyone tell me when the gas lighe is supposed to come on?
Thanks

frosty_00 · October 2001

rosteve Oct 14, 2001 6:07am

I have a 2000 SE Sedan. I think the book says it has a 12.7 gallon tank. I've never tested it and I hope to never find out. The light on mine comes on right at 10 gallons. I've never put more than 11 in it.

frosty_00 · October 2001

bigcompact Sep 21, 2001 6:57am

I have a 2000 SE sedan. As I reported here a couple of weeks ago, I replaced the front brake pads with some from the local AutoZone. The brand name on them is Albany.

I can report that they have significantly reduced the amount of brake dust that accumulates on the front wheels. I replaced them to try to reduce the amount of rotor wear that was accumulating. I estimate that the rotors had worn about 1mm in 8000 miles. I, of course, can't tell if the rotor wear has been reduced since I didn't actually measure the thickness, but the surface of the rotors appear to be a little glossier now. (They look more like those on my other cars.)

For the down side: The pedal pressure required to achieve the same deceleration has increased indicating that friction on the front pads is now lower that the originals. I was concerned that reducing the friction on the front pads would cause the braking to be biased too much to the rear, but I have tried hard braking a couple of times without any indication of rear lockup.

So... I'm satisfied to date.

widow1 · October 2001

have a 2001 Focus SE Street Edition with 16" alloy wheels
in Malibu Blue/Dark Charcoal. This was my first car purchase
since my husband's death. I bought this rare Street Edition
with all the bells and whistles (Street Edition Feature Car
Package, SE Sport Package, and SE Comfort Package). At 80
years of age, I do little driving but to shop, go to church,
etc. I've only put a 1000 miles on it since I bought it last
May. I love the car, but have to admit to being a total novice
to the automobile world. Recently, a friend told me that the
Focus was a car suffering from many mechanical difficulties
and subject to numerous part recalls. He referred me to the
Edmunds Town Hall Forum discussion on the Focus. Over a
several day period I read my way, very painfully, through the
over 500 posts and was truly appalled at the problems that
have arisen with the Focus. I want to thank Edmunds and all
the contributors for providing a forum where a consumer can
get some straight talk from Focus owners about the car's
reliability. If I'd only known about Edmunds before I bought
this car! At my age I don't need the worry and anxiety this
car seems to be able to produce in Town Hall participants.
Its up for sale now and I'm going after a more reliable Japanese car. Thanks again
Edmunds and Focus contributors for alerting car novices like
me to potential dangers, difficulties, and headaches that
could arise from Focus ownership. Keep up the good work
on behalf of the consumer, guys. My eyes have been opened
!

bluebomber98 · October 2001

After searching and searching these past two years trying to decide on a new(er) car, The Bomber is finally replacing his old 91 Lumina with a 2000 Focus ZTS 4 door sedan. Light Metallic Blue, Zetec motor, all Canadian options except leather. I have been searching cars for over two years. I found this in Winnipeg with 34,0000 kilometers for $15,950 Canadian, that is $10,200US, from McPhillips Ford/Lincoln including a free remote start. I took the money I saved and bought exteneded warranty to 2006 or 150,000K ( I commute 2 hours a day) and all the "coatings" (rust, undercoat,shine and upholstery) and with PST and GST still went "our the door" for under $21,000 CDN or 13,400 US. I am 230lbs. and tall and the Focus seats and access fit me beautifully. I have a bad back from my football days and I like being able to raise the seat high to get my legs at a right angle and still be able to get in the car.. I tend to get stuffy in a car and the Focus has the usual Ford high volume air and heat that I really enjoy. I had been testing Accords, Camry's and Tauruses. My other car that I am keeping is a '95 Sable. I found the new Taurus too boat like and found the visibility much more restricted than my '95 Sable. With the price I paid and the extended warranty this car is a steal AND its fun to drive.With the money I saved from the price of other cars I had been considering I can afford a few problems, BUT I have 5 friends who have Foci and none of them have had problems. I'll keep the board posted on my progress. Does anyone have any recommendations for Fog Lights or any other upgrades?

tomcat630 · October 2001

I wouldn't worry too much about a 2001 Focus. It is under warranty and the 2001's have had few if any recalls. Why lose money trying to sell it? Wait unitl the warranty is up if you still feel uncomfortable drving it.

This place is not the "be all, end all" of car research. Some of the posts are duplicates. Others, are some who expected 0 defects and when one came up the car was suddenly "a piece of junk".

randyt2 · October 2001

may be bogus. It wouldn't be below the ethics of a couple posters that I know, to make a bogus post.

fdthird · October 2001

"all the bells and whistles"...hmmmm

randyt2 · October 2001

Exactly. I don't have the time to lookup the specifics of the Street Edition (is automatic available), but why would a 80 yr old widow choose that among all trims. Why would she then tout not all non-domestic makes but only Japanese makes?

tboner1965 · October 2001

That's the deal with lifetime pads. They are very hard so they will last a long time.

The trade off is they don't stop the car as well, as you have discovered.

FWIW, for me I'd rather use some premium pads that dust up a bit and have the extra safety cushion.

I'm using some KVR carbon/metallics on my Buick and had a set on one of my Contours as well. They don't produce much dust, have good friction capabilities, and are very fade resistant.

You could check www.spmotorsports.com to see if they have an application for the Focus.

TB

widow1 · October 2001

Yes, boys and Pat the host I am just what I said I am. They do make the Street Edition in an automatic...you need not look it up randyt2. Why would I buy that type of Focus...because I'm in good health, young for my age, and enjoy the driving experience though I don't drive that much anymore...and because they had the car in stock, pushed the car at $800 under invoice with a low APR of 2.9% for 36 months...it was only in effect for a limited time period so I took the plunge...and I loved the color Malibu Blue. And why would I laud Japanese cars, randyt2...very simple that's what I was driving previously so I know firsthand their reliability...Gee,fdthird, do you think the phrase "bells and whistles" is beyond an 80 year old woman's vocabulary...I discovered the phrase reading the Edmund's forum so I used the lingo. So, Pat, you're very wrong. My tongues not planted in my cheek, but laying flat in my mouth. I took your suggestion and placed my ad through Edmunds...with Autotrader.com...just a basic free listing not their $63 ripoff.

randyt2 · October 2001

Sorry, but I am still suspicious. Just you're style of writing seems a little off from the handful of folk that I know that are 70+. But where did you get the invoice infomation if you didn't get it from Edmunds, I presume since you only now discovered this forum. And who is that person who referred you to here? What is your zip code?

If you're really who you say you are then I apologize.

BTW, does anyone know whether since the 2002's have a 5yr/100k mile warranty, is the cost discounted now for an extended warranty for an existing 2001.

widow1 · October 2001

No need to apologize...no offense was meant and none taken. I was looking around on car dealers websites in the Sarasota area where I reside and when I came to the Matthews-Currie Ford website (Nokomis, Florida) I noticed that they were advertising the 2001 Focus at $800 under invoice with special low APR financing of 2.9% for 36 months. This was an incentive that was in place in May of this year. I called them on the phone and verified their website info, drove down to the dealer, saw the Focus in the Malibu Blue color and loved it. I wanted that color and it was on the 2001 Street Edition SE model in an automatic with 16" alloy wheels. For all I knew I thought it would be just as reliable as my last car, a Honda Accord, until a friend of my son's said I should check out what other Focus owners said about the car on the Edmunds Town Hall forum...that there had been lots of problems with it...so I did. My zip is 34243.

pat · October 2001

I'm glad you followed up on that Used Power Shopper suggestion.

The tongue in cheek comment was in no way directed towards you, by the way.

We're glad to have you participating in this discussion. Will you be joining other discussions centered on any of the vehicles with which you may be interested in replacing your Focus?

Anyway, let me offer a belated welcome to Town Hall!

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

fdthird · October 2001

Sorry to hear that you are cutting and running...my son's 2001 SE Sport has about 5,000 trouble free miles on it and he loves it! I think that (1)most of the problems we read about are on 2000 MY Focus, (2)the number of people who we read complaints from are a very small percentage of the Focus' owners...Ford sold a couple of hundred thousand 2000 Focus, and (3)a whole lot of the complaints stem from bad dealers not bad cars.

I will say that my 85 year old Mom does drive a 2000 Toyota Camry and although the dealer is a real bum, she loves the car but I think my son's Focus has a better looking and working interior.

What ever you drive, good luck!

FDIII

tiredofmanual · October 2001

The problems that you have heard about deal with the 2000 Focus. Go to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (www.nhtsa.gov) and you will see that there are only 3 recalls for the 2001 Focus - one that deal with the rear seat in the Hatchback (doesn't apply to you), one that deals with the seat recliner handle (does apply to you), and one that deals with all Ford vehicles in what looks like the last couple of years dealing with a switch on the wiper motor. Just for comparison purposes, there have been 2 recalls for the 2001 Honda Civic, both dealing with the fuel system (potential fire hazard!). The fact is that no car is perfect. And your Focus is a very well made car. And you say you enjoy driving? Well, my Focus is a lot more fun than the Civic and Corolla that I used to drive. It feels much more solid, and I feel so much more in control of the car than with those two, especially at highway speeds.

The majority of the posts that you see on the Edmunds boards are from people who are unhappy with their cars, many of whom expect nothing less than perfection from a man-made machine (it is just not possible). Read some posts from Lexus and Acura owners - some of the stuff is downright rediculous! You really need to consider a few things: Happy owners rarely come on to Edmunds boards to share their wonderful experiences and many people are very unreasonable and exaggerate in the hopes of finding sympathy from others. If you would like to see some people who are very happy with their Focus, check out TeamFocalJet, a website devoted to the Focus.

Another thing - with the 0% financing being offered on the Focus right now, you will have a very tough time selling your car unless you want to take a $5,000+ loss. That kind of money can pay for a lot of repairs!

widow1 · October 2001

Thanks for the reassurrance on my Street Edition Focus. I did notice that the 2000 model was more trouble plagued than the 2001 while I spent several days reviewing the Edmunds forum on the car. I'm sure with a common American economy car that they have, as you point out, produced a high volume... many of which may have escaped truly serious problems. I did notice many complaints about dealer reaction and lack of support when problems arose. Reviewing other forums like that of my previous car, a Honda Accord, there's a noticeable difference in ownership experience. At my age, living in Sarasota where the weather is nice and enjoying life, I just don't need any hassles with mechanical difficuties in automobiles. I took the host's advice and put a free basic ad for it on autotrader.com and there it will stay. I do love that Malibu Blue color, but I like a hassle free existence even better.

widow1 · October 2001

I was willing to take a $5000 loss off the MSRP of $17115 and priced it at $13000 when I put it up for sale, but thanks for the tips and I will check out the website you included in your post.

dudleyr · October 2001

I would consider selling a car, making sure I got the money, changing insurance etc. to be more of a hassle than a potential problem that might happen down the road. A problem could happen with any new car you have. If I didn't get a lemon, I would just stay put, but that's me.

As far as reliablility goes all cars are improving, todays cars of average reliability are just as good as Hondas and Toyotas were 10 years ago when they were brand new.

jg26 · October 2001

hi all...i have a 2000 ford focus zts (manual) with 41K miles. earlier this week, my ABS light came on and i brought it into a dealer for repair...turns out that i need 2 new wheel speed sensors AND a new baring/hub for the right rear wheel...the car was termed 'unsafe to drive' and i lost it for this week. this is the FOURTH time it has been termed 'unsafe to drive'...the first 3 times were due to a defective left rear wheel hub/baring. that was one of the 6 recalls i have had on this car...

the dealer was prepared to put the new wheel sensors on today, but when he loosened the tabs to put them in, the tabs split and broke...now the car is once again, unsafe to drive...and i can't get it back...

i've scrolled through a lot of these messages, but is anyone else having such dramatic quality issues? i can understand some, but the fact that my car has been labelled unsafe to drive an average of every 10K miles is just unbelieveable to me...

any advice on how to approach ford with my issues?

widow1 · October 2001

I hear you and that may well prove good advice, but can I be sure of the accuracy of your info ? Don't you consider it all very ironic in light of the post following yours by jg on problem after problem !!?? I confess I don't know what to belief about the Focus' reliablity. To me safety considerations and dislike for hard to understand mechanical hassles coupled with the possibility of no dealer support if they occur shifts the balance toward selling my 2001 Street Edition even though tiredofmanual says I may have to take a $5000 hit while the 0% financing is going on...but it can't last forever and at $13000 and only 1K on the car of a beautiful Malibu blue color somebody will eventually want it and I can continue with my hassle free life in the wonderful weather of Sarasota. Tiredof manual I did check out your teamfocaljet website. Many thanks.

dudleyr · October 2001

You could keep the car for a year, if it is trouble free, you may have a good one, if it starts to act up then by all means sell it. An extra year will not make much diff in resale - given your situation.

My reliability info is from Consumer Reports. The 2001 reliability will be published in their April issue. The 2000 model was below average, but that is not unusual for a new American car. The Escort, which the Focus replaces and shares engines, was one of the most reliable american cars - above average. The Focus may turn out to be above average as well.

Also remember you driving style has a lot to do with reliability. A teenager slamming his brakes on all the time may indeed need new brakes every 20,000 miles. I still have the original front brakes on my 1990 Acura Integra (135,000 miles) and the original clutch. Drive sanely and your car will last longer.

The Focus has some nice features that many cars in it's class do not have. Excellent seating position (easy entry) and excellent handling, it would be a shame to give that up.

widow1 · October 2001

Sounds like sage advice, but, if it does act up, I won't be able to hide it from any potential buyers and how then will I get anyone to take it off my hands. It seems a risky proposition to keep it for a year even if my 2001 is not as problem plagued as the benighted 2000 model ( Boy, I'm glad I didn't buy a 2000 Focus ! ) That's interesting info about the brakes on your 1990 Acura Integra as it confirms what I've discovered from reading through Edmunds evaluations...that the Acura Integra was proverbial for small car reliability and quality. I'd come to a preliminary conclusion that I'd replace the Focus with a new Acura RSX in an automatic. I take it, dudleyr, based on your own experience with an Acura, that you couldn't offer me a better choice for a replacement vehicle ?

frosty_00 · October 2001

widow1 Oct 20, 2001 8:23pm

Your car has a 3 year 36000 mile warranty. If it acts up you don't need to hide it from a potential buyer.

Have it fixed! There is no reason to sell a car with a known malfuction during its warranty period.

Most dealers will give you a ride to home or wherever after you drop it off. They will also pick you up when it is done.

You can even have a car fixed after the warranty period, and it usually costs much less than replacing the car. If you don't like the car or it makes you uncomfortable, sell it. If you feel it's been problematic when you are 2/3 through the warranty period, sell it. Otherwise, keep driving it and don't lose sleep over it. It's just a car.

widow1 · October 2001

Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me, frosty00. My real fear that I acquired from scrolling through the some 500 + posts on the Edmunds Focus Forum was to be overwhelmed with a reoccurring problem that never seemed to get fixed permanently and was a real safety concern (like the brakes) or a multiplicity of problems that I could never understand as a mechanical illiterate. I fear being at the mercy of a Ford service department whose advice and expertise I'd be at the mercy of for opinions as to whether the car was fixed properly and safe to drive. The Focus seems to require male ownership and mechanical expertise to deal with the kinds of problems that could arise...so my perusal of the Edmunds Focus forum has led me to conclude. If only my husband were still here to handle this but he isn't. So I've decided to sell - Money is not an issue for me so I can let safety be the overriding concern - and buy an Acura RSX, a car I decided on because of the Edmunds evaluations of the Integra and the ownership experiences of Integra owners I culled from Town Hall forums on the Integra.

rosteve · October 2001

I'm really surprised having followed your thread all the way through. Im surprised that after reading other people's opinions you don't trust your own. I've often gone to the cinema to see a film that other people have hated, and come out with my own thoughts. I hear your worries about mechanics, but I don't feel that you will necessarily find a better experience at a Honda, Subaru or any other dealers Service bay - I put it down to a certain amount of luck, and if you don't like the service one place gives you, go somewhere else - it's your money, and your car. So far it sounds as if you haven't had a bad experience with your car, but you are waiting for one to happen. Lets hope you don't sell your Focus, and buy a lemon of a Honda.
Personally, I'm really glad I didn't get a 2000 model, but a 2001 ZTS - 8000 miles later I'm really happy with it - no problems and better fuel mileage everyday.
Good luck, and maybe you'll reconsider.

widow1 · October 2001

Thank you for your wisdom. Yes, you're right I do not trust my own opinion because I lack the knowledge base required to make sound judgments when it comes to cars...it's, to say the least, not my area of expertise. So I've been trying to acquire wisdom from the Edmunds Focus forum where the contributors are almost exclusively male, many with real mechanical knowledge and expertise...and, from a sampling of the advice I've received, real saavy when it comes to sizing up cars. This has been a good learning experience for me. As you say, a 2001 Focus is a better bet than the 2000...that I've learned from the forum and all the kind advice directed my way. I'm glad your 2001 ZTS has proved trouble free ...may Providence and the gods of the automobile continue to smile on you and bless you with an always mechanically sound Focus.

tiredofmanual · October 2001

Then you most likely got a good one and wont have any. BTW, I have a 2000 and have had very few problems with it. All in all, I love the car and to tell the truth, I have to credit the Focus for my current knowledge and enthusiasm for cars. If it weren't so fun to drive, I never would have done an internet search for aftermarket performance parts and never would have come across the enthusiast sites (not just the Focus ones) that have taught me so much about cars. It is so hard to believe that me, a computer nerd, has done the following myself (and didn't screw up!):
Short-throw sport shifter, underdrive pulley, cold-air intake, and a sport suspension kit (shocks, struts, and springs). Come spring time I think I'll be attempting to turbocharge the beast!

The one problem is that now that I am addicted, I can't stop spending money. This week I'll be spending $1500 on some nice new wheels and tires and then mounting snow tires on the stock wheels. Where will it all end?!?

tomcat630 · October 2001

... wait until the warranty is up before selling a car that one just purchased.

sreyem · October 2001

Hello all,
I am considering purchasing a 2002 ZTS sedan. I commute long distances to work. How long do they last? Or, more to the point, how many miles should I expect to get out of the car? I would appreciate any unbiased (if that's possible) and accurate info you (plural) could give me.

Thanks in advance!

tiredofmanual · October 2001

And it should last a long time. I've had my 2000 for about 14 months and have about 14000 miles on it, so I cant comment about how it holds up to high mileage. The one thing I can say is that there were no squeaks or rattles when I bought mine, and there are no squeaks or rattles now. The engine and tranny are as smooth and responsive as the day I bought it. Those are the indicators I look for. Oh, and gas mileage. Since the engine break-in period, my gas mileage has been pretty consistant. All of this combined tell me that the drivetrain is in excellent condition.

Like I said, I couldn't tell you about high-mileage durability, but the car still feels very solid, unlike my friend's Sunfire, which developed squeaks and rattles about 3 days after he brought it home.

It probably wont last as long as a Civic or Corolla, but you get more for the money and the ZTS will be about 5 times more fun to drive than those two combined.

majorthomecho · October 2001

Tired, you asked "where will it end?" You keep spending money like that, it might end with you in the poor house. ; )

netranger4 · November 2001

I'm not a Focus owner. After following the latest business news from Ford, the best thing that could have happened was that 'Jac the Knife' Nasser was booted out. His management style was a root cause of Ford's dramatic drop off in vehicle quality. It is a known fact that any corporation's problems start at the top and filter down. Jac wanted to micromanage and that technique never works. He retired or otherwise got rid of the senior engineers who would have caught component, manufacturing and assembly problems before they got into the cars.

Two men, who are both 'car guys' and were major players in turning Jaguar around are now in positions to do the same with the Ford brand.

fdthird · November 2001

Anybody see the long term Focus report in the newest Car and Driver? It was of a 2000 SE Wagon and they said some very positive things. They particularly applauded the mechanical reliability and the cost of service as compared to other cars in the class.

Looks like all the 2000 Focus are not as unreliable as some on this forum would have us believe.

My son's 2001 SE Sport has got over 6000 miles on it since last March and it is still a great car.

teo · November 2001

According to the latest edition of Consumer Reports, the 2001 Focus is "Not recommended" due to the worse than average reliability this model has exhibited. The car has earned a Solid Black Mark for expected reliability. CR likes the car very much otherwise but they still do not recommend it due to the poor reliability it has.

Check the 2001 of Consumer Reports, car edition.

bluebomber98 · November 2001

I have had no real problems so far. This car is fun to drive. I just added Michelin Arctic Alpins for winter and while they are a bit noisy, they sure grip! The CD playback quality seems fine to me. I live in a fringe area and the radio reception could be better. I am not sure if its is the radio, the antenna, or interference from my automatic starter. Any suggestions?

tomcat630 · November 2001

I don't like CR, some of their fans will be happy when all manufacturing companies are controlled by overseas concerns. What makes them think that overseas companies are more socially acceptable? They still are profit-driven and capable of exploiting workers and polluting.

Regarding reliability, the operative word is "predicted", which is CR's opinion, and they are not the car Bible. It is based on past recalls, which have been addressed. These occured with Nassar and now, with new management, I bet Ford will do better.

dtownfb · November 2001

CR does tend to lean toward the import crowd but mostly the japanese market. But they do have a few decade of information backing their claim. The reliablity ratings ar based on actual owner experience which is much more accurate then JD Power.

Ford has been awful lately with their new releases. I used to be a Ford man but not after their last 3 model years and I'm not even including the firestone fiasco. I hope things change under the management. I think it will take several years to get the quality back. Most of the problems they have been having is with the quality of the products supplied by their suppliers. Until they and other domestics revise how they handle suppliers, the quality will not be equal to Honda and Toyota.

The focus started off bad 8 or 9 recalls in the first year and half of production but it seems to be doing better. It is the best compact car onthe market even CR agrees. I just hope Ford got all the bugs out of it. Once they do that, it will be Focus and Civic doing battle for the next few years.

majorthomecho · November 2001

Dtown, you say that CR's predictions of reliability are based on actual owners' experiences and this makes them more accurate than JD Powers.

Excuse me?

The JD Powers survey on initial quality, the survey on reliability, and the survey on dependability are all based on actual owners' experiences also.

How did you not know that?

regfootball · November 2001

consumer reports....yuk.

bigcompact · November 2001

I have a 2001 SE w/ Sport package. I put 6000 miles on the car in only 2 months!!! Not a single problem to report. Not even an annoyance. In fact, I even did a solo road trip from Boston to Philly to Madison, WI, and back to Boston. I drove long streches on open highways (I ran her at over 80 mph for 4 straight hours at one point), I drove windy mountain roads in Pennsylvania, i drove downtown in Philly and Chicago, and I parallel parked everywhere. All in all, I drove about 2500 punishing miles in only 9 nine days and the car held up beautifully. Now sure, if you are used to a monster SUV with a V8, the Focus is not for you. But if you are used to compact cars with a 4 cyl. engine (my last was a '91 Escort with 88hp), then you should def. check out the Focus.

But as and avid Focus fan, I would also urge you to check out the other top compacts out there (Civic, Protege, Sentra, Corolla, even the Elantra). I did, and the Focus best matched what I was looking for. Good luck!

Ford Focus Sedan

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