concerned about the car by car breakdown views.
these views are of the car 1 to 2 years ago, can i assume the facelift model with be slightly more problem free?
anyway with so many about you bound to get more problems, why has it won so many relibility awards?
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AFAIK, the Foke has won one reliability award, which was based on least faults in Germany's equivalent of the MOT test. This is a very specific test, all cars being 3 years old.
Every other award I've seen has put the thing as quite average reliability-wise. If you find this confusing you're not alone.
Personally, I'd suggest the reliability was slightly above average from what I've seen and heard. The last AA bloke I spoke to bought one - said he saw very few in his line of work.
What would bother me more is that there's been a facelift, a 170 and now an RS. These are typical ruses to inject a bit of glamour into a model range that's not far away from obsolesence. IMO depreciation will steepen on these cars in the next couple of years.
My advice? Buy a Capri ;-)
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Quite likely that they will depreciate a bit faster from now, not that I'm complaining, it makes it all the easier for me to get my hands on one in a couple of years. :)
Blue
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Sorry for the delay in replying Blue.
I know it's horses for courses, but I can't imagine really wanting one. I've driven the car for a few days and it's nice enough. Handles OK (TC off is best!) but not a patch on RWD cars. I was very impressed by its motorway manners.
What is it about the Focus that makes it so desirable, and don't the looks put you off?
Maz
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Apparantly there's more on Watchdog tonight as well as bits on the V/W
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Sorry forgot to mention about VW/Audi coils in particular. See thread elsewhere on the site. (Broken new A4)
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I've had my 2.0 Focus Zetec now from new for about 2.5 years and I've got to say its been a fine motor for the money. In all that time its been 100% reliable and has cost me nothing bar the services.
I got rid of an Audi A3 1.8 Sport which I also had from new to get the Focus. Everyone thought I was mad at the time, but I've got to say the Focus handles, corners and is quieter than the Audi. Also the Audi always had a creep to the left which the dealership could not correct. Most peoples problem with the Focus stems from it having a blue oval on the grille. I would have no problem recommending the Focus
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My wife has a Focus Tdci which is now 1yr old 17k miles and we're V pleased with it, fantastic handling (also coming from an Audi)as much speed as anyone could realisticly want, all below 3000rpm and totally efortless, and 45mpg, what a great car. Only problem I can see is the poor storage for odds and ends (sun glasses, phone, pen paper etc etc)around the dash, they could learn a thing or 2 from the Toyota boys that designed the Yaris interior.
As for warchdog, well they have to be a bit contriversial to make people watch I guess, the usual hot air and few facts re the ford (though more detail re VW) which engine cuts out for instance 1.6 2.0 only petrol or diesel as well? which build year, are they doing it abroad? so much more information could have been given.
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I was interested to hear that in America the Focus is becoming known as a bit of a lemon as Ford didn't assign enough engineers when shifting the production over the water and hence with new suppliers etc there weren't enough people to solve the glitches, the cars have been a bit unreliable. The problems have been solved I now believe, but mud sticks and it seems in the States the Focus is a Lemon. Someone may be able to offer more details on this.
Paul C
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I read a US review saying that it had good handling, with nice soft suspension that helps soak up any bumps(Urghh!), and that the Zetec engine is good, and it has a good stereo.
On the other hand, he recokned that it had horrible dashboard styling, he really laid into it, that the interior was of poor quality with bad fabrics etc. and that it was quite noisey and cheap feeling...
They seem to have a totally different Focus to us, although it has the same dash and sound system. Personally I think the Focus has a great dash, certainly better than the bland dash that you expect in many American tanks and the quality in this country is anything but poor.
If I moved to America, I think I;d import a decent car, or buy a BMW with European suspension, much better.
Blue
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It seems to be the standard thing to slag off the Focus for the plastics used on the dash. Tell me, how often do you drive along touching the dash? Personally I prefer to hang onto to the stering wheel and the other bits I touch a lot are the gear lever and the indicators.
On the Focus the "tactile experience" (BS phrase if ever I heard one) from the bits you use a lot is fine. What about that nasty skinny steering wheel on the "quality" Golf?
At least the Focus has comfortable seats and a decent ride for the class.
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It's interesting to see the changes planned for the next Focus, primarily more rear seat room to allow full-size adults. This will mean the new Focus competing head-to head with the new Astra which already has adult-size rear seats.
Did anyone else see the TV road test of the RS Focus where it was clearly undriveable on public roads, due to the unprogressive limited-slip differential. Purchasers will only find this out, after delivery, as no RS demonstrators are available.
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What's this about a Focus lacking room? I had the entire front row in the back of mine to go to Twickenham and they were fine. It was snug, but frankly it would have been snug in an S-class.
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No RS demonstrators? Nonsense, what you do is get the Yellow Pages and phone a few Ford garages, there are lots of them and they are in the section marked "Car Dealers". Then you will find a dealer who has an RS demo.
They aren't undriveable at all, just a bit of a handful for the majority who are used to docile and anodyne sewing machines. I wouldn't have one but it's a decent stab at a car with a bit of swagger about it. About 100 times better than Vauxhall's latest Astra offering.
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Is it just me or is there a certain "Clarkson-esque" tone to Fergus' posts ???
I wonder !
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I read the 'undrivability' was mainly due to the torque reaction of the front end and the fact that if you boot it, it tightens into a corner rather than understeers which testers found counter-intuitive. I think Clarkson has been a bit of a wuss about the car ;-)
teabelly
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The only thing I have in common with Clarkson is the size of my gut
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