2003 Ford Focus User Reviews

Ford Focus 03' — I love this car. Best performance out of the cars that I've driven so far. Superb handling, great acceleration, not to mention great on gas. Upkeep is pretty cheap, costs about 40 to 45$ to fill the gas tank. Appearance is OK. Paint is starting to come off on the hood and other places.

A Fun Car To Drive Around Town, But By No Means Is It A Sports Car — Performance was not so bad considering the gas mileage it got. Acceleration was on par for a compact car. Handling and chassis rigidity were excellent for its era. Styling-wise it is still one of the most visually distinctive cars from its time at any price. Very fun. Unfortunately, it had awful tires from the factory. Convenient, spacious, safe, and relatively fun to drive, all at a low price point. If you're looking for a cheap, fun, and functional car that is 5 to 10 year old, the Focus is you. Good options to look for include the PZEV 2.3L Duratec motor and ABS.

Primary Use: Commuting to work

Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec 5dr — Although it only has the 1.6 Zetec SE engine with 99BHP it is surprisingly swift, provided you do not change up too soon - 4th Gear is needed below about 55mph on a flat road. This is down to the unusual combination of low weight and highish gearing. Braking is about average - antilock is standard with EBD. Handling is excellent with good steering feel. The trade-off is a firmish ride and some roll-rock at very low speeds (the zetec version has stiffer suspension). The car has done 83,000 miles and has been very reliable. The only unscheduled items that needed replacing were the brake discs, the starter motor (under warranty) and the driver's window regulator. I judge build quality to be above average with no major problems and only minor trim creaks - the electrics could be better though. It is easy to forget that when the MkI Focus emerged in 1998 it had radical styling - its very familiarity makes it difficult to criticise. I personally think the shape has mellowed into something restrained but still eye-catching. The interior is less successful from an aesthetic point of view, although there is no denying its ergonomic excellence and space-efficiency. Front-seat comfort is poor for taller drivers, though. Ownership costs are reasonable for the class of car - servicing and repairs are cheaper than average and I am currently getting 42.4mpg (British) on a diet of A/B roads and town driving. Overall, it is great fun to drive but also very forgiving. Like many modern cars with independent rear suspension, road noise is an issue at higher speeds. I would recommend it to anyone - except those who want to stand out from the crowd!

(ford) Found On Road Dead — I bought this car after my GTI because I needed the space to put my guitar stuff. I broke my driver seat with my Rivera Knucklehead in my GTI and it was rusting so I traded it for the Focus. Performance: Good enough to get you from A to B. Build quality: I didn't need to fix anything, but it was cheapy cheapy build quality inside and outside. It was only a matter of time before the "Found on Road Dead" kicked in. Appearance: Ugliest front-end of any car at the time, but I didn't mind the overall look. It reminded me a little of a Volkswagen. The interior cloth seats were the grey fuzz which is a trademark of most low-end Ford vehicles. Cost of ownership: Low. It took regular gas, had a small 4 cylinder engine. Fun Factor: 2/5. Nothing like the old arm-strong windows! I was happy that this car had AC, because my GTI didn't. The cool thing was all the gear I could put in it with the seats folded down. It fit 2 4X12 guitar speaker cabinets, a mini-fridge bass cabinet, 3 electric guitars, assorted cable boxes, and a merchandise bin! I even installed a hitch on it to pull a trailor for when Cassidy was going on tour! Good thing we didn't go through with it, because we probably would have died off a cliff when the brakes were to fail on the Coquahalla freeway in B.C. When I sold this car it was absolutely spotless, it didn't have a single scratch on it!

Great...mostly! — I've enjoyed my focus for the first 98,000 miles. At that point, I had to have my engine replaced due to a faulty oil change. Since then, I've nothing but problems, but I think that is due to the technicians working on the car and not the engine itself.

Owner for 4 years, 0 months

Miles Driven per Year:20