2003 Ford Focus SVT Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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The 2003 Ford Focus SVT has a 170-horsepower, four-cylinder engine. The car zips quickly around larger vehicles on the highway, and when driving one, you may find yourself smiling a bit. Few cars cost as little while delivering as much enjoyment.
The SVT also lends itself well to performance tuning for those more inclined to get under the hood.
Published Aug 8, 2022 by CarGurus Editorial Team
User reviews for 2003 Ford Focus SVT
Write a reviewUser rating:
by Colin B
Jan 05, 2025
Do you like hot hatchbacks?
The 2002-2004 svt focus may be your cup of tea
Starting of with a cosworth designed 2.0l zetec
And a sporty 6 speed manual transmission
It has more horsepower and a 6 speed vs the si of that generations 5 speed
The car is very light and small but with the folding rear seats leaves you plenty of space to move your stuff around
Now how do they hold up being well over 20 years after production
They hold up amazing! They had a low production number but still plenty on the road well over 200,000 miles, my personal focus has 175,000 miles .
They handle very well taking corners without a thought of rolling
Now onto the bad, they are picky cars. Oem parts are all you can use without having more issues
The transmission feels stiff in the cold
The car struggles in snow and ice. So if your winter driving snow tires are a must all seasons do not work
By this time 23 years later they need suspension work so if you buy inspect it and negotiate
The gas prices aren’t as good as you think I average maybe 28 mpg on the highway and this car requires premium fuel
Now all and all. This focus is amazing, I recommend it to car enthusiast and someone that wants a fun daily
Jan 05, 2025
by Jimmy B
Sep 27, 2021
A true SVT far at a great price. The Focus SVT is everything the ST tried to be. Sep 27, 2021
by Mark W
Jun 06, 2011
Excellent suspension, brakes, gear ratios, Recaro leather racing seats, high-RPM performance.
So-so turning radius, low-RPM power, gas mileage.
Very fun car to drive, perfect for autocross and weekend track days. Decently reliable, have only had to fix a few things at 110,000 miles.Jun 06, 2011
User rating:
by Colin B
Jan 05, 2025
Do you like hot hatchbacks?
The 2002-2004 svt focus may be your cup of tea
Starting of with a cosworth designed 2.0l zetec
And a sporty 6 speed manual transmission
It has more horsepower and a 6 speed vs the si of that generations 5 speed
The car is very light and small but with the folding rear seats leaves you plenty of space to move your stuff around
Now how do they hold up being well over 20 years after production
They hold up amazing! They had a low production number but still plenty on the road well over 200,000 miles, my personal focus has 175,000 miles .
They handle very well taking corners without a thought of rolling
Now onto the bad, they are picky cars. Oem parts are all you can use without having more issues
The transmission feels stiff in the cold
The car struggles in snow and ice. So if your winter driving snow tires are a must all seasons do not work
By this time 23 years later they need suspension work so if you buy inspect it and negotiate
The gas prices aren’t as good as you think I average maybe 28 mpg on the highway and this car requires premium fuel
Now all and all. This focus is amazing, I recommend it to car enthusiast and someone that wants a fun daily
Jan 05, 2025
by Jimmy B
Sep 27, 2021
A true SVT far at a great price. The Focus SVT is everything the ST tried to be. Sep 27, 2021
by Mark W
Jun 06, 2011
Excellent suspension, brakes, gear ratios, Recaro leather racing seats, high-RPM performance.
So-so turning radius, low-RPM power, gas mileage.
Very fun car to drive, perfect for autocross and weekend track days. Decently reliable, have only had to fix a few things at 110,000 miles.Jun 06, 2011
by Kyle S
Dec 07, 2010
Performance- acceleration is fantastic for a naturally Aspirated 2.0. Evidently it was the fastest 2.0L FWD Naturally Aspirated car in north America in 2003. Braking is 10 out of 10, and handling is through the roof.
Quality is been about a 9 out of 10
Appearance is spectacular both inside and out
Ownership has been wonderful with good gas milage around 30-29 mpg, and virtually now maintenance until now when I installed a new clutch at 80,000 miles.
Fun Factor= extremely fun to drive.Dec 07, 2010
by Andy S
Nov 05, 2010
acceleration is good but it's not a drag car. braking is insane, huge
disks in front will stop the car in a hurry. handles like it's on rails.
build quality is good, not great. it has it's issues. Like any high
performance cars they are built to high tolerances and must be taken
care of.
cost of ownership depends on how long you have the car. is the
clutch, master cylinder, water pump, timing belt new or old? Gas
milage is good. mid 20s average. low 30-32 highway.
fun factor is WAY high! carving corners is what this thing loves and
BEGS you to do. Great little car.Nov 05, 2010
by Brenton R
Feb 27, 2010
looks better out of the box than most tuner cars do. its just a bit short on power, but it's got handling down to a science. this car is fun to blast around back roads and track days in. and the insurance wont kill you.Feb 27, 2010
by Brandon S
Feb 09, 2010
28 mpg. 14:1 power to weight ratio. 0-60 in 7.3 sec. 15 sec
1/4 mile. Handles like a go kart. Needed a few odds and ends
fixed up when I bought it used at 52k mi. nothing major.
Perfect balance of daily driver utility and sport performance.
Extremely fun to drive yet, useful when it needs to be.Feb 09, 2010
by Cory B
Oct 23, 2009
Loved driving it, loved the power across the rpm range because of the variable intake, and the best factory stereo I've ever heard (Audiophile system). HATED replacing at least one wheel every winter, and outgrew it. That's why I took a 30 horsepower cut with the Lancer.Oct 23, 2009
by Weston P
Jun 23, 2009
I am really happy with this car. It was priced nice and
handles very good. I wish it was a little faster but who
doesn't. Very comfortable, nice looks, Good sound
system. Overall I am very happy with it. Good gas
mileage. Fun to drive. Decent engine performance.
Built well.Jun 23, 2009
by Kyle C
Nov 29, 2008
i love it!!! great looking,has a really seat warmers, the exhaust sounds nice, nice looking on the inside,love the factory 6 cd changer and subwoofer, wish it didnt have to have 91 octane, but the car is a ball to drive i will admit and im a chevy guy at heartNov 29, 2008
by Don C
Jun 10, 2008
Very fun car to drive. It's like driving a go-kart. The SVT has just enough high end features to make it not feel like an econo-boxJun 10, 2008
by Joshua O
May 16, 2008
170hp 2.0L engine designed with help of the Cosworth magicians.
Excellent torque, for an I4, that comes on strong @ 2200 and stays flat
all the way up to 6000, and then the fun starts. Due to variable valve
timing and intake runner length (yes i just said that) this mild
mannered little car becomes rubber burning, torque steering little
monster. Thank goodness for the optional traction control. Braking is
sublime, in spite of the single pot calipers, with nearly no fade and
eye-popping power. Imagine ripping abound a into a tight l/h turn in
third gear (somewhere above the posted speed limit) and you realize
you might be a bit to fast for a front wheel drive... All the sudden the
tail steps out, tightens your line up, and stays there. You gotta try it
some time.May 16, 2008
by Casey R
Apr 09, 2008
This is my SVT Focus, and I love it. I've done a number of interior mods, including EDM parts shipped here from the UK. It's also supercharged with a ported head and custom 3" exhaust, and has some subtle exterior mods like Focus RS upper grille and rear spoiler, antenna delete, and the not-so-subtle Focus Central fiberglass hood.Apr 09, 2008
by Christopher B
Mar 31, 2008
Quirky, cool interior, nice dash. Great handling and SVT mods.Mar 31, 2008
by Jon H
Mar 17, 2008
awsome car fun to drive but needs more powerMar 17, 2008
by Mark L
Jan 15, 2008
I like the car for a fun track day but it leaves something to be desired still. A little more speed off the line and at the top end would be nice. It has some surprising acceleration in 2nd through 4th gear.Jan 15, 2008
2003 Ford Focus SVT Pricing
Original MSRP
$19,130 to $19,630Price range
N/AAverage price on CG
N/AYoY price change
N/ATrims & specs
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Shift knob trim: leather · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: keyless entry · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio
Lights
Headlights: Xenon
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Rear Seats
Type: split-bench
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: sport bucket · Heated: front seats · Upholstery: leather
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
Airbags
Dual front airbags
Audio System
Single disc in-Dash CD · MP3 player: CD MP3 Playback · AM/FM radio
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel
Comfort Features
Shift knob trim: leather · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Multi-function remote: trunk release · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: audio
Lights
Headlights: Xenon
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power
Rear Seats
Type: split-bench
Roof
Moonroof: power
Seats
Front seat type: sport bucket · Heated: front seats · Upholstery: leather
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: intermittent
