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The Ford Focus Zetec is in the higher end of the model range and often comes with uprated extras over the base models. My particular car came with what Ford call the 'Climate Pack'. This is a handy combination of air conditioning, heated front windscreen, heated mirrors and heated washer ... Read review
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A review by Goran on Ford Focus 1.6 February 13th, 2006
Author's Car rating:
Safety
Good
Comfort
Good
Road Handling
Excellent
Security
Good
Looks
Excellent
Advantages:
Spaceous, Excellent Handling, Low Insurance Group, Comfortable and Stylish .
Disadvantages:
Has the family stigma attached to it which does not do it justice .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full car review
I apologise now if I get too enthusiastic in describing this car, but I think the details will do it justice.
The Ford Focus Zetec is in the higher end of the model range and often comes with uprated extras over the base models. My particular car came with what Ford call the 'Climate Pack'. This is a handy combination of air conditioning, heated front windscreen, heated mirrors and heated washer jets. These gadgets can seldom be appreciated in the warmer months, but are an absolute Godsend in winter.
If you are looking to buy a focus, make sure you check it has the climate pack. Where most spend twenty minutes scraping ice off their windscreens on frosty winter mornings, you can simply start the engine and press the heat buttons for the front and rear windows. In just under three minutes, the ice would have melted - no more cold hands and de-icer sprays for you!
The Exterior.
The Focus is a good looking car even eight years after it first rolled onto our streets. Its stylish curves and sharp angles keep it looking modern. The paintwork on the Focus is very good quality and is therefore covered by a twelve year Ford Warranty in case anything should go wrong with it.
The Zetec models came equipped with fog lights and electric headlight levelling, so you can change the height of the beam from the inside whilst driving. This is particularly useful if the environment you're driving in changes. The front windows and wing mirrors are also electric and are operated from a button on the driver side door. The Zetec model came with fifteen inch alloy wheels and a spare space saver wheel in the boot.
The Interior
Ford experimented with the interior in the Focus and made it as interesting as the exterior, with curves everywhere! This makes the dashboard still look modern and interesting; unlike in many cars where it looks dated when styles change.
The seats are grey with a basic pattern on them. The pattern does not stand out and the seats look quite smart. They are extremely comfortable to sit in and are good on long distance journeys. I regularly drive between London and Norwich without any problems. It helps that the height is adjustable on the driver seat and the backrests can recline on both of the front seats. The rear seats have head rests including the middle seat.
The styling in the Focus Zetec includes silver door card trim, a silver radio and heater control surround along with a silver gear knob. The standard entertainment in the focus comes in the form of a CD player with steering wheel controls. This is very handy for anyone who likes to listen to music whilst driving and shows how much thought Ford put into designing the car around the driver. The music is brought to you through speakers in the front doors and in the rear doors (if you have a 5 door model) or rear panel if not. Ford didn't skimp on sound quality and gave the focus good standard speakers, so if you like your 'choons' then the focus is a good one to go for.
The dash lights up green when the lights are turned on and has a dimmer switch, so you can have it as bright or as dark as you like. The centre console has two cup holders and some storage space at the back along with a little ashtray. The glove box provides a lot of storage space which is one of the focus' best features. The hatchback shape means that the boot is nice and deep and has folding rear seats for extra space. The facelift models (after 2001) have a folding front passenger seat too. While we're talking about the boot, I think its a good time to mention the boot solenoid which can be activated via the key or by pressing the button on the dashboard. This is a great feature if you regularly use the boot and saves you having to unlock it with the key every time.
Under the bonnet
The 1.6 engines are smooth and with 100bhp under the bonnet, are powerful enough for most uses. They have a five speed gearbox which on the 1.6 has no common faults, so it very reliable. Services are every 12000 miles or every year depending on how much you drive. Ford charge approximately £200 for a major service, so it's not extortionate to keep the car running.
Suspension and Braking
The suspension on the Zetec models is uprated with 'sports' suspension which gives slightly stiffer springs but retains the ride quality. As a result, the handling on the zetec is outstanding and really grips the road around the twisties. The standard suspension setup makes the car run smoothly and is very quiet on the motorways compared to other cars I've driven. Power steering makes low speed manoeuvres and parking easy and the height adjustment is good for getting the position just right.
The brakes on the 1.6 models consist of front disk brakes and rear drums. Some models were fitted with ABS, but not some of the earlier pre facelift models (pre 2001) so make sure you ask if it is included. The brakes are very effective and do a good job of stopping the car under emergency braking.
Safety
This brings me onto the safety features of the Focus. The cars come with driver and passenger front airbags as standard along with three point seatbelts on both the front and rear seats. As I said before, some cars come with ABS and all cars have a third brake light at the rear of the car for extra visibility.
Security
Security wise, the focus comes well equipped with remote central locking with the double locking feature if you press the 'lock' button twice. This means that even if someone breaks the window, they stil won't be able to unlock the door from the inside and will have to reach in through the window. Even if they do get the car unlocked, they will set off the alarm that comes as standard on all Foci (generally accepted pleural term of Focus).
There are child locks on the rear doors (on the 5 door model) to stop children opening the doors from the inside.
Other details...
The insurance is extremely reasonable, with the 1.6 being insurance group 5. It is an ideal car for a young driver (such as me) as it is cheap to run and is easy on insurance. The fuel tank costs about £45 to fill up from low reserve to maximum and gets you about 300 miles to a tank.
Conclusion
Overall the focus is a fantastic car and is an excellent upgrade from older cars (such as the VW Golf mk2). It is cheap to insure and run and is versatile enough to either be a family car or a sporty car for a younger person. There are only a handful of common problems with the 1.6 model, one of them being the rear wheel bearings and the other being a leaky scuttle (caused by careless spanner monkeys when they change the pollen filter). Both problems are easily solved and are well known to Ford, so should be no bother for them to do the necessary work.
I would recommend this car to anyone looking to buy an affordable hatchback with loads of gadgets to play with.
Advantages: Nice to drive; well thought out Disadvantages: It is still a Ford
...said I wouldn't touch any Ford with a barge pole. That was until I was looking for a new car recently. For the money I had to spend (around 10,000GBP) it was a question of balancing getting a nearly new car against a couple of years old car which would have had a higher list price when new.
I decided to go for the option that will (hopefully) cost me less money. I now have a 9 month old Focus 1.6 Zetec with Air Conditioning pack (which includes ... ...I would never touch a Ford was the sloppy way the old Ford's went round corners and the whole lack of quality in the switchgear and in the gear change. They really were awful cars. This car corners like it is on rails. The only downside to the handling is that you do not get a lot of feedback through the steering wheel to tell you how hard the front wheels are working. Finally the gear change is lovely with the gear stick moving with a lovely notchy ...
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average very helpful
Advantages: Handling, Driving experience, Heated Windscreen, Refined Engine Disadvantages: Oddball styling, Cluttered Dash, Main Beam Light, Quality suspect in places
...informative reading. Anyway, Ford Focus! If you read my opinions, you will know I actually own a VW Golf, which is one of its main rivals. I had a choice between a Ford Focus and a Vauxhall Astra. I’ve driven both before but I simply prefer the driving dynamics of a Ford Focus. I had to get an estate version because I was accommodating for 4 passengers and luggage. The model I rented was a 1.6 Zetec. Features that came with this model included ... ...you have to admit the Ford Focus body dynamics are different. Even to this day after 4 years since it came out, opinions are still very divided about the Focus' looks. It dares to be different with its combination of round moulded shell and angular lines. You can tell other manufacturers are following suit as well with this line of peculiar (if not ugly) styling. Just look at the recent Honda Civic, Peugeot 307, Fiat Stilo, and Toyota Corolla. Most ...
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average very helpful
Advantages: They don't go wrong. Disadvantages: They get a bad rap for being a Ford which they DO NOT deserve.
...called the Zetec engine. BUT, Ford also do a model option called a Zetec.
Let me explain. You can go out and buy a Focus Zetec with a 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 engine. So thats a Ford Focus Zetec model with a Zetec engine. You can also but a Focus Zetec with a diesel engine.
The Zetec model gets you- alloy wheels, air con, electric windows, cd player, sports suspension, sporty seats, twin air bags and a patridge in a pear tree.
The benefits of some ... ...is probabley the most important. Ford use a semi-synthetic, 5/30 grade oil, so just remember, even if you use Castrol or Duckhams or any other good quality make of oil, if its the wrong grade you may have problems. Modern cars are very sensitive to things like that, and its not just Fords.
That said, I was told by a mechanic at my local Ford garage that the dealers hate the Focus.. why? Because they just dont go wrong. Which of course is good for ...
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average very helpful
Advantages: Handling, zippy engine, interior room Disadvantages: Nothing major
2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford ... ...Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon 2001 Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia X Saloon ...
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average very helpful
Advantages: to have a great car Disadvantages: none
...be my fault.
The ford focus zetec 1.6i is the best car I have ever had which is only 4 but I have drove a lot of cars in my time and in my opinion the focus is the best by far
I first chose the focus because I and my wife had another baby and needed a larger car and a boot to fit a pushchair into and my old car just was not up to the job.
I had a Vauxhall corsa 1.2L.S only three doors so it was a bit of a pain keep getting out to let people in ... ...do not get in other ford models i.e. The fiesta or fusion the seat seams to just grow around your back which in my case is just great. Every thing else on the inside of the car is to your own personal taste if you buy from new but comes with cd player which is a must. The styles of the interior are all nice so even if you buy second hand I think you would like it.They now have air conditoning which mine hasn`t but with electric windows i do not feel ...
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Ciao members have rated this car review on average very helpful
Advantages: Handling and Looks Disadvantages: Customer Service, Bodywork, Transmission...
...Two years ago I decided to buy a brand new car, and after much research I decided upon the FordFocus1.6 (old style now). Everything I had read pointed towards a really good choice. So I went into my local Ford dealer and a week later I had my nice new car.
First thoughts were a good looking car, well built, fantastically smooth to drive, held the roads amazingly well. All of the equipment worked wonderfully well and I absolutley loved my new car. Then the problems began....
After two weeks the Airbag Modulator failed, so I went back to the dealer, and they replaced the faulty part within a few days. They wouldn't let me have a courtesy cat so was left hanging around the dealers for a few hours. All work was under warranty so no cost to me.
Three weeks after the Modulator fault I was washing the car and noticed tiny rust spots...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Big luggage compartment, Heated windscreen Disadvantages: Nothing
...I bought my FordFocus in August 2006. After many months of research I opted for the 1.6 zetec climate model.
As a young mother with two small children I needed plenty of room in the back and a boot large enough to carry a pushchair as well as the weekly shop, I am happy to say that this car did not disappoint.
Some other great features of this model are
-The Heated front windscreen and mirrors which save me a lot of time in the mornings.
-The CD player that comes as standard and can be controlled by a lever attached to the steering column, Sound quality is great and the speakers in the back are in the doors - so I can have the radio on without the speakers blaring down the babys ears.
-The fuel consumption is a lot better than I expected for a car of it size.
-The car is very stylish although very common...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Excellent all round car that looks amazing Disadvantages: The price!
...I have had the FordFocus1.6 Edge for nearly 6 months now and I must say its a brilliant car. It looks the part, with 3 doors, 16" alloy wheels and a subtle sports package that doesn't look too much like a boy racers creation. The engine is more than capable of getting you from 0-60 in around 10 seconds, and is very smooth to drive with power steering and ABS brakes. The interior is nice and simple, with a decent stereo system fitted as standard, and some neat features, such as the seperate 12v plug in the back, should your passengers need to charge there ipod. Overall I can't fault this car for its performance. The price tag maybe the only thing letting it down at £13k new. Other than that, highly recommended!...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
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