You could always look at a mondeo – better spec for a given level (zetec / ghia) and cheaper than a focus for a given age (or they were 9 months ago when I bought my mondeo), but they are huge

did anyone see the article in the new recently about mot failure rates (from MOTs in 2004)

much more info here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/opensecrets/2010/01/mot_failure_rates_released.html

Buy from a Ford dealer. I bought a Ghia 56 plate in October with no end of problems – a real Friday pm car! At first I was told that I couldn't have my money back and to change I'd need to give them £1k for "usage", however, after advice on here (thank you chaps) I spoke to the local Manager and he apologised and I collect my Climate 07 with half the mileage on Tuesday. Even after this grief I think they're great cars and yes, the heated screen has been so welcome of late.
Get one but from a dealer.

about mot failure rates (from MOTs in 2004)

From cars that were bought in 2004 – so the MOTs were in 2007

That doesn't really tell much more than which cars had MOT failure problems which is obviously important but not the only measure of reliability – eg my AC problem wouldn't have caused an MOT failure.

We had a 1.6 Focus from new a few years back,had 60K trouble free miles with it too.If you're just after a reliable,comfortable medium sized car then I'd say they are pretty hard to beat tbh.

That doesn't really tell much more than which cars had MOT failure problems which is obviously important but not the only measure of reliability – eg my AC problem wouldn't have caused an MOT failure.

It does tell you that a focus is less likely to fail its MOT than a Golf, A3 or an A4 which is even more surprising when you consider that the focus was the UK best selling car in 2004:

Full year 2004

Focus 141,021
Corsa 101,625
Fiesta 89,295
206 86,605
Mégane 86,569
Astra 85,087
Clio 72,412
Golf 69,784
Mondeo 60,441
307 58,742

Data from http://www.smmt.co.uk/articles/article.cfm?articleid=9707

It does tell you that a focus is less likely to fail its MOT than a Golf, A3 or an A4

Doesn't surprise me – even I, as a car know-nothing, am aware that the image of Golfs being reliable is just that: an image, all sewn into the "I'm too smug for words" marketing of VW. And the Audi A3 and A4 are just Golfs in a different skirt….

I don't get all the comments about a Focus being boring…? How is it any more boring than any other medium sized, affordable hatchback? Corolla, Auris, Golf, Almera, i30, Cee'd – hardly set the world alight.

My parents have got the 1.6 Zetec and they like it. I know many people who have had Fords and suffered few or no reliability issues.
I had a MkIII Fiesta for 6yrs that covered ~90k miles while I had it – it was still going strong on a 100 mile/day commute when I got rid.
Parts are cheap & services are nice and affordable as a result.

My main concern with Ford was the dealer network, as the service places didn't seem that knowledgeable & would always suggest 'work' that didn't really need doing.
I'd have had another Ford, had the Ibiza not been such a good car.

For your budget you'd easily get a good condition ST170 if you wanted a bit more poke.

For your budget you'd easily get a good condition ST170 if you wanted a bit more poke.

5 doors?

My father-in-law has a 55-reg diesel Focus C-Max that we've borrowed fairly often. Sooooo plasticy inside compared to the Clio and Scenic we used to have and to the Corrolla we have at the moment. My wife hates driving it.

For some od reason C-Maxes are crap inside yes, but the normal Focus hatch/estate is a different animal altogether. I defy you to come for ride in mine and tell me it's any lower qualiry than a Golf, without lying. 🙂

It also belches black smoke out the back which covers the rear of the car in black crap, but which my father-in-law insists happens to all flat=backed cars.

Nowt to do with the shape of the car at all. It's the fuel it burns (diesel) and how well the engine is running and serviced. (Poor running = smoke) Another reason to hate diesels in my book, though……

pahhh, if you want to see a mess out the back of a car check out an old petrol engine.

Started the midget up in the garrage one day after several weeks inactivity, resulted in a big flash behind me as a load of unburnt fuel was expelled and a lot of soot on the garrage doors 😀

you do know what ford means?
Fix,Or,Repair,Daily.
No not really i was total for hater years ago i test drove a focus
and bought one i was that impressed.My dad has a c max and the more you pay the better they get inside it is a 08 titanium and it really is massive inside for carrying kit.

Have used a C-Max when I went to italy last year. Seats went down, and the bike bag slid straight in. Was impressed, and it driove well. Though not as much fun around the lakes as the Mazda would have been.

you do know what ford means?
Fix,Or,Repair,Daily

Nahh, it's F***ing Old Rusty Dustbin! 😛

ourmaninthenorth.

Seriously. I miss my MX5's with an ache. I loved my weekly curry run (55miles) over the tops from Manchester to Huddersfield on a Thursday night ..and I popped out late at night just for a drive. You know Jacksons boat- the two roundabouts under the motorway? I used to come off the motorway earlier especially to repeatdly figure of 8 those two roundabouts. I still do in my Forester- however its not quite the same 🙁

In fact, I noticed my first mx5 is currently sat in the main Ford dealership at Man Utd at the moment- you can see it as you drive up and down Chester road. I look at it everytime I go past and regret **** bicycles and dogs.

The Focus I owned 'felt' good. Go with an 04/60k'er and keep the MX5. Your average mileage will drop over two cars.

Why not KEEP the MX5 and buy a secondhand Ford Focus for 5k?

Seriously.

Trust me- you buy a 10k Focus- it'll piss money for a while yet. They plateu from freefall around 5k.

been researching cars lately as we have baby on the way and the wifes fiesta aint big enough.

for the money you cant go wrong with a focus for the kit you get.

ford are gving us an amazing part ex for the 52 reg fiesta.

the new model zetec s (with the body kit) is a lovely looking car.

yes there are common as muck but so what, depends how much your bothered with that thing.

Trust me- you buy a 10k Focus- it'll piss money for a while yet. They plateu from freefall around 5k.

i can see your point but what does it matter if your gong to keep it for years and years.

i can see your point but what does it matter if your gong to keep it for years and years.

but you only keep a car for years if it doesnt start to become a money pit with repairs.

Buy a 5k car- keep it 2years and its popular it wont have lost anywhere near what a 10k car would have (assuming both are decent mechanically).

Both will be secondhand afterall.

Get a Y plate 2L petrol, should be about 3K or less now. Spend the rest on a holiday.

Superbly reliable, better fun to drive than the Golf, cheaper than the Audi.

Heavy right foot gave me 33mpg, easy to get 37+ if you take care. 5 doors, loads of storage space. I'd buy one again.

Help mum get a secondhand Mk.1 1.6 Ghia hatch 3 years ago. Nice car, no problems to speak of. A little lacking in torque low down, but handles very well!
Comfy seats, well laid out. I'd have one, perhaps the 2.0 personally.
I believe the running gear is different between the Mk1 and Mk2, i have heard that the Mk1 handles better than the Mk2, but Mk2s are still pretty good.

Our 1.8 lx estate petrol is starting to cost us a bit of dosh but it has done 85000mls. Things that have consistently gone wrong are few. Rear wheel bearings and warped discs are the main culprits. Water pump failure at 40000mls. The rest is just servicing so not bad overall. It has the best handling and feel of any car I've driven including so called hot hatches. If I could find a 170ST estate I would have one tomorrow. Diesels are great providing nothing goes wrong with the Dual Mass Flywheels and injector pump! Any savings the diesel gives you will be wiped out by a huge bill if these go wrong.

Hi ourmaninthenorth! I,ve got a two year old 1.8L Zetec climate with sports pack that i bought tax free in December 07.(Only £10,000!!) It's got 16000 miles on it now and i've not had any problems with it so far ( the wife uses it for the work commute daily) It's a great car to drive, loads of boot space, very responsive and a real giggle to take out for the occasional thrash. The only down side is that we only get 300 miles on a full tank (it only averages 29mpg)and the insurance is relatively cheap. Hope this helps.PS – i drive a BMW 3 series but i prefer the Focus for short trips. The Focus is a bit noisy on the Motorway,

I've got a 57 plate 2.0 Diesel Zetec Estate, 136 Bhp, 6 Speed, plenty fast, bucket loads of torque, 45MPG plus. Entertaining to drive, goes well full of toys and also with a roof full of bikes.

I had an old shape (04) 1.8 TDCi Estate and had horrendous problems with the engine management system when it was around three years old, in the garage 30+ times and still not fixed, the firm (co car) sold it in the end. Didn't stop me getting another Focus though, and I've been very happy with the new one for 65,000 miles so far.

People –

Thanks for all the input.

hora – we only need one car. We both work in Manchester, and I ride to work. And I'm pretty sure the MX5 won't be enough for the two of us. And I don't fancy running and insuring two cars, when the one we own is barely used.

ourmaninthenorth, go on. Tell us the details of the MX5. 🙂

From cars that were bought in 2004 – so the MOTs were in 2007

That doesn't really tell much more than which cars had MOT failure problems which is obviously important but not the only measure of reliability – eg my AC problem wouldn't have caused an MOT failure.

An alarmingly high proportion of cars fail their first MOTs for bald tyres (yes, some people really don't bother checking before it goes for MOT, and probably never checked in the first 3 years of the car's life), and many of the other most common MOT fail areas are simple maintenance/consumable items like bulbs.

While it's an interesting data set, it's not a useful metric at all for measuring reliability and probably reflects more on the sort of owners that particular models get.

As for the original question: have a look at the current shape Civic. The 1.8 petrol is a great engine (as is the 2.2 diesel, but it's pointless if you're not doing high mileages), claimed 42mpg combined, huge boot with very low/shallow lip, seats fold perfectly flat with a minimum of faffing, seats also flip up for awkward loads like plants and TVs. Interior is also far less boring than anything else in the class. They're ace.

hora – Member
ourmaninthenorth, go on. Tell us the details of the MX5.

The details are that it won't fit your baby and all the associated crap 😉

The details are that it won't fit your baby and all the associated crap

One can but dream 🙁

If you get a diesel, you can run it off of chip fat. If you also paint a big flower on it, you'll blend in when going to the posh eco-chic supermarket.

😉

ourmaninthenorth, go on. Tell us the details of the MX5

05 plate, silver, Sport, 51k miles, FSH. Reasonable nick – couple of scrapes on the bodywork. New roof (sreplaced after someone slashed the original).

Wanna buy it? 😀

If you get a diesel, you can run it off of chip fat. If you also paint a big flower on it, you'll blend in when going to the posh eco-chic supermarket.

I like the fact that the posh eco-supermarket has a sign up thanking customers for not driving, and has a car park. 🙄

As for the original question: have a look at the current shape Civic

OK. Friend has previous version. Seems like a nicely reliable car.

Snap. Heres a pic of my 2nd '5

If your talking about that place in Chorlton- its full of shit.

Snap. Heres a pic of my 2nd '5

That's just like Mrs North's car.

Except yours is cleaner… 🙂

Does Mrs North cut hair as well…? 😉

I only cleaned it once and that was when I advertised it for sale in the autotrader. The first person who came to view bought it on the spot. It currently lives in Prestwich and I often see it in the centre of town 🙁

My Y plate 1.8 has 165k on it, apart from a the sump pan, coil pack and PS pump it's had nothing but consumables done to it.

New Focus due the end of this year!

I went from a Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec 06 plate to a MX5 2.0 Sport 07 plate, and now with a kid on the way have got a Mondeo 04 plate.

I got the Focus as my parents MK1 Focus's were good fun to drive. The Mk2 in comparison is dull. Better built than a VW IMO, but completely understeer, ABS that kicked in far too easily and the 1.6 115 bhp engine was slow! It was the first car I have owned that I couldnt wait to get rid of.

Needing a family car I recently but a 2 TDCI Mondeo. It handles so much better than the Focus, has many more toys, much more mpg, doesnt understeer half as badly, the ABS doesnt kick in so quickly so you can actually left foot break, and its just as quick as the MX5.

Don't bother with the FOcus, get the Mondeo, much better value for money.

Oh and by the way, the MK2 MX5 is much more of a sports car than the MK3, if you change your mind dont get the Mk3 !

It handles so much better than the Focus, has many more toys, much more mpg

I get 37mpg (actual) from my petrol Focus.

But I'm pretty sure it has more toys than the mondeo. 😉

the ABS doesnt kick in so quickly so you can actually left foot break,

Why would you need left foot braking when driving about on the public highway?

got the Focus as my parents MK1 Focus's were good fun to drive. The Mk2 in comparison is dull. Better built than a VW IMO, but completely understeer,

Wierd. I found my mk2 focus far less understeery than my mk1 (although it does have a lighter engine so that might be the difference).

Anyway, there are better cars out there and worse, but (secondhand) you struggle to find anything else as good value.