ford focus (oldshape) should I?

04 1 owner, 12months main dealer warranty, 7 stamps all Ford 1.6 engine. Should I?

Need a reliable motor, easy and nice to drive whilst I rennovate my house.

how much?

1.6 petrol? SWMBO had one from new for 5 years/50k miles. Never missed a beat. Bit gutless, not very economical but a joy to drive.

We’ve had an ST170 for two and a half years and had no issues,and they were rushed into production,just had niggles like rattling cat heat shield,leaking headlamp washers and engine management sensor lights coming on but only in the cold,reliability wise (Engine) not a bean,

Whats the mileage ?

I bought a 5 year old 1.6 Focus and drove it without issue for another 5 years. I would probably still be driving it now if Babyfish hadn’t arrived (it was a 3-door model).

56k miles, 3.3k. Well 3.6k but I’m not paying that. Unfashionable colour but I need a good tool rather than pretty with carpark posing power

My dad has a 1.6 Focus, newer model… Nice car but the engine’s gutless. My own Focus is the rather feeble 1.8TDDI and it’s actually slower 0-60 and makes about 10bhp less, but it’s a much nicer engine and far easier and more pleasant to drive around at lower speeds. Mine is also a fair bit more economic, and I think it’s an insurance group and a tax band lower.

I do like Foci, even my fairly sheddy one, but I wouldn’t have the little engines if there was a choice.

I found the 1.6 petrol a good compromise. Not too powerful so no tyre shressing going on and you had to drive it. You had to be in the right gear rather than relying on brute force and ignoreance and the petrol engine is loads lighter than the diesel lumps which spoil the handling IMO.

Mrs Boblo got rid of hers at about that mileage and nothing had gone wrong at all. Just tyres, not even pads needed.

Northwood I hear you but mileage and price are higher cancelling out the main benefits of the need for acheap hassle-free runaround.

Seems a bit steep is it a garage or private ?

I bought a 54 focus estate tdci with fsh and 25000mls a couple of years ago for £3900(off the classifieds on here in fact)

hora – Member

“Northwood I hear you but mileage and price are higher cancelling out the main benefits of the need for acheap hassle-free runaround.”

Oh. Not really specifically recommending a diesel, mine was a steal but usually they aren’t. Just saying that mine has a pretty puny engine in it by modern standards yet the 1.6 still feels weak and horrible by comparison. It reminds me of riding my old 125cc motorbike.

I have a ’99 Focus estate still going strong. Has needed a few bits replaced as it ages (coil, exhaust) but nothing major so far (fingers crossed!) Is starting to look a little shabby now, but otherwise is a great car. 2 litre petrol engine which is nice, if a bit thirsty. But on my low milage that hardly matters.

You could have my octavia tdi for not much more than the asking price of that focus…

Great cars. Had one for 4 years and had no issues with it

Bits are cheap and plentiful

Drive really nice, one of the first mass produced cars that were built by engineers not accountants

If I was buying another runabout tomorrow I’d happily get another one

I’m on my second focus (both old shape). The first was a company car (i.e. ragged to death) and that was fine while I had it. Now got another, ok so far, touch wood. Apart from minor crash damage.

No. That’s well steep!
YGM

my st170 is coming up to 9 year old and i have owned it for 4 years. coming close to 75k miles and its still running fine although the engine management light goes on and off of its own accord.

in that time other than the normal servicing i havent had to do anything major and has been mega reliable.

as said above that price seems high especially with the state of the current secondhand market.

Father in law has an 02 same model – great car. The 1.6 is fine when you get used to it

1.6 will be totally gutless, but it depends what you want from a motor.

Price does seem a bit steep and I never really liked the old Focus, although the Top Gear crew had it rated as a very decent car.

Jme ygm back (but location is probably a stopa). Steveh I’m interested if your selling?

Jme ygm back (but location is probably a stopa). Steveh I’m interested if your selling?

Unfashionable colour

You’ll be greatful for this when you park in a large car-park. Mine’s silver and I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve stood at the wrong car pressing the key fob like a madman. 😉

1.6 will be totally gutless,

Nahh, it’s not. If you’re used to a 140bhp diesel with a mountain of torque (And associated turbo lag) it’s not going to be fast, granted, but it’s a lovely little smooth, responsive, revvy unit and will pull from nothing in any gear if you want it to. It’s also a very refined engine, virtually silent at speed.

We’ve had an ’05 1.6 Zetec Estate for nearly 2 years and it’s a good car. Quiet, well built and cracking handling with nice sharp turn in. I’ve driven the equivilent diesel (My sister’s company car) and it’s noticeably ‘duller’ to drive: It feels heavy, understeery and not as sharp (It’s probably not, it just feels like that: Solid rather than sharp)

Driving it back to back with my MILs 2.0tdi VW Eos we have on loan right now, I prefer the Focus. It’s sharper handling, better built, rides better, has less rattles and is also better equipped (Apart from the VW’s leather seats and bangin’ stereo!)
The heated front windscreen and washer jets are particularly useful right now..!

We get 36mpg avarage

😆 I popped into the dealer selling the Focus last night and asked a few sly questions. Its been in dealer stock since Oct. So possibly they have a stock turn-policy and will send it to auction after a specific period. I’ll play hardball on price as it is too high.

Key to me is providence over price. I must know a car is 100% genuine with no questions over its previous use or mileage etc otherwise I’d run for the likes of a Octy TDI- around here ALL of them are run by taxis.

Spend at least £2k less on a totally reliable but totally unfashionable Honda/Nissan/Toyota and renovate your house more quickly?

Hora, what model & milage and how much is it? 🙂

Feb 08 we bought ours. 1.6 Zetec Estate with climate pack, totally immaculate, 16,000 miles, 3 years old at the time, £5995.

(i.e. It had lost £10,000 in 3 years!)

EDIT

Ahh, just looking and it seems ours is the newer model than the 2004 ones, I thought they changed earlier than that.
A nice average milage 2004 Focus with decent spec (Zetec or above) is £2500. Choose carefully and you should get a Ghia for that money.

I’ve just noticed

A nice average milage 2004 Focus with decent spec (Zetec or above) is £2500. Choose carefully and you should get a Ghia for that money.

renders this statement utter rubbish!

Spend at least £2k less on a totally reliable but totally unfashionable Honda/Nissan/Toyota and renovate your house more quickly?

Sorry. 🙂

Naranjada the main issue is having to google problems and revisit garages for fixes.

I spent more money and bought a nearly new Toyota Yaris from a Toyota main dealer. I’ve been back twice and had countless calls before they’ve accepted my rejection of it over a gearbox problem.

Its going back tomorrow. I just want something simple and reliable so then I can spend time focusing on the matter at hand, that is hiding my pipes properly in the kitchen 😉

10k in three years? 😥

Another ST170 here, We’ve had It for 8 years now and It’s been a great car, very reliable with no major mechanicals.
If you are thinking of looking at a second hand ST170 everything you need to know about them Is here[/url].

I like the ST170 but the tax puts me off.

If you don’t mind beating the hell out of the engine up hills, it will be a reliable, cheap to run car.

A mate had one for 3 years and 60k miles with almost nothing going wrong.

ST170 is brilliant but as you say, much pricier to run.

Ooo hello

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201049374688850/sort/priceasc/usedcars/maximum-mileage/up_to_60000_miles/price-to/6000/transmission/manual/engine-size-cars/1-7l_to_1-9l/maximum-age/up_to_7_years_old/model/focus/make/ford/page/1/postcode/m41ld/keywords/%221%20owner%22/radius/20?logcode=p

Had an 03 1.6 Zetec for 8 years and done 80K (95K total). Good to drive and very reliable.

Other than regular servicing it’s had a left rear wheel bearing and a new dashboard (common fault so only about £100 to have replaced).

Still on original battery and exhaust, starts first time and averages about 36 mpg on a 20 mile commute.

Every man and his dog has one but you can see why.

My parent’s have had the 1.6 Zetec for a few years and have had no problems apart from the blocking pollen filter thing, which is a known Focus fault and should have been rectified under a recall. Check this one has or you’ll end up with damp, musty carpets and a wet passenger footwell.

The engine is perfectly fine for a medium sized hatch. Yeah, it’s not going to set the world alight but it’s far from gutless & slow. It’s just a standard engine in a standard car.

This is what I need. Of course you cant guarantee any ‘old’ car you buy will be hassle-free but hey ho. I’ll see what this dealer says about the price on the red Focus and leave it with him.

I had an 06 plate 1.6 zetec 115bhp. Although well screwed together (better than a VW IMO) it was just too sluggish and very thirsty.

I now drive an 54 plate Mondeo 2.0 tdci 130bhp with cruise control, climate, etc. I bought it just over a year ago and paid £4k for 36k miles and full Ford history.

Its much quicker than the Focus, drives better, much more room, 50mpg.

Wouldnt buy a Focus again when the Mondeo gives you so much more for your money.

1.6 will be totally gutless,

LOL – the kind of thing written by people who think they’d have been an F1 driver if only someone had spotted their talent. It’s a car for getting around in. 1.6 is perfectly adequate for that purpose though maybe not as an ego-chariot or for proving your manliness off the lights 😆 🙄

On the engine size, I once drive a 1.0 Aygo down to Germany and back with no issues or scares. Its how you drive them and how you stay off the brake pedal 🙂

+1 Clubber 🙂

They’re prefectly fine. Lovely little engine. I don’t find I ‘thrash’ it very often at all. I think it pulls rather well to be fair.

10k in three years?

Yup. But noy OUR £10k so who cares? 😉

Buying new is for muppets.