Why The Car I Fear The Most is.... A Mk2 Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ย. 2024
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Today on the channel, I share with you a confession - the car I most fear driving is a Mk2 Ford Focus - but why?
#LearnerDriver #FordFocus #Zetec
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Focus rust very fast
Nice to see Ranger drivers are the same on the other side of the planet as they are here. Oh it was a Nissan Navara - same type of person always buys a black ute anyway.
The MK1 is the most popular in Mexican off roads (there´s no such thing as a road in Mexico)✌
Yet another of Richard Parry-Jones' great efforts to democratise great driving dynamics. May he rest in peace.
Hello, fellow reader of The Intercooler
I met Richard at an awards event some years ago - he was presenting the awards. He had brought along a Puma which Ford were just launching (I’m that old). A lovely man, a real car fan and a proud Welshman.
@@vladx2 I'm not.
@@Juiceian100 go and have a listen to his appearance on the Gareth Jones On Speed podcast. It's a good hour long but worth every second.
I've only ever driven one of these once - being known as "mechanically minded", a friend of mine asked me to check one out that he was buying for his daughters first car. I was genuinely impressed with how it drove as I really wasn't expecting much - and yes, he ended up buying it for her. I'm a fair bit older than Jay, & I learned in a 5th gen Escort - of which my overriding memory is it was a utter shitheap even though it was brand new at the time, so that's probably why I didn't expect much from the Focus.
My wife had a 1.6 Zetec when she ran her own driving school. Bought it at 10k miles, sold it at 110k miles. Literally nothing went wrong with it over that period. Great car.
That's good, but 100k miles is not a lot.
@@TheRealCatof it is when it's a driving school car! 😂
@@TheRealCatofDepends on what those miles are! Motorway/A roads? Nothing. Start stop traffic in rush hour, thats alot!
Fords can do that if looked after. My 2.0 1996 Mondeo Estate did about 146,000 miles and the only failure was a lambda sensor. It only stopped when some idiot crashed into it and it was 'beyond economic repair'.
Most cars do that mileage trouble free though
I’m a mechanic and have a facelift mk2 1.6 petrol and you’ll be amazed how many other mechanics buy them with that engine because there just so good and reliable. I love mine, great car!
In the three and a half months between me getting a drivers license and me moving out of the country, my father just gave me his old Focus. The very same mk2 in black and 120-ish horsepower with manual gearbox. So basically the first car I got to drive alone and on my own. Such a nice vehicle for a beginner, it's not too heavy on features but also a totally well equipped one. You really learn to drive a car in one. Fast forward ten years, I was getting a drivers license in my new country of residence: I needed a refresher course and taking written and road tests. The learner car? A bloated Audi Q3. This vehicle made me realise why it seemed to me that many more people were afraid of driving now than before: you have no idea what the car is doing, where it's going and how much space you have around you. Not so in a Focus, you feel and see everything you need. The car doesn't beep at you for every single little thing, it just lets you be the actual driver. Maybe I'm forgetting the bad things, but I remember it as an okay car.
Everyone needs to drive something focus-like when they are learning. Having said that my daughters learned to drive in a 1996 Defender 110. You CAN see every corner in that and now they can drive anything....
And yet Ford now think we don't want a focus or a fiesta so the range starts at the pointlessly fat puma.
It's because they can add a free 3000€ to the price tag on that.
What we would have needed though was a new Fiesta with significantly more rear headroom.
@@arnehurnik like the B-Max. Tons of headroom and is built on the chassis of the Fiesta. Drives like a Fiesta, too.
Yes. Although just using that better roof shape would do half of the work already.
Best car I've ever owned. 14 years and 210,000 miles later, still same exhaust, same clutch and same bodywork, no rust.
Hi James, thanks for the review of my MK2, as people can see I am a big fan of the Focus with the first MK1 and now MK2 as I also learned to drive in both the MK1 and MK2 and I do encourage people to give the Focus a try if they are in the market for a good all round hatchback that’s great to drive 👍
And me
You’ve got 2 lovely cars buddy
Thank you for your contribution to James ' great channel 😉👍
I own a MK2 Focus ST/XR5 Turbo but the standard Focus doesn't seem bad at all... I prefer the styling of these to the very feminine (IMO) Toyota Corolla or Mazda 3 of the same era...
@@MartinJones123'looks too feminine" sounds like something my narrow- minded grandad would say about anything other than a white dress shirt😅 don't be so insecure buddy phaha
My dad had a 2006 mk2 ford focus st3 that he’s owned for 17 years. He passed away a couple of months ago and i’ve kept it on as my second car with the aim of one day restoring it to mint condition in memory of him. Its an amazing car and i never, ever intend to get rid of it
I also have a MK2 Focus 1.6 zetec. Bought it as a stop gap and 3 years on, I still have it. It’s cheap to run, affordable and I now can’t part with it.
I've got a mk2 1.8tdci style. Can't seem to part with it. My dad borrowed it for a year then I had it back for a year then the mother in law had it for a year. Probably going to keep it till it dies but it feels like it might last forever. Got 69k on it
Same here
Pulling off a problem ?
@@Karl_Burton don't really know what that means. Does that mean the car is a problem having it around but I'm making a good situation by making the most out of the car ?
@@Karl_Burton no. Let’s face it, it’s 25 year old tech so doesn’t have the urgency of similar period or more modern cars. But does the job from getting a to b and in Surrey country road, it does it really well
Jay's battle with the Nissan pick-up truck added some interesting spice to this episode.
Yes, I liked Jay's comments - at the incident, and later - on the lack of common sense (ie cameras everywhere! And achieving nothing apart from putting lives in added danger), incompetence and bad driving of vehicle YL68 XWY, including that fast overtake with a cyclist in play. Great video Jay, many thanks. Kind regards.
The irony of it was that here in Australia the ute in question would almost certainly be a Ford Ranger.
@@johnalees99 Came here to say I was surprised it wasn't a Ranger, however many a "#navlife" numpty run a close second.
As a driver, HGV driver and cyclist: Pickups, "Redneck Transport", the worst driven things in North Devon, even worse than Audis
Someone should tell the Navara driver that according to the DVLA they has an outstanding recall on their car !
I had a Mk2 Focus, and it is indeed a very pleasant car that does everything you need for daily use. However mine seemed to be fitted with a kind of Klingon cloaking device that engaged whenever it was parked in a large carpark. I spent ages wandering around trying to find where I had left it. Apart from that though, it was great.
Around the time of the Mk 2, around 1 in 4 cars were silver, now currently around 1 in 4 cars are officially deemed to be grey, a colour, along with black or white, I can say I've never liked. People seem to choose grey because it's doesn't show road dirt up too much, I steered clear of black or white cars for the opposite reason, they do show the dirt up on a car, far worse than other colours.
I had a Mk2.5 Focus Zetec with the old 1.8 Lynx diesel engine. It was a heavy lump of cast iron up front and you could feel it at times, but it was reliable unlike the disastrous 1.6 PSA lumps they replaced it with. A cool feature was that you could adjust the weight of the steering with comfort, normal and sport modes, a surprise on such a low trim level.
1.4 PSA diesel is bulletproof on the other hand.
Lynx sorry damned phone lol
I've got a1.6 diesel 64 plate C Max Grand, running on the old type Citroen/Peugeot engine, I've had the car for almost 10 years now, no engine issues whatever. Also when I ran a water treatment company, we had various Peugeot vans, with 1.6 and 2 litre engines, doing well over 100K each time, again no engine issues. I think you'll find there can be rogue cars of any make, but I was checking out a dealer who does podcasts, based in Crewe. His latest featured why so many modern diesels are unreliable, he mentioned the PSA engines were among the most reliable up to around 2015, when Euro 6 came in, at which point the failures of all makes of diesels began.
I had a 56 plate pre-facelift 1.6 Zetec as a second car. Loved it, was cheap to run and much nicer to drive than the 2015 Punto I’d shared with my mum for a year after passing. Have now had the ST and RS versions as well
I feel your pain. I have an Audi A2 which suffers from the same issues with pulling away from a standstill. It requires all 40 years of my driving experience to manage a hill start and, even then, I have stalled-out as the whole exercise is like being a professional plate spinner having to work the clutch, throttle and handbrake in micro-managed unison to achieve something utterly basic, like rolling!
I had the same in an E39 520i Touring, M54B22 engine. The driver who couldn't stall that thing at the slightest provocation has yet to be invented.
I have a honda s2000, and sometimes it's the fastest car in the world but it seems like the slowest car at slow speeds, it has a large exhaust makes lots of noise so try to keep it quiet staying at really low rpm and everything pulls away, silly really. P
S 13 years daily never let me down once, I love it ap1 1999 x
Would that be an A2 with the 1.4 engine - either petrol or diesel? I worked in sales for VW/Audi in 2002-6 period and if I’d had a pound for every new 1.4 A2, Lupo or Polo returned to our aftersales workshops within 3 months due to persistent stalling I’d be a rich man! Thing was there was no fault as far as the manufacturer was concerned - it was just “how they were” in order to meet the first real wave of emissions restrictions. They’d used such a “tight” fuelling-map at low throttle that you either stalled or gave it some welly and shot off with the engine screaming!
You could cure it with the petrol engine by running Super Unleaded (which effectively richened the fuel/air mixture) but of course costs 10% more but there was no cure for the diesel. It was such an irritating issue and ruined our customer satisfaction survey results (that hugely influenced our pay) so much that the savvy salespeople used to subtly direct buyers to alternative engines in the range.
@@neilturner6749 Fascinating response. I have a petrol which was purchased for my son to learn to drive in. Needless to say, he has faced some challenges getting used to the throttle action. Heck, even I have struggled at times and I have been driving long enough to have experienced everything from an Austin 1300GT to various old Renaults, Audis, Rovers, Opel, Lancia and even the Ford Corsair with a V4 engine, and none of them were as easily coaxed into a stall as the A2.
Had the same problem in a 2008 Toyota Yaris, 1.5 (all of 'em here). I think early digital throttles just were far too laggy.
I had a 2004 1.6 tdci as a company car and absolutely loved it. Mind you, my company car before that was a 60 bhp Golf SDI, so it was an easy win.
Ah, yes. That was the non-turbo charged engine wasn't it?
Yes, the SDI was VW’s non-turbo diesel they put in their smaller cars. While I haven’t owned one, I have heard stories of those engines being virtually indestructible with just regular maintenance.
@@18pestilence They also do 0-62MPH is about 2.5 hours! 🤣
@@FatHead1979I think it's 18.5sec 0-60mph that's a long time though
@@FatHead1979 it was indeed. Embarrassingly slow.
The mk2 to me was a step down on the styling & fun front, but were way more comfortable mile munchers. Much prefer this engine to the Ecoboost too! I can understand James' reticence in jumping back into the car he learned in, I've refused to drive a Mk1 Clio since my test too
I would refuse to step in to the car I passed my test in but I don’t think there are too many still on the road - a Metro MG Turbo!
When I learnt in a 206 1.4 glx in 2003 it felt like it was so modern and refined 😂. Then a year or so later I owned a big (for me for the time v6 a4) drove a 206 again and a mk1 focus 1.6 and they felt so tinny in comparison with teeny little pedals.
Early ecoboost engines had way too many problems, on the 1.0l for example the turbo was too close to the block and the heat cooling cycles would crack the block resulting in needing a new engine! Bloke at work had it replaced under warranty and the new engine came with a 1 year warranty because it was certain to happen again
But a step up an the mk3
I actually think the MK2 is by far the best looking of the Focuses 😅
My first car was a mk2 ford focus, 1.8 zetec climate.
I loved it, so many adventures and fun. 30ish mpg, fast enough for me to do tonnes of trips around the country.
Super cheap to run, insure, put tyres on etc.
Great ‘don’t take on debt’ car. And now we only have my wife’s car, I sold it to my brother in law for £500 (though at the time it was worth more than that) with hope he wouldn’t go into a debt spiral.
Amazing car, would buy another one, very grateful for the memories and freedom it gave me.
Great video, I must admit I'm being drawn back to the blue Oval either a Focus or a Mondeo. With not alot of pennies to shell out on a vehicle its increasing likely.
I learnt to drive late 70s mni, my driving instructor used to make me push it hard across the fens towards Peterborough training me to read the road ahead Great fun and learnt so much from my instructor. Needless to say my first car was a mini, which I modded to drive like a go car. Happy days indeed.
This is what makes your YT channel the only car one I watch these days, a good mixture of exotica and stories along with your average every day cars for Joe Bloggs. Other youtubers start off well but end up with ceaseless videos of buying ever increasingly expensive cars.
I love a bit of posh stuff, but even for those who can afford it they're occasion vehicles - there's a lot of fun to be had at sensible money and I like to show that too :)
I passed my test in October 2021 and got my first car in January, a MK2 Focus Sport edition. I’ve still got it and I absolutely love the thing! The ST style alloys really make it stand out and look more modern than a 2011 car, it only has a 100hp variant of the 1.6 petrol but it still makes me smile every time I drive it as you can just rev it out making you feel you’re going much faster than you actually are! Unfortunately mines suffering from a rust problem on the wheel arches and other parts of the car but I have no intentions of ever giving it away until it literally falls apart under me. Not sure if it’s the first car buzz or the fact the MK2 is a gem but it’ll always hold a special place for me, thanks for the great video again Jay, definitely a bit bias if I say it’s one of my more favourite videos😉
I have exactly the same one. It was the last run out of the mark 2 before the mark 3. In fact Ford built the mark 2 and 3 together well into 2011
@@majorminor3367 I think they look better than the original mk3s, comparing mine with the mk3 on the street it looks a fair bit more sportier, obviously the trim levels and edition models make a huge difference when it comes to fords
Sport and studio models were very basic bottom of the range affairs, equipment levels were just too low especially in the earlier models up to 2007/2008
I learnt to drive in a XY Falcon (an Australian car), built like a tank, and apart from what felt like 300 turns lock to lock steering, I have a lot of fond memories. I bought a mk2.5 Focus XR5 (ST everywhere else) as an end of model demo run out in 2011 and have had it ever since. I love it. Sure I've had dalliances with other cars over the years, but all the new stuff is so boring (and expensive) that in the end I just keep it. It's due for a cam belt and the clutch is now near its end, so I'll give it a bit of a birthday and add a limited slip diff (it's only real dynamic let down) and maybe a bit of a tune. It's a great everyday car.
I learned to drive in a brand new mk2 Focus Titanium 2.0. Terrific car, extremely easy to drive, very easy to place on the road and park. All the controls felt right, including the relatively short throw gears, the stalks, steering, pedal feel etc. The works, it all felt right. I do remember it being a bit fussy on take off, but it was able to pull away okay in first, probably because it had more power.
I Had a 2008 saloon of this magic little car, the Ghia, the balance in that chassis was sublime, brakes were on point, steering perfect, and surprisingly quick. Thanks for the video JM
Other half has the 1.8 petrol mk2. It’s done 69000 miles , still feels brand new. Lovely car, pulls well.
I had a MK1 1.6 Zetec which was a great car to drive and used to go round roundabouts like it was on rails
Same, now have a Mk3 1.6 econetic diesel, not quite as fun to drive.
I'm still running a very early MK2 Focus 1.8 TDCi saloon. Currently it's on 181K miles and still on it's original clutch, DMF, injectors, high pressure fuel pump and turbo. As Jay mentioned on the video, it's important to keep on top of any new patches of rust (whilst it's still only surface rust), the early MK2s also didn't come with the long black plastic protective strip for the bottom of the sills, so I have to take extra car to grind off any rust spots etc.
I've kept on top of maintenance so despite it not looking a bit rough painwork wise, it drives like a 7-8 year old car. MOT is due in December, which I'm expecting it to pass (it passed last year without needing any work) but I think I'll probably have replaced it with a MK4.5 Mondeo 2.2 TDCI Titanium X Sport before the December 2024 MOT lands due. I've owned the car for nearly 12 years and will be sad to see it go, on the upside if everything has gone to plan I'll then own a 197BHP Mondeo with heated seats 🤣
Wow very close to my situation I have a mk2 focus 1.8tdci hatchback owned since 2008 so just over 15 years. My other car in the garage off the road for now as I'm driving the focus is a mk4.5 mondeo titanium-x powershift estate. Its not the 2.2 just the 163hp 2 litre. It's a real treat to drive though. Heated / cooled seats cruise control. Auto light's/wipers, adaptive headlights, halve leather alcantara interior, brushed aluminium everywhere.
The 1.8 Lynx diesel engines are a bit agricultural but will go on forever if maintained properly. The 1.6 engines they replaced them with had all kinds of problems.
@@DrFod I had a choice of the 1.6 or 1.8 diesel when I bought the car. The ford garage actually said I should go with the 1.8 looks like it was good advice. It's 16 years old Feb 2024 and it's cost me nothing other than fuel.
@@DrFod Indeed. The only exception to that in terms of the Lynx engine is the last 12-18 months of the production run, Ford decided it would be a super idea to change the lower heavy duty chain (that NEVER, ever failed) for, wait for it...a phucking wet belt 🤦and we all know how well wet belt's worked out of the 1st gen 1.0 EB and the current 2.0 TDCi (EcoBlue) engines #Muppets
I loved my mk2 zetec it was my third car and the first car I had that had any ammount of power behind it, going from a 1.4 astra to this felt like a different world. I told everyone it was a luke warm hatch it was great!
I'm driving a 2l mk2 focus zetec in Australia and I find it's clutch quite easy but I do have the exact same problem with being passed aggressively by large pick ups who then go slow in the bends
That's just 90% of Australian drivers. Super aggressive but basically incompetent. Anything other than a dead straight road is simply too much for them.
I had a Mk1 1.8 Petrol Ghia and, to this day, it remains one of my favourite cars I’ve owned. I had it 4 and a half years and put 68,000 miles on the clock. The ride and handling balance particularly were a revelation at the time, the 1.8 fairly pokey, with more torque than the 1.6, if a bit more reluctant to rev. It wasn’t that the car was necessarily brilliant in all areas, though it was in some, it was just that it seemed so complete as a package. It took us all round France one year and remains the only car I’ve driven round Le Mans. I’d love to try one today to rekindle old memories and see if they’re still as good as I remember. Oh, and learner car was an Austin Metro 1.0L, bright red, one of BSM’s finest!
After owning a mk 1 focus 1.8 diesel estate which was called Florence by my wife, I really enjoyed owning it for many years. I finally traded it in after reaching 300,000 miles for a mk 2 focus estate with the same 1.8 diesel engine and I've had it for 6 years. It has got 176500 miles on the clock and still pulls like a train. I really love these wee cars and the 1.8 diesel is in my opinion one of Fords best engines. I personally don't have the clutch issue, when pulling off so not sure if it has the same set up as the petrol cars.
I only recently noticed the very original tail-light design on the mk2 focus, and now i cant stop noticing them
Hi James. I learnt to drive in a 1.4 Nova SR. It was a decent car. My instructor was a lovely chap and felt at ease driving the car having been driving on private roads for a while. Then I had a limited budget for my first car which was a Talbot Horizon 1.3. It lasted a few years until it fell apart to rust. Thanks for all your superb content and entertainment.
Nova SR learner car, very cool (for the time) instructor and learner car! I had one as my second car for a year. Great fun. Got ragged stupid absolutely everywhere. Always wanted a GSi though!
I learned to drive a Mayflower made by Triumph. Since then have driven million miles in many cars . This Ford is a modern safe deal .Cars back in my time had none of the safety features but we drove them all over the world with no fear
My parents had a black 59-plate Mk2 1.6l Zetec that had been very well spec’d. it was a generally nice little car that was a reliable little workhorse. The fact they went straight to the Mk3 based on how the Mk 2 performed.
I know it’s relatively gutless, but that 1.6 always sounds nice and peppy.
These are the reviews that have kept me subbed since the really early days of your channel, and i love them. These are the cars that we can all relate to and many of us have driven, or even still drive.
When I returned from over a decade in Tokyo and was waiting for my own car to ship here, my mum gave me her Focus and it was solid and i ended up keeping it for a while as a daily. Got me where i needed to relatively quietly and confortably, literally never broke, and just kinda slowly and progressively lost power in a way i have never relly experienced with any other car until it was no longer driveable.
Had 2009 Ford Focus MK2 1.6 Ti-VCT Titanium, for over 11 years. Tuned with better injectors to 138 BHP and with Eibach suspension upgrade. Excellent piece of kit, worked like a charm, when you get to open whiny road, it always put smile on your face with handling... In 11 years and 138000 miles only thing that was bad was A/C compressor that needed to change, and clutch set at 112k interval (everything else was per service book)
9:10 That’s exactly my thought with most 2000's hatchbacks. They just still look somewhat modern today, and they're not as ugly as newer ones.
Strange phobia. My late missus had a Mk 1 (2000, X reg) 1.8 petrol Focus Ghia estate in Pacific Green. We had it for 8 years, during which it covered over 60k miles. It drove like a dream. In the 8 years, only one fault - a drive shaft went, after around 18 months, both sides were then replaced under warranty. According to the son-in-law, who's a mechanic, this was a common fault that Ford tried unsuccessfully to keep quiet. Apart from that, 8 years of successful motoring, we then handed it to our granddaughter, after a further 2 years, some clown pour paint stripper over her car and two others parked nearby, so that was that. For years, the Focus was the Number 2 best seller, behind the Fiesta.
I had a mk2 1.8 zetec for a year . It rusted more every time I washed it. It was a miserable experience for me. It doesn’t go on performance or engine size for brakes but trim. You need a Ghia or above for rear disc brakes. Great video ,sent shivers down my spine to be reminded of it too.
Cornering behavior like a sports car. Underrated vehicle.
I have a mk2 ford focus 1.6 zetec automatic that i bought with 33000 miles on it 8 years ago.It now has 125000 miles on it.It has passed every M.O.T,all i have ever replaced is a battery and a stop light and normal stuff like tyres,etc and it never lets me down,rain or shine.It's been a great car...
I still think the mark 1 was a much prettier car than any of the following models. I know they had to update it, but I honestly think the mark 2 was a step back in styling. The mark 1 is a classic.
100% agree, the mk1 was a very sharp shape.
The MK 1 has aged well in my opinion.
@@kofib3 I have had a 2004 model since 2006. Mk 1 Still going!!
@@michael5089 Enjoy and look after it for many years to come👍
@@kofib3 ☺️👍
Had an 06 plate between 2011 & 2019, best car I ever owned,
Had 50k when I got it & ended up on 240k when I sold it, still original clutch/gearbox & no major mechanical ussues when I traded it in against a Mk3 1.6 diesel 2013,
Engine was pushed a lot over that period & took it well, eventually rust took its toll,
Loved it & would consider buying another one as a run around❤
My nemesis of a learner car was a Hillman Imp (yes, I am that old!). The surging/kangarooing tendency on start off due to the rubber driveshaft doughnuts is something I remember, plus the disconcerting way you had to ram the gear lever across the gate to find reverse. Fond memories of the ex-Army instructor asking me to stop at the tobacconist during lessons so he could keep his pipe lit! I eventually owned a couple of Imps, one of which I rolled over on a gravelled country lane while showing off, so my (over) confidence had grown since the learner days!
I've had my 2009 mk2 1.6 Zetec estate for just over a year now. 80k miles - made sure it was solid then 1st thing I did was timing belt, aux belts & refresh the front suspension including wishbones which were an advisory from the last 3 MOTs. Already had new springs on the back. A few months later at MOT timeI had the trailing arm bushes done & they made a significant difference considering the cost of them (about £14 the pair). Spent a few ££ on the car but worth it. The only niggle I've had is a common one - the pressure sensor in the ABS pump went faulty. £225 Recon unit to replace + a few hours for the mechanic.
Admittedly I've had the ST versions, but still basically Mk2 Focus and they have been brilliant cars. Extremely reliable, well-built and tough. No rust and great paintwork. Loads of space and comfort and enough tech for me. Plus with the ST its fast and easy to modify. A great Ford.
We have just sold a 2012 1.6 zetec with 230k on the original engine. We had if for 12 months no issues what so ever and 43mpg. Fantastic car.
I learned to drive in an N reg Vauxhall Corsa (B).
I got 5 free BSM driving lesson vouchers when I opened an account at Midland Bank!
I had 10 lessons in total and passed test first time, thanks to my driving instructor, he was brilliant.
I bought a 1993 L reg Ford Escort, it was horrific. 1.3 with no power steering, keep fit Windows and true poverty spec. Never have you heard tappets so loud 😂.
As much as I like Fords, that Escort has put me off them for life...
Just had my mk2 focus scrapped yesterday, broke my heart it was a brilliant car!
The Mk1 and Mk2 Focuses enjoyed great success from the minute they arrived, and cars that are everywhere with nice looks like those Focuses are the cars I tend to go for.
I had an 11 plate Sport model with 128,000 miles for work recently, and while the 1.6 TDCi drove amazingly, the comfort and convenience qualities let it down tremendously. Not a single radio station maintained its frequency, my Bluetooth kept disconnecting, and even tuned into Radio 1 it had a bug where it kept cutting out, and this actually activated the engine lights briefly. I spent the whole day on edge.
Apart from the 5-pot ST (sold here in Oz as the XR5) the other Mk2 Focus I wanted to drive was the 1.6 turbo-diesel. I still like the design of these.
[edit] I meant to type 2.0 TDCi, not 1.6 [/edit]
Crazy how it still looks good and modern (except for the interior obviously)! I especially like the rear.
If you want a tricky car to get off the line cleanly, you're welcome to try my MK2 Mazda6 2.5L sport. it's the hardest thing to pull away smoothly I've ever driven in my over 30 years of driving, yet once it's going one of the nicest driving cars I've ever owned.
I bought one of the last Mk2 models, second hand, from a Ford dealership in 2013. I still have it and it is serviced annually by the same dealer. It was registered in 2011, one owner, 23k on the clock and six months warranty remaining. It is a 1.6 TDCI. It cost me £10,000. It has now done 92k. It has broken down once when the EGR valve failed at about 42k and has never failed an MOT. I have had to replace a screen washer pump, alternator, battery and front discs and pads plus the usual replacement of tyres and wipers, a couple of light bulbs etc. The timing belt, tensioner and water pump were recently replaced in line with service recommendations. It has no rust. It is nice to drive and a few months ago, on a long motorway trip, it returned 82 mpg. I have no complaints and I feel that it owes me nothing. I'm 70 now and retired, so whilst it's always tempting to "upgrade", I think I'll save my money until one of us dies or diesels are made illegal!
Ive stuck 17" wheels on my mk2 with 215/55/17 tyres (for reference same size as a nissan juke or vw t-rok) amazing they fit ok and never rub. The rid over bad roads is amazing. And the speedo is spot on according to gps dashcam and google maps. And it still handles like its on rails. Suspension on these cars is way to firm. Its a bit like a cross over without the premium. Its also made it much easier to get in and out of due ti the extra height.
Hello Jay. My name is Sinuhe. I am from Mexico City and learned to drive in an American MK1 Focus Wagon 2.0 Zetec wih the 4-speeed auto. Amazing car. It managed to survive 23 years of Mexican daily punishment 4 different drivers from the same family and several dishonest/incompetent mechanics( including the ones at the dealership). Right now the car has a broken engine bolt and needs replacement of the head gasket and also needs a new battery and possibly also an alternator replacement. It also needs new suspension parts and I have not been able to find the proper steering replacement. But I love it like no other car so it´s my project and I hope in a few years it can look and drive as new or even a little better. Greetings from the American continent and please keep up the great content in this fabulous channel of yours!
We drove our 2009 Ford Focus 1.6 zetec all the way from South East Bulgaria up to Helmsdale in the Scottish Highlands and back again. Six thousand miles in an epic road trip.
The car behaved magnificently, didn't need any oil or coolant.
It's clocked up 88,000 miles and has all its original parts from the day it left the dealer.
What more can you ask from a car?
I learned in a mk5 Escort 1.6i Ghia as I recall, back in 1997. It was a great car.
I now have a mk3.5 Focus 1.5 TDCI Titanium X. Its a decent car right enough. Nothing really to complain about at all.
Had a mk2 Focus diesel as a courtesy car earlier this year and was very impressed with it. 130k on the clock and had previously been in a frontal accident and repaired, but it drove absolutely fantastically. Don't recall it being difficult to get off the line though, and I usually drive an automatic, so if anyone was going to have problems, it would be me. Maybe it had had a recent new clutch or something. Anyway, it was a brilliant car, and I certainly wouldn't be opposed to buying one, just so long as I could find one with a torque converter auto.
My younger brother had an 09 plate the same as this but the original radio. Bought at almost 30k as a 3 yr old trade-in. 1st MOT by Dagenham motors failed on headlight misalignment - which became a yearly theme. It ate H7 bulbs until he bought Osram instead of bulk Amazon ones, and avoided closing the electric window with dipped beam on. He thought the motor caused a surge. The headlights eventually gave up on some plastic clips and required replacement. Original battery lasted 10 years. Needed an alternator some time after that. He killed the clutch at 93k. Cambelt changed at 100k. 3rd windscreen. 2 pheasant bashes (1 dent near NS fog knocked out from inside, some of lower grille missing and never replaced. Osram diadems to replace the rear coloured bulbs which fade. Aircon wouldn't regas due to some more expensive leak. That's about it! Traded in for £300-odd at 150k. Still got MOT until next year I see. VED is a bit steep for what it is in my opinion due to CO2.
Had the same model in an auto and although the fuel economy was average at best it was such a solid well planted car that gave you loads of confidence when driving it. The auto transmission was buttery smooth and we had seven years trouble free motoring out of it.
I'm currently learning in a Ford Puma. It's ridiculously easy to drive and it'll take anything a learner can throw at it
I had a Mk1 Focus 1.6, hand on heart - one the best and most reliable cars I ever owned. And an absolute delight to drive.
I had that car, in that colour. I bought it brand new from John Grose in Ipswich, it was great and had the lightest clutch of any car I’ve ever driven. 2 years later I traded it for a new Focus ST.
Incidentally I paid around £12k for the 1.6 Focus in 2011….here we are twelve years later and a similar Focus from new is about £30k that’s a price rise of 250% (with little/no haggling or deals these days) ridiculous money, and with Ford ditching their popular and somewhat affordable Fiesta in favour of massively overpriced electric vehicles that hardly anyone can pay for (and hardly anyone wants), I actually think Ford might end up going out of business, or just end up selling work vehicles like the Transit.
Time will tell.
I owned a mk2 1.6 for two years. It wasn’t quick but the controls were weighted nicely, steering gave good feedback and just handled well. It also happens to be one of the most reliable cars I’ve owned.
Brought a mk2 1.8 zetec as a stop gap in 2013 at 33k miles. Over 10 years later I still have it. Although it’s done 135k miles it has easily been the most reliable car I have had to the point that I’m struggling to let it go
Couldn't agree more about Mk1 Focus. My daily driver is a 1.8 Zetec Turnier from '02. 200k miles on it, w/o any problem. Serves like a Swiss watch. Just finished the DIY restoration (brakes, exhaust, rear suspension, all fuel lines, at home) That's a keeper, at the age of 21.
Hired a Focus Mk2 in Newcastle and drove to the lake district. It was a revelation for me. Not much power but such a joy in the corners.
Ha, my parents had one of these for many years. It was a great car and incredibly reliable given the lack of attention they gave it. When it came time to get a new car, they gave it to me to sell and make a few quid.
I gave it a good clean and a service, and when it came to dropping the oil, I couldn't believe what I saw. The oil was by far the worst I have ever seen, quite thick, very very black, but no signs of metal flakes. I checked the paperwork and that oil had done nearly 60k miles!!
Some fresh oil later and the car sounded soooo much better, even with 160k on the clock.
My only criticism of the car was the gearbox. At motorway speeds, the revs were far too high and sounded like it needed another 2 gears!
Apart from that, it drove great!
The mk2 focus is a very good car with the seats down you can almost anything in there
My first car was a 1990 Mazda 323F (Astina). Faded red, 10 yrs of experience and a hoot to drive. I absolutely adored it. So much in fact, that I replaced it with a 1997 323F (Lantis) in 2006, a car that I probably liked even more. Then I switched to VAG cars, then to BMWs and now I have a Mazda again, be it only for the weekends. It's a 2006 MX-5 2.0 and it's absolutely fabulous.
I learned to drive in a MK5 Astra with a 1.3 Diesel engine. My mother owned a MK2 Focus and its probably the best car she's ever had. Comfortable, easy to live with, fairly reliable, spacious and great to drive. Still a great car 18 years on 😊
Just got one exactly like this. I like driving cars, but I don't like spending too much money on them. Was looking for a no nonsense car with nice handling characteristics and roomy interior. Found a 2009 mk2.5 with 70k miles on it in absolutely prestine condition inside and out. For the money it's an absolutely great car. Runs great, handles great, comfortable, seats 4 adults, big boot. Interior still looks modern (i think) and tidy. I think I actually love this so very average automobile😂
I learned to drive with a N16 Almera 2.2 DCi. The 320 Nm of torque were an absolute delight to learn the clutch with, very forgiving. With 140 horsepower, still one of the most powerful machines I've driven, history of 1 and 1.2 litre engines galore. :D
I had that engine in my Ford Mondeo. Even in that heavy car he was lightning fast. Especially with the 6 gearbox
My MKII is an 07 56 reg. Now 17 years old. I got it 3 years ago with only 51000! 1.8. Ghia. Petrol. Lovely car. Now has 66000. Engine is beautiful, size perfect. Seats very comfortable… velour.
I learned to drive at 13 and I am currently 15.I pointed out my age to show how easy to drive the car was and the car in question was a 2004 2.0L 150hp Honda CRV. It is a big car and old so many think that it was a hard car to drive, park etc.Neverthelss it was surprisingly easy, easy to drive in town, easy to park, the steering was also very light for a car its size and the weird handbrake placement actually made it easier for handbrake turns and starting when parked on a hill. Also it was very practical and had quirks like the picnic table that came from factory. An amazing all rounder for even when u want to have some fun behind the wheel(especially off road).
Feels very nostalgic seeing a tidy one in AA driving school spec, then realising it was 14 years ago I last drove one. Thanks for that 😄
Had one. Genuinely brilliant car. Drove well, looked ok, could fill it up take rubbish to the tip. 🤣
I had a MK2 Focus (2.0 Titanium) way back in 2005 and to this day, it's probably the best all rounder I've had. I had two MK1s before and they were great but the Mk2, for me, was an even better car (except the styling) and it was brilliant to drive.
I learned in a Nissan Almera… until i fail 4 times, at which point i switched to the AA and passed in a mk2 focus. At that point we had an early mk1 2.0 focus which i loved. We then upgraded to a mk2 1.6 saloon, we loved that but the issues that we had with the VCT system ended up killing us and we got rid for a 2.2 civic diesel. I look back at the 2 focuses we had and i think they were beautiful to drive.
Yay! I had fully loaded black 05 Ghia saloon for 6 years. A very decent car that was, except rust. Usual stuff around wheel arches etc. Dirt cheap spare parts available everywhere was a massive bonus. Much better motor than similar year's competitor Auris
Don't forget the Focus CC! With Pininfarina styling. Not one of their prettiest efforts though.
I purchased a Mk1 Focus 1.6 Automatic saloon for £500 and drove it home to Scotland from London a few years back, and was amazed even in its lowly spec how fun it was to drive! And always loved the interior ever since my Granddad had one when they were more modern. My example's interior with the lavishings of very fake wood everywhere was a bit cack but still loved the swooping lines everywhere. And had a shot of my mate's Mk2 Style. I was sad Ford departed from the unusual New Edge look and went a bit conservative, but it was lovely to drive, and the gearbox was so surprisingly nice to use for an ordinary car.
The diesels are much more forgiving for learner drivers.
1.8 and 2.0 Duratec petrols can drink oil.
Find a well serviced 1.6 ti-vct or 1.6 tdci and it's usually a good time.
I was tought how to not stall in a field in my own Citroën ZX 1.816v while my dad flew RC planes.
Small displacement twin-cam engines like my ZX and this Focus are easy to stall due to no low end grunt.
As a learner driver it can be a bit tricky at first, you need to compensate clutch movement with throttle.
Diesels and large displacement engines are easier, because you can let the clutch up fully and the car will get going and not stall.
I think you get the point :)
I have the MK2 1.6 tdci Zetec estate, 59 year it also has wind-up rear windows, discs on the back also, but it is actually the 2010 model. 75+ on a long journey cheap road tax, plenty of torque and it isnt slow, when needed, comfortable easy to drive, excellent road holding, (the Zetec have sports suspension).
When in the UK 10 years ago I had rented a MK2.5 Focus and been very impressed with it. Six months ago here in Western Australia I bought the same model with a 2 litre Tdci and it's a great car. Very economical and the dry climate here along with no yearly MOT means it will last forever.
I learned in a 1984 MK2 Fiesta 950 Popular. No brake servo. No power steering. 4 speed gearbox. Took the actual test in my mum's 1982 MK1 Fiesta 1100 Ghia. That was in 1986! The MK2 Focus is a good honest car - you're right about the rust though!
I had one of these as my first car at 17. Exactly the same as this one. Absolutely loved it.
This is my first car, have it since 2019 and love it.
Like you I learned in an AA Ford Focus, passed second time and loved the car so much that I bought a Mk1 Focus 5dr. 1.6l petrol, and... Ghia spec - grey leather seats, wood trim and a tape player!
I have not one but two Focus Mk2, both pre facelift, both '05 model, both blue, one with the 1.6 100hp Zetec, the other, with the 1.8 TDCI Lynx. Both have passed the 300k km mark and still running just fine, i love how they handle, the petrol one is super fun in twisty roads, loves to rev to the redline, the diesel have lots of torque and it's gearbox is long enough to travel comfortably on the highway. Sometimes people argue that they are just crap cars, but for me they are just perfect, I don't need anything else.
Seems to be a decent car. I learned on a MK1 Golf Diesel with 53HP. It was the standard driving school car at the time. Observable difference between full throttle and no throttle was the noise level of the engine.
My mum has had one for the last 6 years, I've owned 3 Focus' myself and they've always been fantastic cars.
Had a 2006 1.6TDCi 110 with the CVT. Bought it at 36k. Brilliant motor, right until the torque converter imploded at 80k. Managed to find a specialist that could recondition and uprate rather than replace, ran it up to 170k and flogged it without trying to the lad at the hand car wash when I took it in to clean up before putting it up for sale. Not sure why people complained so much about the 1.6 TDCi engine, so long as they were serviced on time, got decent diesel, driven on the motorway regularly and had the Eolys fluid topped up every 50k it was fine.
Bought a 2005 1,6 petrol model 3 months ago for £800, had to put in a bonnet opening mechanism, new handbrake cable plus minor service cost me £200. Then the alternator belt came loose had to replace that another £70 plus £70 to have the AA tow it home. It was also making a very strange sound like there is sand hitting the undercarriage when i accelerate fast, but that has stopped now. Other than that everything on the car works and it feels like a no nonsense reliable machine. I commute every day in it and use it on the weekend roadtrips. Fuel economy is good for around 400 miles per tank. Overall I am happy with the car would rate it 7/10 considering its almost 20 years old.
I did my driving lessons in a 1.6 nissan Almera. Sold my mk2 focus zetec climate 1.6 last year for £300 it has a hornet catback exhaust on it.
Currently got a 2013 Mk3 focus Titanium Navigator with the 1.6 150bhp ecoboost and thoroughly love it.
I had a 2006 2.0 titanium. It was a great car to drive (If a bit slow) but it suffered lots of rust at around 10 years old. In the end it died when someone rear ended it at a junction. Our Mk1 Focus looked better IMO and didn't seem to suffer as much rot.
Rust is no problem if you know a few tricks. Tinfoil, when crushed to a ball makes a hard surface. Fibreglass is cheap and laminating the undercarriage is simple to learn. Just remember to put some black schmoo on it for the MOT. Like all vintage motorists say: "Just don't crash".
I own one of these in the estate version and a mark 5 fiesta 1.4. Both cars 100% reliable. They don’t have the torque of diesel cars but can cruise at motorway speeds easily. I maintain and waxoil all my own cars and rust up to now has not been an issue. Enjoyed the video. 👍
My uncle has the 2006 model FOCUS C-MAX with the Duratec 1.6 engine excluding Ti-VCT that puts out 100 HP. After I got my license, I drove that car for some time and I can say, even though it is super heavy for the engine it has (C-MAX of mk2 is about 1350kg min), it drives and goes wonderfully but I have couple of complaints. One as he said the clutch bite point is super difficult to get used to. It is super appearent to me due to coming from a corolla of the same year which has (imo) a super easy clutch to modulate. The other one is that at highway speeds it is so buzzy due to gearing being super short. It turns about 4000 RPM at 120kph in 5th which is super annoying on long trips. None the less, it is a fun car to drive :)
I too was an AA learner 20 years ago. I hated the heated screen on the focus. My instructor went self employed and got a fiesta black. Great little car
Had a mk1 focus with the TDCi diesel engine. A very good car. A Focus a great car. .