This car must attract lots of insects. I used to have a bmw 2002 in more en or links less the same color (golf yellow it was called) and it always attracted summer bugs like butterflies, bees, etc
As someone who owns a mk1, 2000, pre facelift Focus with the 1.6 engine, I can say its a amazing car! Very happy to see you driving one, especially in this very interesting colour
They used the 306 as an example of what they were aiming for. It would be interesting to do a back to back comparison of a Focus Mk1 and a 306. I was struck by how much my Mazda3 Sport, based on the Ford C-car platform used for the Mk2 Focus, felt like my old 306XSI.
I still like the styling of the first-gen Focus. "New Edge" was almost as revolutionary for Ford in the U.S. as the Taurus was in 1986. The second-gen U.S. Focus was such a letdown in comparison, even after they removed the fake chrome vents from the fenders.
Agree 100%. The first Focus was polarizing in 2000, yet didn't compromise function for the style. Much like the original Taurus. Like the Taurus, that Focus pushed the envelope in it's segment for refinement, comfort, and style. That's why I bought my yellow ZX5 that was identical to this one. The second gen Focus, for the US market, was beyond disappointing
@@roorentalcarreviews884 but if you had owned one you’d have driven it to pieces because while it looked a little staid…but it knew it had a job to do and did it well..,mine i drove 250000 miles with zero failures and then gave it to my nephew who now makes it his car to work and home…he is a pinch penny so he’ll no doubt get at least another 100000 miles from it….sometimes it ain’t about the looks or performance…it’s about taking a chance on getting a darn good car.
@@jonnycando There's no denying that the '08-11 US market Focus was reliable. I ended up referring a number of people who needed a reliable car. But the magic was gone. The fresh, optimistic styling was replaced by staid and traditional, the funky, clever interior became a blocky stack of buttons, the hatchbacks were gone, the fake air vents were tacky and even the spare tire was deleted. It became a Ford version of a Corolla: bland, unimaginative, and reliable. Good for those who didn't care about cars. But the thrill of the original was lost, especially since the MKII Focus overseas still had a lot of character
@@roorentalcarreviews884 I’ll be honest too I bought mine when the government was buying our gas guzzlers with the proviso we should replace it with an economical vehicle (cash for clunkers, ultimately a crime but such is hindsight) and I picked the Focus SEL because it was festooned with leather and premium this and that, which I thought i had the means to move up to but without going overboard in price….it only in time revealed itself as a terrific and lovable car. Most recently i opted for a 21 Mazda cx30…why? All wheel drive…good fuel economy and the propensity to look more expensive than it is…but it IS red and everyone knows red goes faster….but alas I’m practical in my own goofy way and will never apologize for it.
It really isn't good enough to make up for the rest of the car though. (Nor is it actually THAT good.) One of the most overrated cars I've ever been around. A case of jumping on the bandwagon IMHO.
@@Spac8 I had a 1.8 tdci LX estate 2002 I couldn't fault it. Thought the handling and ride were great. Maybe the LX spec had softer suspension? Only thing that lived up to the focus is my mk4.5 mondeo titanium-x with sports suspension. Had a mk2 focus 1.8tdci style and the handling and ride suck. Suspension is much to hard. Never settles constantly jiggling unless it a perfect road surface.
They were nice to drive, I disagree that the car was overrated. Of course the Focus was not marketed in the United States as a family car (like in the UK), it was marketed as a commuter car that was comfortable and got good gas mileage (which is what most folks(including myself) bought the car for). Family cars in the USA at the time were Taurus/Sable, Camry, Accord and then later SUVs. For a commuter car, it was pretty good and drove very well on the highway. We got the 2.0l engine with 136hp and the 2.3l engine with 164hp as options.
I disagree. I had one - 1.6 Ghia with low mileage. It was gutless, uncomfortable and woefully crashy even around town. Hung onto its revs like a Leyland National. Gear change from a tractor. I put decent tyres on it as it had 4 ditchfinders when bought, even after this it still didn’t fee right or inspire me with confidence on the road. Got shot of it after a month. Perhaps I just had one made on a Friday afternoon? Worst car I’ve ever owned.
Yep, I remember Chris raving about the Mk1 Focus RS. But if it has to be pre-owned and cheap then technical condition should be your priority nr1. Not brand and model. There are other really nice late 90's early '00's hot hatches available like Clio RS, Civic type R, Saxo VTS
Great review Ian, having owned a mark 1 focus I can testify about the handling, still the best generation of Focus, would have another one in a heartbeat.
I own a mk2 the ride and handling suck. I even test drove a 2013 mk3 that wasn't any better. Gave my mk1 to a family member. I have a mondeo mk4.5 with sports suspension handling is good again now.
You could say that the triangle of doom is part of the triangle theme of the car! I used to have one, a year 2000 1.6 Ghia in Black - it had to have the tailgate replaced under warranty because the lower edge was starting to rust through, the car was only about 4 years old.
Only continuing what had gone before. I bought a B-reg XR3i at just under 3 years old and the hatch had already rusted out around the wiper hole due to the spoiler trapping water under it.
@@Mouse2113 seemed to do fine if kept clean but so many people didn't manage that. Mudflaps, wash inside the wheel arches. Wash under the back up under the boot floor. Go along the sills. And keep the bottoms of the doors clean.
Chris Harris said that if it all went wrong and he needed just one car to get through tough times, it would be a mk1 focus, says it all about this car.
Meh.. I dont find it better than a Megane, Astra, Golf... I'd say Golf was much better at everything: handling, comfort, gearbox. Even Megane was better. I wanted to buy a focus, drove it and got so disappointed in it. :( Forth place for the Focus.
@@dan_6915 megane astra golf all soft handling heavy boring crap boxes. I can tell you do not know anything about cars and handling. Probably think a Nissan Leaf is fun.
I loved the Fords of the mid to late 90s. The Focus totally moved on the small family hatch game with that styling and handling, the Fiesta came good, we got the chuckable Puma and the MK1 Ka was a huge amount of fun. They all had great gear changes too. Shame about the rust but good to see that this beast has managed to fend it off, even with those miles
Loved my Focus LX, it was cheap to buy, cheap to run, you could get parts anywhere, they were easy to work on, everyone knew how to work on them and they did everything adequately - definitely a Hubnut type car.
I think it's interesting how "normal" the first Focus became, considering how relatively unusual it was at the time. They're almost completely anonymous now. I've had two facelifts and a mk2... the suspension, even when completely knackered, is still great.
Control Blade supension is a rather specific type of IRS, Australian I believe, functionally it is basically semi trailing arm supension but it takes up less space.
I had the station wagon version in the United States. It was the "ZTW" model which meant it was loaded with all the available options. It was used as a commuter car and with routine maintenance it made it to 257k with minimal issues before being rear ended and totaled. Never failed to start or left me stranded .
I rented one of these for a couple weeks in MA. The handling and steering was a million miles better than any other American car. Mind you, an early 2000 Buick Regal was superbly comfortable and astonishingly fuel efficient.
Looking forward to more Fords on HubNut! I'm a huge fan of those Parry-Jones had a hand in. I maintain that his transformation of the third generation Fiesta into the fourth generation of late 1995 was remarkable.
Interesting. I think the mk 4 is worse than both the mk 3 and mk 5, and the facelift is even worse. I would say the mk 1 Focus and Ka are some good looking cars though. I'm trying to think of a more recent car that I actually prefer but I can't think of one.
@@benholroyd5221 I never said the MK4 was a looker 😂 I admit it isn't. But my point was that the engineering - suspension, steering, NVH, etc. - transformation from the MK3 was significant
@@benholroyd5221 The Mk7 Fiesta is my personal pick. Its so common that we don't really give it a second glance but its a phenomenal drive and actually a pretty good looking car. I've owned one since I first passed in 2019 and It's actually hilarious to me that my neglected '09 which hadn't seen a service in 5 years or so was altogether a tighter and nicer drive than the literal brand new Corsa that I'd learned to drive in.
@@Reddsoldier I don't like the rear end from a practicality pov. I assume its more aerodynamic, but then if thats so important why all the SUVs? So while I don't dislike the design per se, I disagree conceptually with what is supposed to be a super mini.
I have a 2000 mk4 golf gti 1.8t (in really excellent nick as it happens) and one thing is certain: the fun factor and handling of a 1.6 mk1 focus leaves the stodgy torsion-beam golf trailing in its wake. Wish I'd kept that focus...
Had a silver mk.1 1.6 as a company car in middle east... fantastic road holding flat out on roundabouts, drove like it was on rails. Got a mk.3 2.0 Mondeo after 18 months when my millage was around 7,000km per month.
Even if you don't like Fords, so what??? (I know it's untrue but I'm just saying) Just because everything at the moment is Ford, Ford, Ford, doesn't mean everyone should worship their every creation. Escorts have always been crap, yes, even the Mk1. They were a budget built, throw away rot box. The Ford bubble will burst soon just as it did years back when Mk2 Jags were silly money. Now they're cheap. And all those who have been buying 30K Capri's and Cortina's will be crying into their empty bank books. Anyone who pays that amount of money for what was basically a budget built, throw away family car must be nuts when there are so many better choices out there. But it's all worked well for me, one of my fleet is a Mk2 1600E Cortina which I've owned for many years. I gave a few hundred quid for it and spent a few hundred more restoring. I noticed the prices creeping up shortly after buying it, so I hung onto it. It's going up for sale after Christmas and some nutter will give me around 15K for it 🤣 And the funniest thing of all is that it's not a patch to drive compared to my 71 Humber Sceptre. So throw the hate my way, I don't mind a bit. Fords ain't "all that". The only Ford I actually like is the 67/68 Galaxie, and I'll be looking for one next year.
I don't understand how anyone can say 'pity most of them have rusted away'.... I see more Mk1 Focus'es than almost any other 20 year old car. Most of them are the bombproof Zetec petrols because the TDCI's are more expensive to repair when they play up. The earlier TDDI's are incredibly long lived. The bloke who owns the garage where I take my cars for its MOT told me he thinks the petrol Mk1's are the best cheap runarounds money can buy. They will...of course...be classics. A modern classic already IMO.
My brother had a Mk1 Focus in that horrible metallic turquoise, that he picked up for banger money in 2008 or so. Must admit I preferred the (rare) saloon and estate to the hatch that always had too big a bum, lifted too high in the air for my taste. And the interiors didn't really pick up on the 'new edge' language and let the car down IMHO. Got to love lairy 90s colours (though arguably they were still preferable to today's palette of greys, black, white and dark blue.) Seems as though the Focus millennium edition was rather more successful than the version of Windows that went by the same name! With only a thousand built, and most of those probably long since scrapped, I can see this becoming a good investment in years to come, especially considering what many 80s and early 90s retro Fords are now fetching.
Mk1 2003 focus st170 was my second car.... Its still is my car 😂 been driving it everyday for 17 years and love its as much as the first time I drove it 😊 i don't think I could drive anything else now, tried a a mk2 it's was awful and ugly, mk3 was not much better 😂 only fault is the triangle of doom and the thirst nature of mine 🤣
My wife got herself a new Ford Fiesta when my 1999 Ford Cougar got too long in the tooth and needed too many fixes to keep it going. She generously gave me her Mk1 Ghia Ford Focus, 1600 Automatic which she had from new in January 2000. I use it twice a week to take my golf clubs to the golf course so it's not adding many miles to it's 60,000 in 21+years. Still immaculate leather interior and no rust anywhere it has done us very well and seems to want to go on for ever.
I had a 02 ZX-3. one of the best things about the design was the fact that the cup holders were in front of the shifter. It was so nice not to have to use you drinks as a arm rest.
Sadly not very good memories for me, we bought a 2000 plate ghia back in 2007ish , had it a few months ,then at mot time it turned out it was a cut n shut, wife wouldn’t drive it after that 😔
My only experience of a focus was having to use a much later car for a couple of weeks as part of my old job, I was told they would be hiring me a focus and secretly wished for it to be a 1.0 ecoboost as the engine fascinated me, 1.0 and 125bhp if memory served, I did a mixture of motorway and A road in it, what a machine, a very schizophrenic car I felt, drove like a tiny not very exciting sounding 3cyl when you were pottering about town but made a beautiful noise and handled really well when you were pushing on a bit.
It is rather strange to see my daily driver in a HubNut video, tbh. I have a German market 2002 Focus Finesse with the 1.6 Zetec-SE (fun fact: the Zetec-SE was developed by Yamaha) and 166 k km on the clock. It has no rust, and apart from normal wear, there was never a problem. Even at 19 years old, it is still extremely fun to drive. This can't be said about many other cars. Oh, and just two weeks ago, it passed the German TÜV inspection without remarks ("ohne Mängel").
You are the most practical and down to earth car reviewer ever. I'd say that if the rest of the auto journalists were as objective as you,we would have much better new cars than we have now
@@cornishhh it's basically the same car mk1 and mk2 they really just put a bigger heavier body on and upgraded the springs look like more work was needed. Suspension at the back is identical.
Yes they did the zetec came from the mk5 escort in 1992 starting with xr3i. Then rest of the range . They were planed as zeta engines but due to name issues became zetec
Nah, the five door hatchback is hideous, yet the saloon actually looks quite nice. The front half, I think, is reasonably attractive but the rear half on the five door hatchback looks incongruous with it. If I'm being objective, it was a successful car in its sale numbers and serviceability but I'm put off by its popularity among the legions of chavs who had them and how bland most versions were. The 1.4 and 1.6 were underpowered.
The story I heard (not verified) is that Ford thought most people didn’t care about handling, so put any old toss under late mark Escorts. Parry-Jones went out and bought a Peugeot 205 and analysed what made it so good. The lessons learned went into the Focus. Turns out people like driving good handling cars, even if they don’t know what handling is!
205 or 306? The latter is more likely and I've read somewhere that they had a 306 on hand when developing the Focus. I went from a 302XSI to a Mazda3 Sport (BK) based on the Ford C1 platform car as is the Focus 2 and its handling felt remarkably similar.
Success Car from Ford...Triangle of Doom to match.unfortunately.(if only they got it right)! With 186k that piston rings can tell a tale or two! A well-looked-after example at 22years later. Thanks for Top test Ian !!
Sometimes higher mileage is easier on a car, because it means it has seen motorways for the most part of its life. Maintainance ultimately defines how a car ages.
The mk1 Focus! Probably my favourite car of all time. I owned my first one (1.8TDDi Zetec) for 8 years (2004 to 2012), I absolutely loved that car ❤ The Millennium edition was actually based on the Zetec spec but with added toys (4 electric windows, AC and heated windscreen, leather). A clue is in the silver trim pieces, they were black in CL and LX, and wood effect in Ghia. The Zetec spec chassis is tuned to be on the sportier side whereas CL, LX and Ghia models have slightly softer suspension, which IMO makes them handle even better on the road, especially with the neglected road surfaces all over the UK. Unfortunately, like many Fords of the era, rust was the biggest problem the mk1 Focus had. Mine went in the rear arches, the boot lid, and the bottoms of the doors. If I could have afforded to repair the rust properly at the time, I'd probably still have that car now, which was on 209,000 miles when I let it go, but drove like it had a quarter of that. The TDDi had only one mechanical achillies heel - the electronic Bosch fuel injection pump, shared with the 1.7DTI Vauxhalls of the era, and some 2.5TDI Audi models. That pump is a common failure on every vehicle fitted with it.
Yep! Agree with everything you've said there!! Including the fuel pump. Mine (also a 1.8 TDDi Zetec) went when the wife was driving it over Salisbury Plain; she said that the dash lit up like a Christmas tree and the car stopped!! But I repaired mine, a friend of a friend that ran an independent garage managed to source a pump from someone breaking a TDDi Transit Connect; £500 all in. New Pump was £1,000 and a Ford dealer quoted £500 to fit; I believe that a lot of Mk1 TDDi's were scrapped because this.
@@stuartjones8238 yes, many TDDi variants are scrapped because of the pump. It's usually more than the car is worth to replace the pump. Mine went at a junction believe it or not. I thought I'd stalled it, but no, the pump had gone. I think I paid around £600-700 for a reconditioned pump from a diesel specialist, and fitted it myself. I paid out around £150 on various seals, a new timing belt, and other consumables for the job too. Car ran sweet after though. To be fair, it ran sweet before. Even with 209,000 on the clock, the engine was perfect - pulled well, never used any fluids, always good on diesel.
The first gen Focus was the most reliable car out there according to the German testing organisations. More reliable than the Toyotas and Hondas of the same period.
You do need to make more mention of the 1.6 litre version. I have owned both models. 1.6 is lighter and has better handling although the Yamaha engine has less character.
the 1.6 was the most popular choice of engine and it lasted in services until around circa 2018 I believe as the Duratec Ti-VCT. It has its own distinctive characteristics.
These cars drive very good, the steering is super direct. Same for my fiesta from 2001 1.25 zetec, great steering nice engine but rusts like there is no tomorrow.
Me too, alternator, fuel pump, fuel pump fuses and losing lots of oil from every orifice didn't inspire me to keep one for long, but it was fun to drive whilst it worked!!
Love the mark1Ford focus pity they ruined it with Mark2 I also think the 1.8 engine was the best one they did for economy and performance the 1.6 and 1.4 where to underpowered for this market where is the 2 L was very thirsty personally owned a 1.8 and found it much much better than my brothers 1.6 and 2 L which he tradedin because he wanted something a bit more poke.
I had a similar vintage Fiesta that came with the heated front screen - one of the best things ever invented. All vehicles should have them and save your blower fan from screaming its head off.
The mk1 Focus is an epic car. I had a T-reg 1.8 Zetec in Amparo Blue and it was honestly one of the best cars I’ve owned - fabulous to drive, reliable, zingy, sure footed and all round excellent. That independent suspension set the standard that hatchbacks for only catch up with about 15 years later! Great video Ian.
This car reminds me of late 90s when: Depression percentage was lower. Suicide rates were lower. Homeowners rate (ESPECIALLY in london) was higher. Such lovely times.
I DO like that indicator noise! It reminds me of my childhood when we had a 2002 MK3 Mondeo LX Estate. I did note when we got it though that it was very different to the indicator noise on our previous MK1 Mondeo LX Estate
I had a mk 3 Mondeo. It was a great car. Alas it would bizarrely go mouldy in the winter, hence moving it on for a mk 4. I didn’t really like it and sold it to my brother.
@@stevesrover Our MK1 went mouldy after we got the MK3 as it didn’t get used much. The MK3 was very reliable other than the fact that it used a lot of oil. It didn’t appear to burn it, and it didn’t leak either. We never figured out where it went!
@@johngarland6782 Our mk 3 was reliable too! It has also a hoot to drive. Quite a step up from my Sierra that was, sadly, on its last legs. I quite like Fords up to this era. Nowadays, nothing really excites me but then I drive something from another era.
There’s just something about the mk1 focus , I think it’s aged well , always thought they where a good solid car and well designed , as usual good interesting video, keep em coming Ian 😎👍
After the MK5/6 Escort, really it could only get better or Ford would have been in deep trouble. Meanwhile the poor mugs who bought a Ford Ka at the time were yet to find out what a rot bucket that was (my misses was one of them). Now Ford may be done for anyway because they've been so slow to offer a EV range. Not a Ford fan myself.
I think one of my cousin had or still has one of these Milleniums. It was definitely the same colour. High level tail lights: one of those design details I never thought would go away. The mark 3 onwards Focus don`t have them. I thought that they were an excellent idea.
I was selling VWs when the MK 1 Focus came out and I largely dismissed it as I wasn't a big fan of the styling. That was until I took one in part exchange against a MK 4 Golf I sold to a repossessions company. I had to then drive the Focus back to the dealership - a 7/8 mile drive. I was truly amazed. It was everything a MK 4 Golf wasn't. The ride was a fair bit firmer than a Golf but the handling was a revelation. The Focus was a much more complete car than the Golf and whilst the Golf interior was superficially nicer than the Focus, they gained lots more rattles and trim issues with age than the Ford. The MK 4 Golf was also the second model of Golf that suffered from VW's cost cutting so they lasted well to a point but then had many niggling issues with things like electric windows, trim degrading, centre console rattles and problems with cheap ancillary components. The Tdi versions were arguably better than the Ford equivalent but given the choice today I'd have the Focus. A much more honest car than the Golf if you're not into badge snobbery.
The 1.8 diesel (1753cc) that ford would use was really not upto the job. Cast iron. Started (58hp) got a turbo then got direct injection. (Tddi) then common rail (tdci) still the same engine. Even gained a dodgy wet belt in the bottom of the engine that drove the cam belt. Overall they are sort of reliable. Not great on fuel or performance though
@@LewisPhot Yes. Aside from front wings the MK 4 was generally better at surviving the tinworm. As for mechanical reliability there wasn't much between them. I sold both new and used. More complaints about the Golfs mainly because customer expectations were higher.
@@chrishart8548 the Tddi was pretty much bombproof. The Tdci was only so so. Well outclassed by the VAG stuff. The Focus deserved better engines. The V5 and V6 engines in the Golf were lovely but installed in a chassis that was biased towards comfort rather than handling. They were a real handful if you pushed them on.
@@amarith1972 ford have done better when they just used Peugeot engines. Like in the 2.3 diesel Sierra and later PSA 2.0 in the mk4 mondeo. Then of course the focus got the 1.6 diesel psa with free road tax in the MK2
Thank goodness you put the badge straight. I was starting to twitch. I really like the mk1 focus, I've had a mk1.1 (2003) tdci sport for 18 years now and it's still pleasing upon the eye, and fun to drive.
i had a 2004 sport tdci 3 door in imperial blue a few months back 78000 miles and sold it as the rear arches were going abd decided to keep my ghia tdci which is rust free but loved how the sport drove i do have a grey one sitting at the side of my house which is rotten but use it on the farm for daughter to learn to drive.
My goodness that bright yellow makes your metallic pink and gold Multipla look positively plain! ⚠️😯😁 I personally feel people who own yellow cars should be arrested and jailed.😯⚠️😁
I have to say, looking at the Ford Escort Mark V, I have a new appreciation for 1990-1996 Ford Escort we had in the USA. We had that style of Focus from 2000 to 2007. They "refreshed" the front end from 2005-2007. I had a 2005 Focus, It was a nice car that gave me no trouble at all for all those years I owned it. It just needed gas, regular oil changes/ services (tires, plugs, coolant) and it was good to go. I replaced it with a 2012 Fiesta in bright lime green. That was a fun little car with its manual transmission. The sunroof was so far back in the roof that it was pretty pointless for anything (except if you had back passengers) but it was a good car
Shocked by everyone gushing all over these. I suspect they've never had to work on one! Just wait until you have to replace an alternator... and you'll quickly fall out of love with them. POS, imho.
Escorts were fairly crap from the MkIII onwards, IMO. The MkI Focus was a revelation, and still by far the best looking Focus. The Mk2 was downright bland, ugly even, with a really dull interior.
You should have seen the U.S. Escort that this car replaced, it was completely divorced from it's European protégé by then. In 1991, we got a new Escort that was a rebodied Mazda 323 in a 3 door and 5 door hatchback, and a wagon. In base form, we had the 1.9 liter four cylinder 8 valve OHC engine from the previous Escort, but the sport models and the GT had a Mazda 1.8 16 valve (turbo in the GT). Then in 1996, the powers that be in Ford decided that we needed a jelly bean sedan, a coupe with an ungodly high trunk lid, and a sort of special sportier coupe with a lower body called the ZX2 (first Zetec engine in the USA!). In 1999, Ford came to their senses and we got the same Focus as you guys, although, oddly, the 5 door hatchback (like this one) wasn't available in the US until close to the end of the production run of this body style (we had the three door version). The hatchback models for the US market were all made in Mexico, while the sedan and wagon versions were made in the US.
I've owned 3 of the cars mentioned- a Focus 2.0 Ghia, a 323F 1.8, and an Escort Mk 6. The Mk6 was under-rated in my opinion- no, it wasn't as good as a Focus (nothing was at the time), but it handled and went about its business pretty well. The 323F was a good car- I personally didn't find the ride too bad, but I do prefer to sit higher up, and my Mum hated getting in and out of it because it was so low. The Focus was the best car I've ever owned (as well as the most expensive- it was 2.5 years old when I bought it), and it replaced an Audi A4 1.8.The Focus was light years ahead of the Audi on just about every metric, bar the quality of interior plastics (not a Ford strong point). More reliable too. I felt the ride/ handling bias was absolutely spot on for me- far superior to the Mk1 Mondeo, which was harsh. Didn't like the fake wood trim, and the road noise was excessive. Quality of stereo was good- excellent reception too compared to the Audi. Didn't mind the 'triangle of doom'. Every drive was a pleasure, but especially when I went to visit my Mum in Dollgellau- North Wales, the drive from Gloucester was really fun.
Best looking Focus. MK1 Kuga which we had for years was also the best handling & riding car in its class, superb vehicles both ruined by Ford on their updates, the Kuga totally so.
This car (and Mazda 3) is actually ”Pinto2000”, because ’pinto’ in Japanese is ’focus’ in English. Ford Pinto was indeed a one trick pony, because it could present huge flames.
Hmmmmm bright yellow so bright ....... lol bugger my Fiat hmmm gold pink ..... ok Ian i'm teasing you .. never owned a focus i'm a .......... shite opal / lol vauxhall ... nice car i might creep to dark side ....... 🤪 ford... onre day .. but the alure of the nissan CUBE beckons .... .. are you interested in the most never uk imported nissan i'm thinking off getting a imported cube ........ or hmmmmmmmmm Focus
Mines the 1.6LX MK1 (Facelift) approaching 125k How were the rear aches on that Millennium? For my next car I am looking at something with the ability of the Focus :)
Shame you don't see many left.:( I used to look after a fleet of company vans.. Renault kangos..and two 1.6 early Ford focus estates. Every week I'd look over the Fords and (very high mileage) week the oil level was off the dipstick! They were excellent workhorses! Very poor plastic dash, buttons and controls though. They kept working though! Couldn't not fault the handling and running costs. One salesman was a 'big man' and destroyed his driver's seat!
"That really is bright, isn't it" says the man with the metallic pink and gold Multipla.
I agree, after the Multipla, I didn't take the sunglasses off!
My thoughts exactly. Did they test the colour on a "focus group"?
This car must attract lots of insects. I used to have a bmw 2002 in more en or links less the same color (golf yellow it was called) and it always attracted summer bugs like butterflies, bees, etc
well if he says it, it must be true
not keen on mulitipla just metallic pink
As someone who owns a mk1, 2000, pre facelift Focus with the 1.6 engine, I can say its a amazing car!
Very happy to see you driving one, especially in this very interesting colour
I wanted to buy one recently. Just out of nostalgia.
I was disappointed.
@@dan_6915 why?
My old MK1 focus is still the sweetest handling regular car I've driven.
They used the 306 as an example of what they were aiming for. It would be interesting to do a back to back comparison of a Focus Mk1 and a 306. I was struck by how much my Mazda3 Sport, based on the Ford C-car platform used for the Mk2 Focus, felt like my old 306XSI.
@@Graham_Langley 306 xsi is surely the benchmark. The road tests got a bit carried away
Totally agreed
I still like the styling of the first-gen Focus. "New Edge" was almost as revolutionary for Ford in the U.S. as the Taurus was in 1986. The second-gen U.S. Focus was such a letdown in comparison, even after they removed the fake chrome vents from the fenders.
But the second generation was drop dead reliable and that ended up being all that mattered.
Agree 100%. The first Focus was polarizing in 2000, yet didn't compromise function for the style. Much like the original Taurus. Like the Taurus, that Focus pushed the envelope in it's segment for refinement, comfort, and style. That's why I bought my yellow ZX5 that was identical to this one.
The second gen Focus, for the US market, was beyond disappointing
@@roorentalcarreviews884 but if you had owned one you’d have driven it to pieces because while it looked a little staid…but it knew it had a job to do and did it well..,mine i drove 250000 miles with zero failures and then gave it to my nephew who now makes it his car to work and home…he is a pinch penny so he’ll no doubt get at least another 100000 miles from it….sometimes it ain’t about the looks or performance…it’s about taking a chance on getting a darn good car.
@@jonnycando There's no denying that the '08-11 US market Focus was reliable. I ended up referring a number of people who needed a reliable car.
But the magic was gone. The fresh, optimistic styling was replaced by staid and traditional, the funky, clever interior became a blocky stack of buttons, the hatchbacks were gone, the fake air vents were tacky and even the spare tire was deleted.
It became a Ford version of a Corolla: bland, unimaginative, and reliable. Good for those who didn't care about cars. But the thrill of the original was lost, especially since the MKII Focus overseas still had a lot of character
@@roorentalcarreviews884 I’ll be honest too I bought mine when the government was buying our gas guzzlers with the proviso we should replace it with an economical vehicle (cash for clunkers, ultimately a crime but such is hindsight) and I picked the Focus SEL because it was festooned with leather and premium this and that, which I thought i had the means to move up to but without going overboard in price….it only in time revealed itself as a terrific and lovable car. Most recently i opted for a 21 Mazda cx30…why? All wheel drive…good fuel economy and the propensity to look more expensive than it is…but it IS red and everyone knows red goes faster….but alas I’m practical in my own goofy way and will never apologize for it.
These are fabulous cars to drive. The handling is absolutely sublime
It really isn't good enough to make up for the rest of the car though. (Nor is it actually THAT good.) One of the most overrated cars I've ever been around. A case of jumping on the bandwagon IMHO.
@@Spac8 I had a 1.8 tdci LX estate 2002 I couldn't fault it. Thought the handling and ride were great. Maybe the LX spec had softer suspension? Only thing that lived up to the focus is my mk4.5 mondeo titanium-x with sports suspension. Had a mk2 focus 1.8tdci style and the handling and ride suck. Suspension is much to hard. Never settles constantly jiggling unless it a perfect road surface.
Pity that rust has killed almost all of them
They were nice to drive, I disagree that the car was overrated. Of course the Focus was not marketed in the United States as a family car (like in the UK), it was marketed as a commuter car that was comfortable and got good gas mileage (which is what most folks(including myself) bought the car for). Family cars in the USA at the time were Taurus/Sable, Camry, Accord and then later SUVs. For a commuter car, it was pretty good and drove very well on the highway. We got the 2.0l engine with 136hp and the 2.3l engine with 164hp as options.
I disagree. I had one - 1.6 Ghia with low mileage. It was gutless, uncomfortable and woefully crashy even around town. Hung onto its revs like a Leyland National. Gear change from a tractor. I put decent tyres on it as it had 4 ditchfinders when bought, even after this it still didn’t fee right or inspire me with confidence on the road. Got shot of it after a month. Perhaps I just had one made on a Friday afternoon? Worst car I’ve ever owned.
I think that Chris Harris has said that an old mk1 focus with all the bushes done on the suspension would be his choice for a really cheap fun car.
The £2000 challenge, this was when they were going for £500-£700… not anymore I doubt😂
Yep, I remember Chris raving about the Mk1 Focus RS.
But if it has to be pre-owned and cheap then technical condition should be your priority nr1. Not brand and model. There are other really nice late 90's early '00's hot hatches available like Clio RS, Civic type R, Saxo VTS
That triangle of doom actually matches the triangular design aspect of the car 😂
Great review Ian, having owned a mark 1 focus I can testify about the handling, still the best generation of Focus, would have another one in a heartbeat.
I own a mk2 the ride and handling suck. I even test drove a 2013 mk3 that wasn't any better. Gave my mk1 to a family member. I have a mondeo mk4.5 with sports suspension handling is good again now.
Mine handles pretty bad since the front suspension is all sorts of loose due to wear
You could say that the triangle of doom is part of the triangle theme of the car! I used to have one, a year 2000 1.6 Ghia in Black - it had to have the tailgate replaced under warranty because the lower edge was starting to rust through, the car was only about 4 years old.
The back doors really went on the bottom edge.
Sounds about Ford.
Only continuing what had gone before. I bought a B-reg XR3i at just under 3 years old and the hatch had already rusted out around the wiper hole due to the spoiler trapping water under it.
The rust proofing for Ford's this age was really bad. Shame because they were on a roll
@@Mouse2113 seemed to do fine if kept clean but so many people didn't manage that. Mudflaps, wash inside the wheel arches. Wash under the back up under the boot floor. Go along the sills. And keep the bottoms of the doors clean.
Chris Harris said that if it all went wrong and he needed just one car to get through tough times, it would be a mk1 focus, says it all about this car.
Meh..
I dont find it better than a Megane, Astra, Golf...
I'd say Golf was much better at everything: handling, comfort, gearbox.
Even Megane was better.
I wanted to buy a focus, drove it and got so disappointed in it. :(
Forth place for the Focus.
@@dan_6915 megane astra golf all soft handling heavy boring crap boxes. I can tell you do not know anything about cars and handling. Probably think a Nissan Leaf is fun.
I loved the Fords of the mid to late 90s. The Focus totally moved on the small family hatch game with that styling and handling, the Fiesta came good, we got the chuckable Puma and the MK1 Ka was a huge amount of fun. They all had great gear changes too. Shame about the rust but good to see that this beast has managed to fend it off, even with those miles
Pity about the dead rear wiper. Maybe the original owner should've coughed up for the Peter Crouch option.
Sadly that was a £795 optional extra that many couldn't afford
If the plural of Focus is Focii then surely they made a thousand Millennia? 😋
Loved my Focus LX, it was cheap to buy, cheap to run, you could get parts anywhere, they were easy to work on, everyone knew how to work on them and they did everything adequately - definitely a Hubnut type car.
Fairly rubbish interior but great handling car. My sister had one back in the day and I was impressed.
there's a triangle theme which continues both inside and outside the car. and also includes a whopping triangle of doom
I think it's interesting how "normal" the first Focus became, considering how relatively unusual it was at the time. They're almost completely anonymous now. I've had two facelifts and a mk2... the suspension, even when completely knackered, is still great.
One commenter at the time pointed out that if you took away all the styling bits it was a very boring shape.
@@Graham_Langley surely you can say that about any car. It's a family hatchback, what were they expecting?
Still modern looking after all these years !!!
Control Blade supension is a rather specific type of IRS, Australian I believe, functionally it is basically semi trailing arm supension but it takes up less space.
It was developed to be used in the next-gen Ford Falcon’s
I had the station wagon version in the United States.
It was the "ZTW" model which meant it was loaded with all the available options.
It was used as a commuter car and with routine maintenance it made it to 257k with minimal issues before being rear ended and totaled.
Never failed to start or left me stranded .
I rented one of these for a couple weeks in MA. The handling and steering was a million miles better than any other American car. Mind you, an early 2000 Buick Regal was superbly comfortable and astonishingly fuel efficient.
I drive an 04 ZTW. Wonderful car and it's only at 145K right now. I want to drive it for a long time.
Amazing how many clean Mki Focuses there on roads in UK. I think they're such good cars people keep hold of them.
Tonight he's going to drive it like it's 1999.....
Looking forward to more Fords on HubNut! I'm a huge fan of those Parry-Jones had a hand in. I maintain that his transformation of the third generation Fiesta into the fourth generation of late 1995 was remarkable.
Interesting. I think the mk 4 is worse than both the mk 3 and mk 5, and the facelift is even worse. I would say the mk 1 Focus and Ka are some good looking cars though. I'm trying to think of a more recent car that I actually prefer but I can't think of one.
@@benholroyd5221 I never said the MK4 was a looker 😂 I admit it isn't. But my point was that the engineering - suspension, steering, NVH, etc. - transformation from the MK3 was significant
@@joshbrailsford oh sorry, I thought we were talking design language and looks.
I rescind my private thoughts about you needing glasses :-)
@@benholroyd5221 The Mk7 Fiesta is my personal pick. Its so common that we don't really give it a second glance but its a phenomenal drive and actually a pretty good looking car. I've owned one since I first passed in 2019 and It's actually hilarious to me that my neglected '09 which hadn't seen a service in 5 years or so was altogether a tighter and nicer drive than the literal brand new Corsa that I'd learned to drive in.
@@Reddsoldier I don't like the rear end from a practicality pov. I assume its more aerodynamic, but then if thats so important why all the SUVs?
So while I don't dislike the design per se, I disagree conceptually with what is supposed to be a super mini.
I have a 2000 mk4 golf gti 1.8t (in really excellent nick as it happens) and one thing is certain: the fun factor and handling of a 1.6 mk1 focus leaves the stodgy torsion-beam golf trailing in its wake. Wish I'd kept that focus...
Had a silver mk.1 1.6 as a company car in middle east... fantastic road holding flat out on roundabouts, drove like it was on rails. Got a mk.3 2.0 Mondeo after 18 months when my millage was around 7,000km per month.
I love this channel. Thanks Ian.
Even if you don't like Fords, so what??? (I know it's untrue but I'm just saying) Just because everything at the moment is Ford, Ford, Ford, doesn't mean everyone should worship their every creation. Escorts have always been crap, yes, even the Mk1. They were a budget built, throw away rot box. The Ford bubble will burst soon just as it did years back when Mk2 Jags were silly money. Now they're cheap. And all those who have been buying 30K Capri's and Cortina's will be crying into their empty bank books. Anyone who pays that amount of money for what was basically a budget built, throw away family car must be nuts when there are so many better choices out there. But it's all worked well for me, one of my fleet is a Mk2 1600E Cortina which I've owned for many years. I gave a few hundred quid for it and spent a few hundred more restoring. I noticed the prices creeping up shortly after buying it, so I hung onto it. It's going up for sale after Christmas and some nutter will give me around 15K for it 🤣 And the funniest thing of all is that it's not a patch to drive compared to my 71 Humber Sceptre. So throw the hate my way, I don't mind a bit. Fords ain't "all that". The only Ford I actually like is the 67/68 Galaxie, and I'll be looking for one next year.
I don't understand how anyone can say 'pity most of them have rusted away'....
I see more Mk1 Focus'es than almost any other 20 year old car. Most of them are the bombproof Zetec petrols because the TDCI's are more expensive to repair when they play up. The earlier TDDI's are incredibly long lived.
The bloke who owns the garage where I take my cars for its MOT told me he thinks the petrol Mk1's are the best cheap runarounds money can buy.
They will...of course...be classics.
A modern classic already IMO.
My brother had a Mk1 Focus in that horrible metallic turquoise, that he picked up for banger money in 2008 or so. Must admit I preferred the (rare) saloon and estate to the hatch that always had too big a bum, lifted too high in the air for my taste. And the interiors didn't really pick up on the 'new edge' language and let the car down IMHO. Got to love lairy 90s colours (though arguably they were still preferable to today's palette of greys, black, white and dark blue.) Seems as though the Focus millennium edition was rather more successful than the version of Windows that went by the same name! With only a thousand built, and most of those probably long since scrapped, I can see this becoming a good investment in years to come, especially considering what many 80s and early 90s retro Fords are now fetching.
Mk1 2003 focus st170 was my second car.... Its still is my car 😂 been driving it everyday for 17 years and love its as much as the first time I drove it 😊 i don't think I could drive anything else now, tried a a mk2 it's was awful and ugly, mk3 was not much better 😂 only fault is the triangle of doom and the thirst nature of mine 🤣
My wife got herself a new Ford Fiesta when my 1999 Ford Cougar got too
long in the tooth and needed too many fixes to keep it going. She
generously gave me her Mk1 Ghia Ford Focus, 1600 Automatic which she had
from new in January 2000. I use it twice a week to take my golf clubs
to the golf course so it's not adding many miles to it's 60,000 in
21+years. Still immaculate leather interior and no rust anywhere it has
done us very well and seems to want to go on for ever.
Still a sharp looking car. I've a real hankering for an S Reg Focus
for me the focus was never a match for the astra.
Had a couple of Mk1 Focuses over the years, always loved the outside and hated the inside in equal measure. Great handling little things!
I had a 02 ZX-3. one of the best things about the design was the fact that the cup holders were in front of the shifter. It was so nice not to have to use you drinks as a arm rest.
Sadly not very good memories for me, we bought a 2000 plate ghia back in 2007ish , had it a few months ,then at mot time it turned out it was a cut n shut, wife wouldn’t drive it after that 😔
My only experience of a focus was having to use a much later car for a couple of weeks as part of my old job, I was told they would be hiring me a focus and secretly wished for it to be a 1.0 ecoboost as the engine fascinated me, 1.0 and 125bhp if memory served, I did a mixture of motorway and A road in it, what a machine, a very schizophrenic car I felt, drove like a tiny not very exciting sounding 3cyl when you were pottering about town but made a beautiful noise and handled really well when you were pushing on a bit.
It is rather strange to see my daily driver in a HubNut video, tbh. I have a German market 2002 Focus Finesse with the 1.6 Zetec-SE (fun fact: the Zetec-SE was developed by Yamaha) and 166 k km on the clock. It has no rust, and apart from normal wear, there was never a problem. Even at 19 years old, it is still extremely fun to drive. This can't be said about many other cars. Oh, and just two weeks ago, it passed the German TÜV inspection without remarks ("ohne Mängel").
You are the most practical and down to earth car reviewer ever.
I'd say that if the rest of the auto journalists were as objective as you,we would have much better new cars than we have now
i think the Zetec is just generally a bit raucus- certainly compared to the equivalent gm ecotec
had an st170 for a couple of years. great handling car but was abit firm on some roads.
Really love the focus mk1. Had one for 1,5 years. Had a mk2 for a few weeks but the mk1 is a much better car.
Had the mk2 with a 1.6 engine and the chassis was too heavy and not as ridged. It would twist and squeek over bumps. The mk1 was a far better car.
@@cardude5323 for sure. My mk2 whas olso the 1.6. I really loved the mk1 much better
It's rather sad when a good car is replaced by a car which is worse. IMO that's been happening with a lot of makes over the years.
@@cornishhh it's basically the same car mk1 and mk2 they really just put a bigger heavier body on and upgraded the springs look like more work was needed. Suspension at the back is identical.
I have always liked the MK1 Focus, if I had one I would want the saloon version just because they are unusual, and getting fairly rare
I had a gold Ghia saloon! Nice car, but the boot opening was rather small and I think they looked a bit odd.. I've always preferred the hatchbacks.
''And it was all Yellow''. I learn't to drive in a mk1 Focus. Great cars.
Yes they did the zetec came from the mk5 escort in 1992 starting with xr3i. Then rest of the range . They were planed as zeta engines but due to name issues became zetec
Very nice condition for an old Focus with so many miles on the clock, a credit to the owner.
Yes nice condition bar the added tat, shame!
My dad had an LX 1.8 MK1 Focus (Reg: V106GAK), great car.
I don't really like Fords, but IMO Focus is still a good looking car.
Nah, the five door hatchback is hideous, yet the saloon actually looks quite nice. The front half, I think, is reasonably attractive but the rear half on the five door hatchback looks incongruous with it. If I'm being objective, it was a successful car in its sale numbers and serviceability but I'm put off by its popularity among the legions of chavs who had them and how bland most versions were. The 1.4 and 1.6 were underpowered.
Agree! It doesn't look too dated 22 years later
1:35 "At one stage he ran the Cologne factory in Germany."
Was he scent there ?
4711
Oh, da Cologne!
😀
We had an estate version and loved it till it developed a virtually incurable electrical problem that was very dangerous
Not so bright as a certain Italian car I’ve become aware of recently…….
yellow ford
The story I heard (not verified) is that Ford thought most people didn’t care about handling, so put any old toss under late mark Escorts. Parry-Jones went out and bought a Peugeot 205 and analysed what made it so good. The lessons learned went into the Focus. Turns out people like driving good handling cars, even if they don’t know what handling is!
205 or 306? The latter is more likely and I've read somewhere that they had a 306 on hand when developing the Focus. I went from a 302XSI to a Mazda3 Sport (BK) based on the Ford C1 platform car as is the Focus 2 and its handling felt remarkably similar.
Success Car from Ford...Triangle of Doom to match.unfortunately.(if only they got it right)! With 186k that piston rings can tell a tale or two! A well-looked-after example at 22years later. Thanks for Top test Ian !!
I tried the drinking game each time Ian mentioned the mileage with a double whiskey
I am now 2 sheets to the wind and as happy as a sailor 👍
Jeremy Clarkson even bought a basic one
Sometimes higher mileage is easier on a car, because it means it has seen motorways for the most part of its life. Maintainance ultimately defines how a car ages.
quite so
Mine has 313 000 km at the moment
Friend of mine had a few of these, the interior quality always reminded me of those 80s VHS tape holders 😂
The mk1 Focus! Probably my favourite car of all time. I owned my first one (1.8TDDi Zetec) for 8 years (2004 to 2012), I absolutely loved that car ❤ The Millennium edition was actually based on the Zetec spec but with added toys (4 electric windows, AC and heated windscreen, leather). A clue is in the silver trim pieces, they were black in CL and LX, and wood effect in Ghia. The Zetec spec chassis is tuned to be on the sportier side whereas CL, LX and Ghia models have slightly softer suspension, which IMO makes them handle even better on the road, especially with the neglected road surfaces all over the UK.
Unfortunately, like many Fords of the era, rust was the biggest problem the mk1 Focus had. Mine went in the rear arches, the boot lid, and the bottoms of the doors. If I could have afforded to repair the rust properly at the time, I'd probably still have that car now, which was on 209,000 miles when I let it go, but drove like it had a quarter of that.
The TDDi had only one mechanical achillies heel - the electronic Bosch fuel injection pump, shared with the 1.7DTI Vauxhalls of the era, and some 2.5TDI Audi models. That pump is a common failure on every vehicle fitted with it.
Yep! Agree with everything you've said there!! Including the fuel pump. Mine (also a 1.8 TDDi Zetec) went when the wife was driving it over Salisbury Plain; she said that the dash lit up like a Christmas tree and the car stopped!! But I repaired mine, a friend of a friend that ran an independent garage managed to source a pump from someone breaking a TDDi Transit Connect; £500 all in. New Pump was £1,000 and a Ford dealer quoted £500 to fit; I believe that a lot of Mk1 TDDi's were scrapped because this.
@@stuartjones8238 yes, many TDDi variants are scrapped because of the pump. It's usually more than the car is worth to replace the pump. Mine went at a junction believe it or not. I thought I'd stalled it, but no, the pump had gone. I think I paid around £600-700 for a reconditioned pump from a diesel specialist, and fitted it myself. I paid out around £150 on various seals, a new timing belt, and other consumables for the job too. Car ran sweet after though. To be fair, it ran sweet before. Even with 209,000 on the clock, the engine was perfect - pulled well, never used any fluids, always good on diesel.
No problem with rust on them in Arizona. Not a speck anywhere.
The first gen Focus was the most reliable car out there according to the German testing organisations. More reliable than the Toyotas and Hondas of the same period.
Yes I think German car magazine Auto Bild had 10 on their fleet and in 5 years of them all being thrashed never had a problem!
You do need to make more mention of the 1.6 litre version. I have owned both models. 1.6 is lighter and has better handling although the Yamaha engine has less character.
the 1.6 was the most popular choice of engine and it lasted in services until around circa 2018 I believe as the Duratec Ti-VCT. It has its own distinctive characteristics.
One of the few Fords I actually quite like. Later iterations lost some of the purity and edgy styling though.
These cars drive very good, the steering is super direct. Same for my fiesta from 2001 1.25 zetec, great steering nice engine but rusts like there is no tomorrow.
It lasted how many miles? Mine were all kaput after 45k, even a new one with weekly care 🙈
Me too, alternator, fuel pump, fuel pump fuses and losing lots of oil from every orifice didn't inspire me to keep one for long, but it was fun to drive whilst it worked!!
Love the mark1Ford focus pity they ruined it with Mark2 I also think the 1.8 engine was the best one they did for economy and performance the 1.6 and 1.4 where to underpowered for this market where is the 2 L was very thirsty personally owned a 1.8 and found it much much better than my brothers 1.6 and 2 L which he tradedin because he wanted something a bit more poke.
What!!! Two cars in the one week even MY wife could find in a car park! ;-)
I had a similar vintage Fiesta that came with the heated front screen - one of the best things ever invented. All vehicles should have them and save your blower fan from screaming its head off.
I remember driving these from new, and they were always an absolute pleasure, superb ride and handling.
I don't think I've ever seen a bright yellow Ford Focus 😄
The car is great. Color is awfull.
The mk1 Focus is an epic car. I had a T-reg 1.8 Zetec in Amparo Blue and it was honestly one of the best cars I’ve owned - fabulous to drive, reliable, zingy, sure footed and all round excellent. That independent suspension set the standard that hatchbacks for only catch up with about 15 years later! Great video Ian.
This car reminds me of late 90s when:
Depression percentage was lower.
Suicide rates were lower.
Homeowners rate (ESPECIALLY in london) was higher.
Such lovely times.
Back then there was still a chance to own a home!
I DO like that indicator noise! It reminds me of my childhood when we had a 2002 MK3 Mondeo LX Estate. I did note when we got it though that it was very different to the indicator noise on our previous MK1 Mondeo LX Estate
I had a mk 3 Mondeo. It was a great car. Alas it would bizarrely go mouldy in the winter, hence moving it on for a mk 4. I didn’t really like it and sold it to my brother.
@@stevesrover Our MK1 went mouldy after we got the MK3 as it didn’t get used much. The MK3 was very reliable other than the fact that it used a lot of oil. It didn’t appear to burn it, and it didn’t leak either. We never figured out where it went!
@@johngarland6782 Our mk 3 was reliable too! It has also a hoot to drive. Quite a step up from my Sierra that was, sadly, on its last legs. I quite like Fords up to this era. Nowadays, nothing really excites me but then I drive something from another era.
There’s just something about the mk1 focus , I think it’s aged well , always thought they where a good solid car and well designed
, as usual good interesting video, keep em coming Ian 😎👍
Always enjoyed hiring a Focus, puts a smile on my face. But went for a 308 eventually - a tad calmer and more for you money.
And a nicer ride.
These Mk1s were incredibly well built when the facelift came out in 2005 the quality went through the floor.
One word “Workhorse.” 😉
Rip Ford Focus
I like how the plural of "Focus" became "Focii", not "Focuses" ;-)
The mk1 Focus was the most hideous car when it came out, now aged like fine wine!
(If they're maintained, of course)
I really didn't like them either but time has been kind to them. Still don't like any of Chris Bangles stuff like the Fiat coupé or 03 5 series.
After the MK5/6 Escort, really it could only get better or Ford would have been in deep trouble. Meanwhile the poor mugs who bought a Ford Ka at the time were yet to find out what a rot bucket that was (my misses was one of them). Now Ford may be done for anyway because they've been so slow to offer a EV range. Not a Ford fan myself.
Rust around the filler cap was the first sign that terrible things were happening under the surface of the KA.
I think one of my cousin had or still has one of these Milleniums. It was definitely the same colour.
High level tail lights: one of those design details I never thought would go away. The mark 3 onwards Focus don`t have them. I thought that they were an excellent idea.
I was selling VWs when the MK 1 Focus came out and I largely dismissed it as I wasn't a big fan of the styling. That was until I took one in part exchange against a MK 4 Golf I sold to a repossessions company. I had to then drive the Focus back to the dealership - a 7/8 mile drive. I was truly amazed. It was everything a MK 4 Golf wasn't. The ride was a fair bit firmer than a Golf but the handling was a revelation. The Focus was a much more complete car than the Golf and whilst the Golf interior was superficially nicer than the Focus, they gained lots more rattles and trim issues with age than the Ford. The MK 4 Golf was also the second model of Golf that suffered from VW's cost cutting so they lasted well to a point but then had many niggling issues with things like electric windows, trim degrading, centre console rattles and problems with cheap ancillary components. The Tdi versions were arguably better than the Ford equivalent but given the choice today I'd have the Focus. A much more honest car than the Golf if you're not into badge snobbery.
I will say though the Mk4 golf has aged better as there are far more on the roads today most of them with over 200k on the clock!
The 1.8 diesel (1753cc) that ford would use was really not upto the job. Cast iron. Started (58hp) got a turbo then got direct injection. (Tddi) then common rail (tdci) still the same engine. Even gained a dodgy wet belt in the bottom of the engine that drove the cam belt. Overall they are sort of reliable. Not great on fuel or performance though
@@LewisPhot Yes. Aside from front wings the MK 4 was generally better at surviving the tinworm. As for mechanical reliability there wasn't much between them. I sold both new and used. More complaints about the Golfs mainly because customer expectations were higher.
@@chrishart8548 the Tddi was pretty much bombproof. The Tdci was only so so. Well outclassed by the VAG stuff. The Focus deserved better engines. The V5 and V6 engines in the Golf were lovely but installed in a chassis that was biased towards comfort rather than handling. They were a real handful if you pushed them on.
@@amarith1972 ford have done better when they just used Peugeot engines. Like in the 2.3 diesel Sierra and later PSA 2.0 in the mk4 mondeo. Then of course the focus got the 1.6 diesel psa with free road tax in the MK2
Thank goodness you put the badge straight. I was starting to twitch. I really like the mk1 focus, I've had a mk1.1 (2003) tdci sport for 18 years now and it's still pleasing upon the eye, and fun to drive.
i had a 2004 sport tdci 3 door in imperial blue a few months back 78000 miles and sold it as the rear arches were going abd decided to keep my ghia tdci which is rust free but loved how the sport drove i do have a grey one sitting at the side of my house which is rotten but use it on the farm for daughter to learn to drive.
My goodness that bright yellow makes your metallic pink and gold Multipla look positively plain! ⚠️😯😁
I personally feel people who own yellow cars should be arrested and jailed.😯⚠️😁
Hmmm… think it needs more exhaust pipes…😉 Fun aside, its a very good looking car.
I loved how the St170s drove. Great back lane hooner
2nd gear is mental
Had my 1.4lx 02 reg since 05, getting issues now as expected but still the best handling and looking i've driven
I have to say, looking at the Ford Escort Mark V, I have a new appreciation for 1990-1996 Ford Escort we had in the USA. We had that style of Focus from 2000 to 2007. They "refreshed" the front end from 2005-2007. I had a 2005 Focus, It was a nice car that gave me no trouble at all for all those years I owned it. It just needed gas, regular oil changes/ services (tires, plugs, coolant) and it was good to go. I replaced it with a 2012 Fiesta in bright lime green. That was a fun little car with its manual transmission. The sunroof was so far back in the roof that it was pretty pointless for anything (except if you had back passengers) but it was a good car
Hubnut says "Focii" rather than Focuses just like Dan from Alan Partridge saying he "loves Lexii".
The dutch word for a custard-like pudding is "vla" and we always joked that it was plural for "vlum".
Shocked by everyone gushing all over these. I suspect they've never had to work on one! Just wait until you have to replace an alternator... and you'll quickly fall out of love with them. POS, imho.
06/02 23, Safest colour on the road. What happened to Mr Parry- Jones ? Videos on the Millenium Kas & Pumas would complete the Millenium Story ?
Escorts were fairly crap from the MkIII onwards, IMO. The MkI Focus was a revelation, and still by far the best looking Focus. The Mk2 was downright bland, ugly even, with a really dull interior.
You should have seen the U.S. Escort that this car replaced, it was completely divorced from it's European protégé by then. In 1991, we got a new Escort that was a rebodied Mazda 323 in a 3 door and 5 door hatchback, and a wagon. In base form, we had the 1.9 liter four cylinder 8 valve OHC engine from the previous Escort, but the sport models and the GT had a Mazda 1.8 16 valve (turbo in the GT). Then in 1996, the powers that be in Ford decided that we needed a jelly bean sedan, a coupe with an ungodly high trunk lid, and a sort of special sportier coupe with a lower body called the ZX2 (first Zetec engine in the USA!). In 1999, Ford came to their senses and we got the same Focus as you guys, although, oddly, the 5 door hatchback (like this one) wasn't available in the US until close to the end of the production run of this body style (we had the three door version). The hatchback models for the US market were all made in Mexico, while the sedan and wagon versions were made in the US.
I've owned 3 of the cars mentioned- a Focus 2.0 Ghia, a 323F 1.8, and an Escort Mk 6.
The Mk6 was under-rated in my opinion- no, it wasn't as good as a Focus (nothing was at the time), but it handled and went about its business pretty well.
The 323F was a good car- I personally didn't find the ride too bad, but I do prefer to sit higher up, and my Mum hated getting in and out of it because it was so low.
The Focus was the best car I've ever owned (as well as the most expensive- it was 2.5 years old when I bought it), and it replaced an Audi A4 1.8.The Focus was light years ahead of the Audi on just about every metric, bar the quality of interior plastics (not a Ford strong point). More reliable too. I felt the ride/ handling bias was absolutely spot on for me- far superior to the Mk1 Mondeo, which was harsh. Didn't like the fake wood trim, and the road noise was excessive. Quality of stereo was good- excellent reception too compared to the Audi. Didn't mind the 'triangle of doom'. Every drive was a pleasure, but especially when I went to visit my Mum in Dollgellau- North Wales, the drive from Gloucester was really fun.
Best looking Focus. MK1 Kuga which we had for years was also the best handling & riding car in its class, superb vehicles both ruined by Ford on their updates, the Kuga totally so.
This car (and Mazda 3) is actually ”Pinto2000”, because ’pinto’ in Japanese is ’focus’ in English. Ford Pinto was indeed a one trick pony, because it could present huge flames.
Hmmmmm bright yellow so bright ....... lol bugger my Fiat hmmm gold pink ..... ok Ian i'm teasing you .. never owned a focus i'm a .......... shite opal / lol vauxhall ... nice car i might creep to dark side ....... 🤪 ford... onre day .. but the alure of the nissan CUBE beckons .... .. are you interested in the most never uk imported nissan i'm thinking off getting a imported cube ........ or hmmmmmmmmm Focus
Mines the 1.6LX MK1 (Facelift) approaching 125k
How were the rear aches on that Millennium?
For my next car I am looking at something with the ability of the Focus :)
Great to watch you again HUB Nut still doing intresting stuff. keep up the good work.
Shame you don't see many left.:(
I used to look after a fleet of company vans.. Renault kangos..and two 1.6 early Ford focus estates.
Every week I'd look over the Fords and (very high mileage) week the oil level was off the dipstick! They were excellent workhorses!
Very poor plastic dash, buttons and controls though. They kept working though! Couldn't not fault the handling and running costs.
One salesman was a 'big man' and destroyed his driver's seat!