Why The Car I Fear The Most is.... A Mk2 Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec
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- Опубліковано 20 жов 2023
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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
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.
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
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 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
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.
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
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.
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.
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 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
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.
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 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 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.
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 also learnt to drive in a focus 1.6 from the aa from that time. And I agree the clutch took alittle getting used to. The visibility of seeing out made the manoeuvres easy and it was a easy car to judge when approaching gaps in traffic or down narrow lanes.
Several years later i owned a st version and it was a blast to drive.
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.
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]
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
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 😅
I learnt to drive in a mk2 focus too, a 1.6 diesel. I found it very easy to learn in, definitely more than the seat ibiza my first instructor had (had to change instructors because the first one had to have open heart surgery and he had to have time off from driving).
Great video James! I learnt to drive in a 1999 Polo, which was base spec so had no abs, power steering, or anything really! But loved it so much that I bought it back a couple of years ago and have recently gone on a road trip to Croatia and back in it
Great job 👍🏻 I have been restoring my Scirocco Storm for the past 5 years and found your videos super helpful.
Nice to see more basic cars again :)
I wonder if you have Lexus IS200 Sportcross on the radar to review.(manual ofcourse).
I am curious about those and your reviews are always touching up on things that truly matter for a petrol head.
I myself drove Focus mk1 2.0 Zetec, and it was a blast. Engine so maniacly lively and rev happy that in spite of having "just" 130hp it was incredibly fun.
I learned in a "19 MK3 Leon 1.5 TSi Evo. Quite modern compared to the Focus (then again, this was only 6 months ago that I passed) but a great car to learn in. Very easy to control, smooth gearbox, and a user friendly layout. I would own one myself, so haven't really got any fear of it.
I’ve owned a mk2 pre facelift ST in electric orange for just over 5 months and I’ve fallen in love already. Keep up the good reviews!
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.
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.
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
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.
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 first car was a pre-facelift mk2 Focus with this engine. It had the auto box, so was even slower than this, and it had more issues than any other car I’ve owned in the 16 years since, but all were relatively cheap and easy to fix, I could park it with 1 finger on the wheel and it was mine. I loved it!
I had one of these as my first car at 17. Exactly the same as this one. Absolutely loved it.
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 😄
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
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
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'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've owned a fair few cars in my time of driving and I've driven a decent amount of cars and I love my mk2 focus convertible. It's a 1.6 same as the focus in this video so it's not the quickest or the most engaging drive, but as a cruiser it's a lovely car to drive. I've even driven a Merc C220d coupé from London to Manchester and when I got back in my focus cc, I actually thought my car drove better if I'm honest.
Learned to drive in a 1982 Datsun Sunny saloon, but my last car prior to my current one was a 09 plate Mk2.5 Focus Titanium TDCi with the 2 litre engine and 6 speed manual. Loved it. All Fords had a reasonably sharp clutch but you get used to it. Plus it meant that in 30 years and 4 Fords I never had a clutch last less than 130,000 miles
As an apprentice in the mid naughties we had a fair selection of the mk2 ST on the used car pitch. I remember them as a car that started you grinning as soon as they fired up and kept you smiling long after you put the keys back. Great noises 😊
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.
I had a pre facelift mk2 1.6 3door and loved it.
i kept it for 7 years and it was bulletproof only general maintenance kept it tip top.
The pickup truck? What a knob! He also had the audacity to honk at you 😂. The Focus is a great car.
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.
I had a 2010 Focus 1.6 mk 2 sport in white. Really nice car, handled well, looked great. Yes completely agree on the pulling away. I pulled away regularly in a more lumpy manner than in any previous cars. When I first owned it I often thought my driving skills had taken a nosedive. Not had the same problem on subsequent cars.
Great video, I've owned 2010 focus for 11 years now and still runs fabulously with regular oil changes and general maintenance they should last. If you are buying a 1.6 focus make sure the cambelt & auxiliary belts have been changed also be prepared to change the external key opening bonnet mechanism when it fails ,ive replaced mine. 😂
Had one. Genuinely brilliant car. Drove well, looked ok, could fill it up take rubbish to the tip. 🤣
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!
Cornering behavior like a sports car. Underrated vehicle.
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
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.
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
So good to learn that I am not alone with the clutch issue… Mine is however on a Volvo C30, with the Ford 2l engine and the 5-speed gearbox.
Extremely frustrating driving experience in traffic. It is so bad that I took it to a Volvo specialist, which told me it was in perfect condition and that it just was a trait of this engine and gearbox.
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.
Just had my mk2 focus scrapped yesterday, broke my heart it was a brilliant car!
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.
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 grandmother in Turkey has one of these. She bought it new in 2011 (I think) and it has never missed a beat. She has got the Platinum trim with the same 1.6 and an automatic transmission. I always found it to be an surprisingly good car to drive, but the automatic slushbox tranmission combined with the 1.6 and the hills and mountains in Turkey make it feel quite sluggish.
happy to hear chris harris and jay emm say the mk1 was a special car because i always felt mine was. i used to take it into the hills of stirlingshire just for the driving experience. felt so sharp in the corners, rotated well, great body control, balanced, notchy gear shift, 1.6 was adequate, not too heavy, marvellous.
one of those cars that seemed to get everything right, like my clio 2, e46 318 and mk2 mx 5. it's good to be vindicated because without much context, i never new if i always made luckily superb choices or just loved cars so much, because i also had a strange fondness with my p12 primera and dad's insignia
I started to learn to drive in a Pug 106 1.1. As I am 6ft3 with size 12’s, I struggled with the footwell so finished learning in my Mums S reg Golf Mk4 TDi 90bhp.
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!
The MK2 Focus is really got into my heart, as well as other cars on it's platform like Volvo S40/C30/V50 and Mazda 3, my mom even got an S40 2007 pre-facelift with 1.6 B4164S3 engine with 5 speed manual. Even though Volvo got different suspension settings, all disc brakes, heavier body than a Focus, but still - Great car. It was the one, who teached me how to drive. And it is still a car, which is still my biggest dream.
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
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.
Crazy how it still looks good and modern (except for the interior obviously)! I especially like the rear.
My first car back in 2007 was a W (2000) 1.8 LX Focus - great car. I changed to a lemon of an E46 316 after about 4 years, then changed to a Mk2 facelift Focus "Sport" with a 1.6 engine (a trim level which was basically a Zetec, but with ST ish wheels and Sat nav/usb, etc, to help shift the last few from forecourts, is how the dealer described it to me).
Good car, but it was no where near as good to drive as the Mk1 and after a few weeks, I wished I could have taken it back and just bought a Mk1 Ghia or similar. It later got side traded for a 2006 Mondeo 2l petrol - this was quite reminiscent of the Mk1 focus and I was far, far happier with this (plus we needed the additional space due to having 2 dogs by this point.)
Interesting video, thanks for taking the time to review and share it.
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 😊
We had a Td90 version on our fleet at work that I used to use frequently. No, it wasn’t fast and the stereo had what I understand was a common fault that meant it would switch itself off, but it was a lot of fun to drive. Handled really well, reminded me of the old Pug 306 dTurbo, in that it was so easy to drive quickly down a twisty road and you could happily ride the wave of modest but still usable torque to make progress. The Hyundai i30 that replaced it has more toys but none of the charm.
Yes! I love the 306 D Turbo. We have a 2012 Focus so the later model with the 1.6 TDCI. I love it. Realised it's because it is like a Modern D Turbo. It's a Peugeot diesel so it sounds similar but has the same sporty but comfortable drive. it's not fast being the econetic, but it does feel nippy when the turbo kicks in and you give it some revs. In true French diesel style it has a bit of Turbo lag but once it kicks in it goes well. 😊
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.
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.
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!
Great cars. I recently did a long motorway trip to Llandudno as a passanger. It was a bit boring but a nice smooth drive and for the price I'd definitely have one. I did drive it briefly and found it quite sharp but maybe didn't have the handling fineness of my 1999 Fiesta. Could have just been that example though. I can really relate with the small Zetecs and clutch. My 1.25 Fiesta was exactly the same. It's part of It's sporty character and zetecs are lively zingy units that love to rev. Getting it moving fine but you do have to rev them too much and sound like your Grandad slipping the clutch. Could never get a nice smooth change in the lower gears. The revs didn't drop quick enough and 1st is so low compared to second. Always used to get a jerk or shunt and made me feel like an amateur. There is a way to drive a Zetec. Drive it with conviction, give it a few revs and enjoy the classic gearbox whine in the lower gears and sporty growl. They are cracking units when you accept the flaws and have a lot more character than the Ecoboom in my opinion.
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 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
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.
My first car & learned to drive in was a Saturn SC2 3 door coupe 5spd. Love that car. Took it to my first autocross too
When I was learning to drive, my driving instructor had a 1991/J (K10) Nissan Micra 1.2 GS, and my dad had a 1986/C mk2 Vauxhall Cavalier 1.6 L. Both VERY different cars to a 17 year old learner driver.
I jumped at a Ford Fiesta Zetec S for my first car, and it's great! I love it dearly & even gave it a Hornet Exhaust after I realised the incumbent one was blowing before its MOT. HOWEVER, that clutch will give me nightmares until the day I die. I can go for a drive in it for 2 hours, and be in love with it, but if I'm caught out by lights turning green unexpectedly, that clutch position is a killer for such a tall person.
I'm just glad to know that I'm not the only one with gripes about the clutch tbh.
I did my driving test in a 2013 Volvo V40 D3 R-design. 2400CC L5T diesel with 150bhp and nice turboflutter and deep exhaust sound. Rear view was severe limited but it was the best for driving backwards at 25mph
Ran a Mk 2.5 Tdci for 7 years. Great car. Loved it.... not as refined as the Golf but a reliable, fun and economical car to own. Have had a Mk 1 and now have Mk 3.5 Focus..
Great review James on a great car. I currently spend quite a bit of time driving a black Astra H 1.6 of the same era which I inherited from my daughter and as an ex owner of two mk1 focuses probably prefer that as an all rounder. Not quite as sharp on the road but better brakes, stronger engine and less likely to rust…and still goes very well down a country road..yes I was surprised too - if you want a humble Astra H to review to compare with said focus let me know !!!
We had a Mk.2, 2.0TDCi Zetec from new for 11 years. It was an excellent drive, practical and, being the pre-facelift model, had neater styling than the one you're testing. The only disappointment was that it wasn't as economical as I'd hoped.
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.
I bought a new mk4 last month - love the looks, comfort, handling, power, tech, economy, and price
Had a mk1 focus with the TDCi diesel engine. A very good car. A Focus a great car. .
I learned to drive in an mk3 Mondeo 1.8 Estate. The mk2 Focus became familiar to me when those were usually given as a service courtesy car from the dealer, and I can agree with the tricky pulling away thing along with the very plastic feeling interior compared to the Mondeo, but other than that I have good memories with this car.
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 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 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 owned the pre face lift 1.6 SI model, brilliant driving position,great fuel consumption. Comfortable suspension even on 17 inch rims, looked cool to
The mk2 focus is a very good car with the seats down you can almost anything in there
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!
My mum has had one for the last 6 years, I've owned 3 Focus' myself and they've always been fantastic cars.
the wife had one a few years ago as the little family/work car for her.
aircon didnt work, boot had a leak and was always mouldy. ended up with a big expensive exhaust issue and thats when it was time to go.
not a bad car for what it was, we had the 115 bhp engine that probably made no difference over the standard 1.6, as a normal everyday car though it was absolutely fine for her.
They all seem to leak water into the boot it's through the back lights. We bought ours in July 2008 and the air conditioning still works great and we have never done anything other than use it. It requires the coolant being topped up and sometimes we get a power steering malfunction fault.
Mr Nissan did a great job. Overtaking small cars at such a slow pace. Good video on the Ford Focus.
We had a Mk2 Focus for about 16 years and I never noticed any problem getting off the line. When it came time to replace it, we went to look at new Focuses. It has a silly little engine with turbo - recipe for unreliability. Ours had MOT advisories on subframe rust front and back. But it had been reliable and it did handle well.
So we bought a Mazda CX-30.
What did I learn to drive in? It was so long ago I can't remember if it was a school car or my dad's Vauxhall Viva. But the first car I used to drive after I passed the test (first time!) was my mum's 1954 Wolsley 4/44 - leather bench seats, walnut dash, column change, and very very gutless.