Thoughts on a Focus 2000-2004?

[GasSavers_BIBI]

Well I had bad news this week, the frame of my Civic Vx 92 is too much rusty I cant use it anymore. Its a shame since the engine was still running great with 150k miles on it. I'm in north region (canada) and I cant find an other VX in good shape, so my mecanic told me to look for a Ford Focus 2000-2004.

I'm looking for the station wagon since they are so roomy, and the engine seems nice with 110 hp and 125 (pounds) torque. With a manual transmission I could get near 40mpg (epa is 39).

Most of all they are cheap, and since they are so many on the roads, parts should be cheap.

I would like to ear about people who owns one or had experience with a Focus. My question is: are they reliable and what about the FE.

Thanks

[Jay2TheRescue]

My sister has a 1st generation Focus, and I hate driving it. My dad has a 2nd generation Focus, and I love the car. I also have a brother in law that is a service manager for a Ford dealer, and even he says that the 1st generation Focus is not a good car. If you're set on a wagon you're forced to buy a 1st generation though, as the wagon was not introduced in later models.

[VetteOwner]

yea even consumer reports hated the first year or so of em but since then they love em and recomend em.

a few people in my family have em and love em

[trollbait]

Yeah, the first couple of years seem to have the new model syndrome. The bugs were fixed after that.
CR always raved about their steering feel. Used the Focus as an example of how steering should feel like.
The wagon won't be available, but the North American 2nd gen was mostly just cosmetic changes.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I don't know. My sister's and my dad's cars are only a couple of years apart. I think my sister's is an 06 or an 07, and my dad's is an 09. My sisters makes a humming/buzzing noise when stopped at traffic lights that just drives me crazy. Plus the torque steer on her car is really annoying to me. Dad's car is a lot smoother and quieter, and noticeably less torque steer.

[kamesama980]

everyone I've known with a focus hates it except the car-stupid ones that couldn't even fill up the washer fluid and don't know any better because they've never driven anything but the focus and the 20 year old barely running POS they inherited before it. the rear shocks tend to go out by 40k miles and chew up the rear tires. I've seen that from the first ones to the latest bodystyle