Ford Focus 1998- Present

Class:      Compact/Small Family Car

Rivals:     Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla/Auris

Variants:  Hatch, Saloon, Estate,Van, Coupe Cabriolet

Engines:   Petrol: 1.4 Zetec, 1.6 Zetec, 2.0 Zetec

               Diesel: 1.8 TDDI, 1.8 TDCI

Gearbox: 4 speed auto, 5 speed manual, 6 speed manual

Awards:  Top Gear Car of the Year 1999 for the MKI

               Fifth Gear, Best Family Car 2004 for the MKII

             

The Ford Focus has just reached the milestone of 100,000 units in Ireland and has been the top seller on ten separate occasions since its launch in 1998! This means the Ford Focus is Ireland's fastest selling car...ever!

The Focus took over from its Iconic predecessor, the Escort in 1998.  The Escort ran in limited production beside the Focus for two years before it was discontinued to allow customers get used of the distinctive new Ford design, previously seen on the Ka, the Puma and the Cougar.

In 2008, the Focus took over from the Cortina as Britain's best selling car, a record that stood for 27 years.  It was beaten in 2009 by the smaller Fiesta.

Ford has just released the MKIV Focus in March!

Being better used of driving German car I always found Fords difficult to drive, everything seems chunky, and not quite in the correct position!   That was until the Focus came out.  Everything was right, the ride was smooth, the handling is very good, and the noise levels and overall comfort are decent!  I'm not a huge fan, but this is a decent reliable car that unless you go for the RS or the ST your not going to get too many trills out of driving!

When looking at one to buy 2nd hand, keep an eye out for a history of clutch and gearbox problems, what ever it is with the Focus, once they start to give trouble they seldom stop.  But there are reports of petrol cars reaching over 200,000 miles without seeing so much as a spanner so mach sure you have a good mechanic with you when you go to view a 2nd hand model.

The MKI Focus scored 4 out of 5 stars in its EURO NCAP Tests and the MKII onwards scored 5 Stars.

Running costs for the Focus are very reasonable, with your average petrol model running at approx 40mpg mixed driving.  They are reasonable to tax and the new models fall into tax band B which is €146 a year!

The Ford Focus RS WRC won over 30 World Rally Events and won the World Rally Manufactures Championship in 2006 and 2007.  Driven by Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, Markko Martin and Marcus Gronholm, the Focus became one of the top competitors in World Rally competitions until replace by the smaller Fiesta ST this year.

The Focus comes with a great pedigree, replicating past honors of its predecessors!  Its a great A to B car that will not let you down and is not hard to maintain.  This car will suit any type of driver, from beginner onwards.

gary

Volkswagen Golf Mk IV 1.4i 16v 1999-2005

Class: Small Hatch
Rivals: Opel/Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Focus, Nissan Micra, Alfa Romeo 147, Peugeot 206
Sister Cars: Audi A3, Audi TT, Skoda Fabia, Seat Ibiza, VW Bora, New Beetle,
Variants: Hatchback, Cabriolet, Station Wagon, Van
Engines: Petrol 1.4 16v, 1.6, 1.8 20v, 2.0, 2.3 V5, 2.8VR6, 2.8VR6 24v, 3.2VR6 24v
Diesel: 1.9 tdi (80bhp-150bhp)
Gearbox: 5 speed manual, 5 speed automatic
Awards:
1998 What Car? Best Small Hatch
1998 Top Gear Magazine Best Small Family Car

I have decided to separate the Golf variants to talk about them because otherwise well be here all day! You will notice that we didn't put the Bora down as a variant, even though its often called the Golf saloon, it only shares the chassis and the front door panels with its Golf sister.
There is so much that car be said about the Golf through out its 33 year history, so we will start with the 1.4 16v.

In our opinion, this is the ideal starter car, its a car that crosses the generations as well as the sexes! it can never be called a girls car or never a lads car either! The spotty nosed teen or the old age pensioner never looks out of place in the drivers seat!
This car is so easy to drive with is neutral handling and comfortable driving position, it make the driver, no matter how nervous they are, feel in complete control of the vehicle.
It doesn't feel like a small car to sit in, there is ample room for 4 adults and the solid drive makes you feel like your in a car twice its size.

The CL spec is the definite car to go for with its all around electric windows, lighting kit and comfort line seats.

The 1.416v engine at 75bhp is no slouch. It will not scare the pants off you but is as good on a motorway as it is on the tight country lanes. On high mileage units you need to look out for a creamy discharge on the underside of the oil cap and the dip stick. They can also be difficult to pass the NCT emissions test but this is normally down to either a faulty Lambda sensor or the Catalytic Converter, both of which are easy to repair.

The 1.4 16v only cost €333 a year to put road tax on, about €70 to service and for a petrol car is very economical on fuel, averaging approximately 35-45mpg mixed driving.
It is very easy to source parts, and with all the on line forums dedicated to the Mk IV, it is very easy to access any information on the car.

The 1.4 16v is the cheapest of the model range to buy, you should be looking at between €1200 up to €2,500 and for a low mileage late model you can pay up to €4,000. There are bargains to be had to keep a good look out, if you have any mechanical experience you can even pick up a nice car for less than a thousand euros! Be careful of aftermarket extras as these don't add to the value of the car.

Most people who ever own a golf will never own anything else, this says a lot about this car!

Gary