Unique Auto

Posts Tagged ‘ford focus’

Every single driver will obviously have differing categories and stipulations regarding what makes an awe-inspiring car. Some will be of the opinion that power, speed and performance are the mark of a truly great car and suggest that the Bugatti Veyron or something similar is the perfect car. Others will hold esteem in a more aesthetic nature and put forward cars such as the Porsche Carrera and the Aston Martin Vanquish as the real purveyors of automotive perfection. I have always held the opinion that the truly stupendous cars don't focus on one thing, but try to encapsulate the needs and desires of everyone into their designs and engineering. This is precisely why my favourite car is the brand new Ford Focus.

Now you may be laughing or deriding me for saying that I would rather own a Ford Focus than a Pagani Zonda or a Koenigsegg, but that simply isn’t true. I would love to own one of the many supercars or hypercars that are available on the market and if you gave me £1 Million to spend on a car I wouldn’t disappoint you. All I am trying to say that in a practical world the new Ford Focus is a lot less likely to frustrate you than a supercar. Let me convince you.

First of all you have fuel efficiency to take into account. Ford have become synonymous with engineering which seems to sip very frugally at the fuel reserves and the Focus is no different. With economical driving disciplines in place it is possible to get supermini standard fuel economy from a Ford Focus. This leaves you with more money in your wallet and having to spend less time stood at the pumps, refilling every few hours.

Secondly the issue of practicality has to be addressed. Everybody has to do a weekly shop, or pick up comestible goods from town. In a Ford Focus this is a relatively painless task. Parking is very easy, boot space is magnificent and thanks to the Ford Focus’ ‘understated’ beauty, it won’t attract vandals to pull it to bits. Adversely, if you choose to do your food shopping in your new Ferrari 599, you are going to find parking excruciatingly difficult, discover you only have the luggage space to fit a small punnet of Satsumas and the vandals will tear your Ferrari badge and wing mirrors off before you can even say “hands off my car!”

I will admit, owning a supercar would be a dream come true, I have a very soft spot for the Lamborghini Gallardo myself, but in an increasingly practical world, it becomes almost impossible to think of an apt time to use one. With the cost of petrol, the congestion on the roads and the increasing number of uninsured drivers on the road, why would any drive for pleasure?

Take my advice and get the best practical car money can buy; the brand new Ford Focus. You will get great performance and fantastic economy, just don’t expect 0-60 in under three and a half seconds.

Today it appears that it is quite a sensible idea to buy a second hand car. There is no reason why they should not be reliable if you buy them from a trusted source or do your homework on the car before you commit to buying. It also makes excellent financial sense in that as soon as a new car is driven off the forecourt it starts to lose money, but a second-hand car has already made this loss.

When you decide to buy used you can usually afford to go for a more upmarket model than if you were buying new.

However maybe a disadvantage to buying used would be that financing is often more expensive although this could be offset by cheaper insurance rates. If however you prefer to lease a car then a used car is not a viable option. You could also be missing out on the latest gadgets and safety devices and I suppose there is nothing better than feeling that you are the first owner of a brand spanking new car!

Let’s face it a lot of the first time buyers of cars are young people who really cannot afford the expense of a new car.

One of the most popular cars for teens is the Honda Civic.The Civic is one of the finest small sporty cars around and is quite reasonably priced. This car is really fuel efficient and is very safety orientated with antilock brakes, front seat side airbags and side curtain airbags which are standard on all models. It also has a body shell which is designed to withstand an impact with a much heavier vehicle. There is the choice of a lively coupe or a more sensible sedan.

The Mazda 3 has earned a reputation for being economical and also fun to drive. It has plenty of power, great looks and excellent handling.

Another firm favourite is the Ford Focus because they are relatively cheap plus they have a system which allows the use of ipods and cell phones with voice commands which mean the driver can keep their eyes fixed firmly on the road.The sporty 2 door Focus coupe is popular as it offers the same amount of back seat and trunk space as the four door version.

The car that the teen driver will probably be best suited to must surely be the safest and also the most economical to drive.

These days it is a commonly held opinion that buying products based entirely on sentiment is probably a bad idea. For example, I’m sure everyone at some point, whilst leafing through the racks in a music shop, has stumbled upon a ‘gem’ from the past. I’m positive that I am not the only person who has shelled out hard-earned money on an absolute stinker of an album based purely on the fact it was part of a parent’s record collection which was entertaining as a child. In the spirit of honesty, the album in question was Wings Greatest Hits…and yes, I am ashamed. However, whilst looking for a used car recently, my mind was lured back to my childhood. My father was a Ford fanatic; upgrading to the latest model Escort or Sierra every couple of years or so. So naturally, the first thought to pop into my head was, “I guess I'll buy a Ford”. If I were to let sentiment completely over-rule my better judgment I would have scanned the pages of Autotrader for an 1987 Escort LX 1.6. I’m not that sentimental though.

After checking a few websites, reading a few reviews and being schooled on the ways of the Ford by my sage and learned father, I decided that for a practical runabout a Used Ford Focus would be a great choice. The combination of price, performance, practicality and Ford’s awesome reputation just seemed to scream “buy me!”

I believe that to enjoy a car to its maximum capacity, you should choose one that matches your personality, driving style and general demeanour. This is the only minor drawback when considering buying a Ford Focus; they are ten a penny in virtually every town and thus any individuality is lost once you hand over your money and put the keys in the ignition. However, with so many engine and trim options available, it would be impossible to find a model that didn’t get my blood pumping.

After numerous test-drives and much deliberation, I plumped for a used Focus 1.6 Zetec. Part of this choice was based upon the quality of the vehicle during the test-drive and the rest was based on the fact it was an ex-demonstration model at a very reasonable price, which (the dealer had assured me) was definitely going to be snapped up soon if I didn’t get my wallet out…but then again I guess he was bound to say that.

Initial impressions were really good. The trademark Focus responsive handling proved to be very much intact as I tested my new purchase on the country roads near my home. The engine was punchy, eager and made the right amount of noise to slap that textbook new car grin firmly on my face. My second task was to take my dad for a spin to see if my Focus lived up to his Ford expectations. He didn’t look too happy as we were driving around and I began to feel slightly uneasy, as though I had let him down by buying an inferior car. After 20 miles or so I pulled over and asked him what he thought.

“Its a shame”, he said with a sigh. “Its a shame I’m not driving it.”

So there we had it; the vote of confidence from the man who drove nothing but Fords for the best part of 27 years. If it passed his approval test then I would be 100% sure that I had made the best choice. The only thing that confused the old man were all the readouts on the electronic dash. The engineers at Ford seem to be very keen to give you every single atmospheric measurement and observation possible, only stopping short at providing you with the shipping forecast.

In summary, it may not be the most individual of cars, but there is a damn fine reason for that. The Ford Focus is without a doubt the best performing and best value small family car for its price range. In these economically shaky times, value for money is an absolute must and a used Ford Focus will definitely supply that.

At any one time, in any city of the United Kingdom you care to choose, at least one hundred thousand drivers will be slightly irritated by the intermittent beep of the Ford Focus’ ‘the door is open’ / ’you haven’t done up your seat belt’ / ‘it’s a bit cold outside’ tone. They may also be bored to tears with the plain interior, the uninspiring plastics and the general feeling of ennui that envelops any Focus owner. So why on Earth do people keep buying them?

Ford’s tradition for outselling the competition has slipped slightly on a historical scale. The Ford dynasty now sits 4^th in the table of highest selling car manufacturers behind Toyota, General Motors and Volkswagen despite holding second place for something close to a million years. This has most probably got a lot to do with globalisation, out-sourcing and recession and other terms from the economists lexicon as opposed to Ford making a colossal engineering boob. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting statistic considering that the Ford Focus is absolutely everywhere!

When walking through town, variations of a Focus theme will be seen anything up to one hundred times a minute. I use the term ‘variation on the Focus theme’ as Ford have pulled the oldest car engineering trick out of the bag; by adding a couple of letters to the Focus badge, you can release a new edition and extend the car’s lifespan limitlessly. Does anybody know what Zetec, ST or C-MAX actually mean? probably not…but the public continue to buy the Focus. Their only concern is the £12 Smoker's Pack.

The reason why Used Ford Focus’ outnumbers people by at least nine to one in this country is a relatively simple twofold paradigm; the Focus provides quality and value for money. In many ways it is the automotive equivalent of a plague; popping up in a stealthy manner, hoping no one will notice that it is slowly taking over the world.

In these economically dire times, the public are demanding the best possible vehicle for the lowest possible price. The days of affluence, reckless spending and an insistence on remaining de rigeur at all times are long gone. Here to stay are the days of huddling round a solitary burning coal for warmth, eating cold beans to save on energy bills and wearing your grandmother’s hand-me-downs because you can no longer afford a decent pair of jeans.

So while we’re irretrievably sinking beneath the gloomy waters of a global recession, why not drive a car that is great quality for money, cheap to maintain and the best performer for its class? It may not be exciting…or fashionable, but it’s the Focus and it might just be the best you can afford. The 1.8 Petrol & 2.0 Diesel also better 50 mpg so it’s an ecologically sound vehicle as well.

For me, the Focus really shines when you put it to the test. I was happy to frighten my family during a road trip around the leafier parts of cheshire in a Focus.6 Zetec (a relatively standard model). I was extremely surprised by how the Focus smoothed out the bumps and bends as my mother screamed for her life. I laughed as the engine roared from 0-60 in less than ten seconds, whilst my father put his hand over his eyes and wept. I exhaled in wonder as the Focus slalomed round the wooded scenery whilst my dog howled in terror. The point is; as the driver I never once felt like I was not completely in control. My family were in fear of their lives, but I was as calm as if sitting on a sun lounger, sipping a cocktail.

For less than £10,000 you will easily be able to find a used Focus, with great spec and much better performance than its closest competitors (Citroen C4, Vauxhall Astra and the Volkswagen Golf). Ford have manufactured a car that won’t ever be considered ‘cool’, ‘hip’ or any other trendy adjective you choose to bandy about, but what they have done is create a practical and enjoyable car for the public. The Ford Focus is a resounding success.