Jeep Buyer

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 do people keep buying them?

Ford’s tradition for outselling the competition has slipped slightly on an international 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 probably got more to do with globalisation, out-sourcing and recession as opposed to Ford making a colossal mistake. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting statistic considering that the Ford Focus is abundant on every street in the entire country!

If you stand on any high street during an average Saturday afternoon, you will be passed by a variation on the Focus theme roughly twice every second. 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 keep buying the Focus. Their only minor concern is the £12 ashtray and fag lighter.

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 Tesco; popping up here and there in a stealthy manner, hoping no one will notice that it is slowly taking over the entire planet.

In these economically dire times, the public demand value for money. 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, however, the Focus is at its best 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 hugged the corners as my mother screamed in the back. 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 simply laughed 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 passengers were in fear of their lives, but I was as calm and collected as could be.

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). So in true form, 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 car for the masses. The Ford Focus is a triumph.

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 am not the only person who has spent 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 enthusiast; updating 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 know, 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 decided I wanted the 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 for such a new vehicle, which (the dealer had assured me) was definitely going to be…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 a while I pulled over and asked him what he thought of my purchase.

“Its a shame”, he sighed. “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 worrying times, value for money is an absolute must and a used Ford Focus will certainly supply that.