[Closed] what mk was the ford focus that everyone liked on here?

Most likely a 1.6 or 1.8 petrol. If you jump from a diesel straight into a petrol the way the weight (or lack of) effects the steering is pretty noticeable. Might not be too evident without having the reference point though.

The mk1 petrol was/is great (mine is still going strong!). An 06 plate would be the mk2 though. Never driven one but IIRC most people who went from a mk1 to a mk2 said the original was better to drive. I'm sure it's still a decent car though (but I'd be looking for a petrol personally).

The ford common rail diesels are pretty poor.

Mechanically the same as Peugeot HDi engine, but they got rid of the fuel injection system and fitted their own awful version.

thanks, ill stay with the idea of petrol then. am i right in thinking the mk1 is 98-04? and with a petrol engine, what sort of mileage should be the limit? look at anything up to 100k?

thanks

I've a 1.8 petrol Mk1. Now on 130,000 miles and still doing OK. I've put 100,000 miles on it and have had no real issues. Is now needing more oil (upto last year only oil it got was come service time).

Have driven my wife's work Ford Focuses, all been 1.6 diesel from Mk2 upto the 2015 model (changes every two years). I've liked them all but when it comes to cars, I just like them to work. Never had a singe issue with any of them.

I got rid of mine @ 172k and I still see it pootling about. Bloody great thing. '04 1.6 petrol.

MkII focus here. No Aux input! It's a 1.8tdci. Fair bit of turbo lag on it, but it goes nicely once it gets over that.

yr 2000, 1.6 petrol mk1 here. I don't know which version everyone was raving about, but mine's been faultless the last 2 years despite being 16 years old.

Currently however, it's got a scraping sound from a front wheel at full lock, suspect it might be a bearing or stuck brake caliper or something.

I've had a mk1 and a mk2. Both were great cars, the mk1 was a little bit more nimble but the mk2 is still a good drive. My gf has a mk1 2003 1.8 tddi ( no dpf) which is on 165k miles. Not sure it will get through the next MOT as it is slowly succumbing to rust but mechanically its been great.

they seem a good car then, but........ if theres no aux that means no 6 music, no streaming deezer whilst driving :-/

might be dead in the water then as i [i]insist[/i] that my driving is spent listening to good music 😀

My basic mk2 had an aux in the glovebox.Given DAB radios can be had so cheaply the days you may as well just replace the head unit.

My basic mk2 had an aux in the glovebox.Given DAB radios can be had so cheaply the days you may as well just replace the head unit.

EDIT: seems theres enough of them with aux that this route is worth thinking about. thanks

The ford common rail diesels are pretty poor.

Mechanically the same as Peugeot HDi engine, but they got rid of the fuel injection system and fitted their own awful version.

OP mentioned the 1.8tdci, that's a Ford engine not PSA.
I've got a 57reg 1.8, bought at 26.5k, now on 105k. It's been fine.

I think most head units do have an aux in.I'd take a look in Halfords. I think you can also get Bluetooth kits which will stream music and phone.

One other thought,on difference between mk1 and mk2 was size. The mk 1 is roomy for its external dimensions but the mk2 had a bigger boot.

birky - Member

The ford common rail diesels are pretty poor.

Mechanically the same as Peugeot HDi engine, but they got rid of the fuel injection system and fitted their own awful version.

OP mentioned the 1.8tdci, that's a Ford engine not PSA.
I've got a 57reg 1.8, bought at 26.5k, now on 105k. It's been fine.

The 1.8TDCi is probably even worse.

It's the mk2 1.6 tdci that's not great. I should know, I've got one. 🙁 .

I bought an Aux kit from amazon and installed it. Took 30 minutes, but I did need to buy special keys to get the radio out to make the connection.

I think you can also get Bluetooth kits which will stream music and phone.

Our '08 1.6 tdci has been faultless. It's the mk3 though and I'd hardly class it as a fun car. It's not awful by any stretch but there's not a lot of oomph to it once you're over 40mph.

Adding AUX to mk2 focus is easy, just pop out radio plug in cheap lead from ebay in back, feed down through dashboard to where you want it. Lead even comes with the "keys" to remove radio.

I have a 1.6 petrol mk2 estate.

One thing with mk2 is do replace the washer jets with the mk3 ones to stop puddle forming on top of engine where the originals leak!

just been looking at a few on ebay. im from an age when the ford hierarchy was L, XL, Ghia...... whats the hierarchy with the focus? i see theres still the Ghia but im also seeing Flight, Edge, Zetec and a few other variations.
is the ghia still the top spec?

Just replaced our mk1 1.6 petrol with a mk2 1.6 petrol. Turns out I preferred the old one in almost every way. Was more agile, less squeaky and more responsive I think, certainly around town - brilliant car. Also, the mk2's interior has been designed by a complete imbecile. Almost every aspect of it drives me nuts, like door pockets you can't get CDs into unless you're double-jointed and a driver's arm rest that's always in the way whatever you're doing. It's a nice enough car and my other half likes it but I probably wish I'd got a Golf or something, or a mk1 if I could have found a good one when I needed it. On the plus side, it makes me even happier that I only drive about 3k miles a year.

Ghia is still top spec, Zetec mid spec, reckon flight and edge etc will be same lowish spec.

Thought Titanium X was the top spec on Fords?

It's is now but in the era the OP is looking at, 1998 - 2004, Ghia was top spec.

Think Titanium etc came in mid 2000's >

Bought a mk.1 1.8 petrol with 120k on it 6 months ago. Put about 5k on it since. Great car, apart from swapping out the spark plugs its been faultless. Bargain for £500

I had a mk1.5, it was a basic LX model but all the core stuff was so right- comfy, perfect driving position fantastic use of space, decent handling despite being old and shagged, lovely power delivery despite having the rubbish 80bhp diesel. Had a few misdeeds, like the big random noise dampening sponges in the wheel arches that a) didn't dampen any noise but b) kept the tin nice and wet. And pretty poor error logging etc- when the crank sensor went iffy it'd just cut the engine out while driving, but didn't throw any useful codes frinstance. Apparently a basic/early version of their obd systems. (and frankly, an intermittant sensor error causing the engine to cut out dead, taking with it the power steering and brake assist, is not a very bloody good idea)

(I'd love to find a really tidy one and drop my 2.2 diesel tdci into it, apparently it fits.)

More recent models always seem to go a bit off that template. The driving position in my dad's mk2 is horrible by comparison frinstance, all lopsided and the armrests are all in weird places, the engine trades drivability for headline power and the gearing's too low so it revs too high on motorways, and the waste of space is pretty bad (even down to little things like the door pockets being uselessly small).

Had the mk1 lx estate 1.8 petrol face lift with alloy wheels added as an upgrade. Aircon heated screen front electric windows. Great bike car. Probably the best car ever designed at the time. Light years ahead of VW stuff.The Golf has only really caught up now dynamically to the Mk1 focus.Thats how good it was back in the day.

If I could find a well looked after ST 170 estate with some service history I would seriously consider getting another.

Brother had a mk1 1.8 TDCI diesel with 115 bhp. It was a really nice drive with a lovely slick gear change, great turn in and feel through the steering wheel and with power delivered smoothly through the rev range. Driving it put a smile on my face. Needed very little work from when he bought it at c30k miles until he sold it at c170k miles. Drove this and a 1.8 petrol and a 1.6 petrol. The 1.8 offered very little performance benefit over the 1.6 so wouldn't bother.

Wife had a 1.6 petrol mk 2 focus from 30k to 70k miles. It was a disappointment... Needed new leads at c40k, had an sensor issue, needed new discs early at 35k and finally the gasket started to go. All servicing to schedule and regular maintenance completed but still more things earlier than I would expect. Drive was also deeply average with little feel to all controls. Dull and uninspiring.

hmmmm......im getting the itch to try one 🙂 just need to find the right one. itd be good to find a nice ghia that goes like stink and i can stick a new bluetooth/dab/aux into. just need to get lucky i spose at that age.
always liked me old fords. had cortina and granada ghias back in the day, leather interiors, walnut trims ahhhhh happy days.....

Mk1 was the better car. I had a Mk2 06 petrol. It was a nice enough place to sit, but petrol engine was under powered, and the handling was ok but nothing more.

I later got a Mk3 Mondeo that was way way better than the Mk2 Focus and can be had for same / less money. I'd get Mk1 Focus, but more so a Mk3 2.0 tdci Mondeo. More mpg, more toys, better handling

Had a 1.8 tdci mk1 ghia.
Beautiful handling and ride.
Just enough power and torque, 50mpg.
Non wooden dash version.
Loved it.

I bought a Mk1 1.6 cl petrol estate with 136k a few months ago for less than a grand. Apart from a central locking system that seems to have a mind of its own, the car drives faultlessly. Everything still feels tight, no rattles, engine pulls as well as a 1.6 can be expected to and whilst it has clearly had a couple of scrapes in its lifetime, I was expecting it to start falling apart by now. Which it hasn't. Which is good by me 😀

Nissan micra for your second car OP 😉

I fitted an aftermarket head unit to a mk1 focus I had years ago, was a piece of pish. You'll need a triangular fascia adapter for about £15 plus an autoleads cable adapter again, £10-£15. Then your head unit on top. I bought a Bluetooth head unit from halfrauds about 2 years ago for £59 I think, decent brand too. Was able to stream phone calls through it too, surprising how little you have to pay for a half decent set up these days.

You should be able to find a 2003/2004 ST170 that fits your budget.
As the St is the XR equivelant they wont depreciate if looked after and not modded to death.
Never owned one but been in a few, quick , nimble good drivers cars. With petrol now at 99p/l wont cost alot to run around either.
Big enough inside for a bike or camping stuff / trips to dump etc

I personaly would avoid all Ford deisels as they simply dont have enough reliability. In 2 posts time someone will be here saying their mondeo derv has done 3 million miles and never needed an oil change , but theirs is the exeception to the rule.

yep, im on it. ebay/gumtree/autotrader/facebook ads, thats the car im looking for now, so ill report back on here when i find 'the one'. pretty sure thats where im headed now unless someone points me to a bargain car somewhere else.

Nissan micra for your second car OP

thanks

EDIT: goes without saying, if you chaps see one for sale please shout my way 🙂

You can get an in car DAB from pure. Transmits on FM, which the radio then picks up. Think it has additional inputs to. But you'd end up with lots of writes about the place.

been surfing the net all morning for these, mainly looking at ghia 1.6/1.8. can i just ask a couple of questions to help me fine-tune my search please?

firstly, im still getting 54 and 05 models in my search for mk1. is there a definite cut-off point between mk1 and 2? can i assume mk1 goes up to 04 and no later, so [i]every[/i] car with 54 or later is mk2?
and how would i identify the difference between the mk's if im looking at pics?

secondly, will the pokiest engine be the 1.6i 16V (or 1.8i 16V), rather than just plain 1.6/1.8L? pretty sure it will be but just checking.....

ta

Early mk1's up to and including 51 plates have bumper mounted front indicators. After that and until about 04, front indicators are in the headlamps.

That's as far as my knowledge extends as I went looking for a mk1

My neighbour has a 54 plate Mk 1

Think there will be a bit of a crossover from 54 plate being MK 1 & MK 2 as dealers would still have had mk1 stock in sept 04 ( 54 plate time )

Be wary of the ST170. It's not all it's cracked up to be. Not particularly fast at all. Nothing worse than a hot hatch that isn't hot at all - all the downsides of a hot hatch in harder suspension, poorer ride, higher running costs etc. but none of the extra go. I had a facelift MK1 1.8 Zetec which I think is the sweet spot. Not much slower than the ST170 in the real world, but still as good on the handling front. It was the best if not one of the best handling car i've ever driven, certainly in FWD form, and overall better than my wife's BMW supposidly 'Ultimate Driving Machine' (difficult to tell with all the driver aids in modern cars). I'd love a go in a MK1 RS. i've had later Focus models as hire cars - they're still good relative to the competition, but feel bigger, heavier and more sluggish handling than the MK1.

The only downside to the Focus I think is the driving position. A bit too bolt upright for me. I've got short legs and they feel short to me. Still comfortable, just not my preference as I prefer my legs to be a bit more outstretched.

Focii?

Wife had the Mk1 1.6 petrol Zetec when it first came out. Ace car; 50k trouble free miles from new. Very nimble but a bit gutless. A car you had to drive rather than waft around on diesel torque. It handled well, had enough toys and was a very pretty shape. The design was spot on.

We traded it for the Mk2 2.0tdci. Heavier (much), more power (much) but nowhere near as nice. By then, they'd buggered up the shape and it was a bit of a lump (comparatively). It also needed 2 clutches, a DMF and an alternator in 60k Miles.

If a 1.6 Mk1 is available with sensible miles and in good nick, it'd be a good buy. It's more likely to be sitting in a pile of rust now and/or have massive mileage though.

couple of questions please. firstly.....trawling through the ads ive seen [url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/53-Ford-Focus-1-8i-16v-2004MY-Ghia-5-Door-78000-miles-One-Owner-/262075510249?hash=item3d04eaede9:g:IS4AAOSw42JWD75g ]this focus[/url] 20 miles away from me.
its trade, so would you say its a bit overpriced and i could buy the same spec/condition cheaper private?

also, i keep seeing 'MY' next to the year, and im guessing its something to do with the plate being different to the year it was made. am i right? so say the car is 53, its saying it was actually made in 04 to make it seem newer?

thanks

That one in the link looks good and a check on the MOT history shows fails on minor things like wipers and tyres.

Looks like it's been stood around loads as previously tyres have been advised for cracking and the brake disc are advised for going rusty. The discs may be ok if you start using the car enough.

I bought a polo in 2009 for mum and got that from a dealer and paid a bit more than private but it's a good one. Personally, I'd have a look at the one in your link and use it as a base to judge others on with that one being a good one. Be quick though as it may not hang around.

Looks like the wheels are not standard on it, think they may be ST170 wheels.

Regarding the MY, 53 plate ran from 1st sept 2003 - 28/29 Feb 2004 so that one will have been registered early 2004.

Guessing MY = manufacturing year.

That's a lot of wedge for that car, with bugger all info on it. I'd personally not bother looking for low mileage examples

At that age, just look for a regularly serviced one at the right price, and go private. Look for nice tell-tale signs like matching pairs of tyres, maybe even premium tyres. Cheesy, but I've also thought a lot about the car can be inferred by the person that's selling it.

(That's what I'd do anyhow!)

If I could find a well looked after ST 170 estate with some service history I would seriously consider getting another.

Mates just written his off. It was crap. Don't waste your money, if you can find one. Insurance couldn't price it as so rare , so gave him far more money that it was worth. Does the same mpg and same VED as my Mk 2 ST running 300 bhp and you would be lucky to get 150 bhp out of them let alone 170.
Mk1 is the more nimble car, but a lot of them are coming off the road with the usual Ford lack of rust protection. Check for ....... well everywhere. They will also be high miles, which if looked after is fine, but its an old car now. Wouldn't contemplate an old diesel either.

1400 quid for a 13 year old petrol focus.....did the mk1 focus become a classic and i missed it ?

Externally difference between mk1 and mk2 is the later car is bigger,rear hatch slopes on the mk2 whereas the mk1 is more upright. Mk2 has a smoother shape but lacks some of the distinctiveness of the mk1.

If you are looking at petrols the 1.6 is fine, 1.8 isn't much quicker but at this age I'd be guided more by condition rather than difference between 1.8 and 1.6.
Check for rust,my girlfriend's mk1 failed it's last MOT for rust where the rear arch meets the sill and needed welding. Bottom of the rear door skin is another area they go.

I wouldn't discount a mk2, they still drive better thanist if the competition and are more plentiful and likely to be in better condition.

Lincoln?

I'd check:

1) https://www.gumtree.com/p/ford/ford-focus-edge-/1148049289

Ring and see if its got a recorded service history. They say "full log book"- don't know if they mean S/H or V5.

2) https://www.gumtree.com/p/ford/ford-focus-1.6i-zetec-2004/1148428864

3) https://www.gumtree.com/p/ford/ford-focus-lx-5-door-hatchback-fsh-clean-tidy-car-drives-as-new-just-been-serviced/1149683314

All nice, all Mk1s, all cheaper than the one you're looking at.

.....I'd probably ring about the second one initially.

thanks for going to the trouble of looking at a few 🙂

1400 quid for a 13 year old petrol focus.....did the mk1 focus become a classic and i missed it ?

1) https://www.gumtree.com/p/ford/ford-focus-edge-/1148049289

Ring and see if its got a recorded service history. They say "full log book"- don't know if they mean S/H or V5.

2) https://www.gumtree.com/p/ford/ford-focus-1.6i-zetec-2004/1148428864

3) https://www.gumtree.com/p/ford/ford-focus-lx-5-door-hatchback-fsh-clean-tidy-car-drives-as-new-just-been-serviced/1149683314

All nice, all Mk1s, all cheaper than the one you're looking at.

thanks guys

I had a mk1, great car, thought I was being clever and moving it on before the bills started getting more expensive .... Bought a Citroën.... Last I heard the Focus is still going strong.

Just because its at a dealer doesnt instantly make it over priced.

You get additional value from a good dealer

You get ripped off by a poor dealer.

Difficult to tell them apart but there are warning signs.

How ever i still feel that 1300 is alot of money for an old petrol car.

Out of interest- what part of the ghia spec do you feel you need ? I had a mk5 facelift ghia escort ( ie the one right before mk1. Focus) after a base model fiesta..... I prefered my fiesta all told. The wooden dash and the tempermental added extras of the ghia didnt do much for me. - electric windows/mirrors/central locking etc just meant more shit to go wrong ime and the colour coded bumpers meant the bumpers were no longer bumpers but extensions of the body shell that were as delicate.

I

I paid £750 on ebay for a 115K mile 1.6 zetec Mk1 facelift car three years ago (02 plate). Only now at 140K miles are there a few patches of rust starting to bubble through the rear wheel arches. As above it's a fun car to drive with a decent amount of power and cheap to service, insure and run. I'd buy another.

To be honest for a car of this age and type (plentiful, easy to fix) I'd look in the private ads and ebay rather than pay a dealer's markup.

I bought an 04 plate 1.6 petrol mk1 6.5 years ago. It had 38k at the time and has now done 127k.

It's a great car, handles and rides well, the 1.6 is fine if you can look beyond the end of your bonnet and judge traffic, and has been cheap to run and repair. I'll be reluctantly selling mine in a couple of months, can't imagine getting more than £700-800 for it.

Out of interest- what part of the ghia spec do you feel you need ?

Worth noting then that not all ghias have leather interior- they were optional.

Didnt all have sun roofs either.

Heated screen started on the low spec model.

Bit more thinking and the one thing i did find on the ghia thats not on all models alhough did start further down range was adjustable lumbar support.

I fitted a drivers seat with an adjustable lumbar to he fiesta as my nod to comfort 🙂

I guess at least when your down to banger money like this the spec has little influence on the price.

100k wouldn't deter me with a service history. As long as that's all present, inc cambelt, I'd be happy. Don't worry about Ghia spec, there's nothing it adds over Zetec. Quickclear is nice 🙂

The one you saw was ok, just a little bit on the fear side, and I think it rides better with standard rubber.

Brother's had an identical spec to the ST170 - same interior, full leather, heated seats etc... Wasn't a bad place to be at all. Very comfortable.

To get heated windscreen which is excellent, I believe that ford did a winter pack (or somesuch).
It may have been standard on ghia but don't rule out other cars on the basis of that. Mine is the zetec and the only thing I would like that the ghia has is the centre armrest.

Btw, it's easy to replace the head unit if you want dab/Bluetooth, I replaced mine when the cd changer started playing up.

Sadexpunk - I used to have a Mk1 1.6 Zetec (petrol) and it was really nice. I recall the 1.8 engine having hardly any more power, but was less efficient, and even more so with the 2.0.

I installed a new stereo, which I used for about 3 months and then removed it before changing car (I bought a new Focus). I still have the stereo if you're wanting to buy one. It's designed to fit the double-bay of a Mk1 Focus and has the correct wiring loom and plug for that model.

It plays CDs (and MP3 CDs), has an SD card slot and USB slot. It has bluetooth and mobile phone control buttons. It's in mint condition, still like new.

Ironically, my new Focus came with the top of the range built-in Sony stereo with phone control, and I prefer this older one !

Send me a PM if you're interested - cheers.

Send me a PM if you're interested - cheers.

The one you saw was ok, just a little bit on the fear side, and I think it rides better with standard rubber.

got to admit ive hit a bit of a brick wall with the ghias, and ive limited the mileage on searches to 80,000. ill cast a bit of a wider net to all models and 100,000.

Mk1 here. [url= http://http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/facts-and-figures/ford/focus/hatchback-1998/ ]mk1[/url]

It had complicated suspension which made it a very nice drive. Engines were nothing special but the fun was in how they drove. I did about 200,000mls in various forms of focus and this was by far the best without having to dish out money on ST or RS models. we had a 1800 Zetec and sister in law had 2.0 ghia. Neither were very economical

Mk2 here [url= http://https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Focus_(second_generation,_Europe) ]Mk2[/url]

It shared it floor plan with the Mazda 3 series and tbh it was bland. The supped up versions were fun but they cost a lot more to get any fun out of them.

Personally I don't think you will get any pleasure from a car I rated as the best car I drove. Its nothing special in terms of engines etc. The suspension becomes creeky and a bit troublesome and they are a bit rusty and unloved now.

If you must have one, my favourite was the st170 mk1. Decent on fuel and nice spec.

linkees not work for me, not sure why.

could i just ask another question please? if you buy from ebay, do you still have the same comeback if you find that the car 'isnt as described'? or are motors different?
i ask as im having a conversation with someone on ebay about a nissan micra for my wife. ive looked at past MOTs and asked if all the advisories from the last couple of years have been sorted, he says they have.
if i was to find out a seller had told porkypies, could i return the car and claim money back? i cant really see that happening, but hey, its ebay policy right? 🙂

thanks

How would you proove they didnt happen post them being fixed....

You wouldnt have a leg to stand on imo and he knows it hence hes telling you yes to try and secure the sale.

I was part of the team that Engineered the dashboard on both the Mk1 and Mk2 Focus.

I recall my first ride as passenger in a Mk1 Focus, on site at a plant in Turkey. Straight away it felt/rode like not other car in it's class, at that time.

[i]TheLittlestHobo - Member
Mk1 here. mk1
It had complicated suspension which made it a very nice drive[/i]

It was the first car in class, amongst it's peers, to have independent rear suspension.

For at least the last 15 years, Ford has worked to deliver ride and handling which is best in class. In my opinion, they 're pretty much on the money and have forced the other OEMs to at least try to catch up.

The interiors though? Audi are still seen to be the leaders in that discipline, at least within the industry.

seen a couple of 'desirable rare saloon' models over the last couple of days. cant work out if they are actually desirable or a mistake 🙂

any thoughts?

Everything wrong with the saloon in 2 images:

[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

Marginally bigger boot with a drastically smaller lid to cripple its usefulness. If you actually want 5 seats and a boot, family car style I'm sure it's fine for that but it takes the car slightly out of its "miraculously big small car" specialism and for cycling purposes it's a much less usable space. Ironically if the saloon had a hatch lid it'd probably be really good.

can i just ask about the private vs dealer thing with HPI please?

if a dealer says hpi clear, id pretty much say it would be, and paperwork would probably show it. whats my best course of action with a private sale? do i ring some place to ask? do i pay for an hpi check? does it take a few seconds, hours or what?

thanks

stiiiiill looking, getting to know all the cars on ebay/gumtree/autotrader now, seeing the same ones time after time 🙂 saw a nice one i quite fancied in selby, but no service history, so too much of a gamble.

im learning a bit about the different specs, such as LX and ghia maybe tailored more for the er.... more 'dad' type people, flat seats etc whereas the zetec has more bucket type seats and better spec, so im concentrating mainly on private and zetec.

one thing id like to ask is, i see a fair few zetec 1.6i and then just 1.6 (no i). reading some of the forums, they seem to imply the 1.6 engines are all the same for the zetec/LX/ghia. are they? if its advertised as just 1.6, does it still have injectors? or does that 'i' make a difference?

thanks