Category: Hot Hatchbacks 
Price Range: No data available
Fast, well-equipped, sounds fantastic.
Feels nose-heavy, expensive running costs.
Full of character and surprisingly grown-up hot hatch limited by its big thirst.
Three years of Focus Mk II production is long enough to have had any glitches ironed out in what is generally perceived to be a reliable car.
As well as being reliable, the Focus family also feels as though Ford has tried hard to match the quality of some of its German competitors. The top of the dashboard and upper areas of trim are finished in soft-touch plastics; oval air-vents have chrome-effect surrounds; and fit and finish is good.
The lower they are to the floor, however, the harder and thinner the cabin plastic becomes. A substantial centre console rather than just a gap between the seats makes the cabin feel more cockpit-like and snug, lifting the perception of quality.
New 2008 models benefit from a new classier instrument panel and centre console, although some cheap-looking blanks remain.
