2005 Ford Focus User Reviews

Pros

Roomy, comfortable, stylish, fun to drive.

Cons

Still a "small car" in some respects, but the pros outweigh the cons.

I bought my ZX3 SES in the summer of 2005, right when gas prices were up around 3.30 a gallon. I'm not sure why everyone is complaining about the gas mileage of these cars, with the 5 speed, I'm getting an average of 28mpg around town, and easily over 35 on the freeway. Quite an improvement over my last ride.
Ford's "Family Pricing Plan" appealed to me, and the cars final cost after taxes was about 14 grand... can't be beat by todays standards for a fully loaded car.
The little guy is surprisingly comfortable for such a small car. I'm 6.0 ft & 230 pounds, and I'm more comfortable in the focus than my wife's Blazer or my Fox Body Mustang (91 5.0)... much bigger vehicles. Ford really engineered this car for a wide range of people, with the height adjustable seating to the telescopic wheel, there's certain to be a comfortable place for anyone who sits behind the wheel of this econobox.
While Foci is comfortable, one is still reminded it's a small car. The ride, while nice, is still sometimes "Jouncy", especially in the rough stuff, but surpisingly behaves better than I expected. I haven't driven the automatic transaxle, so can't speak for it, but the 5 speed can be Jerky in traffic, almost as if not much attention was given to dampering the manual configuration vehicles, but again, I remind myself it is a smaller car, and will behave as such, no matter how much was put into it's refinement.
So, Ican't say anything bad about this vehicle... so far it's treated me well. Things might get real interesting for this car in the near future.... aftermarket companies are working on a turbo kit (Duratec Motor) that ought to double the horsepower of this little bugger... With the near weightlessness of the focus, this car will surely fly....read morehide

Pros

Like the mileage, has plenty of pep

Cons

Eats rear tires

2003 model, Dealer replaced rear tires at 10,000 miles(Blamed it on ford,said they put cheap tires on them) Currently at 54,000 miles on the 6th set of rear tires! Alignment guys tell me Ford is full of it with their negitive 3 degree allowance on camber with no way to adjust it.(they normally align to .2-.5 Degree)Ford has issued TSB 03-13-5 that may correct this but it seems our dealer is unaware of it,(We pointed it out to them this week,still waiting for a reply. They can probably fix it now that its out of warranty)(The service manager blames it on cheap tires)...read morehide

Pros

Incredible Power, 5-speed fun, Affordable, Built to a European Standard

Cons

No rear disc brakes, except for the ST (rare) or the high up LX models

Being a first time buyer, I was drawn to the local Ford dealership. I just happened to look at both a 6-cyl. Mustang (2003) and this little Focus ZX4 SE (2005). After driving both cars, I came to the realization that the Focus was a more practical car. Factors in determining this was the age, fuel economy, comfort, overall practicality and performance. Both cars were 5-speeds and proved to be surprising. I happened to get the 2.0L Duratec DOHC Engine with PSEV Engine Management. This car is cleaner burning, cheaper and faster than any hybrid; besides the fact that it gets almost the same gas mileage. I have seen as good as 50 mpg on the highway! Things that I found incredible about this car was the build quality, the factory warranty (10-yr/100,000 drivetrain), ride comfort handling and many others. I am very satisfied with my purchase of this car and pleased with the finished product that I have received. I have already convinced one of my buddies to purchase a Focus and I am working on a couple more. I plan on adding a couple performance parts to enhance the Focus' already existent get up and go. Like many others, my previous vehicle was a Neon, which I still drive on occasion to get around town. My Focus bone stock, will pull 8-second blasts to 60. This is amazing for a car with 135 horsepower that weighs 3,500 lbs. I love my Focus and will never drive a Japanese car....read morehide

Pros

ZX5 has lots of room for a compact, Good Value, Mazda Engine, Food Quality is Up, Handles Very Well

Cons

Side Airbags Not Standard, ABS Not Standard

I've owned the car (ZX5) for seven months now, long enough I think to write a resonable review.

Firstly, what's right about the car...it handles wonderfully, far better than the Ford Escort and much more comfortable. It has "command seating", translation: it sits up high so you can see the road.

The back seat has good headroom and leg room, in fact, the ZX5 is rather large for a 4 cylinder hatchback (more leg, shoulder, and headroom than comprable 2005 Civic), brakes have improved marketedly as well. I can haul quite a bit of cargo for this type, last week I had a rocking chair, 27" TV, and another wooden desk chair in the back.

My last car was '98 Mercury Tracer and I have to say the current model Focus is leaps and bounds over my previous car, although, I have to say that my Tracer was always dependable and is still doing quite well for the new owner. If you haven't driven a Ford in a few years, then try again, they've improved quite a bit.

The 136 HP engine, which it shares with the Mazda 3 (the Mazda 3 version has more HP) is peppy enough for a four cylinder, no complaints there. I think the car represents a good value, I even got an optional 6 year/75,000 mile warranty and still came out less than an import. Contray to what one person said on here the sticker under my hood (but, then again, not everyone looks there anymore) proudly proclaims that my vehicle was assembled by the UAW in Michigan. If you care, then go to UAW.org before you buy a car.

Let's talk about gas mileage, I've seen quite a few reviews talk about it either being good or bad. Your probably wondering if we're even talking about the same car?!

I've found that most of my cars will get better than the EPA estimated gas mileage (especially in the winter when I don't have to run AC) if I stay the speed limit, accelerate smoothly, and avoid quick starts and stops. The Focus ZX5's gas mileage is exactly as advertised on my window sticker (I'm usually driving by myself). If you have a short commute, go through several lights and travel at low speeds, then you, by definition, commute through a city, expect city mileage...if you drive like a maniac/racer/teenager also expect city mileage.

I'm guessing the two door or ZX3 gets better real world mileage, but, then again, they are smaller cars and weigh less. After driving several 4 banger sedans and squeezing into the back of my brothers 2 door '05 Civic, I think I'm sticking to four door hatchbacks.

Base radio with CD Player is good for a car in this class, much better than previous Ford 4 cylinders. I was surprised by the decent bass.

Now for my negative comments...

The car dash is made with hard plastic, like a guitar case. I have mixed feelings about it. It seems stiff and sturdy and it certainly won't peel like vinyl. If it lasts the test of time and doesn't crack or fade then I'll give it a thumbs up. If it doesn't last, then I'll complain to Ford, anyway, we'll see what happens after five to ten years of sun.

ABS and side airbags are not standard on this car. I'm cheap and live live on the edge, so my car doesn't have either option. Although, looking at the competition, Ford really should make these standard, heck they don't really add that much to the cost of the vehicle. Plus, they go along way to helping the safety rating of the vehicle.

I wish it had a center console for me to rest my right arm.

No lumbard on my front city.

My ZX5 could use some rear head rests. (although it's forgivable because it's a hatchback)

Slightly higher gas mileage would be nice. It gets the advertised fuel economy, I'm at peace with that.

I'm not sure if anyone can make a 4 cylinder sound and run as smoothly as a good V8. I also have a 2006 Mustang GT and it's unbelievable how much more smoothly that V8 is than your average V4. I suppose that's more of a comment than a problem....read morehide

Pros

good on gas, good room space for family, handles great,engine warms quik (live in Canada)

Cons

noisy engine(not well insulated), turn signal ....loud!!!

This car is a great choice for small family that wants space without the v6. The 2.0 litre works fine but a little noisy at times, but you get to like it!!! The turn signals are loud. Wanted to encourage a North American built car and i m glad i did!!! Ford overall quality improved 100% since the early 90s....read morehide

Pros

Fuel Economy, great standard features, completely confident handling

Cons

None

We have owned four Focuses: a 2002 SES Sedan, a 2002 SES wagon and two 2004 ZXW wagons. Why so many: I put 65,000 miles on one wagon in 16 months. This vehicle is a pleasure to drive. After the apparent debacle of the first model year, which I did not experience, the cars have been wholly reliable and I have put virtually no money into them. Now admittedly, my driving is almost exclusively highway, but I traded in the sedan with 57K and the brakes had never been done.

I am particularly concerned about safety, while at the same time I like to go fast. The Focus behaves like a sports car. Its handling is flat and completely neutral with virtually no body role. Either engine has enough acceleration to get out of the way of trouble, and the interior is an ergonomic delight: leather wrapped steering wheel with little bumps at 10 and 2 o’clock to rest your hands, adjustable height seats and a sufficiently tall windshield so that a long-waisted six footer can use the entire window, not say, two-thirds as in, well, other nameless small cars. I could go on but believe me this is one very nicely designed car, and if you are on a budget, you could not do better. Buy American. This is one of which you can be proud...read morehide

Pros

gas milege is good

Cons

it could have had 4 wheel disk brakes

I have had the car for 9 months, the gas mileage has not change. cd player has been changed twice now.

Pros

It's fun to drive.

Cons

Noisy, less than expected gas mileage, safety belt will not retract half the time, what is that cent

What more can I say. I guess I've got to say more? For $4,000 more
I could have had the Matrix.

Cons

horrible gas mileage, rust issues with 2002 model, goes through tires

Probably the worst investment I've ever made. The only good thing about the car is the ride, it's got some nice seats. Other than that, I don't recommend this vehicle to anyone..especially the 2002 model. All the doors have rusted, one door is completely rusted shut. Currently, I am getting 19 miles per gallon in town and hwy about 23 at the most. I've had it in over 5 times to get it checked out!! Definitely an unhappy customer!!...read morehide

Pros

Nice sporty little car. I feel good about having paid only $11,000 for a car that runs this well.

Cons

First only does just enough to get the car moving unless you really punch it.

This is a really nice little car for the price. My wife has a late model Mercedes and I prefer to drive my Focus. I like the sporty sound of the engine. First gear is not so great, but second and third have good punch. I've read reviews on other little sporty cars and they have simular features, but are much too pricey. The Mini Cooper only has 115 horse power (the Focus has 130) but it costs thousand more than the focus. Plus the mini cooper doesn't even look cool. I slapped some rims and tint on my Focus ZX3 and you wouldn't believe the looks I get. You would think that I was drinving a Corvette or something like that. I even had a cute lady who was driving a nice looking, expensive car make eyes at me. My previous car was a Dodge Intrepid. The intrepid had more horsepower, and was quick moving out of a standstill. However, automatic transmission problems sent that car to the grave. I like the fact that my focus has a manual transmission so I don't have to worrry about expensive automatic transmission breakdowns. Also, the Focus just sounds cool. It has that sporty growl that makes me want to drive, and drive. All in all, I'd recommend this car to anyone looking for a nicely priced, sporty, fun to drive little machine like the focus ZX3....read morehide