FORD FOCUS HATCHBACK 1.6 Style 3dr [2008]

* for illustration purposes only

The Ford Focus is an attractive car, especially the top of the range ST. It drives well and the ST is exceptionally fast.

The Focus has a broad spectrum of practical capabilities and will appeal to a wide range of buyers.

It is definitely a favourite for many car buyers in the UK.

The Ford Focus ST boasts great handling, high levels of refinement and affordability. The Ford Focus is an easy car to drive, and an all around decent vehicle. From the Focus's racy front grille to its prominent bumpers the exterior brags a sporty up-to-date look.

The Focus ST has a spoiler and sporty attractive alloy wheels, and an all around attractive body style. The exterior was designed to appeal to younger buyers, but the inside is much the same car as the previous model. There are some obvious differences though, such as supportive front sports seats, sporty steering wheel, a sporty gear knob, and supplementary dials on the dash.

This Ford Focus is powered by a 2.5-litre, five cylinder turbo motor. The front-wheel drive performs well even while being pushed hard. The car delivers a hard ride but an overall good driving experience. The car's engine delivers more than enough power and sounds great.

The 2.5-litre motor is fun to drive but drivers will pay for the thrill. The car's insurance premiums run high and the car doesn't get good fuel economy, especially when being driven hard. For many it will be worth the extra and will pay for itself in terms of the level of fun to be had.

The Ford Focus will not be too expensive to run; the two major expenditures will come in the form of insurance, especially for the younger drivers, and fuel costs. The car should be fairly affordable to service and maintain.

The Focus provides additional boot and cabin space from that of its predecessor. Front space is pretty good and front seat passengers have plenty of room. Rear passengers have slightly less room, but it's still adequate. The boot is a good size but has a high load lip that could prose problems for some.

The Ford Focus interior is fairly basic. Controls are big enough and simple enough to understand and operate and the knobs are large enough to grab and manipulate without difficulty.

Access to the Focus cabin is good. Front seat passengers have a lot of space and should be completely comfortable. Rear passengers don't have it as good. The Focus provides easy access to the rear but rear riding passengers don't have as much room.

The Focus is an easy car to park. It has light steering and over-all good visibility. The car's side mirrors are able to clarify any judgment call or question concerning where the car's extremities end.