Just after Christmas last year this 2017 Ford Focus 1.0 Titanium estate was waiting for us at Hannover Airport when we flew in from Heathrow.
Last year, when we arrived, the hire company gave us a car that was much too small for the task, and so we went up a size, ending up in the estate car category. Despite having driven many different cars, and the worldwide popularity of this particular model, I have only driven a Ford Focus once before (very briefly), and so this has been quite an experience.
This Focus estate has one of Ford's best engines, a three cylinder 1.0 litre turbocharged petrol unit producing 125 bhp, an incredible figure given its tiny size. As I found out on the 160 km journey from the airport (around 100 miles) when we picked it up, this is more than adequate for moving the Focus' considerable bulk at highly illegal speeds (or at least they would be illegal in Britain), and the car cruises nicely at 90 mph. Being a 2017 model, it is also equipped with a lot of very nice features.
The much derided original interior of the third generation Focus (launched in 2011), was replaced a couple of years ago with an updated version, which is much better quality and easier to use. The Titanium trim comes with such niceties as a rear parking camera, heated seats, a heated steering wheel, Android Auto, automatic folding mirrors, cruise control, Bluetooth, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry, lane keep assistance, lane departure warning and numerous other niceties. There is even an automatic parking feature (which I have yet to try) along with a 'lady button' to put the steering into superlight mode for city parking.
The car feels composed and stable at high speed (where the law allows, as around half the German Autobahn is derestricted), the steering is not too heavy, and the pedals all have a good and positive feel to them. Compared with my Seat Toledo, there are a lot more soft touch materials in the cabin, and the fixtures and fittings, whilst not being quite like a Mercedes-Benz, do not really feel cheap at all.
The handling, long known as a Focus strong point, seems fine, although the roads I have driven it on have not been the best for exploiting this. The dichotomy between the obvious practicality of the car and it being pleasant to drive is perhaps not surprising given that 2018 is the Focus' 20th anniversary, so Ford's engineers have had a long time to perfect its overall dynamics. The high performance Focus ST estate is probably a tempting proposition for many, given that it has the same practicality as all the other estates, but has much, much more performance whether with a petrol or diesel engine.
My sister wanted some boxes and a desk shifting from one of her old flats to her new one, and so the Focus duly obliged. The boot is not the biggest for an estate at around 476 litres, given that the one on my Seat Toledo is 550 litres, but of course, it is a more practical shape than the Toledo. The rear space is also no more than average, compared with the almost limousine like rear legroom of the Toledo. I doubt that this is too much of a problem for most people, though, but it was quite annoying that it took two people and an Internet search to work out how to remove the rear load cover...
In summary, it is easy to see why the Focus enjoys huge sales and critical acclaim. It is probably a bit dated in terms of styling next to newer opposition such as the Vauxhall Astra estate, and certainly loses in terms of practicality compared with even the sub £10,000 Dacia Logan MCV, but it provides an excellent compromise for most. The range of engines, particularly the 1.0 and 1.5 litre Ecoboost petrols, seem excellent, and recent updates have meant that it can have all the latest technology. One area of concern, however, is the list price, which is comparable with a far more prestigious Volkswagen Golf, and seems too high, although substantial discounts are available. My personal recommendations in this category are probably the Skoda Octavia, the Seat Leon ST, both of which offer similar quality and bigger boots for less money. Or, if you don't need the estate shape, the Seat Toledo or Skoda Rapid twins, which are much cheaper, and have a bigger boot, are an excellent option too.
