Real Road Test: Ford Focus Mk1 - Millennium Edition!
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
- The Ford Focus was an absolute game changer for the blue oval, but what actually makes it so good? HubNut finds out with this 1999 Millennium Edition, which uses the 1.8-litre Zetec engine. It has covered 186,000 miles!
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"That really is bright, isn't it" says the man with the metallic pink and gold Multipla.
I agree, after the Multipla, I didn't take the sunglasses off!
My thoughts exactly. Did they test the colour on a "focus group"?
This car must attract lots of insects. I used to have a bmw 2002 in more en or links less the same color (golf yellow it was called) and it always attracted summer bugs like butterflies, bees, etc
well if he says it, it must be true
not keen on mulitipla just metallic pink
As someone who owns a mk1, 2000, pre facelift Focus with the 1.6 engine, I can say its a amazing car!
Very happy to see you driving one, especially in this very interesting colour
I wanted to buy one recently. Just out of nostalgia.
I was disappointed.
@@dan_6915 why?
My old MK1 focus is still the sweetest handling regular car I've driven.
They used the 306 as an example of what they were aiming for. It would be interesting to do a back to back comparison of a Focus Mk1 and a 306. I was struck by how much my Mazda3 Sport, based on the Ford C-car platform used for the Mk2 Focus, felt like my old 306XSI.
@@Graham_Langley 306 xsi is surely the benchmark. The road tests got a bit carried away
Totally agreed
These are fabulous cars to drive. The handling is absolutely sublime
It really isn't good enough to make up for the rest of the car though. (Nor is it actually THAT good.) One of the most overrated cars I've ever been around. A case of jumping on the bandwagon IMHO.
@@Spac8 I had a 1.8 tdci LX estate 2002 I couldn't fault it. Thought the handling and ride were great. Maybe the LX spec had softer suspension? Only thing that lived up to the focus is my mk4.5 mondeo titanium-x with sports suspension. Had a mk2 focus 1.8tdci style and the handling and ride suck. Suspension is much to hard. Never settles constantly jiggling unless it a perfect road surface.
Pity that rust has killed almost all of them
They were nice to drive, I disagree that the car was overrated. Of course the Focus was not marketed in the United States as a family car (like in the UK), it was marketed as a commuter car that was comfortable and got good gas mileage (which is what most folks(including myself) bought the car for). Family cars in the USA at the time were Taurus/Sable, Camry, Accord and then later SUVs. For a commuter car, it was pretty good and drove very well on the highway. We got the 2.0l engine with 136hp and the 2.3l engine with 164hp as options.
I disagree. I had one - 1.6 Ghia with low mileage. It was gutless, uncomfortable and woefully crashy even around town. Hung onto its revs like a Leyland National. Gear change from a tractor. I put decent tyres on it as it had 4 ditchfinders when bought, even after this it still didn’t fee right or inspire me with confidence on the road. Got shot of it after a month. Perhaps I just had one made on a Friday afternoon? Worst car I’ve ever owned.
That triangle of doom actually matches the triangular design aspect of the car 😂
I loved the Fords of the mid to late 90s. The Focus totally moved on the small family hatch game with that styling and handling, the Fiesta came good, we got the chuckable Puma and the MK1 Ka was a huge amount of fun. They all had great gear changes too. Shame about the rust but good to see that this beast has managed to fend it off, even with those miles
Loved my Focus LX, it was cheap to buy, cheap to run, you could get parts anywhere, they were easy to work on, everyone knew how to work on them and they did everything adequately - definitely a Hubnut type car.
Chris Harris said that if it all went wrong and he needed just one car to get through tough times, it would be a mk1 focus, says it all about this car.
Meh..
I dont find it better than a Megane, Astra, Golf...
I'd say Golf was much better at everything: handling, comfort, gearbox.
Even Megane was better.
I wanted to buy a focus, drove it and got so disappointed in it. :(
Forth place for the Focus.
@@dan_6915 megane astra golf all soft handling heavy boring crap boxes. I can tell you do not know anything about cars and handling. Probably think a Nissan Leaf is fun.
I think that Chris Harris has said that an old mk1 focus with all the bushes done on the suspension would be his choice for a really cheap fun car.
The £2000 challenge, this was when they were going for £500-£700… not anymore I doubt😂
Yep, I remember Chris raving about the Mk1 Focus RS.
But if it has to be pre-owned and cheap then technical condition should be your priority nr1. Not brand and model. There are other really nice late 90's early '00's hot hatches available like Clio RS, Civic type R, Saxo VTS
I still like the styling of the first-gen Focus. "New Edge" was almost as revolutionary for Ford in the U.S. as the Taurus was in 1986. The second-gen U.S. Focus was such a letdown in comparison, even after they removed the fake chrome vents from the fenders.
But the second generation was drop dead reliable and that ended up being all that mattered.
Agree 100%. The first Focus was polarizing in 2000, yet didn't compromise function for the style. Much like the original Taurus. Like the Taurus, that Focus pushed the envelope in it's segment for refinement, comfort, and style. That's why I bought my yellow ZX5 that was identical to this one.
The second gen Focus, for the US market, was beyond disappointing
@@roorentalcarreviews884 but if you had owned one you’d have driven it to pieces because while it looked a little staid…but it knew it had a job to do and did it well..,mine i drove 250000 miles with zero failures and then gave it to my nephew who now makes it his car to work and home…he is a pinch penny so he’ll no doubt get at least another 100000 miles from it….sometimes it ain’t about the looks or performance…it’s about taking a chance on getting a darn good car.
@@jonnycando There's no denying that the '08-11 US market Focus was reliable. I ended up referring a number of people who needed a reliable car.
But the magic was gone. The fresh, optimistic styling was replaced by staid and traditional, the funky, clever interior became a blocky stack of buttons, the hatchbacks were gone, the fake air vents were tacky and even the spare tire was deleted.
It became a Ford version of a Corolla: bland, unimaginative, and reliable. Good for those who didn't care about cars. But the thrill of the original was lost, especially since the MKII Focus overseas still had a lot of character
@@roorentalcarreviews884 I’ll be honest too I bought mine when the government was buying our gas guzzlers with the proviso we should replace it with an economical vehicle (cash for clunkers, ultimately a crime but such is hindsight) and I picked the Focus SEL because it was festooned with leather and premium this and that, which I thought i had the means to move up to but without going overboard in price….it only in time revealed itself as a terrific and lovable car. Most recently i opted for a 21 Mazda cx30…why? All wheel drive…good fuel economy and the propensity to look more expensive than it is…but it IS red and everyone knows red goes faster….but alas I’m practical in my own goofy way and will never apologize for it.
Great review Ian, having owned a mark 1 focus I can testify about the handling, still the best generation of Focus, would have another one in a heartbeat.
I own a mk2 the ride and handling suck. I even test drove a 2013 mk3 that wasn't any better. Gave my mk1 to a family member. I have a mondeo mk4.5 with sports suspension handling is good again now.
Mine handles pretty bad since the front suspension is all sorts of loose due to wear
You could say that the triangle of doom is part of the triangle theme of the car! I used to have one, a year 2000 1.6 Ghia in Black - it had to have the tailgate replaced under warranty because the lower edge was starting to rust through, the car was only about 4 years old.
The back doors really went on the bottom edge.
Sounds about Ford.
Only continuing what had gone before. I bought a B-reg XR3i at just under 3 years old and the hatch had already rusted out around the wiper hole due to the spoiler trapping water under it.
The rust proofing for Ford's this age was really bad. Shame because they were on a roll
@@Mouse2113 seemed to do fine if kept clean but so many people didn't manage that. Mudflaps, wash inside the wheel arches. Wash under the back up under the boot floor. Go along the sills. And keep the bottoms of the doors clean.
I had the station wagon version in the United States.
It was the "ZTW" model which meant it was loaded with all the available options.
It was used as a commuter car and with routine maintenance it made it to 257k with minimal issues before being rear ended and totaled.
Never failed to start or left me stranded .
I rented one of these for a couple weeks in MA. The handling and steering was a million miles better than any other American car. Mind you, an early 2000 Buick Regal was superbly comfortable and astonishingly fuel efficient.
I drive an 04 ZTW. Wonderful car and it's only at 145K right now. I want to drive it for a long time.
Had a silver mk.1 1.6 as a company car in middle east... fantastic road holding flat out on roundabouts, drove like it was on rails. Got a mk.3 2.0 Mondeo after 18 months when my millage was around 7,000km per month.
I had a 02 ZX-3. one of the best things about the design was the fact that the cup holders were in front of the shifter. It was so nice not to have to use you drinks as a arm rest.
I think it's interesting how "normal" the first Focus became, considering how relatively unusual it was at the time. They're almost completely anonymous now. I've had two facelifts and a mk2... the suspension, even when completely knackered, is still great.
One commenter at the time pointed out that if you took away all the styling bits it was a very boring shape.
@@Graham_Langley surely you can say that about any car. It's a family hatchback, what were they expecting?
I remember driving these from new, and they were always an absolute pleasure, superb ride and handling.
Still modern looking after all these years !!!
The mk1 Focus is an epic car. I had a T-reg 1.8 Zetec in Amparo Blue and it was honestly one of the best cars I’ve owned - fabulous to drive, reliable, zingy, sure footed and all round excellent. That independent suspension set the standard that hatchbacks for only catch up with about 15 years later! Great video Ian.
My wife got herself a new Ford Fiesta when my 1999 Ford Cougar got too
long in the tooth and needed too many fixes to keep it going. She
generously gave me her Mk1 Ghia Ford Focus, 1600 Automatic which she had
from new in January 2000. I use it twice a week to take my golf clubs
to the golf course so it's not adding many miles to it's 60,000 in
21+years. Still immaculate leather interior and no rust anywhere it has
done us very well and seems to want to go on for ever.
Great to watch you again HUB Nut still doing intresting stuff. keep up the good work.
You are the most practical and down to earth car reviewer ever.
I'd say that if the rest of the auto journalists were as objective as you,we would have much better new cars than we have now
I tried the drinking game each time Ian mentioned the mileage with a double whiskey
I am now 2 sheets to the wind and as happy as a sailor 👍
Looking forward to more Fords on HubNut! I'm a huge fan of those Parry-Jones had a hand in. I maintain that his transformation of the third generation Fiesta into the fourth generation of late 1995 was remarkable.
Interesting. I think the mk 4 is worse than both the mk 3 and mk 5, and the facelift is even worse. I would say the mk 1 Focus and Ka are some good looking cars though. I'm trying to think of a more recent car that I actually prefer but I can't think of one.
@@benholroyd5221 I never said the MK4 was a looker 😂 I admit it isn't. But my point was that the engineering - suspension, steering, NVH, etc. - transformation from the MK3 was significant
@@joshbrailsford oh sorry, I thought we were talking design language and looks.
I rescind my private thoughts about you needing glasses :-)
@@benholroyd5221 The Mk7 Fiesta is my personal pick. Its so common that we don't really give it a second glance but its a phenomenal drive and actually a pretty good looking car. I've owned one since I first passed in 2019 and It's actually hilarious to me that my neglected '09 which hadn't seen a service in 5 years or so was altogether a tighter and nicer drive than the literal brand new Corsa that I'd learned to drive in.
@@Reddsoldier I don't like the rear end from a practicality pov. I assume its more aerodynamic, but then if thats so important why all the SUVs?
So while I don't dislike the design per se, I disagree conceptually with what is supposed to be a super mini.
Thanks for this one Ian, great review. The engine note takes me back to the many miles I covered as a passenger in my friend's 1.8 petrol Focus W563PGE which he got brand new in March 2000. It was a fine handling car and very quick. We both loved the dashboard too.
What a great throw back to the 90's with the 1st Generation Ford Focus. I remember that generation very well indeed, you certainly don't see many left on the road. So it was nice to the Focus having a good review & test drive by Ian. I look forward to seeing the next car to be reviewed by Ian.
Thank goodness you put the badge straight. I was starting to twitch. I really like the mk1 focus, I've had a mk1.1 (2003) tdci sport for 18 years now and it's still pleasing upon the eye, and fun to drive.
i had a 2004 sport tdci 3 door in imperial blue a few months back 78000 miles and sold it as the rear arches were going abd decided to keep my ghia tdci which is rust free but loved how the sport drove i do have a grey one sitting at the side of my house which is rotten but use it on the farm for daughter to learn to drive.
Had a couple of Mk1 Focuses over the years, always loved the outside and hated the inside in equal measure. Great handling little things!
I had a Y reg' 1.6 Focus that was about 7 years old when I bought it. Absolutely loved it. I remember the UK came to a standstill with snow and ice and it drove perfectly while everyone else seemed to struggle.
My only experience of a focus was having to use a much later car for a couple of weeks as part of my old job, I was told they would be hiring me a focus and secretly wished for it to be a 1.0 ecoboost as the engine fascinated me, 1.0 and 125bhp if memory served, I did a mixture of motorway and A road in it, what a machine, a very schizophrenic car I felt, drove like a tiny not very exciting sounding 3cyl when you were pottering about town but made a beautiful noise and handled really well when you were pushing on a bit.
Possibly my all time favourite Ford the mk1. I remember when it first came out. I was actually excited to have a close look at it. Incredible styling imo, especially that beautiful swooping dashboard. They really were buzzing in the late 90's. The Ka and Puma to delight us too! Puma is one of the best handling cars of all time apparently, only we'll let you be a judge on that one shortly Ian. Great vid.
there's a triangle theme which continues both inside and outside the car. and also includes a whopping triangle of doom
Control Blade supension is a rather specific type of IRS, Australian I believe, functionally it is basically semi trailing arm supension but it takes up less space.
It was developed to be used in the next-gen Ford Falcon’s
I have always liked the MK1 Focus, if I had one I would want the saloon version just because they are unusual, and getting fairly rare
I had a gold Ghia saloon! Nice car, but the boot opening was rather small and I think they looked a bit odd.. I've always preferred the hatchbacks.
Great test, I had a Mk1 Focus (the later style with 4 headlamps), mine was just a bog standard 1.6LX. I am now on my fourth Focus.
I had a 1.6LX as my daily commuter for years and I used to love chucking it through roundabouts. It was so much fun, even with its 98 bhp. The ride and handling was easily a match for the BMW E46 I had before it. Very, very reliable car too - it's still around in someone else's ownership, now close to 200,000 miles and going strong.
I owned one for 7 years and it never skipped a beat 1.6 Zetec brilliant little cars . Great review 🚙👍🇬🇧
Friend of mine had a few of these, the interior quality always reminded me of those 80s VHS tape holders 😂
I really liked my X reg 1.8 Zetec. Sweet handler. One thing I really enjoyed from a design point of view was the way the centre line of the dashboard sweeping round onto the door tops to the door handles. Very well integrated.
Very nice condition for an old Focus with so many miles on the clock, a credit to the owner.
Yes nice condition bar the added tat, shame!
Pity about the dead rear wiper. Maybe the original owner should've coughed up for the Peter Crouch option.
Sadly that was a £795 optional extra that many couldn't afford
I had a 2001 1.6 Mk1 focus for 7 or 8 years.
I loved that car. Never let me down.
I have an 2004 ST 170 in my garage now. Not my daily driver but something that I'm going to keep hold of for old times sake.
I love the Ford Focus, it's such a joyable car to drive and a true star in the corners. I have had two of them and now on my third currently. Great video Hubnut 😃👍
My Gran brought hers new in 2000 on a X reg, being a 1.6LX with the climate pack (so heated mirrors, windscreen and AC), in light sapphire blue. lovely car and she had it for 16 years and it appears to still be going strong.
Great review hubnut, I have owned a couple mk 1 focus in the past, fantastic car 👍
Another great video has always Ian and miss hubnut and hublets and dogs
I absolutely loved my 1999 Focus, was only a 1.6 Zetec bought it brand new at 19 years old :)
I keep looking at the old Focii for when I can go back from my 7 seater S-Max duties haha.
Thanks Ian, great review.
It is rather strange to see my daily driver in a HubNut video, tbh. I have a German market 2002 Focus Finesse with the 1.6 Zetec-SE (fun fact: the Zetec-SE was developed by Yamaha) and 166 k km on the clock. It has no rust, and apart from normal wear, there was never a problem. Even at 19 years old, it is still extremely fun to drive. This can't be said about many other cars. Oh, and just two weeks ago, it passed the German TÜV inspection without remarks ("ohne Mängel").
I had a mk1 Ford Focus that looked identical: yellow five door hatch with a manual. Loved that car! Looked great, was comfortable, was fun to drive, composed, and full of smart ideas. It was perfect. I felt terrible getting rid of it in 2014 when things were starting to wear
Love my focus mk 2 had it for around 8 years absolutely loved it
The mk1 Focus! Probably my favourite car of all time. I owned my first one (1.8TDDi Zetec) for 8 years (2004 to 2012), I absolutely loved that car ❤ The Millennium edition was actually based on the Zetec spec but with added toys (4 electric windows, AC and heated windscreen, leather). A clue is in the silver trim pieces, they were black in CL and LX, and wood effect in Ghia. The Zetec spec chassis is tuned to be on the sportier side whereas CL, LX and Ghia models have slightly softer suspension, which IMO makes them handle even better on the road, especially with the neglected road surfaces all over the UK.
Unfortunately, like many Fords of the era, rust was the biggest problem the mk1 Focus had. Mine went in the rear arches, the boot lid, and the bottoms of the doors. If I could have afforded to repair the rust properly at the time, I'd probably still have that car now, which was on 209,000 miles when I let it go, but drove like it had a quarter of that.
The TDDi had only one mechanical achillies heel - the electronic Bosch fuel injection pump, shared with the 1.7DTI Vauxhalls of the era, and some 2.5TDI Audi models. That pump is a common failure on every vehicle fitted with it.
Yep! Agree with everything you've said there!! Including the fuel pump. Mine (also a 1.8 TDDi Zetec) went when the wife was driving it over Salisbury Plain; she said that the dash lit up like a Christmas tree and the car stopped!! But I repaired mine, a friend of a friend that ran an independent garage managed to source a pump from someone breaking a TDDi Transit Connect; £500 all in. New Pump was £1,000 and a Ford dealer quoted £500 to fit; I believe that a lot of Mk1 TDDi's were scrapped because this.
@@stuartjones8238 yes, many TDDi variants are scrapped because of the pump. It's usually more than the car is worth to replace the pump. Mine went at a junction believe it or not. I thought I'd stalled it, but no, the pump had gone. I think I paid around £600-700 for a reconditioned pump from a diesel specialist, and fitted it myself. I paid out around £150 on various seals, a new timing belt, and other consumables for the job too. Car ran sweet after though. To be fair, it ran sweet before. Even with 209,000 on the clock, the engine was perfect - pulled well, never used any fluids, always good on diesel.
No problem with rust on them in Arizona. Not a speck anywhere.
Brilliant video Ian 👍
Got a Mk1 Focus, absolutely love the things
Ah this brings back memories. When I was a child, I couldn’t see out of the windows in a Mondeo. But in the Focus I could see everything around. I had forgotten that - but you were absolutely right about the height.
Yeah, I rememeber that as well. I used to get terribly carsick in Mondeos. I think I actually cried when my dad bought one, because I knew I was going to get carsick on every single journey. Never happened in the Galaxy or Fiesta because of how low the glass was.
It got much better when I grew tall enough to see over the door cards. Eventually I discovered that the drivers seat of a Mondeo is the best one!
Passed my driving test in one of these, back in 2004. I liked driving it.
My dad had an LX 1.8 MK1 Focus (Reg: V106GAK), great car.
I had a V reg Focus 1.8tddi ghia, I did a lot of miles at the time and though the engine was a bit agricultural it was utterly reliable and I just totally loved the whole package.
What a nice review, i still own a 2004 facelift Focus Futura Wagon 1.6, even nowadays it still can go with all the modern cars.
Informative video . Thank you .
I have a 2002 MK1 (Facelift) 1.8 TDCI 115 hp, ... best car ever, it has 230.000 km and still going strong with only minor issues over this 19 years of service.
Hi Ian,I had a Mark 2 56 plate 1.4 petrol and I could not fault it they are great car's best wishes to you all
Yes your the first reviewer that I’ve seen about all the triangles in the design it’s weird but I love it.
I loved how the St170s drove. Great back lane hooner
2nd gear is mental
Great cars. Having to wear sunglasses for Hubnut videos now😉
This video is a sign! I'm off to view a 2002 MK1 Focus 1.6 Ghia today and hopefully finalise a deal if it is described correctly. I ran a 2004 MK1 1.6 Zetec earlier this year for a short while then sold it to a friend and it's still going strong with over 150K miles on the clock!
My parents bought a relatively new ‘99 T Reg Zetec with the Yamaha 1.6 engine. Was quite a torquey engine and drove very well for a family hatch, used to borrow it every now and then and was always impressed by it.
I have a millennium focus and currently restoring to factory original. I cant let it die
I DO like that indicator noise! It reminds me of my childhood when we had a 2002 MK3 Mondeo LX Estate. I did note when we got it though that it was very different to the indicator noise on our previous MK1 Mondeo LX Estate
I had a mk 3 Mondeo. It was a great car. Alas it would bizarrely go mouldy in the winter, hence moving it on for a mk 4. I didn’t really like it and sold it to my brother.
@@stevesrover Our MK1 went mouldy after we got the MK3 as it didn’t get used much. The MK3 was very reliable other than the fact that it used a lot of oil. It didn’t appear to burn it, and it didn’t leak either. We never figured out where it went!
@@johngarland6782 Our mk 3 was reliable too! It has also a hoot to drive. Quite a step up from my Sierra that was, sadly, on its last legs. I quite like Fords up to this era. Nowadays, nothing really excites me but then I drive something from another era.
I had a MK1 1.8 3 door , 2002 reg , loved the car 👍🏻
Lovely car indeed. I remember driving a station wagon version years ago and I liked it.
Excellent review Ian - I’ve always liked the Mk1 Focus’s - currently on my 5th. Never owned a 1.8 though - always a 1.6 or 2 litre.
You've struck a chord with this. I love these, and sold them new during 18 years at Ford. I was about to remark on the Puma alloys, until you got there first!
Owned an st170.....quick enough and looked the part...the handling ( for a fwd) was spot on
The Focus has a special meaning to me again related to fond memories. 2 of my classmates used to live in my parents’ street. The three of us played basketball in the local competition team and practiced twice a week + match during the weekend. One week my mum, the other week the first mate’s mum and then the third week, the third mum was in charge of driving us to the sports hall and during weekends to the other team’s sportscenter on away matches.
One mum had a Focus estate diesel and I remember it had a lot of space inside. I liked the car and even remember the smell inside. And I remember the downswept diesel exhaust tip as was mandatory for a lot of cars from that era.
Fond memories that I miss a lot.
I have to say, looking at the Ford Escort Mark V, I have a new appreciation for 1990-1996 Ford Escort we had in the USA. We had that style of Focus from 2000 to 2007. They "refreshed" the front end from 2005-2007. I had a 2005 Focus, It was a nice car that gave me no trouble at all for all those years I owned it. It just needed gas, regular oil changes/ services (tires, plugs, coolant) and it was good to go. I replaced it with a 2012 Fiesta in bright lime green. That was a fun little car with its manual transmission. The sunroof was so far back in the roof that it was pretty pointless for anything (except if you had back passengers) but it was a good car
Yes they did the zetec came from the mk5 escort in 1992 starting with xr3i. Then rest of the range . They were planed as zeta engines but due to name issues became zetec
We bought a year 2000 Focus here in France, second hand in 2004. It replaced our 1994 Super Cinq. In comparison, it was like upgrading to a spaceship! Such an excellent car to own, we did lots of mileage all over France and even came to Wales twice in it. Only a couple of serious problems in the 12 years we had it. Fuel pump sensor packed up in Bristol on the way back to France. Hydraulic system leaked a few years after. Our Focus is still alive and well and is now owned by my French brother in law. He has done a few things to it... including having to change the French reg. We bought it on old French system plates. So strange to see our old car with a new reg plate. Loved that car.
That's a stunner! What a beauty.
I’ve had a mk1 a mk2 and mk3 and the mk1 is still my favourite. Owned a lot of fords from this era and don’t really have that much to complain about. Great and honest review as always Mr Hubnut!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Almost bought a MK1 Focus a couple of times, but had a 306 and then a Seat Leon MK1 instead. Good to see the Focus still looks and drives well 20 years later.
My old Mum has owned a 2002 Focus 1.6 Zetec for 17 years. My old man bought it 2 years old shortly before he died. Driving it always puts a smile on my face. One of Ford's best ever
Still a sharp looking car. I've a real hankering for an S Reg Focus
Ian, I smirked when you commented on its colour all I could think of was this coming from someone with a green fluffy interior in one of his cars. Keep them coming Ian.(Maybe you recorded this before last video)
A shame it's lost it's original wheels, but pleased to see you in a Focus... I've had 8 and LOVE them dearly.
I LOVE THE MK1 FOCUS THE DESIGN IN 1998 WAS WAY AHEAD OF ITS TIME AND IT STILL DOESNT LOOK OUT OF PLACE TODAY SUCH AN ATTRACTIVE LOOKING CAR ALL EVEN INSIDE TO
I drove a 2001 Focus for a week in the winter of 2016. It was awesome in every way and the rear wiper worked perfectly. Yes the windscreen wiper sweep was weird but I am short, 5' 4, so not a problem.
Steering, 14 out of 10, even oversteer if you so wished.
This car reminds me of late 90s when:
Depression percentage was lower.
Suicide rates were lower.
Homeowners rate (ESPECIALLY in london) was higher.
Such lovely times.
Back then there was still a chance to own a home!
I just remember, on Cyprus I once drove a Focus Series 2 rental sedan. Already 8 years ago. Time flies...
Had my 1.4lx 02 reg since 05, getting issues now as expected but still the best handling and looking i've driven
Great video. I used to have a yellow Ford Escort back in the day but this Focus colour wasn’t “custardy” enough.
YYAAAAYYY.... HubNut drives a PROPER car...lol. I bought a 2000 1.8 Zetec Focus for £100, spent another £95 to get it through an MOT (front springs 1 front wheel bearing which I fixed myself) and drove home in it. How HubNut is that!!?? ... and I still have it 5 years later.
I love my millennium focus. Such a great car. Awesome handling only 56,000 miles.
Love Fords of this era. Had a Fiesta 1.25 Zetec as a first car, purely by chance. Not the last word in quality but Zetec units are great. It gripped the Lake District roads, was endlessly realible and so much fun. Have to say I took it for granted. No car I've owned since has been that much fun. 🙂
I have 2004 just about 200k kms. Love it.
I remember driving a MK1 Focus on Colin McRae Rally... brings back childhood memories!
I love mine. Bought it for the wife so she could learn manual and she decided she didn't want it lol. I've been working on it since May and daily driving it. Decided to put some coilovers on it and drop it and I've been through hell trying to replace those lower rear control arms. They're an absolute nightmare. I had to use a sawzall to chop all four bolts off amd still am trying to get the bolt heads which have fused to the bushing sleeves out. Gonna have to go at them with an angle grinder tomorrow morning but it's all worth it. Frustrating as hell but worth it. I love the little thing. Drives so nice
I learnt a valuable lesson about lift off oversteer in one of these.
Peugeot 306 was a beast for lift off oversteer, well the GTi 6 was at least
Just acquired a 51 plate 1.4 which will be for sale soon once it's been tested. Would love a Millenium like this.
There’s just something about the mk1 focus , I think it’s aged well , always thought they where a good solid car and well designed
, as usual good interesting video, keep em coming Ian 😎👍
I used to have the 1.6 zetec face-lift version of the mk 1. Such a great car for its time. I am tempted to get another as my own 'hubnut' car.