I own a Ford Focus MK4 ST-Line, with the little 1.0 EcoBoost 125 engine, and at least here in Portugal it is one of the best value for money propositions you can find in the C-segment. No, it is not as premium as some of it's counterparts, but it is far from feeling cheap - it is robust enough, very capable and fun to drive. Given that for around €25k you can get a highly spec'd ST-Line X version with pretty much all the kit you'll ever want or need, I think it is a car to consider. To me, cars like the Focus, Civic, i30, Ceed and a few others are currently more interesting and appealing propositions overall than the much more expensive VAG, BMW or Mercedes stuff. Cheers!
@@edgk490 greetings, after almost 4 years of ownership and 50.000 km later I have nothing bad to report (I’ve owned it since late 2019). Fuel consumption can easily reach below 7L per 100 km if you drive carefully. I tend to drive it fairly spiritedly and I’m hard pressed to surpass 8L per 100 km. Great little car, I love mine.
I have a 2021 Ford focus same spec as you have just test driven. The wind noise and the annoying noise the drivers window makes when it rains are the only issues I have with the car. Apart from this I think it’s a lovely car and really practical. Sort the door and window seals out Ford !!
I sense that there is some sort of revenge on your review. I still think that you are one of the best car reviewers but I believe that this review is not representative of the car. The model that sells the most is the 1.0 Ecoboost petrol ST-Line and I think this is the one you should review. Here in Greece it retails for about 22K Euro although in 2019 there was a promotion that you could get it full spec for 20.5K. This included everything but full LED and sunroof. The car is really quiet with consumption around 6.4 l/km. It rides excellent and is easy on the bumps. By no means this review represent one of Fords best selling car. Keep up the good work and find an ST-Line to drive. Cheers Marek
My revenge is telling everyone how Ford's Poland behaving. The rest is a normal review. This is how I would have reviewed the car 3 years ago, when it came it. It's mildly meh, but so is everything else in the segment these days.
Focus ... it's not cheap enough for how cheap it feels. In Slovenia you practically can't see one of the last generation on the road since they raised their prices for about 30 % compared to the last generation. I guess dealers live off servicing now ?
Great review ! We have six Focus and one Mondeo in our family, new or old. Two of them have more than 500K km, three with more than 300K, and two with 120-140K. Good reliable cars, with normal issues. We have also Toyota, Vw, Mazda, Skoda and Mercedes. All of them have issues, so nothing special for Ford. But, with proper maintenance , they never let us down. And suspension and the way of how you feel driving them is the main point that we have them. If you need a normal car with normal budget and normal expenses, it's a good car. We are searching for the new models, but a little hesitant about the 1 Liter engine. I think the 1.5 for focus or the 2 liter for Mondeo is ok.
i have a 2019 1.0 benzin mk4. Great family car. couldnt find a cheaper car with so much space - got a full specced titanium for 24000€. electronics and infotainment are below average but brakes are grwat and car is fun to drive, very good steering. I cannot hear any wind noises like you did.
Oh dear lord, that plastic bag under the bonnet was hilarious - what is that rubbish? Surely the heat of the engine and the environment will make it disintegrate in a couple of years. Another wonderful review. You pick up on things that the other reviewers never mention.
The plastic bag is probably nothing new, the problem is that it's open, MY2019 versions had a plastic top to push the water out but for some reason, Ford is being cheaper and cheaper, plenty of missing things after 2020. Glad I got a 2019 one, brand new, zero issues. Price probably vary from country to country but back then mine was 27k, ST Line 1.5 ecoboost 150hp (182 wasn't available in our market) automatic, wagon with design and sport pack, rear camera, full led lights (replaced now with adaptive leds one) so nothing too fancy and many optional but seeing a lower version priced at 31k is ridiculous
You know whats funny, or not in my case, I just traded a 9 month old mk4 MY21 with the "rubbish bags" for another new mk4 MY22 (got the estate with the 155 1.0l as an upgrade from a 125 hatch) and funnily enough it doesn't have those "rubbish bags". Infact it has nothing at all, just a big cavity above the wheel arch liner behind the wings
I like how this car handles and rides. It has decent interior and boot space. Yes the automatic transmission is on lazy side but it's not a sports car and it gets the job done.
We own the new mk4 Ford Focus 1.5T ecoboost estate/wagon Vignale automatic and it is a great car. Consumption is a bit high 7.2 liters per 100km but the 1.5T ecoboost is strong 150hp pulls very nicely, I read it's the same engine but detuned computer as the Fiesta ST 200hp. The Vignale trim level makes all the difference inside is very nice place to be.
How could I miss this review!... I was wondering why you didn't show us some Fords. I suppose there are people and people... Borrowing one from a rent company was a good idea. 🙂 I drove a rented Focus ST-Line (wagon), petrol 1,5l with manual gearbox two years ago in Germany and I was very impressed by its ride quality. I didn't find it noisy but then everything was quieter than the Lancer that I owned at that time... I'm not sure but it might have had 19" wheels.The padded door pockets were a nice touch, too. Thank you for the review. Hopefully we'll get to see more Fords in the future!
Thanks for the review! Honest and funny as always. :) It seems the automatic is better in the Focus. Also on higher trims you have more tech features and comfort. I like the door edge protectors, the lidless fuel hose and the overall simple and clutterless interface points.
Someone who wants the gearbox to work past 150.000km :) This is not aimed at Ford. All high milage cars with DSG for example are cheaper than the manuals...
@@Anonymous-ib8so Drivers who tend to drive more in city or unexperienced drivers tend to pick automatic for more relaxed driving IMO. Not every driver is lazy, most of the time it is just convenient.
Possibly buying a 1.5 eco blue diesel estate auto. I did a short test drive on a manual hatchback Ford focus st 2018 but surprisingly I wasn't that excited by the performance in the st
I've bought new Focus 3 facelift in 2019 for less than 16000 EUR. Estate model, Titanium, same colour, manual transmission, 1.6l petrol, 125 hp, with few extra options. That was in Russia when Ford decided to leave russian market and gave reduction for their models, somewhere about 1000-2000 EUR. Now almost the same new model is priced twice more, that's a pity.
I never noticed that Fords were missing from your channel until now. Silly Ford I say. Focus styling has been hit and miss throughout the years imo. I like the current look but prefer the hatch back better. I own a mk 1.1 Focus and after 18 years of ownership I still think that it's a good looking car. Focus 1.8 tdci sport 2003.
We are using a company car, Focus SW 1.5 D ST-Line. The boot is really large. The seats are extremely uncomfortable. 17" rims make it worse. Right seat is worse than the driver one. We also put an additional cushion over the right seat. :) With 47 litres of diesel it goes more than 900 km in average. The car sometimes gives sensor errors. We fix it by a restart, dealer has no solution for that. Once the navigation failed and showed us the rear view camera while heading forward. I would not buy this car if it was not a company car.
@Marek. Would you choose the 2023 Focus or Corolla 2023 estate? Its a company car so Fuel efficiency is not that important. Comfort and silence is. Thanks for your great videos!
Hi Marek, thanks for informative video. Last year I was looking for hatchback and Focus was one of the cars i considered. I went to Ford dealership and gotta disappointed with fit and finish... instead i got Peugeot 308 1.5 bluehdi 130ps for less money, Peugeot just looks and feels better inside.
I quite like Fords, especially the way they drive. Owned a diesel Fiesta, took the small and fun roads every time. Marek should remind that he mentions, if I remember correctly, German pricing, which is a bit higher than in many other countries. That said, when I was looking for next car and considering Focus, the options and option sets quickly made Focus price unattractive. Also, when testing Focus right after the new Golf, the interior quality and styling difference was noticable, in favor of vw, of course, even despite the presence of proper knobs in Ford. Anyhow, cool review, long awaited. Too bad Poland's Ford is lead by teenagers. Would love to see some of latest ST-s reviewed.
I wish it was teenagers (that's Audi PL). I know the people running Ford PR/marketing, and unfortunately they are older than me. They live in the 90s, when handing out press cars meant never-ending praise. The stories I've heard about the "good old days" of motoring journalism, and shit I've seen...
I do like the t-Shirt. Where can I purchase one? The estate looks like the long a last gen Mondeo. (The car that outgrew itself). Cars stored for a while attract mice especially if stored for along time during winter. That sound proofing looks like just the right sort of hibernation nest.
Ford is never on my radar when I shop. In North America, they have a reputation for being poorly built and designed. The only product that even remotely looked like it had upped Ford's game was the Mach E I sat in last Feb before COVID took over Canada. Unfortunately the clowns at Ford priced the base model 5k dollars too high to make the lineup available for the Federal gov't rebate. I asked this of the reps at the auto show and they all just shrugged. I guess paying attention to the details isn't a corporate motto. This car wouldn't be on my radar. I'd buy a Toyota Corolla wagon, Golf or Passat wagon.... ok Golf R wagon :) , Skoda, or Seat. Our neighbours just got an Audi Allroad which looks great but that another snack bracket. "PUMP IT UP" scene was priceless Marek!! I was laughing sooo hard. Thanks!
"...priced the base model 5k dollars too high to make the lineup available for the Federal gov't rebate." You mean in Canada the car has to be sufficiently expensive to qualify for a government incentive? In Poland it's exactly the opposite. Last year was the first time EV incentives were offered, and the price limit was so low only a handful of cars in bottom trim qualified. This year it is better, but still no picnic. And you have to attach a sticker saying something on the lines of "This car was co-financed from a gov't programme yadayadayada" The sticker is so big it takes up a good portion of the front fender :)
@@MarekDrives LOL the bigger the sticker the better huh? Several years ago there was no limit for price for the provincial government, which is local to Ontario, and the rebate was 14k bucks. So everybody was getting pissed off because rich Tesla drivers were being massively subsidized. In fact, the whole Tesla business has been founded on rebates and carbon credits which is kind of crazy. A different provincial govt came into power & they completely eliminated the rebate & that’s when the national govt stepped in to offer a 5k dollar rebate for EVs that started under 45k and was offered to any trim costing up to 55k dollars. Strangely, that max price can go over 55k if it’s add on options. So an ID 4 RWD is 44995, ID4 AWD 50k, and an ID4 AWD with an 8k dollar option package all get the 5k dollar rebate. And if you live in British Columbia or Quebec you also get an 8k dollar local rebate. As for Tesla, the Model 3 RWD normal range is 53k. But Tesla offers a “phantom never seen before” short range model under 45k to allow the 53k dollar version to get the rebate. In the end it’s all BS imo. Govts basically built the Tesla empire by offering all of these crazy rebates and Elon is laughing his ass off.
Sounds about right. BTW, listen to the Smoking Tire podcast with Missy Cummings on robotics, automation and autonomous cars. I had a good laugh. Interesting rebate policy. In Poland it was max. 40k CAD to get up to 6k CAD rebate. Not it's up to 73k CAD for everyone, and the rebate is 6k CAD, or nor price limit and up to 9k CAD rebate for large families (yes, the gov't wants us to procreate, and make Poland great again).
the Ford's footwell are terribly narrow and short. My foot size is 45 and it doesn't feet on it. Really a big design flaw and they keep doing this design mistake since the Ford Galaxy 2006 which I drive sometimes is the same problem. I never had that problem with the Seat Leon or BMW. German brands seems to design much better than the others.
Pretty shitty that Ford PL won't lend you press cars. I remember back in the day when you posted that vignale review. I do like the Mondeo/Fusion though. The AWD is very helpful for Canadian winters
I wonder how much of that "AWD is helpful for Canadian winters" is real life, and how much of it is marketing. I recently watched a CBS or Bloomberg video on Subaru in the US, and how their marketing is based on AWD being the obvious choice for winter. They created this trend. I'm not saying AWD is not useful, but people all over the world drive FWD eco shitboxes in all sorts of weather :)
@@MarekDrives its good when enterprise rent a car doesn't put winter tires on their cars and the city of Vancouver didn't plow the snow and it turned to ice. This was in 2017
Weird that the pricing is that high in Poland, you could get the Titanium spec with everything this car has plus bigger better alloys and adaptive LED headlights for 1000€ less than the car reviewed here in Finland despite our car prices usually being more than central europe.
Can you explain what small footwell you talking about? And about the driving position, it is excellent. I do not know what you are talking about since I have one, and, as the vast majority will say, the driving position is very good.
I think there are only 2 generations of Ford Focus. The last one was made in 2011. Ford quickly went downhill and I wouldn't trust them. Source: I owned a first gen, several friends own second gens, loved all of them. One friend owns a third gen, we owned a 2016 C-Max, other friend has a fleet of Transit Connects (or whatever the tiny van is called), all hate it and make frequent trips to the mechanic when stuff breaks.
@@MarekDrives The US also got the third gen, but not the fourth. I was trying to indicate that I think anything after the second gen isn't good enough to be called a Focus. But I was sleepy and I failed.
Hi, i bought this generation Focus when its came out on the market, i got an 2,0 diesel automatic estate, in active trim, it has been reliable and a good car, i tried several cars before i bought it, but Ford had the best total deal for me. As I live in Norway cars are very expensive, and if I bought it new now in Norway the price would have been almost 50 t euro, a new tesla model 3 costs from 35 t euro in Norway, and I wondering to purchase that next year.
That reflects Norway's intention to get rid of petrol & diesels as soon as possible. Only electric cars to be sold there soon, maybe it will be the first country in the world without any new petrol & diesels cars sold on its market
How come you complain about the noise, but every other reviver commented that the car is better than the last-gen and quiet compared to the rest of the cars in class? Did you compare this Focus to Mercedes S or?
I noticed most reviewers just say nice things about cars. But let's not blame it on other reviewers. In the comment section under the Polish version I had some users complain the diesel version is much rougher, than the petrol variant (that's no surprise). I imagine most reviewers got to drive the petrol version.
I wish I could, but Ford doesn't talk to me, so the last time I was in a Focus (I think it was a diesel as well) was in the summer of 2015. Compared to other compact cars I was driving at the time of recording this new review, it was noticeably louder and coarser. I supposed those plastic bags stuffed with sound deadening are there for a reason, and they clearly aren't enough.
@@MarekDrivesENG Haha, ok :). From your clip, I can see and hear that you have some unresolved dispute with Ford Poland :D. Anyway, thank you for your response, and keep your work as you do it. I appreciate that you have your style and adding something extra to it. :)
Seriously considered buying one, once this car appeared but I was seriously put off by just poor built quality. I think Kia Ceed might not be a fantastic handling car but it just a much better option to own for the money all day long.
Just be aware when changing the headlight bulbs when taking the headlights out the tabs break very easerly very poor design the mk2 and mk3 were better for changing
I've always found your reviews well presented and often, when I have had some experience of the cars being reviewed, your comments have struck a chord. This, on the other hand, was nothing short of a petty hatchet job. I completely understand Ford Poland's frosty attitude towards you ... and I see no reason for a thaw to set in any time soon! To use your language, you're "full of shit" for 90% of the review.
@@MarekDrives I've commented in the order things are dealt with in your video: - The door pockets at the back (illustrated twice) are indeed average ... but the pockets at the front are v big - so these are not illustrated. - The dash has no "wow factor". Speak for yourself. Abandon objectivity all ye who enter here. - Despite the fact that the media and ac controls have been thoughtfully reconfigured to make them effortless to use while on the move, you get hung up on "big knobs" - is this a sexual issue for you? - The glovebox is average size, but a handy shelf for the manual and other such items leaves more than adequate room for personal stuff. - You could not find the control for the lumber support? Does this even warrant a mention? Next time RTFM. - The seat height adjuster touches the thigh bolster on the chair ... not in my car it doesn't, and I am almost as fat and wide as you. - When demonstrating the infotainment system, I think you actually spent most of the time showing us Android Auto. Not relevant for at least half your viewers. But I suppose it gave you an excuse to tell us the system crashed ... you assume Ford's fault and don't mention other possibilities. Why not demonstrate Sync 3 and what it can do for those who don't have a smartphone? - For those who do have a smartphone, no mention at all of the FordPass app. This has had its ups and downs but is working well at the moment. - The Start Button is perfectly ergonomically located. Let your fingers rest gently on the top of the dash and your thumb is perfectly poised to do the business. - The pedals are just fine ... I don't think there are evening classes for how to adjust one's driving position, but if you find there are, go ... - I wonder if the driving modes in your car were switched off. I really notice the difference both in terms of performance and economy ... but generally stick with Normal. - The 16" alloys are no more balloons on this car than any other where they are fitted. Since you can have pretty much what you like why mention it, though I appreciate here was another excuse to inject a little bit of negativity. - What a fuss you make about wind noise. In reality there is very little ... irritatingly the wing mirrors do contribute some wind noise at 70 mph which surprised me because there was none from this source on the Mk 3.5 Focus. - As for noise from other traffic - this must be a peculiarly Polish problem. Can't say I ever noticed. - Visibility over you right shoulder is "atrocious"? No it isn't (and you can see that from the video). In any event you've got wing mirrors and an excellent rear camera. You should stop snatching at negatives just for the sake of it. As an aside, I personally find this Mk much better than the previous for giving me good sideways visibility at oblique junctions. - You tell us that if the road speed recognition system fails to read a sign (and I agree, this does happen periodically) you won't know what the speed limit is ... really? I love the system but I check the required speed limits for myself and only use the system periodically as a doublecheck ... particularly helpful when driving on unknown roads in London when the speed limits can dance all over the place. - I have no experience of the automatic braking system because I don't trust myself with it ... I drive cars with conventional handbrakes and don't want to find that, by mistake, I've driven one of these with the handbrake on. I would say rolling to a stop on a hill is not a very clever move, but it gave you an excuse for another negative ... and anyone who knows the car would have noticed the handbrake had not engaged let alone the absence of a big red warning sign on the dash. - I have never had any problems with the uphill start system ... I can't help feeling you're inventing problems. - Closing a door on a Focus does indeed make a sound similar to kicking a box of Lego. But you do not explain why. It's the price one pays for the nifty little system of plastic door protectors which work v well - I've no doubt Ford will sort the Lego out in due course. - Ford have to take the blame for everything, don't they? Including the black plastic bag under the bonnet which has obviously been stashed there by a Polish tramp as a convenient place to keep his spare clothes dry and pre-warmed. On a slightly more serious note, nothing like that on my car ... is it a peculiarly Polish requirement? Cold, wet winters? Marek, I doubt Ford are scared of you. For myself I am a little scared that someone I have always regarded as sensible and objective might be losing his marbles. Take care and I look forward to you returning to form!!
"everybody I know likes a big knob" I agree but .. how big is big? Now, about the car, I don't like ford. Drives wonderfully but it is a very unpractical car and hard to live with.
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I own a Ford Focus MK4 ST-Line, with the little 1.0 EcoBoost 125 engine, and at least here in Portugal it is one of the best value for money propositions you can find in the C-segment. No, it is not as premium as some of it's counterparts, but it is far from feeling cheap - it is robust enough, very capable and fun to drive. Given that for around €25k you can get a highly spec'd ST-Line X version with pretty much all the kit you'll ever want or need, I think it is a car to consider. To me, cars like the Focus, Civic, i30, Ceed and a few others are currently more interesting and appealing propositions overall than the much more expensive VAG, BMW or Mercedes stuff.
Cheers!
Hey :) How is your Focus behaving a year later, all good? What is your fuel consumption with 1.0?
@@edgk490 greetings, after almost 4 years of ownership and 50.000 km later I have nothing bad to report (I’ve owned it since late 2019). Fuel consumption can easily reach below 7L per 100 km if you drive carefully. I tend to drive it fairly spiritedly and I’m hard pressed to surpass 8L per 100 km.
Great little car, I love mine.
I have a 2021 Ford focus same spec as you have just test driven. The wind noise and the annoying noise the drivers window makes when it rains are the only issues I have with the car. Apart from this I think it’s a lovely car and really practical. Sort the door and window seals out Ford !!
I sense that there is some sort of revenge on your review. I still think that you are one of the best car reviewers but I believe that this review is not representative of the car. The model that sells the most is the 1.0 Ecoboost petrol ST-Line and I think this is the one you should review. Here in Greece it retails for about 22K Euro although in 2019 there was a promotion that you could get it full spec for 20.5K. This included everything but full LED and sunroof. The car is really quiet with consumption around 6.4 l/km. It rides excellent and is easy on the bumps. By no means this review represent one of Fords best selling car. Keep up the good work and find an ST-Line to drive. Cheers Marek
My revenge is telling everyone how Ford's Poland behaving. The rest is a normal review. This is how I would have reviewed the car 3 years ago, when it came it. It's mildly meh, but so is everything else in the segment these days.
@@MarekDrives so we agree to disagree
31.000€ is a bit much for that spec....
I had one as a rental. It felt cheap and I was having to raise my voice when travelling at motorway speed. Was so glad to get back into my Seat Ateca
Focus ... it's not cheap enough for how cheap it feels. In Slovenia you practically can't see one of the last generation on the road since they raised their prices for about 30 % compared to the last generation. I guess dealers live off servicing now ?
It is not only Ford raised prices
Great review !
We have six Focus and one Mondeo in our family, new or old. Two of them have more than 500K km, three with more than 300K, and two with 120-140K. Good reliable cars, with normal issues. We have also Toyota, Vw, Mazda, Skoda and Mercedes. All of them have issues, so nothing special for Ford.
But, with proper maintenance , they never let us down.
And suspension and the way of how you feel driving them is the main point that we have them.
If you need a normal car with normal budget and normal expenses, it's a good car.
We are searching for the new models, but a little hesitant about the 1 Liter engine.
I think the 1.5 for focus or the 2 liter for Mondeo is ok.
i have a 2019 1.0 benzin mk4. Great family car. couldnt find a cheaper car with so much space - got a full specced titanium for 24000€. electronics and infotainment are below average but brakes are grwat and car is fun to drive, very good steering. I cannot hear any wind noises like you did.
Oh dear lord, that plastic bag under the bonnet was hilarious - what is that rubbish? Surely the heat of the engine and the environment will make it disintegrate in a couple of years. Another wonderful review. You pick up on things that the other reviewers never mention.
The plastic bag is probably nothing new, the problem is that it's open, MY2019 versions had a plastic top to push the water out but for some reason, Ford is being cheaper and cheaper, plenty of missing things after 2020.
Glad I got a 2019 one, brand new, zero issues.
Price probably vary from country to country but back then mine was 27k, ST Line 1.5 ecoboost 150hp (182 wasn't available in our market) automatic, wagon with design and sport pack, rear camera, full led lights (replaced now with adaptive leds one) so nothing too fancy and many optional but seeing a lower version priced at 31k is ridiculous
You know whats funny, or not in my case, I just traded a 9 month old mk4 MY21 with the "rubbish bags" for another new mk4 MY22 (got the estate with the 155 1.0l as an upgrade from a 125 hatch) and funnily enough it doesn't have those "rubbish bags". Infact it has nothing at all, just a big cavity above the wheel arch liner behind the wings
We recently test drove one of these and questioned the bag. The guys is the show room had no idea. One jokes it might be drugs 😂
No it won't...I have 3 Focus-es all 3 have that bag with mineral wool,after 12,9 and two years iyhggt years it's still intact
"Everyone I know wants a big knob"! Laughing my ass off Marek 🤣🤣🤣 Keep up the good work 👏
I like how this car handles and rides. It has decent interior and boot space. Yes the automatic transmission is on lazy side but it's not a sports car and it gets the job done.
Well I like it so I bought one. Honestly, it's great to drive and so far at least it's been reliable. I also think that it's reasonably priced .
Thanks for sharing!
Fantastic reviews 👌👍 the most informative channel ever👏
We own the new mk4 Ford Focus 1.5T ecoboost estate/wagon Vignale automatic and it is a great car. Consumption is a bit high 7.2 liters per 100km but the 1.5T ecoboost is strong 150hp pulls very nicely, I read it's the same engine but detuned computer as the Fiesta ST 200hp.
The Vignale trim level makes all the difference inside is very nice place to be.
How could I miss this review!...
I was wondering why you didn't show us some Fords. I suppose there are people and people...
Borrowing one from a rent company was a good idea. 🙂
I drove a rented Focus ST-Line (wagon), petrol 1,5l with manual gearbox two years ago in Germany and I was very impressed by its ride quality. I didn't find it noisy but then everything was quieter than the Lancer that I owned at that time... I'm not sure but it might have had 19" wheels.The padded door pockets were a nice touch, too.
Thank you for the review. Hopefully we'll get to see more Fords in the future!
The st line hatchback version is a joy to ride. One of the best cars in moose test also.
Thanks for the review! Honest and funny as always. :)
It seems the automatic is better in the Focus.
Also on higher trims you have more tech features and comfort.
I like the door edge protectors, the lidless fuel hose and the overall simple and clutterless interface points.
in short:
station wagon- YES
diesel- YES
low trim - Yes
price tag -No
"everyone wants a bigger knob" LOL
Thanks for the review! Honestly, who buys a car with manual gearbox in 2021? Rentals or otherwise...
Someone who wants the gearbox to work past 150.000km :) This is not aimed at Ford. All high milage cars with DSG for example are cheaper than the manuals...
@@Anonymous-ib8so Drivers who tend to drive more in city or unexperienced drivers tend to pick automatic for more relaxed driving IMO. Not every driver is lazy, most of the time it is just convenient.
Hot hatches users.
@@Anonymous-ib8so lol. my hero
@@patentlord6396 lol, keep telling yourself that
Possibly buying a 1.5 eco blue diesel estate auto. I did a short test drive on a manual hatchback Ford focus st 2018 but surprisingly I wasn't that excited by the performance in the st
Stop watching after hearing price 2:58,thats damn exspencive for a focus estate!
That‘s what cars cost these days
Check VW ans Skoda prices 😢
I've bought new Focus 3 facelift in 2019 for less than 16000 EUR. Estate model, Titanium, same colour, manual transmission, 1.6l petrol, 125 hp, with few extra options. That was in Russia when Ford decided to leave russian market and gave reduction for their models, somewhere about 1000-2000 EUR. Now almost the same new model is priced twice more, that's a pity.
I never noticed that Fords were missing from your channel until now. Silly Ford I say. Focus styling has been hit and miss throughout the years imo. I like the current look but prefer the hatch back better. I own a mk 1.1 Focus and after 18 years of ownership I still think that it's a good looking car. Focus 1.8 tdci sport 2003.
Nah with that new front design it looks more organic in estate variant to me. Maybe it's because I have two kids and I like estates more... :D
3:19 is it so difficult to incorporate a 'syncro' Honda mechanism, to gain a flat area?
The focus is fantastic. A fantastic hire car. Ford needs to try harder.
Good review
We are using a company car, Focus SW 1.5 D ST-Line. The boot is really large. The seats are extremely uncomfortable. 17" rims make it worse. Right seat is worse than the driver one. We also put an additional cushion over the right seat. :) With 47 litres of diesel it goes more than 900 km in average. The car sometimes gives sensor errors. We fix it by a restart, dealer has no solution for that. Once the navigation failed and showed us the rear view camera while heading forward. I would not buy this car if it was not a company car.
@Marek. Would you choose the 2023 Focus or Corolla 2023 estate? Its a company car so Fuel efficiency is not that important. Comfort and silence is. Thanks for your great videos!
I don't know Ford still doesn't talk to be. I have no idea, how good or bad their product lineup is these days.
Did you do your choosing? Toyota will be noticably less spacious, but more reliable and economical. Comfort should rather be about the same.
Interesting I think the sound proofing in my previous gen Focus is totally fine.
Here we go again. The case of Focus is becoming a template of how once a good car can deteriorate
Keep up the good work :)! Warm Regards from Sunny Malta :)
Hi Marek, thanks for informative video. Last year I was looking for hatchback and Focus was one of the cars i considered. I went to Ford dealership and gotta disappointed with fit and finish... instead i got Peugeot 308 1.5 bluehdi 130ps for less money, Peugeot just looks and feels better inside.
They are basically the same car
@@geivnv Actually, couldn't be more different... different ergonomics, materials in interior...
@@geivnv What are you smoking?
@@Sto79Be Crack cocaine. You?
@@geivnv you mean basically the have the same engine? 1.5 bluehdi should be 1.5 tdci
I quite like Fords, especially the way they drive. Owned a diesel Fiesta, took the small and fun roads every time.
Marek should remind that he mentions, if I remember correctly, German pricing, which is a bit higher than in many other countries. That said, when I was looking for next car and considering Focus, the options and option sets quickly made Focus price unattractive. Also, when testing Focus right after the new Golf, the interior quality and styling difference was noticable, in favor of vw, of course, even despite the presence of proper knobs in Ford.
Anyhow, cool review, long awaited. Too bad Poland's Ford is lead by teenagers. Would love to see some of latest ST-s reviewed.
I wish it was teenagers (that's Audi PL). I know the people running Ford PR/marketing, and unfortunately they are older than me. They live in the 90s, when handing out press cars meant never-ending praise. The stories I've heard about the "good old days" of motoring journalism, and shit I've seen...
Hyundai & Kia cars killed competition 💪
I do like the t-Shirt. Where can I purchase one?
The estate looks like the long a last gen Mondeo. (The car that outgrew itself).
Cars stored for a while attract mice especially if stored for along time during winter. That sound proofing looks like just the right sort of hibernation nest.
Redbubble
@@MarekDrives thank you.
@@Ribeirasacra Russell Wallis Design
Bravo Marek, ordinary car for ordinary people!
Ford is never on my radar when I shop. In North America, they have a reputation for being poorly built and designed. The only product that even remotely looked like it had upped Ford's game was the Mach E I sat in last Feb before COVID took over Canada. Unfortunately the clowns at Ford priced the base model 5k dollars too high to make the lineup available for the Federal gov't rebate. I asked this of the reps at the auto show and they all just shrugged. I guess paying attention to the details isn't a corporate motto.
This car wouldn't be on my radar. I'd buy a Toyota Corolla wagon, Golf or Passat wagon.... ok Golf R wagon :) , Skoda, or Seat. Our neighbours just got an Audi Allroad which looks great but that another snack bracket.
"PUMP IT UP" scene was priceless Marek!! I was laughing sooo hard. Thanks!
"...priced the base model 5k dollars too high to make the lineup available for the Federal gov't rebate."
You mean in Canada the car has to be sufficiently expensive to qualify for a government incentive? In Poland it's exactly the opposite. Last year was the first time EV incentives were offered, and the price limit was so low only a handful of cars in bottom trim qualified. This year it is better, but still no picnic. And you have to attach a sticker saying something on the lines of "This car was co-financed from a gov't programme yadayadayada" The sticker is so big it takes up a good portion of the front fender :)
@@MarekDrives LOL the bigger the sticker the better huh? Several years ago there was no limit for price for the provincial government, which is local to Ontario, and the rebate was 14k bucks. So everybody was getting pissed off because rich Tesla drivers were being massively subsidized. In fact, the whole Tesla business has been founded on rebates and carbon credits which is kind of crazy. A different provincial govt came into power & they completely eliminated the rebate & that’s when the national govt stepped in to offer a 5k dollar rebate for EVs that started under 45k and was offered to any trim costing up to 55k dollars. Strangely, that max price can go over 55k if it’s add on options. So an ID 4 RWD is 44995, ID4 AWD 50k, and an ID4 AWD with an 8k dollar option package all get the 5k dollar rebate. And if you live in British Columbia or Quebec you also get an 8k dollar local rebate. As for Tesla, the Model 3 RWD normal range is 53k. But Tesla offers a “phantom never seen before” short range model under 45k to allow the 53k dollar version to get the rebate. In the end it’s all BS imo. Govts basically built the Tesla empire by offering all of these crazy rebates and Elon is laughing his ass off.
Sounds about right. BTW, listen to the Smoking Tire podcast with Missy Cummings on robotics, automation and autonomous cars. I had a good laugh.
Interesting rebate policy. In Poland it was max. 40k CAD to get up to 6k CAD rebate. Not it's up to 73k CAD for everyone, and the rebate is 6k CAD, or nor price limit and up to 9k CAD rebate for large families (yes, the gov't wants us to procreate, and make Poland great again).
Let them.give you fiesta st and puma st for your honest rewiew...
the Ford's footwell are terribly narrow and short. My foot size is 45 and it doesn't feet on it. Really a big design flaw and they keep doing this design mistake since the Ford Galaxy 2006 which I drive sometimes is the same problem. I never had that problem with the Seat Leon or BMW. German brands seems to design much better than the others.
Pretty shitty that Ford PL won't lend you press cars. I remember back in the day when you posted that vignale review. I do like the Mondeo/Fusion though. The AWD is very helpful for Canadian winters
I wonder how much of that "AWD is helpful for Canadian winters" is real life, and how much of it is marketing. I recently watched a CBS or Bloomberg video on Subaru in the US, and how their marketing is based on AWD being the obvious choice for winter. They created this trend. I'm not saying AWD is not useful, but people all over the world drive FWD eco shitboxes in all sorts of weather :)
@@MarekDrives its good when enterprise rent a car doesn't put winter tires on their cars and the city of Vancouver didn't plow the snow and it turned to ice. This was in 2017
We used to have proper winters and snow tires were a capitalist invention, while we drove on worn out commie rubber :-)
I got the ergonomic seats in my Focus 4, but compared to ergoactive from the vw Golf, it’s really nothing special.
Megane 4 has better sits (even standard)
Weird that the pricing is that high in Poland, you could get the Titanium spec with everything this car has plus bigger better alloys and adaptive LED headlights for 1000€ less than the car reviewed here in Finland despite our car prices usually being more than central europe.
Taxes...
This is German pricing. In Poland it costs 22k.
I wanted to buy a Focus 3.5 but this problem of the small footwell and now you say the difficult driving position makes me rethink what should I buy.
Can you explain what small footwell you talking about? And about the driving position, it is excellent. I do not know what you are talking about since I have one, and, as the vast majority will say, the driving position is very good.
I think there are only 2 generations of Ford Focus.
The last one was made in 2011.
Ford quickly went downhill and I wouldn't trust them.
Source: I owned a first gen, several friends own second gens, loved all of them. One friend owns a third gen, we owned a 2016 C-Max, other friend has a fleet of Transit Connects (or whatever the tiny van is called), all hate it and make frequent trips to the mechanic when stuff breaks.
Maybe in the US. In Europe they make Focuses since 1998.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Focus
@@MarekDrives The US also got the third gen, but not the fourth.
I was trying to indicate that I think anything after the second gen isn't good enough to be called a Focus.
But I was sleepy and I failed.
Yes, US cancelled everything that wasn't a truck or an SUV.
Hi, i bought this generation Focus when its came out on the market, i got an 2,0 diesel automatic estate, in active trim, it has been reliable and a good car, i tried several cars before i bought it, but Ford had the best total deal for me. As I live in Norway cars are very expensive, and if I bought it new now in Norway the price would have been almost 50 t euro, a new tesla model 3 costs from 35 t euro in Norway, and I wondering to purchase that next year.
What? A model 3 is cheaper than a focus?!?!?!
That reflects Norway's intention to get rid of petrol & diesels as soon as possible. Only electric cars to be sold there soon, maybe it will be the first country in the world without any new petrol & diesels cars sold on its market
@@marmydon Electric cars has about 60% of all new car sales in Norway. Tesla 3, Ford Mach E and Volkswagen id4 is the most sold electric cars,
How come you complain about the noise, but every other reviver commented that the car is better than the last-gen and quiet compared to the rest of the cars in class? Did you compare this Focus to Mercedes S or?
I noticed most reviewers just say nice things about cars.
But let's not blame it on other reviewers. In the comment section under the Polish version I had some users complain the diesel version is much rougher, than the petrol variant (that's no surprise). I imagine most reviewers got to drive the petrol version.
@@MarekDrivesENG Ok, but can you tell me, if you remember, is this one quieter than the MK3.5 diesel version, at least? :)
I wish I could, but Ford doesn't talk to me, so the last time I was in a Focus (I think it was a diesel as well) was in the summer of 2015. Compared to other compact cars I was driving at the time of recording this new review, it was noticeably louder and coarser. I supposed those plastic bags stuffed with sound deadening are there for a reason, and they clearly aren't enough.
@@MarekDrivesENG Haha, ok :). From your clip, I can see and hear that you have some unresolved dispute with Ford Poland :D. Anyway, thank you for your response, and keep your work as you do it. I appreciate that you have your style and adding something extra to it. :)
We like! Translate all channels!
Seriously considered buying one, once this car appeared but I was seriously put off by just poor built quality. I think Kia Ceed might not be a fantastic handling car but it just a much better option to own for the money all day long.
I'm the same. Too expensive for what it is. I bought a Mazda 6 estate for similar money
Sounds coherent
Yeah but then again, Kia tends to bend quickly. They are not so well put together as compared to their German counterparts
Just be aware when changing the headlight bulbs when taking the headlights out the tabs break very easerly very poor design the mk2 and mk3 were better for changing
A weekend and holiday days family car...
I've always found your reviews well presented and often, when I have had some experience of the cars being reviewed, your comments have struck a chord. This, on the other hand, was nothing short of a petty hatchet job. I completely understand Ford Poland's frosty attitude towards you ... and I see no reason for a thaw to set in any time soon! To use your language, you're "full of shit" for 90% of the review.
What did I get wrong?
@@MarekDrives I've commented in the order things are dealt with in your video:
- The door pockets at the back (illustrated twice) are indeed average ... but the pockets at the front are v big - so these are not illustrated.
- The dash has no "wow factor". Speak for yourself. Abandon objectivity all ye who enter here.
- Despite the fact that the media and ac controls have been thoughtfully reconfigured to make them effortless to use while on the move, you get hung up on "big knobs" - is this a sexual issue for you?
- The glovebox is average size, but a handy shelf for the manual and other such items leaves more than adequate room for personal stuff.
- You could not find the control for the lumber support? Does this even warrant a mention? Next time RTFM.
- The seat height adjuster touches the thigh bolster on the chair ... not in my car it doesn't, and I am almost as fat and wide as you.
- When demonstrating the infotainment system, I think you actually spent most of the time showing us Android Auto. Not relevant for at least half your viewers. But I suppose it gave you an excuse to tell us the system crashed ... you assume Ford's fault and don't mention other possibilities. Why not demonstrate Sync 3 and what it can do for those who don't have a smartphone?
- For those who do have a smartphone, no mention at all of the FordPass app. This has had its ups and downs but is working well at the moment.
- The Start Button is perfectly ergonomically located. Let your fingers rest gently on the top of the dash and your thumb is perfectly poised to do the business.
- The pedals are just fine ... I don't think there are evening classes for how to adjust one's driving position, but if you find there are, go ...
- I wonder if the driving modes in your car were switched off. I really notice the difference both in terms of performance and economy ... but generally stick with Normal.
- The 16" alloys are no more balloons on this car than any other where they are fitted. Since you can have pretty much what you like why mention it, though I appreciate here was another excuse to inject a little bit of negativity.
- What a fuss you make about wind noise. In reality there is very little ... irritatingly the wing mirrors do contribute some wind noise at 70 mph which surprised me because there was none from this source on the Mk 3.5 Focus.
- As for noise from other traffic - this must be a peculiarly Polish problem. Can't say I ever noticed.
- Visibility over you right shoulder is "atrocious"? No it isn't (and you can see that from the video). In any event you've got wing mirrors and an excellent rear camera. You should stop snatching at negatives just for the sake of it. As an aside, I personally find this Mk much better than the previous for giving me good sideways visibility at oblique junctions.
- You tell us that if the road speed recognition system fails to read a sign (and I agree, this does happen periodically) you won't know what the speed limit is ... really? I love the system but I check the required speed limits for myself and only use the system periodically as a doublecheck ... particularly helpful when driving on unknown roads in London when the speed limits can dance all over the place.
- I have no experience of the automatic braking system because I don't trust myself with it ... I drive cars with conventional handbrakes and don't want to find that, by mistake, I've driven one of these with the handbrake on. I would say rolling to a stop on a hill is not a very clever move, but it gave you an excuse for another negative ... and anyone who knows the car would have noticed the handbrake had not engaged let alone the absence of a big red warning sign on the dash.
- I have never had any problems with the uphill start system ... I can't help feeling you're inventing problems.
- Closing a door on a Focus does indeed make a sound similar to kicking a box of Lego. But you do not explain why. It's the price one pays for the nifty little system of plastic door protectors which work v well - I've no doubt Ford will sort the Lego out in due course.
- Ford have to take the blame for everything, don't they? Including the black plastic bag under the bonnet which has obviously been stashed there by a Polish tramp as a convenient place to keep his spare clothes dry and pre-warmed. On a slightly more serious note, nothing like that on my car ... is it a peculiarly Polish requirement? Cold, wet winters?
Marek, I doubt Ford are scared of you. For myself I am a little scared that someone I have always regarded as sensible and objective might be losing his marbles. Take care and I look forward to you returning to form!!
@@lindsayclubb A lengthy, well crafted and informative reply. So, well done!
Škoda Octavia remains the best
Congratulations for the T-shirt from my Twitterfriend Russell Wallis. 👍
Συμφωνείς Στέλιο;
Don’t like Fords they’ve always been cheep crap 💩 I hired an Ford Escort once, and the clutch peddle came off, as I put it in gear. Never again Ford.
I put the Focus into uncool.
^^
"everybody I know likes a big knob" I agree but .. how big is big?
Now, about the car, I don't like ford. Drives wonderfully but it is a very unpractical car and hard to live with.
If you have to ask, it's not big enough :)
@@MarekDrives but...but ..but... Ok.... You got me... 😳🤣