Used 2005 Ford Focus Consumer Reviews
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the most bang for your buck
Obviously the Ford Focus isn't a luxury model. You get what you pay for. But I purchased a 2005 ZX2 SES om July of '05 (the day before Ford decided to do employee pricing). I also added the upgraded sound system, side impact air bags, and moonroof ... I paid $13,150. I believe that dollar for dollar you get more for your money that Toyota or Honda. Remember you are paying premium price on those two cars because of reliability. Ford has worked out the kinks and I believe it's not worth paying an extra $6,000 for a Honda just because a Ford MIGHT break down and a Honda MIGHT not.
Great car and more room than you think..
I drive a good bit for work and this car fit the bill, litterally. I get 31- 32 mpg all highway and average about 26 mixed, and as low as 20 in city, winter driving where I sometimes park for a coffee and leave the motor running with the heat on. The motor is no slouch; and I've owned SVT Lightnings. I have absolutely no complaints, save two. I bought this car from a senior in Florida to use in Michigan. The problems are the driver door window seal at the bottom fusing to the glass so that I can't roll the window down and have to use a credit card to separate the rubber from the glass. It happens quite a bit. The other is the washer fluid lines freezing up in below zero weather. I'll survive.
- ZX3 S 2dr HatchbackMSRP: $6,995156 mi away
- ZXW SES WagonMSRP: $2,375232 mi away
- ZX4 S SedanMSRP: $5,000348 mi away
Great deal, but rife with rust!
For the price, this car can't be beat, if you value the same things I value, which are 5 speed performance, hatch back functionality, clean and modern interior, low maintenance, and reasonable gas mileage. The 5 speed is very quick. The handling is very good. The tires stick well, work great in the rain, and aren't too noisy. The interior has clean lines, functional controls, and good shades of grey. The seats are well designed, firm, and very comfortable for my 5'10", 240lb body. (my 5'2", 110lb girlfriend likes them too!)
Missing my Escort
Interesting drive. At first I thought it will roll-over at cornering, but got used to it. For this particular car they should eliminate the word "economy" in "fuel economy": 22.4 mpg on the highway, 20.5 mpg in town. My Escort was close to 40 mpg. Dealer just doesn't want to fix it.
Second Focus Wagon even better than first.
Just traded an '02 Focus wagon that I logged 54,000 miles in three years with no repair problems. Liked it so well I bought another, this time an SES. The '05 is quieter, steers better, has plenty of pep climbing hills and mountains, and gets great gas mileage. I like the new dash layout. Would recommend to anyone who wants the most for their money.
it is a great compact car!
I have very good experiences with Ford Escort. That is why I chose Ford Focus. My daughter considers the old 95 Ford Escort as our family member because it is so reliable and almost problem free for many years! The best part of the new Ford Focus is: everybody in my family loves it very much! Before I bought it, I read a lot of reviews on it and other cars in its class. I think people tell the truth: fun to drive, looks cute, roomy for big size guys, fuel economy, etc. as it claims, the gas mileages are 26/32. However, I get 30/34! During winter season, I still can get 28/33. It is quite, sharp and smooth. The Ford dealer is honest and nice. I am quite happy to own it.
6 months 11,000 mile review
I bought this car for $13,100 (ZX3 SES with upgraded sound system, side impact air bags, moonroof) July 2nd, 2005. Since then I've put 11,000 miles on the car and couldn't be happier. It has a lot of pep and handles the corners great. I average about 31 mpg at about 80% highway driving. I thought it would be a little higher, but I heard no cars ever truly meet what is posted on the car by the EPA, so no real concern.
ZX3 Pitch Black
Bought this car after researching smaller models. Found it was designed by an esteemed designer. Looks are terrific and the finish is excellent as you would expect from a Euro designed car. Driving is a hoot and the performance is more than acceptable. I also managed to get 2 high back chairs in the large rear after folding the seats down. Economy is 30mpg at all speeds although if you use the power higher up it drops slightly -- 27ish. All in all I am very pleased with the car and actually chose this over the BMW 323 because of the price differential; the BMW didn't offer the extra edge to warrant the price. The Mazda 3, Nissan, Toyota and GM vehicles were a bit lacking in quality.
Wonderful
This is the best car I have ever bought; very fuel efficient and that's what I needed. Very well equipped.
My Focus Wagon SE
First wagon I ever owned was a 1964 Falcon; after that I have owned several wagons including 9 passenger large wagons. Went to a smaller wagon when the Taurus came out and have owned several of them; however this Focus wagon is one of the best handling and most economical vehicles I have ever owned. I haven't had one problem with the car, even my wife likes it, and that is the best testimony ever. (you have to know her)
my red focus
when i first bought the car i was like its nice it looks cool its cheap , then i took it for a test drive it was a very smooth i liked it a lot
Just Bought One
I just bought my Focus about 2 days ago, and I have put a little over 150 miles on it. I've been impressed with the way it drives. I have always owned a car with a manual transmission, but this little car has been a new experience for me. It has a lot of power, and there is no change in power even when my whole family is in there, nor when I turn on the air conditioning. Neither has made the engine stall what so ever. I drive about 80 miles a day and I feel this car is going to be the best with fuel efficiency, it has been so far. I am proud of the 100k mile warranty on the engine. It made it so much easier making my decision for purchase. I am very pleased so far.
Great for the young family
I love my Focus wagon. It's great because it fits all our needs. We have one small child and 2 dogs. Everyone fits with room to spare. The Focus drives great, has some get up and go for a wagon. I've only had one small problem with my highbeams not going off but took it to the dealer and they fixed it in about 1 hour.
FuntoDrive
Great little wagon. I bought it loaded and it has been a wonderful replacement for the PT I traded. The kids have more room, room for the dogs, comfortable seating and lots of spunkiness. It turns great and the gas mileage is wonderful..averaging 29-32 on the highway at 75mph! Great for my small family on a limited budget!
should be car of the year
My 2005 ford zxw sesis an excellent people mover with room to spare for extras fun to drive and easy on gas it has all the toys for a reasonable price. thanks ford for a good experience
noisy car
it has had 1 recall so far, for the heated seats. i think a car like this should get better than 30 mpg. but it wont. it is also very noisy on some roads.
2K5 ZX5
I love the styling of the ZX5. It has a Euro flare to it and is a lot of fun to drive. After driving a sedan for several years a smaller car is a joy to drive. The Focus is a great car.
TALON 51
I PURCHASED THE FOCUS 2005 WAGON. THIS YEAR THE CAR COMES EQUIPED WITH 16 VALVES. THE CAR HAS INCREDIBLE PICK-UP FOR A FOUR CYLINDER ENGINE! PLENTY OF PAY-LOAD FOR THIS SIZE WAGON - DRILL WEEKEND I HAD NO PROBLEM DOWNLOADING ALL MY EQUIPMENT WITH THE BACK SEAT DOWN. PLENTY OF HEAD ROOM. GREAT SOUND SYSTEM. OVERALL, VERY PLEASED WITH THE THIS VEHICLE!
great small wagon
Great gas mileage; very, very good acceleration; maintains cruse speed.
I'm very happy with my Focus ZX5 SES!!
This is a really nice small car. Four adults can be carried comfortably with plenty of room in the hatch. It has a rather tight "European" type suspension that handles great with the 16" Pirelli tires. Just a bit harsh on chuckholes, but a very good ride most of the time. Gas mileage has been as predicted on the window sticker at 26 city/ automatic. Since our temperature averages about 40 degrees (F) in November the milage has lowered to more like 22 or 24 city. Still very good! Lots of power and pick up. A joy to drive. The 6 disc CD player is of better than average quality. My Alpine in the other car outperforms it, but not by that much.
Not bad at all
Definitely not a bad car. Only problem is when the alternator went up. Scared the crap out of me and seemed a little ironic that it happened with less than 20,000 miles on the car, but whatever. Not too impressed at needing new tires at 20,000 either. Partial blame on the dealer for not doing it and then the other half on myself for not knowing to ask. Handling is pretty good and parking is really easy. Not thrilled with the road noise at high speeds but I'll take that over having to turn off my AC to get moving above 30 mph in my old car.
Meh
Coming from a Grand Prix GT (3.8 V6) I am getting the same mileage in the city as I am in the SLOWcus (~23 mpg city). Seems to be reliable though. Trunk unlock is a PITA. Lifetime air filter. Sporty kinda. Get blinker & steering wheel controls confused. Ceiling compartment (sunshades, garage door) blocks part of view from rear view mirror if your tall (6 ft).
bad transmissions
I bought my 2005 focus ZX4 2 years ago. i read the car-fax report and it was good. Then i started to notice certain problems such as: Tire wear quickly, alignment off for no reason, and now transmission and transaxle problem. Mind you, the warranty was up the 5th of march this year the tranny and or transaxle went out the 7th of march this year. Now the car will not roll backwards in neutral if you try to push it. The back wheel seem to be lock when trying to push it backward in neutral. There were no warning of this problem what so ever.I think that FORD should take responsibility for their product. I have now seen over 120 complaints about the same thing in the same car.
2005 focus se sedan
Let me start off by saying I am strictly a sports car person. I’ve always owned mustangs, firebirds, corvettes, and camaros and always in red. I just do not like sedans or any car with 4 doors. At the time I bought this 2005 focus, I was between cars and needed a car. I couldn’t find any sports cars in my price range so I had to look for any car that ran in order to get to work (2 hour drive one way to work). I came across a boring silver 2005 focus with 150k miles for only $1,000. When I got it, it needed tires, brakes and engine mounts. Ok so I replaced those things. However my mechanic told me the transmission needed to be replaced. Since this car is only temporary while I save up for a mustang or something, I didn’t plan to get the transmission fixed. Well, I drove the car over 2k miles and the transmission hasn’t failed or acted up. Yes it acts a little weird if you drive it too slowly when you first start it up in the morning but then it acts fine. The heat/ac is set to 0 but it still blows a little so it needs to be adjusted to hot or cold while driving but it’s actually really nice. It has some faded paint on the side but no dents or cracked glass. It all works fine. Even though I am embarrassed to drive it and dislike it, it does have personality since it’s so old. It has lots of room in the trunk and parts are cheap, it does pretty good on gas. The front of it is cute, I’m just not a fan of how smashed in the rear end looks. But anyone, for a car that’s 16 years old, everything electrical works, the seats are stained but the cushions still feels new, the headlights are yellow but new lights are $90 online. It also has nice visibility. Good car but I really wish it wasn’t so boring and ugly looking. If you get this car you will not stand out, no one will remember what your car looks like, no one will want to take pictures of your car and you can’t take it to car shows. You can get a spoiler out on the back but you can’t get an after market bolt on exhaust. The steering is very tight but the real shocks are worn. The horn doesn’t work. Common problems with these cars: engine mounts will need replaced, transmission selonoids often need replaced, the rims often get rusty and need painted black, the radio buttons paint flake off. And it’s an ugly car that blends in Pros: a little zippy, good gas, cheap parts, nice visibility, tiny, large trunk, no leaks or smoking, fwd for snow So even though I’m told the transmission fluid is Burnt and the transmission needs replaced and it has a leaking gasket, it still goes very strong and has been pretty reliable. I am not sure if I am going to keep it or sell it when I save up to buy a sports car. I also am not sure if my mechanic is being honest about its issues.
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Outstanding reliability
I have had my Ford Focus for 6 years, have 302500+ miles and with regular maintenance, the only things major I have replaced is the transmission and exhaust manifold off the engine. Runs great, get approximately 30-32 MPG highway and am totally expecting to see 400k miles, if not more!!!
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Very unreliable
I had this car for less than 2 years, mind you it was bought from a private owner with already 193000km on it (it was a gift I did not choose it) and it was literally nothing but problems since the day I got it. Possible that the previous owners did not take good care of it, but it was way more trouble that it was worth. Got rid of it today thankfully, never have to deal with the stress that vehicle caused me again. There was issues with the idle air intake, battery, suspension, tires, and the gas meter.
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- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
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2005 Focus
Not impressed with the cheap tires I had to replace after 25,000 miles. Brakes have been replaced twice within first two years. Just took it in for it's 30,000 mile maintenance and had to pay $600 for the parts and labor. Seems like I'm always needing to take it in to have somthing checked out whether it's alignment or brakes. For a car that was rated well by Consumer Reports, I am not all that impressed by the Focus. I was hesitant to buy a Ford but took the chance. Not sure I'm happy I did. The "fun" aspects of the car don't make up for it's flaws.
Love the car, hate the chintzy interior
I really like my Ford Focus Wagon; it's good looking, zippy, reliable (so far) pretty good on gas around town, excellent on the road. I am not happy with the inferior interior ... when the drivers seat is back as far as it will go there are wires exposed, seat runners and handles exposed and clothing keeps getting caught on the handles. I am a very large person and I find the drivers space very comfortable, unfortunately the back seats are cramped. No space for women to put their purses. Some feature in the trunk for grocery bags, hooks, cut-outs whatever, so groceries aren't rolling all over car. Would I buy it again ... you bet!
My New car
This is my new car. I would buy no other. It is fun to drive and be in. It has enough space for my two kids.
ford focus
When my husband present this vehicle to me, I was very reluctant. I love my ford focus. Not only the performance but the overall look of the vehicle. I am very please with gas mileage per gallon. They way the vehicle hug the curves. Again I am very happy with my focus.
Fun to Drive
The Ford Focus is definitely fun to drive, especially with the powerful engine that it has and it's a smaller car. It runs so smooth. The design of the front driver side and passenger side doors are lousy. When I put my take out beverage in the door cupholder and then I went to roll up the window, my hand hit the beverage and pop went all over the door. When you roll the window up and down, your hand hits the maps in the map holder. Part of the door sticks out which is really awkward and annoying. There is no light inside in the middle to see the backseat. I also had a manual on my Ford Escort, but this is an automatic. I really wish I got a manual.
I Still Can't Believe It
I drive 500+ miles a week in my commute. I got rid of my Neon a few years back because I was sick of being crammed into an econobox. Now with 170,000 on my Intrepid ES, I decided to head back down tin can alley. I found a refined, extreeeemely impressive economy car. This car has got options that would not be available on other economy cars in its class. The 6-disc, in dash, with auto-sound quieting, steering wheel stereo and cruise controls -- I am becoming more convinced daily that this thing can't be beat for the money. I got my SES in the Blazing Copper. It gets looks and comments everywhere I go.
Zip Zip
I bought the 05 Focus ST, and I tell you I am surprised with how much I like this car. I didn't like the styling very much of the previous model, but '05 I think gives it a better look, inside, and out. The ride is great, power great. Content for just under 19 grand is excellent, has everything I wanted, and a few I didnt know I wanted. I would recommend to anyone that told me they were looking at one.
This is a great car
I drove the Mazda 3 S with sport suspension first. Loved it and was sold on it until I drove the Focus ZX4 ST. There is no comparison -- The ST is far superior and significantly cheaper in the end.
Great car!
My wife and I bought this car since it was exactly 14k. Corolla and Civic were more expensive and Sentra had worse mileage. I did not want another Accord because of the price. I have had this car for about 3 yrs now and now have 103k miles on it. I never changed the tires until one blew up at 102k, Jiffy Lube messed up my gas line due to a gas filter change and I had to get the entire gas line replaced. Other than changing oil, trans oil, coolant, tires, serpentine belt..no major problems. I would recommend this car to everyone. I drive 170 miles everyday and get about 33-36mpg. Why would I want a hybrid giving me 40k and costing me 24k?
Best Choice for the Price
I have owned many dozens of Fords. I traded-off a 2003 Ranger FX4 for the Focus. My wife and I test drove every make of vehicle before deciding, and the last two choices were a BMW 3 series or the Focus. The BMW was without question better in performance, handling and comfort, but not $20,000.00 better. I drive the car to work daily and average around 28-29 mpg in town. On the highway the mileage can jump to 34 mpg or better. The car is almost paying for itself on gasoline savings alone. The main selling points for me were the leg room, handling, pretty good pep especially for passing on the highway, and over all comfort. For a drive-to-work car, it has been very good.
2005 Ford Focus ZX5 SES
It is very powerful, light, balance and the most comfortable seat to drive long distance.
GREAT Commuter
I bought the car for $8900 with Ford rebate. I was to use it as a commuter, expecting it to be a weak performer. The steering, brakes and ease of driving is great! Considering my other car was a 500hp monster with modified everything! While not as fun, its still very fun and reliable while getting 29-37mpg, wisper quiet interior, great AC, super stereo and its a PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) for the green people. I like it a lot!
A Best Buy
I am very pleased with my recent purchase of the Focus. Its exterior appearance is a quantum leap improvement over its predecessors. It handles well, provides a smooth and relatively solid ride. The Mazda3 was a strong temptation for me and likely exceeds the Focus in many respects, but you get much more bang for the buck in the Focus.
Great for the price!
Leasing the '05 ST. Good car, fun to drive. Sure there are better cars out there, but none with a lease as good as Fords.
Love my focus!!!!
This is my 2nd focus, went from a Ferrari (divorce), to a Tracker, damaged by a "Hummer"... to my "FOCUS"...leased the 1st one, bought the 2nd one loved it so much!! GREAT CAR!!! 5** "GET ONE"!!! :)
zoom-zoom this....
Very comfortable, easy driving, very smooth shifting, great sound system, easy to operate features, specialy on steering controls for the stereo, great handling. fun...fun....fun.....the best handling, fun and economical compact car on the market for the value hands down!!!!very reliable several of family and friends own a focus never had any problems.....
1 of the best 10 cars
Its a realy fun car to drive its reliable, has a beautiful style.
My focus on my Focus
The '05 version of the Focus is 100 times greater than its' previous year models. All the kinks are worked out and Ford has added new perks to make this version fun to drive and inexpensive to own. Plus, if you factor in all of Ford rebates, this car is a steal!!!
Great Little Car
Nice car with a strong engine, suede/leather heated seats are really comfortable, 2.3L engine is really nice, good gas milage. Even though I am 38, I don't feel like this is a real cheap econo car, very liveable, quick acceleration, low maintenance, handling is pretty good, so far...so good...
Good bang for the bucks
I purchased my Focus couple weeks ago. I was debating between Sentra SE-R or ZX3. Although SE-R has more power I liked the ZX3 styling more. I was very suprised how responsive Focus was. 2005 version has few more horses under the hood compared to the previous years. I only have few hundred miles so far, but so far so good.
Great Bargain
Nice car for the money. Has all the features of much more expensive cars. This has been a good ownership experience so far. The dealership is easy to work with. Great on gas. Decent pickup.AC works good and fast. Feel very safe in rain too. Tons of features. Leather seat option.
Great Kid Car
Bought this car for our 17 year old. Chose a new low cost car vs used few year old car. Really is fun to drive, great on gas and yes, very reliable for those "I'll be home when the mall closes" evenings. Found we all use the car for that quick trip down to the store.
Great alternative to Jap Econ Cars
When I purchased this car, I was coming from a foreign economy car, and I was impressed right away at how solid this car felt, and how quiet the ride was. I was impressed on the handling of the car, the only complaint I really would have is that the base 2.0L engine could have a little bit more zip to it, but it's still a very fun car to drive.
2005 ZX4 ST
I originally bought this vehicle for my wife and I have now been driving it since we bought an SUV. I haven't had any problems whatsoever with this vehicle.