Pros and Cons of the 2004 Ford Focus

Why the Ford Focus?

Powertrain performance: Pretty quick with the 2.3l and a five-speed stick; enough to make me wish it had a limited-slip differential. Worst MPG ever was 24 - all city, max A/C. Best MPG was 37, at 75 MPH with A/C from Santa Rosa CA to Visalia CA. 140k miles; just passed smog. :)

Front seat support & comfort: Adequate room for me, at six-foot-six and 275 pounds, and my normal-size wife. The back seat is, well - it's the back seat of a two-door hatchback.

Cargo capacity & towing: Fold down the rear seat and you can fit Fibber McGee and his whole closet in the back. It's like the Tardis in there.

Safety & braking: LGood brakes. Didn't get ABS; I wish I had. But it stops quickly and predictably and even when I drive like an idiot, the brakes work.

Tires: Original equipment Goodyear RS-A tires are TERRIFYING in the rain. Fortunately, they were worn out at 20,000 miles. I replaced them with good summer rubber. With Yokohama S-Drives, the traction is incredible. With Kumho Ecsta SPTs, still quite impressive.

Why Not the Ford Focus?

Exterior styling: I like it. You may not.

Quietness: Loud. Really, REALLY LOUD. Mostly it's tire noise - the underbody and floor must have almost no sound insulation at all.

Front seat support & comfort: Driver's seat collapses like clockwork every 50,000 miles and needs to be replaced. With a used one from a junkyard, since dealer cost is over $1,000. Yeah - a thousand bucks for a manual cloth seat!

Tires: Original equipment Goodyear RS-A all-seasons were the worst tires I've ever had in my life, especially in the rain. Matchbox cars have better tires. Shopping carts have better tires. On wet roads, it was like driving in snow. Horrible.