lots of car for the money

I bought a new 03 Ford Focus SE sedan as a replacement for a 98 VW Beetle that was complete garbage. Honestly, I had heard lots of good things about the Focus, but the major incentive for me was the $3,000 rebate Ford was offering at the time.

One test drive (the dealer let me take it home for a night) and I was hooked. Nicely designed and family-friendly, the Focus gets the job done in a quiet and comfortable fashion. The ride is smooth but I must say the acceleration with the automatic is a little sluggish. But I guess if you want power, buy a new Mustang instead. Gas mileage is pretty good too. The engine is quiet and well-behaved as long as you don't push it too hard.

As far as the interior, Ford really knocked the cover off the ball. The seats are comfortable and the entire cabin has a quality feel. Two well placed cupholders up front, one in the back. I like the way you can fold "up" the arm rest/storage compartment. There is a pen holder underneath the emergency brake handle. A/C blows some wickedly cold air, and in the winter, you'll be warm in no time. What else? My Focus came with the 6 disc in-dash system, and for a factory set-up, this thing sounds really good. I have to mention though, this has been replaced once already. It died on me one day, and when I took it toFord, they simply yanked it out and put a new one in the next morning. I did remember to get my cd's back.

The trunk is huge; very deep. I have keyless so that is another plus. So far, so good with this car after 2 years of ownership.