Ford Focus Estate 2005 - Present

The Versatile Ford Focus's estate version is in the workman class of car, the medium sized estate car. More functional and less fun that the leaner hatchback models. It doesn't necessarily offering a huge amount of extra boot room. The Focus estate does an excellent job of retaining the most endearing qualities of the smaller estate cars, although depreciation is still likely to be quite steep.

The first thing you notice about the Focus is that it retains a really compact feel. On examination the reason for this is that the boot is a little small. It obviously offers more room than the hatchback version but it is snug, especially when compared to the Astra and Megane rivals. That scrimping on room isn't replicated in the cabin as the front and back seats offer good leg and headroom. The seats are comfortable for all but the longest journey. Road noise rarely makes it's way into the cabin, an impressive feat for a car of it's shape. The rear seats offer all the usual folding options to make the most of the rear area.

The engine options are similar to the hatchback. The entry level 1.4 petrol unit is sensibly dropped as it wouldn't really offer enough power. The diesel options offer the best fuel figures and the pick of them is probably the 1.8 TCI which generates 115 bhp while returning 53 mpg. The 2.0 TDCI feels pretty pokey for it's sub ten second 0-60 and still shows a miserly 50 mpg.

The ride is where the Focus really shines. Cornering is precise with enough feedback to really enjoy the drive while offering comfort for those more interested in travelling than the act of driving. The suspension is set up to offer comfort throughout the cabin and great poise on the road. With no body roll the car effortlessly glides corner to corner leaving the passengers unaware of how much fun the driver is having.

The Focus estate does really well to keep most of the good parts of the smaller Focus models in the expansion to an estate car. It still handles well and offers a great drive. The boot space could be a little bigger to make more of the estate status and it's implications for resale value.

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