Which reliable Ford should we buy as an all-purpose workhorse?

We would like to buy either a Ford Focus hatchback or estate or a 2008 Ford C-Max from British Car Auctions, where we have purchased several cars in the past. The car will serve as an all purpose workhorse...

Was my vehicle really serviced today?

MacRae and Dick (Inverness) serviced our car today - or did they? Our 2011 Focus went for its first 12 months service today. When I lifted the bonnet upon getting the car back, its was obvious nothing...

Parking at an airport - will the alarm cause trouble?

I will be leaving my car in a airport car park for a few weeks shortly and am worried about how the alarm works on this model (Ford Focus 1.6 Titanium, keyless entry 2011) If the alarm was to go off,...

Speed ratings for full size spare wheels

I've just bought a new Ford Focus. Good car, but as I live in a remote area where roads are tricky, I opted for a full-size spare wheel (steel) as a replacement for the standard mini-wheel (at a price,...

Is it time to say goodbye to our 100,000-mile-old Ford Focus?

We currently run a 2003 Ford Focus TDI which we have been reasonably happy with, some comfort issues apart. It has 108,000 miles on the clock and a few dents and scratches which we have not had fixed....

Which transmission is better - Ford Focus Powershift or Honda Civic torque converter?

I would like to arrange test drives in the Focus Zetec 1.6 Powershift and the new Honda Civic 1.8 Automatic. I would appreciate your opinion on both types of transmission and your advice on how long a...

Should we buy a Focus or a Fiesta, and with which engine?

My wife I are now in our 80s and we have a 9-year-old Focus and a 5-year-old Fiesta. I am no longer allowed to drive due to poor eyesight so we propose to sell both cars and buy a new Fiesta as my wife...

Is the Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI diesel a reliable, trouble-free car?

I am considering buying a nearly new Ford Focus 1.6 TDCI. From all reports this would appear to be a very good car, but I am 70 years old and would prefer trouble-free motoring, and I am concerned about...

New car advice

I work as a building control surveyor, and currenly drive a SEAT Leon. I am thinking of changing car. I need a car that can cope with a continuous start stop regime perhaps only doing 200 miles a week,...

Why does this journalist say that the latest Ford Focus is suited to blue collar families?

I think it rather condescending of Andrew English (first drive reviews) to say that the latest Ford Focus 'brings an unmatched standard of equipment to blue collar families'. I saw a guy wearing a white...