There are plenty of other cars of this size around, but the advantages of the Focus are that (a) most people find them good to drive, and (b) there are lots of them to choose from and so you'll get a newer one for your money.
If you go for a Focus, a 1.8 will be better if you do a lot of motorway driving, with little loss of economy. The alternatives that I'd look at in your postion would be the Skoda Octavia (cheaper than a Golf, same engines) and the Toyota Corolla / Auris (very likely to be reliable).
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