I bought this car a Focus Titanium Estate 125 after reading the glowing motoring reviews stating how it was the new, segment leader and so forth... you probably know the ones I mean if your reading this! Sadly mine is far from this, and that’s when its not back at the dealership for faults.

Over the last 6 years having purchased 7 new cars for myself/partner from various dealers so for ease of trading in 2 cars to purchase this car, I went to my local dealer (County town in the South West). The inch long fluttering eye lashes and an inability to add should have told me to leave!

After ordering the delivery date was missed twice (they had already taken my cars for some reason, so I couldn’t walk away from the sale perhaps? Eventually I was told my car was ready (some weeks behind the agreed time). Inside it looked like someone had opened a bag of plaster, everything covered in dust.

So what’s the car like...

The reviews will tell you that the car is amazing and maybe if you have the ST with enough power it is, however the Titanium 125 Estate feels drastically under powered, its feels like someone has stuck a diesel gearbox on a petrol. So while going up a hill in 3rd at 40 mph (2200rpm?) the computer is busy flashing to tell you to change in to 4th even though the car is struggling and loosing speed rapidly.

All my previous cars have had the automated features that this level of trim has, but this car goes one extra... The automatic headlights that have a habit of turning OFF while you are driving in fog, in rain or even at night. If that’s not enough the control is carefully hidden behind your knee so you can fumble for it in the dark.

The automated wipers... that you have to turn on. Ok so I’ve had to do this in all the cars I’ve had, but other manufacturers allow you to do this without having to leave the wiper stalk in an odd position (aesthetically matching the indicator). Ford have added the ability to adjust the wiper speed in automatic, so you can turn them on and adjust the speed - is this really automatic?

While Peugeot, VW, Renault, Citroen and Kia put their electro-chrome rear view mirror sensor in the plastic surrounding the mirror Ford have chosen to put theirs in the actual mirror, so there is just under a 1cm circle hole in the top inch of the mirror, at a glance it is quite distracting and looks like a bee bussing around in the car.

The folding mechanism for the seats (I purchased the estate to carry things) looks like its from a 1980s Escort, while other manufacturers have seats that fold flat at the touch of a button.

The radio that is different volumes, DAB to FM which it enjoys switching between (more expensive Sony unit in this model). The wing mirror mounted indicators that appear to both be missing a clip at the far end and fill up with condensation. The cruse control where if you stab the slow down button a few times actually jumps up 5mph and increases speed!!! The boot rubbers that fall off leaving the tailgate rattling... I could go on.

I also bought this car for its MPG, I know they are only guidelines but I normally manage to achieve well over the middle fuel consumption figure here. My last car (308cc Petrol) I could do my work journey of just over 35 miles, 34 of which on A-Roads and achieve 48mpg where as the Focus the best I have had is 38.4 any town driving and this falls. The only plus is that this is about the same at motorway speeds.

My car is now back in the dealership for the 5th time, each time with an engine management fault. The car starts to accelerate, looses power then the engine management light flashes. The dealership takes it back quick enough but doesn’t offer a courtesy car of even a cup of tea.

Luckily there is a Peugeot dealer opposite that is far more customer orientated and picked me up after spotting me walking in the rain, ok I am known to them after my previous 308cc, but that’s real customer service which is why you go to a dealer isn’t it?