It is fair to say that Hubby and I haven’t had much luck with cars over the last few years and we are busy hunting for the perfect family car for us.
We have owned seven seat vehicles for the past few years, but Hubby is keen to downsize, whereas I prefer the practical option of having extra seats in the back for when Kian comes home from university, or we have unexpected guests.
I have to admit that owning a Ford hasn’t really been on our radar, as when we were last looking at cars, I didn’t enjoy driving one, however, when we were offered a Ford Focus Titanium Ecoboost 125 to review for a week I decided to give them another chance.
From the instant I climbed inside the car I was impressed. With modern, clean lines there is plenty of storage inside the car – Hubby was instantly impressed with the adjustable cup holder and I loved the soft glow of blue lights that gently lit the car in the inside when it was dark.
Like many new cars on the road, the dashboard is electronic and packed full of useful information as well as your speed, including how many miles until you need to refuel, how much fuel you are using and when to change gear.
The 8″ infotainment system looks like a tablet and can be used as a sat nav / map display, digital radio and has clear front and rear displays when parking. It can be hooked up to your smartphone via bluetooth and also features Apple CarPlay too.
Comfort wise, you can select different temperatures for the driver and passenger and the front and rear windscreens clear almost instantly. The car is also keyless so automatically unlocks when you try to open the door if you have your key in your pocket or bag and the electronic handbrake automatically engages when you switch the engine off.
What is the Ford Focus like to drive?
I hate driving in the dark when it is raining and managed to choose a particularly stormy night for my first proper run in the car.
We attended an event in Guildford which is a good 90 minute drive for us and I have to say I was really impressed with the cars performance.
Storm Callum did its best to blow us off the motorway, with torrential rain and high winds, but the car is so low profile that it felt like it was glued to the road. The automatic windscreen wipers adjusted perfectly to the weather without me having to touch them and allowed me to see the road clearly ahead.
The car has six gears which I am used to with my Touran, however, I did feel the system asked you to change up to the next too early at lower speeds and the engine sounded a bit laboured.
Our second long run was to see Kian in Bristol and thankfully the weather was a little better. This journey was mostly along winding country roads and again the car handled really well and was as comfortable to drive along them as it was on the motorway.
In fact, I was really surprised to find out that the car had just a 1.0L engine, as it certainly felt and performed as if it was much more powerful. It’s efficient, too, with claimed average fuel economy of 58.9mpg and 108g/km of CO2.
Is the Ford Focus a big enough family car?
Sadly for us, not quite.
It failed the three car seat test across the back seat, even using our slimmest high back booster seats and with all three kids needing car seats for the forseeable future we need something that can comfortably accommodate all of them. However, there is plenty of legroom, both in the front and rear for kids and adults alike.
Boot wise, there was adequate space, it easily fit one suitcase, two large ruck sacks and our coats with room to spare and there was plenty of room for a weeks shopping.
The rear seats split 60/40 and can fold almost completely flat to maximise space for your luggage. And there’s an adjustable load floor in the boot, which can be raised to give you a hidden storage compartment, or lowered to increase space.
The Ford Focus Titanium 125 has an RRP of £21,900 and comes with series of smart technologies which are designed to protect you, your family, and other road users. For example, Active Braking and Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection can warn you of potential collisions and even apply the brakes automatically if you don’t react in time, which we experienced when someone suddenly braked in front of us. The car and I reacted at the same time, but it was nice to know that there is that extra security there if I needed it.
Disclaimer: We were given a Ford Focus Titanium 125 to use for a week for the purpose of a review. All thoughts and opinions are our own
Shame it didn’t pass the three car seat test. Although we’ve only got two kids, so wouldn’t be too much of a problem. But would a trunki boostapak fit in between ok for play dates?
Yes, that is what we used 🙂
That is one gorgeous car! I love that it comes in manual. I NEVER see manual here in the States.
The styling on the Focus is really different to how it used to be. I’ve always liked Fords, I had 5 Fiestas in a row before I had to get a 7 seater. Mich x
I love how the boot space is adaptable, as a family of four it’s an essential! Very smart car with impressive features 🙂
Oh I love this!! We had a focus in the past and loved it, this looks amazing!
What a nice car. I love all of the features too, it will definitely keep you safe on the road. It’s a shame it doesn’t fit your three seats in the back though.
This looks like a really nice car but just not practical for what you need it for x
What a lovely looking car! I need to change my car next year and need to start looking at options. I’ll check this one out.
It’s great that there is plenty of footroom and adequate boot space but what a shame you can’t fit three carseats or booster seats in the back comfortably, you’d think this would be something that was considered.
This looks like a great car, and I have heard good things from friends. I don’t have kids, so this would work for me 🙂
oooh what a sweet ride. I am all ready for roadtrip if you need a company hahaha
It really does look like an impressive car from the outside. Shame it’s not big enough as a family car though.
A friend of mine (large family) has this car on her list of options- I’ll definitely forward this on to her!
Looks like a nifty little car and stylish too. We are all about the 4×4 these days xx
I love the look of this Ford sedan, great indepth review. I dont need a 7 seater car or anything bigger than this. This look fine and plenty of legroom for short people like me.
I just bought a Ford Fiesta, which is a bit smaller than the Focus, and I am so happy with it. I have also noticed that it’s very stable on the road, surprisingly much better than my other half’s BMW. One thing I love about my new car is that it’s so easy to drive and also that it barely eats any gas. It’s such an economical car.
The car looks nice. It’s weird but lately I’ve been into cars and I just love browsing through them! It’s so fun.
I used to have a Ford Focus and it was one of my favorite cars I have ever owned! I was sad to have to sell it when I got married but we couldn’t afford it at the time 🙁
I’m on the lookout for a new car – it has to be a little bigger than my diddy Citroen DS3 – my daughter has got so tall with long legs she is folded in half when riding in it! I’m thinking either a Ford Ecosport or (my favourite) a Hyundai Kona (in orange!)
Dang, that car does look incredibly sleek. It’s sad it didn’t fit the 3 car seat test!
We are looking for a family car but only have 1 baby (on the way), so this would be enough room for us. it looks comfortable!
This looks like such a nifty car – a huge step up from my tiny Ford KA! I do love Ford’s though so will definitely consider this when I next upgrade x
I had a 2012 Ford Focus and it had a transmission problem. I bought it and within the first month noticed it would lag and then jerk me into traffic. Had it tested twice and the machines said everything was fine and no one would believe me. the day I left the dealership over this issue, I was T-Boned when it threw me into oncoming traffic. Because of this, I can’t bring myself to buy another Ford
I like the interior of the car. Ford is a good brand.
Oooo what a cute car! I have a friend that has a focus and she loves it
Oh I could really do with this car thank you for the review!
Good to hear that ford is having lots for storage space inside the car