Following the news about the end of the production of the Ford Focus, I made yesterday an impromptu video as a simple homage to a car that set the new benchmark for the hatchback.

Ford Killed the Focus - why this is a sad moment

 

Ford are committing commercial suicide.

Good luck to them.

They'll be gone in 5 years, unless you want a Transit.

Bearing in mind I bought 3 MK1's, 4 MK2's, 4 MK3's and 1 Mk4, all brand new, I shan't shed a tear.

The MK1 was amazing, compared to the awful Escort, but on each MK after that they lost their edge, with the MK4 being cheap, overpriced rubbish that was falling apart after 18 months.

It's unbelievable what they are doing to be honest

I think it goes to show just how bad the Mk4 is when plenty of people were making a huge fuss about the Fiesta ending...but barely anyone cares about the Focus ending.  

I honestly couldn't care either.  I had a few good years in a Mk2.5 a decade ago.  But the Mk3 was worse, sold that within 6 months.  And Mk4 worse still, one returned immediately, the other I only managed 100 miles in.  I don't have any intentions of buying another Ford.

I recall being gobsmacked when I first drove a Mk 1 Focus. Can't really comment on the Mk 4 as I never even got round to driving one. 

42 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

I don't have any intentions of buying another Ford.

I think they've made sure that applies to most of us!😀

22 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I recall being gobsmacked when I first drove a Mk 1 Focus.

It really was that good

1 hour ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I recall being gobsmacked when I first drove a Mk 1 Focus. Can't really comment on the Mk 4 as I never even got round to driving one. 

I think they've made sure that applies to most of us!😀

Indeed, and it started either the 1.0 Ecoboost fiasco

2 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I think they've made sure that applies to most of us!😀

.....and there was I just thinking about getting a Capri. Then I woke up from the nightmare 🤣

43 minutes ago, unofix said:

.....and there was I just thinking about getting a Capri. Then I woke up from the nightmare 🤣

I was quite exited when the new Capri arrived, then I saw it yuk, nothing like the original, a modern touch of the original would have been great, the Mustang Mach E is not a Mustang, I had the 1970 Mustang Mach 1 and it's nothing like it, the Puma has some touches from the original, personally I'm not a fan of SUV,s they must be the most popular, bring back smaller vehicles for are over congested roads, fix the state of the roads and we wouldn't need SUV,s for the pot holes, speed humps and generally bad roads.

Puma having being mentioned, I was looking at a few "old vs new" articles such as this one:

https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/ford-puma-old-vs-new-pictures

How simple and uncluttered the old dash appears compared to todays!

 

Never had a mk1, but had a mk2.5 1.6D, had it for 9 years and 110,000 miles (30k - 140k) and never let me down.

Next car I got was a mk4 2.0 ecoblue with 4,000 miles and 5 years later on 54,000 miles told I needed a new engine. 

That is the end of me buying another Ford.

Still own a mk 2 focus (which I bought 15 years ago) but with a volvo lump in it.👍

12 hours ago, MarkRS9 said:

Still own a mk 2 focus (which I bought 15 years ago) but with a volvo lump in it.

A bit like this, but a bit quicker ?

...........had it over thirteen years and have no idea with what I might replace it.

I'd always thought of Fords as being pretty cheap and nasty until my son bought a Mk1 3-door hatch. I was so impressed I went out and bought a 03-plate Mk1.5 Ghia 1.8TDCi estate in 2008. That was a great car. I then got the Mk2.5 1.8HE Zetec in 2014, which we still have, and kept the estate for the wife to use. I didn't think the build quality of the Mk2.5 was as good but it's still a good drive and ultra-reliable (maybe partly due to the Mazda-derived engine). That was followed by a 62-plate Mk3 1.0L Ecoboom Titanium Estate in 2016, traded for the Mk1.5. It was quite a nice car but suffered from the usual faults associated with that model, such as the door seals falling off and corroded turbo coolant pipes, so when it came time for the wetbelt replacement I got rid in 2022 in favour of the Vitara (I wasn't looking for a Vitara at the time but that's another story). There's no way I'd buy a modern Ford based on what I've read here. Since the Mk1 they look to have regressed back to expensive and nasty.

I've recently had some cosmetic work done on the Zetec and plan on keeping it until my wife gives up driving which will probably be fairly soon due to eyesight problems. It's still under 50,000 miles so should be a good buy for someone when the time comes.

To the point of ford discontinuing and folding completely the chances are very likely that will happen with the wet belt jobs also the transit mk8 odd 1s suffer an electrical problem not even forscan will tell you what's causing it only those who have had the experience with it will know what does it ( l have no clue don't ask 😂 ) then there's the magically stops working ( the bull nose mk2 version ) that just needs either the oil or coolant cap removing while it's started ? Strange but it works.. as to the mk1 focus definitely the best version they made and l agree with Dave T70 I'd have kept my focus estate over my name carrying escort any day ( l don't consider the mk5/6 as proper escorts ) l learnt how to repair with my mk1 focus from the engine to the interior. I bought it second hand from a used sales place l had it 4 years and we went all over the place if I'd have been able to pin point what stopped the immobiliser from turning off I'd still have it today. But for now I'll keep the mk7 escort l have n the mk1 transit ( escort/fusion ) connect that l have 😂 ford can go swivel.

Going slightly against the grain (of more experienced Ford owners), I’m really rather enjoying my ‘73 plate mk 4.5 Focus. Apart from the very well-documented, nonsensical ‘battery saver’ problems, I find my Focus a fun car to drive, which returns respectable mpg figures both around town and on motorway runs. I was rather sceptical about the 1 litre, 3 cylinder, MHEV, EcoBoost engine but have to admit that, after several months of ownership, I find it very good.  OK, I accept that the ST line X is more ‘show than go’ but at my age, the 155 MHEV is plenty fast enough and the Focus still provides a relatively spacious, well equipped, highly practical hatchback. 

Having said all that, I do find myself increasingly looking at other cars and thinking what’s going to be next. It will most probably not be another Ford as I do want another ‘car’ — not some ugly, oversized, bus shaped, would be SUV electric vehicle.  I do agree that Ford appears to have totally lost the plot,  and increasingly expect that my first-ever Ford (in 40+ years of driving) might well also be my last-ever Ford !
 

I had a Focus MK1, and it was wonderful, then a Mondeo MK4 and it was wonderful as well. 

Now I've a Focus MK4.5, compared to the previous ones it is rubbish...

However, the poor quality looks to be a common think for  many brands.

Today I don't think to buy another Ford in the future, but I still hope that they get back to producing great cars.

2 hours ago, mad-mushroom said:

It will most probably not be another Ford as I do want another ‘car’ — not some ugly, oversized, bus shaped, would be SUV electric vehicle.
 

Everyone has there preferences, it definitely showed that when l was on the focus group people who had the mk1 rs and ( the odd person had owned all 3 ) was on mk2's and mk3's said if they had the option they would have kept the mk1 simply because of the drive but transfer of the higher power would be nice. 1 guy even went as far as turning an estate into a mk1 rs 2 door van it looked 🤩 pictures of it can be found on the Internet.

As to your question of your next car in not an electric or hybrid fan but if l had no choice it would be a Toyota prius.. why simply because it's the only electric vehicle I've not seen reports of them setting on fire out of the blue like all others.

6 hours ago, mad-mushroom said:

Going slightly against the grain (of more experienced Ford owners), I’m really rather enjoying my ‘73 plate mk 4.5 Focus. Apart from the very well-documented, nonsensical ‘battery saver’ problems, I find my Focus a fun car to drive, which returns respectable mpg figures both around town and on motorway runs. I was rather sceptical about the 1 litre, 3 cylinder, MHEV, EcoBoost engine but have to admit that, after several months of ownership, I find it very good.  OK, I accept that the ST line X is more ‘show than go’ but at my age, the 155 MHEV is plenty fast enough and the Focus still provides a relatively spacious, well equipped, highly practical hatchback. 

Having said all that, I do find myself increasingly looking at other cars and thinking what’s going to be next. It will most probably not be another Ford as I do want another ‘car’ — not some ugly, oversized, bus shaped, would be SUV electric vehicle.  I do agree that Ford appears to have totally lost the plot,  and increasingly expect that my first-ever Ford (in 40+ years of driving) might well also be my last-ever Ford !
 

I agree with a lot of what you've said I have the same car,
On collection day I had to wait a couple of hours to find out why the air-con didn't work, they put a new battery in it and it was fine.
Coming from a MK3.5 ST (written off) I wasn't liking the idea of having a 1 litre 3 Pot, but after 6 months it does the job in my urban environment.
I did a Leeds to Scotland holiday clocking 950 miles with 51mpg, I was in Sport mode and enjoyed the drive and never felt uncomfortable.

I think a lot of thoughts on older cars are just nostalgia, like thinking of how good TV shows were, but seeing them now just isn't the same.

I've had,
1996 Ford Escort 1.4 LX
2009 Ford Focus 1.6 Zetec S
2015 Ford Focus 2.0 ST Estate
2023 Ford Focus 1.0 ST-Line X

Getting in a newer model made the older one feel like a rattling box, every time.
I'm sure a modern Premium German car would p00p all over a modern Focus for comfort and make a MK4.5 feel like a box too.

When I lost my ST I tried to look at another Brand, but I like the Ford Styling,
With no future Ford Hatchback I suspect my next car won't be Ford either.

On 11/20/2025 at 5:24 PM, Nimrodmk8 said:

I was quite exited when the new Capri arrived, then I saw it yuk, nothing like the original, a modern touch of the original would have been great, the Mustang Mach E is not a Mustang, I had the 1970 Mustang Mach 1 and it's nothing like it, the Puma has some touches from the original, personally I'm not a fan of SUV,s they must be the most popular, bring back smaller vehicles for are over congested roads, fix the state of the roads and we wouldn't need SUV,s for the pot holes, speed humps and generally bad roads.

The original? Do you mean this one? 😉

6 minutes ago, PaterAnt said:

The original? Do you mean this one?

You're showing your age now 🤣

I can remember them and also the Classic.

I guess most people under 50 think of this 1969 model as the 'original'

2 minutes ago, unofix said:

You're showing your age now 🤣

I can remember them and also the Classic.

I guess most people under 50 think of this 1969 model as the 'original'

My dad had one of the Classic Capri's and 3 of the "second" version in your photo.

5 hours ago, PaterAnt said:

The original? Do you mean this one? 😉

To be fair, it's official name was Classic Capri.

True Capri was 1969 Mk1

21 hours ago, PaterAnt said:

The original? Do you mean this one? 😉

To be honest, no, still a great looking car though.

On 11/26/2025 at 1:58 PM, Nimrodmk8 said:

To be honest, no, still a great looking car though.

Totally agree. The original Capri, the Classic Capri, was indeed a great looking car. 🤣🤣🤣

I've had my 2007 MK2 focus for six years now, and overall I'm pleased with it, apart from the annoying boot leak that keeps retturning every 12 months or so. It's only done almost 74k miles, and it has never let me down (touch wood).

Ill be sad to see it go when my car finally dies and Im looking for a new one. Got my 55 reg mk2 at 85k miles almost ready for scrapyard, a few trips to garages later it's working wonders at 99k miles. 

The beauty of this car is that you can diagnose repairs fairly quickly and get it repaired fairly cheaply compared to newer cars. 

The new cars now from mk4 onwards essentially require remortgaging the house to repair. Not a friendly proposition for newer drivers like myself. I've repaired mine at the roadside doing a gasket here or new spark plugs there. Even limped the car to eurocar parts to change the coil pack myself when it decided to misfire in heavy rain. Did it in time to pick the wife up from work. 

Ill be very sad when the mk1 and mk2s all finally die.