I am seriously considering this Ford Focus as my first car. However, I would like some expert knowledge regarding it, especially considering I know next to nothing about cars.

What attracted me to this was mainly the full service history and replaced cambelt. Given the age of the cars I am looking at, no matter what mileage they have ti is still likely going to need a cambelt change so if this oen has already had it done I presumed that it will save me time and money.

Is there anything in the description or photos that would put you off this car?

Will it likely be reliable?

Does the price seem fair?

http://www.abbeycourtcarsales.co.uk/used-cars/ford-focus-1-6i-lx-5dr-derby-201502271292676

Looks good to me for the £ - I'd insist on a warranty included in the price.

Looks good to me for the £ - I'd insist on a warranty included in the price.

I can get a warranty on a 13 year old car?

Won't this cost me £00s?

It's the LX model. Very basic. You could get a Ghia for the same price. Look on auto trader.

It's the LX model. Very basic. You could get a Ghia for the same price. Look on auto trader.

I don't understand the differences between the models. Which is the best/worst? Does it erally make any difference?

Just different types of trim (interior) really. Ghia is the top of the range, and LX is probably the base model (don't quote me on that though). Most Ghia come with leather and/or heated seats, steering wheel mounted radio controls, air con, good stereos etc. Look for ones with Zetec engines.

It's the LX model. Very basic. You could get a Ghia for the same price. Look on auto trader.

I have looked and cannot find a comparable ghia for the same price.

Any aroudn that price either have much higher mileage or no service histories.

Hang fire and wait for a decent one to pop up mate. Don't rush into buying, unless it's what you want.

Hang fire and wait for a decent one to pop up mate. Don't rush into buying, unless it's what you want.

The thing is I don't really know what I want. I simply want a cheap and reliable car to get me though a year of work beginning in August (A year long internship). The majority of the cars which appear in my criteria on autotrader/motors.co.uk/ebay/gumtree are ford focuses.

I need the car relatively soon. May at the absolute latest.

I think that's a good car for that price if you can get a warranty, has alloys cd player and aircon!

I am seriously considering this Ford Focus as my first car.

Is there anything in the description or photos that would put you off this car?

Will it likely be reliable?

Reminds me of my first car, a Green 1996 Ford Escort 1.4 LX

Mine was 9 years old with 32,000 miles on it, previously a mobility vehicle with Full Service History,

It cost a little more than similar cars but I was certain with the low mileage for the age it was worth it.

The water pump went after 5 weeks and that's not a cheap job to fix, I broke down in another town on a Sunday and was quoted £170 recovery too.

I had it for 8 years and eventually got sick of old age repairs, but for a starter it was just right for me.

My point is with any car you are taking a gamble,

For a first car I would say a LX model is fine, if all you want to do is get about and master driving.

Insurance will be your biggest killer for a young driver, so going all in on a first car isn't wise unless you can afford to.

I'd suggest a 1.4 engine to reduce Insurance costs, but an old 1.6 Focus might not be too bad.

You can always start low and upgrade later,

If you get this for £1k now and scrap it for £130 in a few years you won't have lost more than something more expensive depreciating.

You can ask for a warranty buy it's not guaranteed however you have 6 months protection under the sale of goods act any faults are deemed inherently faulty and is the responsibility of the seller to correct

Mine was 9 years old with 32,000 miles on it, previously a mobility vehicle with Full Service History,

It cost a little more than similar cars but I was certain with the low mileage for the age it was worth it.

The water pump went after 5 weeks and that's not a cheap job to fix, I broke down in another town on a Sunday and was quoted £170 recovery too.

I had it for 8 years and eventually got sick of old age repairs, but for a starter it was just right for me.

My point is with any car you are taking a gamble,

For a first car I would say a LX model is fine, if all you want to do is get about and master driving.

Insurance will be your biggest killer for a young driver, so going all in on a first car isn't wise unless you can afford to.

I'd suggest a 1.4 engine to reduce Insurance costs, but an old 1.6 Focus might not be too bad.

You can always start low and upgrade later,

If you get this for £1k now and scrap it for £130 in a few years you won't have lost more than something more expensive depreciating.

Wow, that situation does sound exactly like mine, just shifted forwards a few years. I take it that you were still happy with your purchase considering you kept it for 8 years?

As for insurance, engine size makes almost no difference to me - I have has hundreds of quotes of all different makes and models of car which includes a wide variety of engine sizes. It seems that no matter what car I choose (within reason) my insurance is identical (Always around £1000).

You can ask for a warranty buy it's not guaranteed however you have 6 months protection under the sale of goods act any faults are deemed inherently faulty and is the responsibility of the seller to correct

In this case, is a warranty necassary?

If I can get reasonable cover with the Sale of Goods Act protection, is going for additional warranty worth it considering this car is only going to really be used for about a year anyway? If it begins to break after a year, I will simply scrap it - I do not need a car desperately after a year is over (I'll be back at university, I'm using this car fro my placement year).

Nah I would say a warranty isn't likely to be offered but even then sale of goods act Is a level of protection but there is one issue. On a car this old you will find resistance as the old cars can be seen more as wear and tear and the seller may well dispute anything you raise, he may play games and refuse and push you to the Limita of small claims court. So if u was you get in writing acknowledgement of your rights under the sale of goods act and ensuring there is a reasonable limit in place (I. E. He doesn't say a maximum of 150 quid)

Wow, that situation does sound exactly like mine, just shifted forwards a few years. I take it that you were still happy with your purchase considering you kept it for 8 years?

As for insurance, engine size makes almost no difference to me - I have has hundreds of quotes of all different makes and models of car which includes a wide variety of engine sizes. It seems that no matter what car I choose (within reason) my insurance is identical (Always around £1000).

Unless the car you buy is always broken and costing a fortune you will love your first car like a pet,

It might bite you or poo in a corner once in a while, but you will grow fond of it.

I didn't intend on keeping it 8 years, I was looking for a MK2 Focus for over 5 years lol, then ended up with a Mk2.5.

I couldn't justify the cost of a newer car, it was over £4k for the cheapest MK2 Focus at the time so I kept saving.

My Escort cost me £1300, which was a couple of hundred over the odds, but I thought I'd get that back in reliability because of the low mileage.

My Insurance was almost as much as the car too, and I was 29.

That's another thing I got sick of, my car was worth the price of scrap at the end and my insurance was still 5 times it's worth.

After going past my budget to get my current car because I love the sporty Zetec S body kit, I'm shocked I'm now paying half the Insurance I was.

Don't know your age or location but £1000 Insurance is very good for a first timer, a few years ago I knew a few young people who passed

and no mater what car they chose, right down to 1.0 litre rot boxes, their Insurance quotes where over £3000.

It looks quite tidy, but bear in mind it would have had sympathetic photos taken, ones which hide any battle damage. When I was looking for a Focus I went far and wide, looking at ones online that looked brilliant but when I got to the garage they were lemons. If it is as described and looks good up close I would have a punt on that. Don't worry about the LX trim, yeah it is poverty spec but less things to go wrong on first car.

Sent from my Gen 1 WAP phone

Insurance on my first car (1.1 fiesta) was nearly £800 (considering I was 32 at the time) but rapidly came down each year.

Insurance goes by location, my ex when she was living near me in Sunderland was over £1100 for a 1.0 Fiat Punto. She then moved to Royal Tunbridge Wells and it came down by £720.

£720!!

Sunderland must be really bad lol

Unless the car you buy is always broken and costing a fortune you will love your first car like a pet,

It might bite you or poo in a corner once in a while, but you will grow fond of it.

I didn't intend on keeping it 8 years, I was looking for a MK2 Focus for over 5 years lol, then ended up with a Mk2.5.

I couldn't justify the cost of a newer car, it was over £4k for the cheapest MK2 Focus at the time so I kept saving.

My Escort cost me £1300, which was a couple of hundred over the odds, but I thought I'd get that back in reliability because of the low mileage.

My Insurance was almost as much as the car too, and I was 29.

That's another thing I got sick of, my car was worth the price of scrap at the end and my insurance was still 5 times it's worth.

After going past my budget to get my current car because I love the sporty Zetec S body kit, I'm shocked I'm now paying half the Insurance I was.

Don't know your age or location but £1000 Insurance is very good for a first timer, a few years ago I knew a few young people who passed

and no mater what car they chose, right down to 1.0 litre rot boxes, their Insurance quotes where over £3000.

I am only 19 and insurance until very recently was £4000 minimum per year. But I've gotten good at finding ways of reducing it significantly.

Above all else, it simply seems tha waiting to drive after passing my test (Passed shortly after my 17th birthday) brought it down the most though - 2 years in April.

Insurance on my first car (1.1 fiesta) was nearly £800 (considering I was 32 at the time) but rapidly came down each year.

Insurance goes by location, my ex when she was living near me in Sunderland was over £1100 for a 1.0 Fiat Punto. She then moved to Royal Tunbridge Wells and it came down by £720.

£720!!

Sunderland must be really bad lol

Try living in Liverpool. Gettign quotes for here adds an extra grand to my cheapest insurance quote - insurers know the car will be stolen within a week here lol.

Don't worry about the LX trim, yeah it is poverty spec but less things to go wrong on first car.

There's nothing in the other trims that would be car-breaking though if thei failed though is there?

I'm not too bothered about having any extras anyway. I just want a car to get me from A to B.

Does anybody know if thsi car has ABS or not?

If not, should i be worried by it not having it? It only just occurred to me that this may not be standard on a car from 2002.

From the pictures, it looks in good condition for its age. I doubt you'll be disappointed with a MK1. It's making me want one for my first car again!!

I would expect it would have ABS, most standard cars had them then (not really cheap ones like a base Focus), but my mums Alfa Romeo from 2004 had it.

It was generally standard from about 99 if I remember rightly

ABS is a legal requirement on cars built from a certain year, but I dont know what year.

My 2001 focus Zetec didnt have abs, many mk1s didnt have it.

most standard cars had them then (not really cheap ones like a base Focus)

So in this case, you do NOT think it will have it considering the LX is the base model?