Ford C-MAX, Grand C-MAX and Focus extended test drives review thread

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for the 15 Mumsnetters who are reviewing over the next couple of months the all new C-MAX, Grand C-Max and Focus cars from Ford. Each tester and their family will have the car for three weeks and will also be making a video review - look out for these on site soon. All the cars being reviewed feature "Active Park Assist" and Ford recently asked former MP Ann Widdecombe to put this feature to the test - .

Here are the review questions - don't feel you have to answer them straight away - some of them will make more sense once you've had the car for a week or so. We'd like you to give us your initial thoughts, first impressions - both from you and the rest of the family - and then add feedback at least twice a week for the next three weeks until the car is collected - though please feel free to give more regular updates if you'd like to, and don't feel you have to stick to the questions too rigidly - they are just a guide.

Thanks for volunteering. Safe driving.

Here are the questions - please do state the model of car you're testing (first up was the C-MAX tests)

What were you/your partner's first impressions of the car?
What do the children think of it?
Do the children fit comfortably in it?
How easy is it to fit car seats/ adjust seats etc
What's it like to drive?
Is it a comfortable ride?
What's the boot space like?
Does it have any useful extras - cup holders etc?

There are various features of the 3 cars - let us know what you think of these ones in particular:

C-MAX
~ Five flexible seats
~ Power operated tailgate
~ Active Park Assist
Grand C-MAX
~ Seven flexible seats
~ Power operated tailgate
~ Sliding doors
~ Active Park Assist
Focus
~ Active City Stop
~ Active Park Assist
~ Lane Keeping Aid
~ Traffic Sign Recognition

So far is it economical to run?
How does it cope with different road conditions eg town, country, motorway
What do your friends/ family think of it?
Has testing this car made you more or less likely to buy a Ford?
Has testing this car changed your perception of Ford cars at all?
What one thing do you like best about it?
What one thing would you change about it ?
Please add any other comments and don't forget your video diaries!

Any queries please email [email protected]

Thanks again,

MNHQ

Hello folks with the Grand C-MAXs please can you return the cameras to us asap - we need them back on or about Tuesday next week!
Thanks for all the feedback - do keep posting your thoughts.
MNHQ

aristocat the active park assist is quite good. You do have to trust the car though which is hard at first and it only works on the left hand side of the road but it does find a space and then gets you in it. all you control is the accelerator and brakes. The hill start assist is quite handy too, it just gives you enough time to come off the brake and on the accelerator without rolling back

thanks vnmum those of us who tried the other C Max didnt get this option and we all wanted to try it out.

Having spotted me moaning on here, Ford v kindly swapped our Grand CMax for a Galaxy which we've had for a week now.
What a difference, life has been so much easier, thanks Ford folks. Can def fit 3 carseats across the middle row AND keep the back row up AND still have bootspace for the pushchair.
Our normal car (an ancient Japanese import) has sliding doors and spinny middle row seats which make strapping in 3 kids a doddle which is just perfect for us right now. Life is too short for fannying about. Our car is likely to need euthanasia next year and I have been worrying about what to replace it with.I had expected that the regular doors and tippy-up seats would drive me mad but it has been surprisingly ok. However DC#3 will be a lot more dexterous and co-operative by then, so I would now be more than willing to look at a Galaxy (older models, mind).
DH likes it well enough. We like the parking beeps, the rearview camera and the countdown petrol gauge on the trip computer. Not so keen on the ceiling storage as the kids keep opening them while we're not looking and then not being able to reach them to shut them again. The childminder mirror is v dark and distant and not really much use I've found. Love the return to normal boot opening, as opposed to the remote which I have moaned about on the Grand CMax
We've both found the keyless entry a little counter-intuitive and annoying to begin with. I know it's actually reducing the amount of handbag-searching by half, but it feels more stressful because you resent it so much. You get used to not needing to look for your key to get in and only remember you need the key to lock it when you've got out in the carpark, have a herd of kids to negotiate and a child on one hip. Also DH says he keeps wanting to doublecheck it's locked but you can't because you've got the key on you so the door is unlocked.
I do like the keyless ignition though, along with it being automatic it feels like I'm driving a pretend car (in a good way.)
Kids like the car but were disappointed to find they'd need to acquire their own portable DVD players in order to use the screens LOL. Think they just appreciate how much more relaxed I am than I was with the Grand CMax.
Friends have been impressed with self-closing wingmirrors, keyless entry and ignition too.
My dad had some v swish Ford company cars when I was a kid so have never thought of them as a basic brand myself.

silk why would they need portable dvd players for the screens? If it has the screen it will have a dvd player either in the head unit itself, the centre console, under the passenger seat or in a storage box in the boot. I am of you for being able to test a galaxy. we have the old shape and are thinking that when we change ours next year we would probably try and find a new shape one second hand. That is if I can't persuade DH that a grand cmax would be big enough for camping trips.

WELL, with only 3 days left of the test we have FINALLY GOT THE IPOD TO WORK, hooray. (felt like shouting that one,lol). You have to have the ipod data cable plugged in to the usb socket and then you can control the ipod by the buttons on the steering wheel, but, you also have to have an auxillary lead plugged in the headphone socket on the ipod and the aux input socket in the car to actually get the sound.

We will be very sad to see this car go, none of us want to say goodbye to it and I am not looking forward to getting in my old car again. It will feel dated and heavy. SO, if the nice people at Ford are giving any nice discounts on ex demo models late in 2012, you have my details.

Ooh ok maybe I just haven't read that bit of the manual.

Right - went back this morning.

To be honest I didn't drive it at all last week - saw an accident on the A12 - Ford had slammed into the back of a BMW and it gave me the willies. BMW was hardly scratched but the Ford was a complete mess.

Now I understand why DH always insists we buy BMWs or Audis - after going back to driving BMW it felt more substantial and safer. Heavier to drive but that makes me feel safer and more secure.

I think maybe if the ford was the best you could afford that you would deffo buy one, all the gadgets would definately be tempting but in my life I rarely drive a long way so am not in the car for long enough to need any gadgets.

I have to admit I was impressed to start with but I think the fact that it was bigger than our BMW (we only have an estate) impressed me and all the seats and sliding doors and gadgets but it really is a basic car with lots of bells and whistles.

A basic car that seems to drink petrol like no ones business - does half the milage per gallon compared to my audi and I know it is because it is a petrol car but it would just make it unaffordable for us - would rather pay for a more expensive deisel than save money but have to cough up to fill the tank every few days.

Sorry Ford - turned our heads for a short period but we will stick with BMWs and Audis in future. (Mind you DH started muttering about Volvos so if you could swing me a 3 week trial for a volvo you may yet change his mind!)

And I felt rather naughty when the lady pointed out that I had scratched the alloys!!

Well, the marketing has worked on me us. I am looking at either an S Max or a Galaxy. Love being up high, and the DCs also love it which has its drawbacks but on the whole it makes travelling much more fun.

It was absolutely the best timing as we had it for 3 weeks when DD1 was on summer vacation, and just went back to school yesterday, so this summer will have happy memories

Guess the darkened windows aren't as important now as it's practically blowing a gale here in the South West, but it was a great feature in addition to the constant climate control, parking pilot, sliding doors, airline type tray, button on truck so it comes down without need for brute force etc.

Could we please also be on the list for any discounts for a future Ford? One where the i pod works please....

Ilove I am in the south west too and the weather is indeed, crap. I actually got the ipod to work eventually (well DH did on saturday, car goes tomorrow morning so abit late but at least we got it going). You need both the ipod data cable and an auxillary line in cable in the headphone sockets for it to work

My DH says he will very gladly test a galaxy for ford for 3 weeks if they need it, just so we can compare the old one and the new one . I drove our old car today and it did feel so dated and both DC whinged about being collected in the old car saying they don't like it because it hasn't got a glass roof

well had to say a sad goodbye to the grand cmax this morning. It has been lovely to have it for the 3 weeks and i personally would have one as my first choice but DH still wants something bigger so i am going to have to work on him i think. We will definately be changing our car late next year and it will definately be another ford, the question is, what model?

So thankyou Ford and Mumsnet for the opportunity to take part in this test and I am looking forward to reading how the new testers find the focus

ooh have my focus!! anyone else yet? so far it's pretty great, though will take a while for me to get to grips with the computer my old car is at least 12 years older than this one.

also trying to get to grips with the camera as it had no instructions, will hopefully find some online.

oh just noticed they were already sent to me [sorry]

I got my Focus yesterday - will come back and post more later!

Thank you mn and ford!

Hello all,

got my Focus TDCi Titanium on tuesday lunchtime, delivered by the lovely Lloyd who was a smashing chap, so pleasant even tho he had been up at 4am to drive the car from Cambridgeshire to the North East of Scotland!! couldn't really use it that day so have been using it since Wed.

What were you/your partner's first impressions of the car?
I actually squealed when i saw it outside the house! It looks very smart. DH's only quibble was that he wasn't keen on the style of the alloys (get him ) but he liked it too.

What do the children think of it?
DS (5) said it was "cool". this is high praise indeed.

Do the children fit comfortably in it?
Absolutely. Have taken a friend's 7 year old and another 5 year old and no problem with booster cushions etc. Not sure how it would be if you were trying to fit in full size child seats however ....

How easy is it to fit car seats/ adjust seats etc
Driver's seat very easy to adjust, like the "high up" feel compared to my own car.

What's it like to drive?
Seems great so far. Light steering, nice chunky gearbox changes, very responsive. Pretty nippy for a 1.6 diesel i think.

Is it a comfortable ride?
Yes. No backache for me!

What's the boot space like?
Seems very good for a car of its size.

Does it have any useful extras - cup holders etc?
Cupholders are deep so a big flask doesn't tip over. Am starting to play a bit with the other gadgets, bells and whistles so will report more on this next week. Haven't tried the Park Assist yet, but DH has and said it was a really weird feeling that would take some getting used to but it worked very well!!

btw, she is now named Phoebe (the Freebie).

and can i just add that so far, we love the keyless ignition and the foldy wing mirrors on Phoebe. DS especially likes to show off these features. I like the fact i can just walk up to the car without rummaging for a key in the bottomless pit of my handbag, and i do think the foldy mirrors are a sensible feature - also help to remind me that i have locked the car as i walk away!

I am sure there are lots more extras to find out about, but i like the fact the display tells me when to change up gear - as i've been driving an automatic for the last 5 years, this is amazingly handy for the first few days in a 6 speed manual! until i get my left leg used to being needed again.

Hi

Thank you very much for the Focus. I have enjoyed trying it out so far. It arrived on Thurs am.

I have been taking it to work, so a daily commute of 30-40 miles and also shopping at the weekend.

I am pregnant, so have been quite tired. I have spent much of the weekend asleep. I am planning to do my hair tonight (specially for the photo/ filming, so we will start on that soon, I promise). DS had his first ever haircut at a barber about 2 weeks ago, in readiness for your camera, and found this very exciting. DH, who is a bit of a hippie, mourned the loss of his son's curls.

To answer the questions below.

What were you/your partner's first impressions of the car?
I like the silver finish. It is a nice looking car outside, though it feels a bit smaller than we are used to. DH likes the way the wing mirrors fold up when the car is locked.

I have been spoiled though in that we are used to a Volvo V70. We had a previous incident in our last Volvo when a guy in a very large, new Mercedes van rear-ended us at a roundabout. The Volvo was too heavy to be shunted forward. It sustained a tiny indentation in the rear bumper. On the other hand, the big Mercedes van had its front stove in and could not be driven away. I have felt very safe in the Volvos. It is like being in a small tank. The Focus does feel a lot flimsier. I thought it looked just a little bit plasticky inside.

What do the children think of it?
DS, who is 3, is very impressed that we now have 2 cars in the driveway.

Do the children fit comfortably in it?
DS is just growing out of his Izi Combi which is a pain to move between cars so I am considering getting the next size car seat up in the next few days to use for the Focus. I am a bit concerned though as he tends to clamber in and out of the rugged old Volvo with gay abandon and will have to try in curb this in a bit.

How easy is it to fit car seats/ adjust seats etc
My seat has been fine. I like the seat belts, they are easy to adjust and seem to be longer/ have more give than I am used to.

What's it like to drive?
It feels very smooth. I am also used to an automatic although I did drive a gear shift car for 10 years. I also found the little green indicator telling you when to change gear very helpful in this situation. The transition to manual was much easier for me than I expected.

I was surprised that the fuel efficency was not an improvement on the Volvo estate (both diesel).

Is it a comfortable ride?
Yes, fine, very comfy. I did not find the airconditioning very intuitive to use at first, but was much comfier when I had worked it out (pregnant person with own heating system).

What's the boot space like?

Well, it was great for shopping on Saturday. However, I don't think we could easily fit the Landrover buggy in as well. In fact, I am not sure that the buggy could fit in the boot if the boot were entirely empty. We did a ferry-drive holiday this year and crammed every inch of the estate. We would need a very large roof box and/or a trailer and a different buggy for number 2.

Mind you, it can be difficult to add a trailer to cars with parking sensors (I haven't checked on this) so I think we might have problems with this one if it were to be our main car.

Does it have any useful extras - cup holders etc?
I like the idea of the DAB radio but reception seems to have been a bit awkward so far. I think DH would very much enjoy listening to Planet Rock on long car journeys.

I don't tend to use cup holders much (I know that every new car these days seems to be equipped with about a dozen). I don't trust DS with his own supply of liquid in the back unsupervised, anyway.

I think the Park Assist sounds great but have not tried it out yet (we will find a very quiet time and space when we can test it in a controlled and leisurely manner. Not that I am chicken or anything.)

It does have a lot of good safety features though. One that particularly appeals to me is the stop-if-something-is-looming-in-front-of-you-feature. I drive though a countryside area where animals roam freely, which can be hazardous especially at dusk. It is the sort of reassuring feature that could spur us on in a decision get about which car to get (especially if we were to think in the future about a second car). It is great that this feature exists, though I would be chary about actually trying it out.

More soon.

I took delivery of my Focus Titanium 1.6L Diesel on Thursday ? with only 124 miles on the clock! I?ve just had my tonsils out so haven?t been driving much last week but did do the school run in it twice and been out twice over the weekend on short trips. Usually we drive an old Corsa (1.2L) and an old Vectra (1.8L)

Thank you for the freebies! I've stashed the Sketcher for Christmas and am waiting for the children to be out to troff nibble delicately on the biscuits.

What were you/your partner's first impressions of the car?
Not too impressed with the exterior ? mine is a sort of sludge grey. Shiny yes, but not shouting fab new car! The shape is that current modern car ? teardrop shape but does look stream-lined. It looks smaller on the outside that I thought it would. Alloys looked good but the wheels are HUGE and all I can think is ££££££ when it comes to new tyre time.
Inside: very sleek and spacious. An overwhelming array of new buttons to learn. There are buttons for everything and I don?t (yet) find them obvious. It took me an age to work out how to get the air blowing ? that does seem very convoluted. I work with complex scientific instruments for my job so I?m not intimidated by them. I feel a bit (this is my initial impression) that it could be a lot easier to work out how to get cool air to blow into the car in the right places ? the writing on the dials is quite small (I?m myopic though).
The doors are quite heavy. They shut soundly and make a good shutting sound but I find them rather heavy to open with two small children around (more muscle required than usual).

DH ? ?it?s not car it?s a space-ship. So shiny and new and so much technology in there?.
He almost felt intimidated by it (and he?s a scientist too!). Unused to the performance of a diesel (he expected a diesel to be slow and unresponsive) but this had acceleration when he needed it. Agrees with me on the heavy doors.

What do the children think of it? They?re in bed ? I will ask them in the car tomorrow.
Do the children fit comfortably in it?
My children are small ? 2 and 4 ? so they fit in well. I put a blanket on the back seat under the car seats as it is sooooo new and clean I don?t want their grot damaging the seats!

How easy is it to fit car seats/ adjust seats etc
Car seats ? a high-back booster and a toddler full car seat ? fitted as well as any other car. Seat belts flowed nice and freely and I DO like the loop in the belt that stops the buckle dropping to the bottom.
Driving seat adjustment ? not had to do it really. It is comfortable and the right height etc. Will have a mess with this.

What's it like to drive?
Honestly? Like a slug! My 1.2 Corsa is so much more nippy and zoomy. The Vectra is feels more powerful. Starting off I feel like I have to pedal a bit to get this going. I don?t know if this is because it is a diesel or the design ? I?ve never driven a diesel before. I?ve driven lots of old Astras which are the same size and they have moved better.
Steering ? this seems to have a really large turning circle. I can?t do a U-turn in the road entrance with it on full-lock (like I can in the C and V) without having to reverse back and out. I?ll practice a bit more with this but I have been surprised as it steers like a much larger car.
Is it a comfortable ride? Yes ? the seats are very comfortable and the suspension is just right. I went down a very bumpy road with extra speed humps and wasn?t thrown about at all.

What's the boot space like?
Not as big as an Astra (comparable size car) but still roomy. Not quite large enough for a holiday trip (I don?t think ? but I will test this out) but good for everyday use.

Does it have any useful extras - cup holders etc?
DD likes the cup-holders in the back. Not that I would give them a drink in the back of the car! She likes putting her toys in them. They were both impressed with the little table that was formed by the drop-down arm-rest (easily pleased children emoticon).

Focus
~ Active City Stop ? I like this! ALL cars should come with it. A really clever way to cut down on fuel consumption and pollution on suburban roads.

~ Active Park Assist ? undecided. I tested it on my grandfather?s terraced street but there weren?t any tiny spaces today (typical!). It did however park the car perfectly and spookily behind another car already parked. I was VERY impressed that it parked the car exactly the same distance onto the pavement as the other car. (Remembering it is a double parked terraced street with wide pavements so this is the norm). It DID leave a huge gap between me and the car in front though (it turned later than I would) ? I could have got the car into a much smaller space myself.

My DD (4) thinks that you only drive the car with your hands (as she can?t see my feet moving from the back) so she was DELIGHTED at the magic car reversing into the space all by itself.

I like the parking sensors as I was reversing out of the drive and they beeped when someone walked past. My neighbour would love this as she is constantly worried about cars reversing quickly out of drives and not seeing either her toddler or dog walking behind the car. However reversing the car towards the house it beeped and beeped loudly so I stopped ? but on getting out and looking it was about 20 inches from the wall. So this may be oddly sensing or I need to practice with this. The boot is smaller than it appears from inside the car too so that is a factor there.

~ Lane Keeping Aid ? waaa? Does my car have these? Where? How?
~ Traffic Sign Recognition - Ditto

So far is it economical to run?

I am a bit unsure of this but I am driving with the instantaneous fuel consumption showing. I have noticed on suburban roads it is telling me to change up to 4th gear (green arrow) and when I do the fuel consumption is higher than it was in 3rd gear ? so it appears my driving was right and the car wrong ? which seems odd. DH noticed this too.

How does it cope with different road conditions eg town, country, motorway
? only done town so far and it drives like a pig.

What do your friends/ family think of it? ? My sister is incredibly jealous as she LOVED her 2L Focus. So did the speed cameras! So she doesn?t drive one now. Given how much she loved hers I am a bit surprised at how ambivalent I am to this so far.

Has testing this car made you more or less likely to buy a Ford? Ambivalent so far.

Has testing this car changed your perception of Ford cars at all? I do think that it feels more well made than my perception has been. Dh says it feels very solid.

What one thing do you like best about it? Roomy and comfortable inside.

What one thing would you change about it ? So far ? it?s a toss-up between more poke in lower gears and better turning circle. More poke is winning at the moment.

Oh and I do like the audio adjustment for just the driver or the whole car. Neat.
Can't get the DAB to tune in yet - is it working?? It says no signal and I can't find a tune button for it.

Phew .. that was long ... but you DID ask

Done over 180 miles already with my focus titanium! It's blue

What were you/your partner's first impressions of the car?
Very impressed with how sleek it looks and love the slight tint to the windows at the back.
Inside it's fantastic, really comfortable though my dad couldn't get out the seat when i took him for a drive, he worked out how to adjust them in the end and got out again

What do the children think of it?
Children both love it alot, especially the 'computer' dash. Older son says he'd love to learn to drive in a similar car.

Do the children fit comfortably in it?
Yes, my children are older but i've always preferred a smaller car, rather than a big people carrier type thing.

How easy is it to fit car seats/ adjust seats etc N/A

What's it like to drive?
It's great to drive, I am used to a focus that is 1999 so find the comparison between the cars to be quite different. It's a very smooth drive and I love the six gears. On the motorway it's a dream to drive as it feels solid and safe, haven't tried out the lane feature yet but as there are so many 'extras' I am yet to explore them.
In two minds about the handbrake, it's a bit odd.

Is it a comfortable ride?
Yes, seats are comfortable and easily adjustable. Air con/blower is easy to use and adjust whilst driving, same with the radio.

What's the boot space like?
Fab slighly bigger than my current 99 model. Wouldn't like to hit my head on it though as it's heavy! (dp always seems to do this with my old car)

Does it have any useful extras - cup holders etc?
Really like the tinted windows as you don't get that awful glare from cars behind.
Haven't used the mp3 thing as I don't have one!
Built in sat nav really great feature will set this for a big journey at the weekend to really test out.
keyless start is brilliant, really space age. have got used to pressing the button pretty quickly. great when you come back to the car laden with bags and you don't need to fumble around for the key.

Have yet to try out the special features as there is quite alot to take in before trying these. The delivery driver showed me how the active park thing works and I will try that out this week.
The handbook is huge so there is still alot to take in!

Will post more when I try them out.

So far though, i love it and can i have it please

Have question about the filming, does it matter if we do more than 1 hour? or do we need to get it down to under that? I can't really judge what it good and what isn't iykwim!

hi - on filming - do a bit more if you can - but it'll be quality not quantity which will get the editor all excited...lots of the kids, in the car, DH/DP being all Clarksonesque (or you!) - and showing your everyday life and the park assist!

oop missed out half the questions.

So far is it economical to run?
Yes compared to my older car, i've used half a tank and have done quite a few journeys, it also tells you how many miles until you need to fill up again, which is useful when planning long rides.

How does it cope with different road conditions eg town, country, motorway
Great on the motorway, seems sturdy, smooth and safe. I must have used the hill start assist in the multi storey the other day as i was expecting the car to drift back a bit (as they do) and it stayed still. Also took it to a muddy field for a car boot sale (sorry ) and it seemed less jumpy on the track.

What do your friends/ family think of it?
All impressed so far, Dad likes the keyless part and the city stop. He seemed confused by all the electronics though. but was happy to play about with the windows. DP liked it alot, kids think it's fantastic. youngest boy likes to sit in it at night and look at all the controls . He especially likes the internal light.

Has testing this car made you more or less likely to buy a Ford?
I'd would defintely look into it.

Has testing this car changed your perception of Ford cars at all?
Well it seems to be bang up to date electronic and economic wise.

What one thing do you like best about it?
Hard to pick at the moment.

What one thing would you change about it ?
as above.

I have found I don't have the Lane Assist thingie on my model - no switch on the indicator stalk.
No satnav on mine either [sulks].

Seats - really easy to adjust but no lumbar support for the driver which I would expect.

I do not like (so far) the fact that I cannot lock the passenger door only. I put my handbag in the footwell and usually just lock the passenger door to stop it being nicked at the lights. This car can only lock all or none which I don't particularly like.

DAB radio finally working but no 6Music yet [more sulks]

The handbrake is a bit odd but it doesn't get in the way. The power button seems in an odd place. You have to reach through and round the steering wheel. Maybe it's there so you can't press it accidentally.

People keep saying they like the keyless car as you can approach with your arms full. I don't understand. The car is locked and unlocked by the fob so how can walking up to it get you in? (I tried and it was locked) Am I missing something?

i don't have the lane assist or sign recognition either.

my video may go on a bit - apologies in advance

well, we have had Phoebe the Freebie (1.6 diesel titanium) for just over a week now, so time for second stage review.

So far is it economical to run?
Seems very good so far. We have almost used up the first full tank of fuel in 9 days and have averaged 49 mpg. Pretty good, considering that both DH and I have had a couple of wee "blasts" in it!!

How does it cope with different road conditions eg town, country, motorway
Most of my daily driving is around single/dual country roads at about 50-60 mph, some quite twisty and its been fine- the steering is responsive and it handles corners really really well. The only thing i would say is that i've noticed you need a lot of room to turn, its turning circle seems to be quite big. We did a trip of over 100 miles at the weekend involving some motorway driving and it was very good, felt safe and solid, and very comfortable. In fact DS fell asleep in the back - first time he has slept in a car for about 2 years!!! Not done much in-town driving yet.

What do your friends/ family think of it? DH and DS still enjoying it, my parents saw it at the weekend for the first time and thought it was quite "glamorous" and the dash looks very high tech. In fact, i think they both thought it would be too much for someone not accustomed to computers and that type of functionality.

Has testing this car made you more or less likely to buy a Ford? Ford was on our list of possible cars when we change ours this/next year but this has probably moved it up a place or two in my mind anyway. DH has had Ford cars before, i haven't.

Has testing this car changed your perception of Ford cars at all? I think this car is a bit more luxurious and FUN that i expected - my image of ford was reliable but a bit dull and boring, a sales rep car. Its actually more fun to drive than i thought.

What one thing do you like best about it? Very comfortable ride and very good handling. (sorry that's 2!)

What one thing would you change about it ?
Maybe make the centre console and navigation system more intuitive - its a little complex and counter intuitive at times. e.g. finding and using last route on the sat nav is more complicated than necessary.

Can i point out, as per my email to Ann, that no manual came with this car, so we have had to figure things out as we go along. but i don't think that we have found either the Lane or Traffic sign bells and whistles yet!

we are really enjoying it, thanks (and the biccies were fab).

Hi, so had the 1.6 petrol Focus for a week now - have been doing some filming (I hope it's not as bad as I think!) So...

First Impressions - really love the sort of sporty edgy look to the car. Only a 1.6 (current cars are old, but 1.8GTI and 3.0quattro so used to oomph!) but really sprightly and quick of the mark. Inside really easy to deal with and all the dash stuff is super clear and not too annoying (it only beeps at you when you are in the wrong!)

Did ds like it? - He is 2, but loved it from the get go! He is mad for cars as it is, but one that has wing mirrors that open and close is like the best thing ever! He has had a good ol poke around and he likes all the switches and buttons and lights!

Children fit? - Well, we only have one, but plenty of room and love the back arm rest that folds down with the cup holders in, great idea. We are 'borrowing' a second 2 yr old on sat, so see how they both fit, but don't hav any worries.

Seat adjustments and fitting car seats - generally all fine and simple to do, pleant of room for everything. My only bugbear is the loop on the back seatbelt that is hard to get through the car seat fitting. On the front seat belts, those same loops are great as they stop the furtling for the metal clippy in bit (sorry, don't know the technical term!) but in the back a bit annoying with our car seat.

Like to drive - bloody marvellous! I will be honest and say the golf is 11 yrs old and the audi is 9 yrs old and a chuffing great big automatic. But the clutch is soooo light, and it is zippy which I love. I went back into the golf for a few journeys and thought my left leg was going to break with the effort of changing gear! Goes well on longer journeys and at higher speeds as well. I am really impressed. The only thing I am having a harder time adjusting too is the lightness of steering, for me I feel as if I have to work quite hard to hold it in a non straight position, and if you let go (because I have been driving far too long and don't always keep my hands at 10 and 2 and 'feed' the steering wheel) so it shoots back a little quickly.

Comfortable ride - we went on a longer journey today and it was absolutely fine, no problems at all. Dh thinks overall that it is a little small inside but as he normally drives an A6 - it's no wonder. We also realise that more up to date cars have more protection that impacts on the interior space.

Boot space - no worries with that. Admittedly ds no longer uses his pushchair so we don't have to manage that. But it is about the same size as our current golf and that was no problem when ds was a baby with all his stuff. So it's fine.

Useful extras - loads! Really easy to set up Bluetooth for the phones. Cup holders for everyone. I like the little cubbyhole by the edge of the back seat really good to put the key in when trying to strap in ds! The arm rest is fab, the only thing is there isn't really anywhere great to put your phone in the dash. Ooo and ours has a heated front windscreen and my dad used to have Fords as company cars and would always pay his own money for that extra. Please can we have the car back in dec and jan for another test drive?! One touch leccy windows all round as well.

Proper apologies for all the spelling and grammatical errors, am only phone and it is being very slow and hard work!