Considering jumping the Subaru ship...Any Ford Focus guys here?

[DiabloScoobyru]

With the looming death of the tranny in the 97 Outback, it looks as if I'll be back in the market for another car Given my luck so far with Subaru's, and while I love the AWD, I've been considering jumping ship for something else. Granted, this most recent experience with the Outback is partially my own fault (very high miles, which is why I'm not even considering a tranny replacement), but at this point I need something that is cheaper to maintain, gets better MPG, and is going to last me at least 5 years.

Now, I've found an early 2000s (est. 2000-2004) Ford Focus SE wagon locally in mint condition for sale at a reasonable price that fits my budget. Has the 2.0 Zetec and an auto. Problem is, I'm not familiar enough with newer Fords, and I've only ever owned 1 (a 93 Escort LX with 250k+ miles on the original 1.9l/auto). Never really been a Ford guy. From my experiences with the one I had though, they are easy and cheap to repair (inexpensive parts, and a semi-trained monkey can turn the wrenches on them, I.E., me), are pretty well built, and last quite awhile.

Since hasn't yielded the answers I'm looking for...

My biggest questions are:

1: How reliable is the 2.0 Zetec I-4 as a daily driver? I know its not the most powerful thing out there, but power isn't my biggest concern (and from what I've seen there is quite an extensive aftermarket for this drivetrain?).

2: What common issues should I look for when I check this car out?

3: Is the Zetec an interference design? I know its DOHC, and reason stands that it probably is interference (since all the DOHC's I've dealt with have been). Is this correct?

4: Transmission wise, how do the 4 speed automatic's in the Focus hold up? Is it still a 4EAT?

Any answers you guys can provide are greatly appreciated (even a link to a Focus forum works ) I know we have a bunch of gearheads here as well as mechanics, so what better place to ask my questions lol

-Brian

Edit to add: This is the vehicle in question that I am looking at - http://reading.craigslist.org/cto/3256938342.html

Budget is a big factor for me right now. Limited to whatever I can get out of scrap/sale for the Outback, as well as what I receive back from my school loans. If anyone can suggest something other than the Focus in question that I could look for that fits my criteria, I'm not against the idea. Ideally, awd takes precedence, but I'll suffer with fwd or rwd for reliability if I must... ~$2500-$3000 is my max budget.

[Green1995SVX]

Though I don't know much about american cars, I do have a small bit of focus experience. I have a car dealership, and about 2 years ago I sold a Focus SVT. I can definitely say that of all the cars I've had (i sell europan cars, mostly), it was the most fun car to drive. They handle so well, and are really in a league of their own when it comes to the fun factor. The SVT models also have great power, and some pretty premium features. I was really impressed by the build quality too.

That said, I do have a ford truck with like 270k miles that never needs anything except oil changes.

[DiabloScoobyru]

Originally Posted by Green1995SVX

Though I don't know much about american cars, I do have a small bit of focus experience. I have a car dealership, and about 2 years ago I sold a Focus SVT. I can definitely say that of all the cars I've had (i sell europan cars, mostly), it was the most fun car to drive. They handle so well, and are really in a league of their own when it comes to the fun factor. The SVT models also have great power, and some pretty premium features. I was really impressed by the build quality too.

That said, I do have a ford truck with like 270k miles that never needs anything except oil changes.

Pretty much the same for me. Most of my experience is with imports and GM. Not 100% familiar with the Euro cars, however I am to understand that the E28/E30 BMWs are well known to be nearly indestructible (and I've been looking at them as well, since they are becoming dirt cheap to buy and get decent mileage). Also considering the Audi Quattro's (90, A4, etc) but they are mostly out of my price range, unless they have higher miles (200k+). Volvo S70/V70 has been on my list of "to look at", however I've heard horror stories about both of them being unreliable and constantly breaking down.

My Escort was the same way as your truck. Never needed anything in the 2 years I'd owned it other than gas and oil (with exception to regular maintenance stuff like air filter, etc).

From what I've been reading, the Focus was very well designed, came factory with a lot of options reserved for higher end cars (built in bluetooth, etc), and gets excellent mpg. And as you said, handling is (supposedly) excellent for a fwd car. The one I linked to from what I can tell is 130 hp (35 less than the outback and 40 less than the SVT model), but its my understanding that there is a huge aftermarket for these Zetec's.

Planning to go check this one out and see, have to call the guy tomorrow. Its either this or a PT Cruiser, and I think I'd rather have the Ford (I hate Chrysler and their ass backwards engineering, PITA to work on imo).

Basically looking for something around 2000MY and up with power options and good MPG. Mileage isn't such a big issue, so long as its under 200k (the outback has 316xxx).

Perhaps a trip to Meadville may be in order, seeing as you run a dealership (and provided the Outback will make it) Shoot me a PM, maybe we can work something out. I'd love to know what you have in the used lot for guys like me on a tight budget.

[Green1995SVX]

Originally Posted by DiabloScoobyru

Pretty much the same for me. Most of my experience is with imports and GM. Not 100% familiar with the Euro cars, however I am to understand that the E28/E30 BMWs are well known to be nearly indestructible (and I've been looking at them as well, since they are becoming dirt cheap to buy and get decent mileage). Also considering the Audi Quattro's (90, A4, etc) but they are mostly out of my price range, unless they have higher miles (200k+). Volvo S70/V70 has been on my list of "to look at", however I've heard horror stories about both of them being unreliable and constantly breaking down.

My Escort was the same way as your truck. Never needed anything in the 2 years I'd owned it other than gas and oil (with exception to regular maintenance stuff like air filter, etc).

From what I've been reading, the Focus was very well designed, came factory with a lot of options reserved for higher end cars (built in bluetooth, etc), and gets excellent mpg. And as you said, handling is (supposedly) excellent for a fwd car. The one I linked to from what I can tell is 130 hp (35 less than the outback and 40 less than the SVT model), but its my understanding that there is a huge aftermarket for these Zetec's.

Planning to go check this one out and see, have to call the guy tomorrow. Its either this or a PT Cruiser, and I think I'd rather have the Ford (I hate Chrysler and their ass backwards engineering, PITA to work on imo).

Basically looking for something around 2000MY and up with power options and good MPG. Mileage isn't such a big issue, so long as its under 200k (the outback has 316xxx).

Perhaps a trip to Meadville may be in order, seeing as you run a dealership (and provided the Outback will make it) Shoot me a PM, maybe we can work something out. I'd love to know what you have in the used lot for guys like me on a tight budget.

What you've heard about the Volvos is completely wrong. The 98-00 V/S/C70s are basically the most reliable cars you can buy. 98 is the best year, but 99 and 00 are still excellent. I have a 98 V70R that has nearly 200k miles on it. They're pretty hard miles as I let customers use it as a loaner car almost constantly and I know they're not taking care of it. I've never done anything to it except for oil changes and a tune-up. There's a link to the cars I have for sale in my signature below.

I don't know how comfortable you are with doing some work, but I have a very nice 99 or 2000 (cant remember) Audi A6 2.8 Quattro that needs some attention, but I can sell it VERY cheap. It has an exhaust leak, and misfires on two cylinders. Otherwise, it's a really cool car. Xenon headlights, bose sound system, moonroof, heated leather, blah blah blah. I believe these are the best cars made as far as value and reliability. The engine and transmissions are usually bulletproof.

[DiabloScoobyru]

I dont mind doing a bit of work. Shoot me some info on that A6. Only thing that concerns me is the misfire on the 2 cylinders. Exhaust leak isnt usually a big issue, depends on where its located. Is it a wagon or sedan?

I'll check the link in your sig Who knows, maybe I'll find something And, with Nate being up that way, if I can't fix it I'm sure he can for the right price

As far as Volvo's go, I've heard good things about the brand. Its just the 70 series stuff that I've heard to be unreliable. My limited experience with Volvo though extends to the 90's 850s and 240s. Everyone has always told me they are pretty reliable and will run close to 500k miles

[Conn SVX]

I compare all cars to the Honda Civic / Accord. Sister in law buys a new one every 6 years, drives 160 a day. Every 200,000 miles she trades it in. Standard shift all high way driving . Everything but timing belt and tires is original at trade in. When she was on budget , bought her condo, she would go 20,000 on an oil change. Car still lasted 210,000 miles.

[Sean486]

One of my brothers had a Focus, he is not a car guy and tends to beat the crap out of them, still it was very reliable. His only issue in the 10 years/180K miles was that the radio broke and the AC stopped working. I think he may have had an issue with a sensor on the clutch engagement sensor too but that was fixed under warranty.
Also it was one of my company's standard technician vehicles for a long time, these were cars which got lots of miles put on them daily. The only negative I heard was that one guy was telling me the rear tires would cup, although that was never an issue for my brothers car.

[DiabloScoobyru]

Originally Posted by Conn SVX

I compare all cars to the Honda Civic / Accord. Sister in law buys a new one every 6 years, drives 160 a day. Every 200,000 miles she trades it in. Standard shift all high way driving . Everything but timing belt and tires is original at trade in. When she was on budget , bought her condo, she would go 20,000 on an oil change. Car still lasted 210,000 miles.

I considered a Honda, even though I despise them (all the ones I drove, the clutches don't feel right to me). My sister has an 06 cr-v, and its not bad but not quite what I want. I feel uncomfortable behind the wheel sitting that high up, and at 6'2 I feel cramped in most Honda's. But the only way I'd buy one would be if it were a Del Sol or a Civic VX (60 mpg ftw )

Right now I have a lot of different options on the table. I did find another 97 Legacy Outback with 112k miles on it for 2k in Philly but not sure I really want to get into another Subie (as much as I've come to love/hate them). I really want something better on gas. So far the Focus wagon seems to fit the bill, even if it is only fwd... Truth is, I still have about a month before I'm able to buy.

Realistically, the smart bet would be to just fix the tranny in the outback, but its not worth it to me with this many miles and the cost associated with it. I found a used 4.44 from another 97 outback with 125k miles on it for 150 plus freight, but by the time I get it shipped and pay someone to install it, I'm still looking around a grand. I'll never see that money back out of this car due to the 316k miles on it, even though I have a sneaking suspicion that the motor was replaced in 03 when the tranny was. Another cheaper option would be to get a tranny off of Nate and have him install, but given the issues with the current one, I'm highly certain the car wouldnt make it up to Meadville, and I have nowhere here to have him work on it.

Honestly, I'm open to other options that anyone can suggest. My current criteria are as follows:

- Reliable (I need to be able to get at least 50k miles out of the car over the course of the next 5 years til I finish my degree)
- 97MY or newer
- Good MPG (high 20s city, mid to high 30s highway, the higher the better)
- Power windows/door locks (keyless would be preferred)
- Automatic (difficult for me to drive stick anymore but I can if necessary)
- Wagon or 2 door coupe (wagon preferred, I enjoy the cargo space and I car camp when I volunteer at music festivals)
- FWD (AWD preferred but not necessary)
- 4 cylinder SOHC or non interference DOHC preferred (I won't touch timing belts myself, and I'm too cheap to pay someone else for labor lol)
- Easy to work on, easy availability of parts (relatively cheap parts are preferred)
- No Chryslers or Hyundais/Kias (bad experiences with them, never again)

Probably a few more things I'm missing, I'll update as I think a bit more. I'm probably asking for a lot given my budget, but I know there are cars out there that fit my criteria in my price range. $3500 would probably be my absolute top end and that's pushing it (it would have to be the perfect match for what I need at that price, even if its high mileage). I know I can at least swing $2500ish.

And Green, I'll give you a call Monday if I don't hear from you before then. I assume the number on your website is a good contact number?

[steamer99]

My experience:
I usually buy cheap high milage (200k plus) cars:
Good, reliable, but expensive parts Anything from Honda, Toyota, or Nissan (Datsun lol)
Good, slightly less reliable, still expensive parts Subaru (but to be fair they were closer to 400k)
Good, slightly less reliable, but cheap parts General motors, Ford
Poor Chrysler
the only Euro car I had was an old Mercedes very expensive parts (over $700 for a brake job) but reliable.

On the Ford Focus, bought one new in 2006 for the wife, in the first 4 months of ownership it spent over 1 month in the shop getting the Manual transmission rebuilt after jamming in gear twice on her. no other issues until we sold it in 2008.

[Crazy_pilot]

I have no on-the-road experiences with Focuses (Focii?), but having worked on a few my advice would be that unless the rear brakes start making noise or acting up, never have them inspected. The drum is part of the wheel bearing and frequently seizes itself to the spindle, making it extremely difficult to remove. I watched an apprentice break a 10 lb slide hammer trying to pull one car's drums off. Replace the fronts as required, and unless there's cause for concern, just leave the rears alone.

My first car was a '99 Taurus station wagon with the 3L Vulcan. I put about 60K miles on that car before my brother took it and drove for another few years. It survived two teenagers who thought they were Ken Block, a drop into a 6' ditch, an attempt to steal it (the ignition in those is indestructible, the guy snapped the tip off his screwdriver), and other random crap. The only reason we got rid of it was that the floor was falling out. Getting into the car you had to be careful where you stepped or you'd be Fred Flintstone. The motor and trans were bulletproof, despite almost no maintenance.

[DiabloScoobyru]

Thanks Pilot

Now the question is, does anyone want anything off of the Outback before I scrap it? If I can't sell it, I have an offer on the table for $500 cash from the scrapper (provided I drive it in). Shame to let it go to the crusher, but it is what it is.

[ensteele]

How are the hatch lift struts? Mine are almost rusted out. My cup holder is broken as well. Is yours ok? Thanks Let me know. Mine is a 97 Outback wagon as well.

[DiabloScoobyru]

Originally Posted by ensteele

How are the hatch lift struts? Mine are almost rusted out. My cup holder is broken as well. Is yours ok? Thanks Let me know. Mine is a 97 Outback wagon as well.

Lift struts are good, still have decent pressure to them and off the top of my head rust free. The cupholder is perfect Shoot me an offer via PM, I'll pull and ship everything Monday for ya if you'd like (I do have paypal). This car was pretty much dealer maintained most of its life (as far as Subaru could tell me), and I'm 3rd owner.

I'll start another thread for the part out. If anyone wants anything non essential to me driving the car in, I'll let it go for a reasonable offer