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12,000 miles and Focus remains brilliantly business-focused

Focus rear
The Focus does most of its miles on the motorway, but spends lots of time in the lanes

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29 October 2012

Ford Focus Ecoboost
Life in the country and work in cities means plenty of business miles for the Focus

Story: RICHARD DAVIES

BEFORE getting the Focus as my business car, it had been a while since I’d driven a new Ford.

So I may behind the times here. Because apart from the revelation that is the 1.0 litre 3 cylinder engine, I had another surprise waiting for me when I started putting the Focus to serious use.

Why? While I’ve always had great respect for Fords as reliable, efficient, eminently practical business cars, I’ve also harboured the impression that they could be found wanting in build quality. Plastics a bit cheap, doors a bit clangy, sound-proofing not always the best – that sort of thing.

So getting into the Focus – the simple business of opening and closing a door, sitting down – was another revelation. This felt pretty good! Solid, schlumpy doors; not a rattle to be heard, and a quality Germanic feeling interior. 12.000 miles later I’ve no reason to change my mind.

Ford Focus Ecoboost
….now you don’t

Door protectors, now you see it…

Attention to detail too. Thoughtfully placed interior lights, puddle mirrors that have saved many a mucky moment when getting in at night, and my personal favourites which are the door protectors that slide slickly out when you open the door, protecting it from the careless. And then slip silently back again when you close the door. You find yourself taking a surreptitious look to see if it really happened.

On the move the Ford Focus is good to drive, quiet, comfortable and refined, certainly in Titanium trim. Altogether, it’s made me dump my old assumptions about Ford build quality. Respect.

As a company car business driver you will not feel shortchanged,

The other benefit of the Focus’s Titanium trim with the driver assist pack is the level of equipment. It’s quite a list, and OK not all of it is terribly useful, but the bits that are do a terrific job.

Ford Focus Ecoboost
Ford has made huge strides in the quality of its interiors – and the Focus is loaded with business friendlygadgets too

First the satnav. Essential for company car drivers searching for that elusive appointment address. While for me its most impressive feat was getting me from the middle of rural Wales to an equally obscure spot in southern France with no more than latitude and longitude to help, it’s the day-to-day efficiency of the thing that make it such a valuable business tool. It takes you straight to the spot, and if there’s trouble with traffic en route, up pops a sensible diversion.

The built in Bluetooth and ‘phone connection is another boon.

Of course neither of these things is unique, but in the Focus they’re slick, efficient, and easy to use. And all too often that’s not the case with other car makers.

Bags of safety features too ­which come under the ‘driver assist’ banner. Lane control and blind spot monitoring are a real benefit on the motorway and saved me from at least one embarrassing swerve. ‘Hill start assist’ is just a cool little touch that means you don’t have to reach for the handbrake, and though I’m pleased to say I never had to rely on it, ‘City Stop’ keeps you from shunting the car in front should your attention wander while driving past Harrods.

At the other end of the scale, the automatic wipers are a bit of a waste of time since we never agree on how much wiping my windscreen needs – that’s me and the car – and the auto high-beam I found a downright nuisance, ­ confusing reflections from road signs with on-coming cars on the one hand, but is then late to dip the lights when there really is an on-coming car.

My final dig is at the stop/start. Fine in town when you might be stuck for minutes at a time, but just silly in the country.

But hey, these are minor irritations and they can all be switched off. Taken in the round, the Focus’s extras are a valuable package, they stand up well in a company car comparison, and they make all that business mileage both safer and more efficient.

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Matt Morton

Matt Morton

Matt Morton is an automotive content writer for Business Car Manager

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