FORD FOCUS C-MAX 1.6 Studio 5dr (2003)

Nice for a small or medium family

We bought this in 2005, second hand at just over one year old with about 20,000 miles on it, and bagged a real bargain we thought. Our local Ford dealer is very friendly and helped us with all the details like payment plans and things. They did a full service and MOT as well, which was nice.

We bought it because our little girl was on the way and we were thinking about having another little one not too long after, and this car seemed like it would contain us all for some years to come. It's done well with that, although friends of ours have got similar sized cars that do seem to be a bit cleverer with the same sort of space. Like for example they'll have seven seats somehow inside, and their back seats can just disappear completely to make a bigger boot. We've sort of regretted that, and I suppose we might sell it eventually to get a car like that. It doesn't waste space mind, it's just not as clever as it could be.

Another thing about the size of it, and I reckon this just goes for any car like this, is that it's a lot more of a car to park than the little Saxo that I had before it. I loved that little car and it just zipped around and snuck into spaces so easily, but this car is a lot more substantial really. It's still pretty powerful, and economical too - about 35-45 miles a gallon I think. But it's definitely bigger, and harder to really see where I'm parking. I thought I'd get used to it but haven't really. But like I said, that seems to just be that it's a bigger car, and it's me driving it!

Other nice things about it... well all the windows are electric which is really handy, especially as our daughter gets more mischievous! I said it doesn't have seven seats, but the middle seat in the back really is a good size, and the boot is plenty big enough for five people to get things in for a day trip. We went with our girl and my parents to the beach last weekend and that was pretty easy.

One other thing, I always kind of wished we got one of the ones with a bigger engine, because we've got a little caravan and it reeeeaally struggles up the steeper hills! I think with a bit more power it would be much happier with that sort of thing... but then, it would use more petrol, so swings and roundabouts really.

Anyway, good family car, very reliable, and when we have had to do repairs they're always easy to get hold of as it's a v popular car. I could certainly recommend it, but bear in mind some of the things about possibly better other cars.