A German designed Ford?

I have owned a 2000 Ford Focus ZTS for 6 weeks and 1900 miles, and I have nothing but praise for the car.

The car I bought is pretty much top of the line, with all options except automatic transmission (I wanted the 5 speed) and the engine block heater. This includes leather, a great radio with CD player, remote entry and power everything. All these options added up to a bargain $15000 price tag!

The exterior of the Focus is very sleek looking. It is unique in some ways, so it will turn some people off. But I've had people compare it to a Jetta and even a mini BMW 3-series. In parking lots, the Focus stands very tall, lining up height-wise with many small pick-up trucks.

Inside, there is more room than you will believe. I'm 6'1", and even with the seat cranked up (with the standard height adjust) I have plenty of headroom. The back seats aren't as roomy as a land barge, but for a small car, they are amazing. The trunk, also, is much bigger than you'd expect, easily holding 3 or 4 large suitcases.

The ride is excellent. Very smooth, and peppy enough to get the job done. There is some road noise at highway speeds, but it's not excessive. The manual transmission is great, with a fairly short throw shifter. This car does not drive like a typical Ford, but more like a German car. And that is a good thing.

So although I'm not sure of the long term reliability of the Ford Focus, in the first weeks of ownership, I could not be happier with my decision.