Ten Point Test: Ford Focus FFV car review

'Environmentally-friendly' is often synonymous with 'slow', but despite running on green fuel, there is no loss in performance

Auto Trader Ten Point Test Rating - 80

Car makers, governments and motorists are coming to the agreement we must look to other fuel sources to power our vehicles. The trouble is, some need years more development before they're ready, while others have too many drawbacks to be suitable for the average motorist.

One fuel that can be used right now is bio ethanol, or E85 to give its correct name. Derived from agricultural crop such as sugar beet, E85 provides a renewable fuel which creates no harmful emissions as the plants used to make it have already consumed the carbon dioxide as the plants have grown.

FlexFuel vehicles, like the Focus FFV can be run on E85, regular unleaded or a combination of both.

Ford has seen the benefits of E85, and been quick to embrace it in its popular Focus range.

Read on for our verdict on the Ford Focus FFV, or click the links below to skip straight to a section.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor

1. Looks

The Focus is no longer the cutting edge design icon it was; now the second generation model has toned down its looks. There's a Germanic hint in the styling, although it appears as though cash-strapped Ford has been reluctant to take risks in case its lifeblood Focus lost popularity (remember Ford's adventurous car, the Scorpio?). Our estate version looks like a Mondeo that's shrunk in the wash, which is no bad thing. The livery on our test car is for publicity benefit only, and the only hint of the FFV's green credentials on production models is a small FlexFuel badge on the back.
7/10

2. Looks inside

Like the rest of the Ford range, the Focus' interior seems to have been inspired by VW, Audi et al. Although this is no bad thing, the bobbled dashboard could prove difficult to keep clean over time. The dash is dominated by the huge touchscreen satnav/climate control/radio console. Our Ghia test car didn't have the optional £25 smokers pack, which includes an ashtray and cigarette lighter, so we had a useful cubbyhole in front of the gearstick, which was supplemented with a decent sized glovebox and trays for changeand other oddments.
7/10

3. Practicality

The Focus estate stands up well as a family car, with a cavernous 482 litres of space with the seats up expanding to a van-like 1525 litres with them folded. A trip with four full sized passengers passed with only minor complaints about space in the back, however these complaints would have been more vocal should the journey take longer than our three hour run.
8/10

4. Ride and Handling

The new Focus has once again raised the bar in terms of driver involvement and excellent ride. Bumps are soaked up with aplomb, while the chassis is communicative on challenging roads, meaning the driver can steer and brake with confidence. As strange as it seems, the new Focus is actually bigger than the original Mondeo, but it has an uncanny knack of shrinking itself around the driver.
9/10

5. Performance

'Environmentally-friendly' is often synonymous with 'slow', but despite running on green fuel, there is no loss in performance. We picked the Focus FFV up with a full tank of E85, before topping it up with half a tank of unleaded. Once this had run dry, we filled it with unleaded and found no difference in performance, noise or refinement. This is exactly how environmentally friendly cars will catch on, rather than sacrificing all the things we love about the internal combustion engine. The 1.8-litre engine provides an adequate 0-60mph time of 10.5 seconds and a top speed of 123mph.
8/10

6. Running Costs

There is a tiny price premium to pay for the FFV, although if E85 takes off (there are only a handful of filling stations at the moment), its residual values should be stronger than the standard petrol version. There is no tax incentive to own an E85-powered car, so a tax disc for the FFV will cost exactly the same as a regular 1.8. Our fuel consumption was slightly down on the official figure of 29.4mpg, while running on E85 meant we were clocking around 2mpg less than when fuelled by petrol. E85 is currently around two pence per litre cheaper than petrol. Insurance is low at group 7.
7/10

7.Reliability

The Focus is well below average for the cost and frequency of repairs, while Ford come fourth from top overall, according to the Reliability Index. Servicing is no different to other Focuses, with it needing a visit to the garage every 12,500 miles. It comes with a 60,000 mile, three year manufacturer warranty, too.
8/10

8. Safety

Occupants will be protected by a full five star rating in the EuroNCAP crash tests. This was followed by an encouraging four stars for child protection and two for pedestrian protection - similar to other cars in its class. Inside they're six airbags - driver, passenger, front side and side curtain - and clever seatbelt pretensioners which help to reduce whiplash. ABS and skid preventing electronic brake force distribution are standard.
9/10

9. Equipment

Our Ghia test car sits just below the top of the range Titanium and came with pretty much everything. We had electric windows all round, electric mirrors, remote central locking with Ford's irritating keyless entry, satnav, climate control and a nice sounding stereo. Although we've had our reservations about the quality of guidance from this satnav in the past, it proved its worth by telling us of a motorway traffic jam and automatically plotting a less congested route.
9/10

10. X-Factor

If you want to shout about your green credentials, buy a Toyota Prius. But if you want to do your bit for saving the planet, drive an excellent all-round performer and not make a big deal out of it, the Focus FFV is an outstanding choice. Buyers should be commended for showing their support for an excellent fuel source.
8/10