Looking at a used Ford Focus ZTS

[kyzen]

The Radiator in my 89 Volvo died recently (I posted about that here), and between the cost of replacing it ($300-$400), the cost of new tires (I have a nearly bald one (just one, oddly enough), and it's starting to get icey here), the cost of a new taillight fixture ($90, some asshole took the plastic filters off 3 of the lights on my fixture, need to buy a whole new one now), and all of the cosmetic damage, I decided to look at new cars.

I'm looking for something to last me 5-7 years, and is preferebly cheap. At the same time, I've been driving this crap bucket for the last 3.5 years, and am *very* ready to move on to something a bit (read: a lot) nicer looking.

My current car looks something like this:

http://www.riddleware.com/imag...vo_740_GLT_16Valve.jpg
http://www.bilforumet.no/kjopsalg/data/751/DSC00872.JPG
(yeah the 2nd pic isn't a wagon, but that's pretty much what the front of mine looks like)

Obviously the american version. And missing a tail light, most of the interior roofing fabic, the frame of the drivers sider mirror, and featuring a couple of dents.

This is the car I'm considering:

http://www.auction123.com/show...78&inventory_id=258385

I e-mailed them about it and was offered $1000 less than the price listed there, so $9,000.

Though I'm looking for a nicer car, I'm not sure if I'm down with the black rims there.

I'm also considering a new 08 Hyundai Accent (4 door) for around $14500, and a new 08 Hyndai Elantra for around $17000. I'm not super excited about either of those cars, but they do (especially the Accent) fall in my price range.

So, here's my questions I guess:

1 - Is the Focus a decent buy? Is $9000 way too high?
2 - Is a Focus going to be reliable for awhile, or is this going cost as much in maintenence as my Volvo (which is up over a grand a year now thanks to the radiator)?
3 - Carfax - is it worth my $30?
4 - What other sub $15000 new cars are worth looking at?

 

[foghorn67]

The focus is generally very reliable on 03 models and above. The only weak parts as far as failures go is anything regarding the key. Ignition barrel lock will fail. And the latches had a recall on the rear doors on sedans.
Rear hatches and trunk latches also are iffy. I thought my hatch failed, but I just had to align it back to where it was.
I don't know enough about those small Hyundai's to talk you into/out of it. But I do think they have a long warranty.

 

[desy]

An 03 or later Focus is a good car as they had ironed out the issues of the first 3 yrs by 03.
I don't know about the price as that seems to vary from place to place, but a used Focus would have had a big chunk of depreciation put on it by now, meaning cheaper for you!

I bought a Nissan Versa which would be new and worth a look, I considered a used Focus but there are soooo many of them around here, and Civics and Rollas

 

[vi edit]

You can get a new Focus for about $14k, plus there's $2500 in bonus cash bringing it down to $11.5k + TTL.

If that's the car you want, go that route. 14.5k for a Hyundai Accent? Pfft. You can get get into a Sonata for that price.

 

[kyzen]

Ok cool - and what about a Carfax report? Waste of money? Worth the $30?

I looked up the car on Carfax and it came up with 7 results, that I could only see (of course) if i paid.

EDIT: Do you have a link about the $2500 bonus cash?

 

[vi edit]

I can't give you a direct link, but here's where you start:

http://www.fordvehicles.com/incentives/offers/

Plug in your zip and the model year of '07 which is before the '08 refresh. There's a $1500 current offer plus another $1000 year end cash back.

 

[kyzen]

Looked at all the dealers within a reasonable distance of my place, no 07s to be had unfortunately

 

[razor2025]

$9000 for that focus seems a bit high. It's 4 years old and have 68k in the odo. Run some numbers in Kelly and see what it spits out. Use that as a loose range. Personally, I considered used Focus in the "beater" range. I think the rims is driving up the price on that focus. As other's have suggested, you can get a brand new focus for mere $3000-4000 more.