 I bought this focus so I could gift my 2005 Mercury Mariner to my wife to haul the kids around. It is my third focus and I have loved all of them. The worst part would be the cheap interior materials and the layout of the armrest and cup holders leaves a bit to be desired however.....the engine and 5 speed make those issues simply minor annoyances. Its a 2.3 and it feels faster than it is. It grips the road well and goes where you want it to. I know its boundaries like any car so I have a lot of fun driving it and its a cheap reliable car. I bought it with 119k miles over a year ago and I currently have 141k and the only problem I have had to change was the front brakes, rear wheel bearing, and the alternator. All these things are normal especially a car its age so I don't count those as faults. I would love to upgrade to the Focus ST or wait and get the RS but financially I will stick to my little silver bullet.