Walked into town on Saturday, took out some cash and came back with a winter hack – a Ford Focus. Somewhat surprised to find that the hype is real. Damn, these things drive sweetly, Remarkable how refreshing a straightforward naturally aspirated hatch is, too. It's a Ghia with a 2.0-litre Zetec and a manual gearbox. 52k on the clock. Sod all history but someone has cared for it at some point. I'll get the belt/tensioner/pump done (inspected it and it looks relatively fresh, but you can't tell) and otherwise keep it happy. I've given it a good clean already (as you can probably tell). No cruise, which is a shame, but it does have the all-important heated front windscreen. A set of rubber floor mats, and some winter tyres, and I'll be away. It's not perfect, by any stretch – it's had two small patches to the rear sills (done in the dark, seemingly), the AC is inop and it does need servicing – but it drives absolutely beautifully. Everything else works as it should, too. I paid £700 in the end, which was a bit rich – but I only had to walk down the road for it. It also saves me from another hire car in due course. Just got tired of looking, ultimately, and it was the first car I'd seen or driven for a while that sparked any real interest. The difference that four hours' work can make is remarkable. Must admit that I'm already thinking about getting the sills properly sorted, just because it drives so damned well. In time, though. It has an MOT until May, so we'll see how it goes. Very happy with it, regardless.
Hit and run driver he should be jailed