 A fine-handling and looking car with 
plenty of lux touches for the price.  
Performance is great with good economy. 
The interior is refreshingly stylish - 
a feature ruined on the '05s.  The 
quality of interior materials is only 
so-so, however; my car had numerous 
trim defects.  The hood is of too-thin 
metal and lacks an underside pad.  The 
heater fan is noisy on higher settings, 
and using air con saps engine power 
considerably, esp. in 5th.  The car is 
a little slow off the line (in 1st), 
but picks up in the higher gears. With 
the sloping hood it's hard to see the 
corners of the car. Overall, for the 
money the '04 Focus SE is a great buy.  