 I bought this car new in Oct 2005 and it has about 33,000 miles on it now. I am happy to say it has never had a mechanical problem since I have owned it. I use full synthetic oil in it which seems to have improved the mileage. In mixed driving, I rarely get below 30 MPG. I am happy with the performance and mileage and reliability of the Focus. I owned a Taurus previously and it was a nightmare. Recommended as a inexpensive used car purchase.