My son had a focus of that era, dont remember the exact year. He had the sporty model (ZX3??). I drove it a few times. It handled well and was quick, but the clutch engagement seemed really touchy. Only manual trans that I ever drove that I could not get the hang of. Stuttered and stalled it on take off. Maybe just lacked low end torque. I thought he made a mistake when he traded it for a Kia Borrego. His was a sedan, but I was seriously considering the wagon, until they totally redesigned it before I was ready to buy.