Episode 18

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Published on:

22nd Sep 2022

Ford SVT Focus Part-2 - The Affordable Hot Hatch Hero

00:00 - Show Open - Ford SVT Focus - Part 2

if you caught last week’s Part 1 episode on the 2002 to 2004 Ford SVT Focus, you got an introduction to this outstanding performance used car bargain, along with a deep dive into how Ford’s Special Vehicle Team turned the standard Ford Focus into a must-have Hot Hatchback back in the day. 

And in today’s episode, we’re going to dig deeper into how many were made, options to look for, how and where to find a great example of the SVT Focus and what you might expect to pay for a good, better and best example. 

01:00 - SVT Focus Options By Year

Total SVT Focus vehicles made over the 3-year run from 2002 to 2004 was 14,003

2002 - SVT Focus Was Available Only As a 3-Door ZX3 Hatchback

Total Built for 2002: 4,788 (all were ZX3s)

Options included:

  • Cold-Weather package consisting of traction control, heated seats, and an engine-block heater
  • Audiophile sound system with 290-watt amp and a six-CD in-dash changer w/8-inch subwoofer
  • PowerSunroof

2003 - SVT Focus Was Available As a 3-door (ZX3) and 5-door (ZX5) Hatchback Model

Total built for 2003: 6,158 (3,985 were ZX3s & 2,173 were ZX5s)

Options included:

  • Cold-Weather package consisting of traction control, heated seats, and an engine-block heater
  • Audiophile sound system with 290-watt amp and a six-CD in-dash changer w/8-inch subwoofer
  • PowerSunroof
  • HID headlights.
  • European Appearance Package (or EAP) became available in 2003.  This package included all the options above, plus black leather Recaro front seats and 15-spoke dark argent colored 17-inch wheels. For 2003 the EAP also offered special color options, including Competition Orange, Screaming Yellow, Pitch Black, Vermillion Red

2004 - SVT Focus Was Available As a 3-door (ZX3) and 5-door (ZX5) Hatchback Model 

Total Built for 2004: 3,057 (1,978 were ZX3s & 1,079 were ZX5s)

Options included:

  • Cold-Weather package consisting of traction control, heated seats, and an engine-block heater
  • Audiophile sound system with 290-watt amp and a six-CD in-dash changer w/8-inch subwoofer
  • PowerSunroof
  • HID headlights.
  • European Appearance Package (or EAP) for 2004 included all the options above, plus black leather Recaro front seats and 15-spoke dark argent colored 17-inch wheels. For 2004 the EAP also offered special color options, including Competition Orange, Screaming Yellow, Pitch Black, Infra-Red and Sonic Blue

For more info, check out Focus Fanatics SVT Focus production number breakdown here: https://www.focusfanatics.com/threads/2002-2004-final-svtf-production-numbers.31977/

04:35 - Which Model & Options Should You Choose

Any SVT Focus is great because each one comes with the go-fast and handling features that turn these versatile hatchbacks into amazing driver-oriented vehicles. That said, if you want a fully optioned version, then a 2003 or 2004 with the European Appearance Package is the way to go since it includes all the options mentioned, plus heated Recaro seats and 15-spoke dark argent wheels, along with some special colors.

05:05 - Price Range that You Can Expect To Pay For An SVT Focus Based on the car's condition

  • Good - $4,000 to $6,000
  • Better - $8,000 to $10,000
  • Best - $12,000 to $15,000

Good vehicles are going to be decent driver-quality cars. Not perfect, but no highly visible flaws or issues. They may need some minor repairs or they may have some small dents or scratches, but from several feet back, they look good. In terms of mechanicals, everything works for the most part, but maintenance may be needed soon, such as brake pad replacement, new tires or maybe a timing belt change. But from the driver's seat, everything should be in good working order and not need much, if any sorting.

Better Vehicles are going to be really, really good and anyone would be proud to own and drive one of these. However, an enthusiast who knows a particular model well would know that this 'better' example, while close to perfect, is still not perfect. That distinction is saved for the Best Category.

Cars in the Best category, are exactly what the name implies. These are really the best of the breed. In the case of the SVT Focus, an example that falls into the Best category will have very low mileage - maybe 30,000 to 40,000 miles. This is the sort of mileage you might find on a typical 2 or 3-year old car. The Best cars will also be virtually perfect cosmetically and mechanically. They may be occasionally driven and not in a collection, but their condition is good enough that they could easily be a collector vehicle.

For recent accurate pricing on Better or Best examples of the SVT Focus or any enthusiast vehicle you are interested in, I suggest you check out http://www.bringatrailer.com. Bring a Trailer (or BaT) is an auction site that caters to automotive enthusiasts who are looking for the best examples of the cars, trucks and SUVs they love.

While they have auctions for less expensive vehicles, including the SVT Focus, they also have auctions for high-end exotics worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. And since auction participants and viewers can comment and ask questions about a particular car, BaT has become a great source of model-specific information from like-minded and typically well-informed enthusiasts. Definitely worth a look, so check out BaT.

10:53 - Common Things You Want To Look For When Searching For An SVT Focus

  • Condition, Condition, Condition
  • Focus on Condition, not Features or Color
  • One or Two Owners
  • No Major Accidents
  • No Rebuilt or Salvage Title
  • Regular Maintenance with Service Record Backup
  • Bring an OBDII Scanner To Check Codes
  • Look Underneath to Check For Rust
  • Does It Need Major Paint Or Bodywork? Pass!
  • Watch Out for Poorly Installed Upgrades

17:10 - Search Parameters & Apps To Help You Search For an SVT Focus

If I had a choice, I would buy a 2003 or 2004 Focus SVT with the EAP or European Appearance Package. I like the Recaro seats and the EAP cars come fully loaded with all available options.

Beyond checking your local Craigslist or on Bring a Trailer, I also use Autotempest.com to do a wide-area seach from my zipcode (out to maybe 500 miles) or I will go all in and do a nationwide search. I don't mind flying to another city to get the car that I want and drive it home (yes, I'm crazy, but I have done it before and it really does make for an interesting trip!).

Autotempest.com helps you do a nationwide search, but be sure to limit your search parameters so you don't miss out on a deal. Autotempest does allow you to select "Ford" for the make and then "SVT Focus" for the model, but you should also try a search for just a "Focus" and then put the years 2002-2004 (those are the three years the SVT Focus was sold) and select "manual transmission". I have done this and it can pick up a couple more SVT Focus cars during the search. Definitely helps to try and outsmart the search algorithms!

18:45 - Similar Vehicles to the SVT Focus You Might Want To Consider

  • 2002 Volkswagen GTI w/1.8-liter Turbocharged 180-hp engine
  • 2002 Honda Civic Si EP3 w/2.0-liter VTEC 160-hp engine
  • R53 Supercharged Mini Cooper S
  • R56 Turbocharged Mini Cooper S

19:50 - The SVT Focus is Special

  • Designed from the beginning as an affordable Halo car for Ford
  • All Aspects of the SVT Focus were improved to make it great
  • Better than the sum of its parts
  • You can utilize all of its performance on the street
  • Still an affordable option on the used market

23:15 - Show Wrap

The 2002-2004 SVT Focus is a fun to drive, entertaining hot hatchback that makes an ideal driver's car for the enthusiast on a budget. So if you think you might like one, I would get a 2003 or 2004 with the European Appearance Package or just look for the best one you can find. But you better start you search before the rest of the world finds out what a performance bargain the SVT Focus truly is.

And if you like the idea of a hot hatchback, but you are thinking the SVT Focus isn't quite what you're looking for, then check out episodes 8 and 9 of Better Than New for a review of the R56 Mini Cooper S. This is the turbocharged 2-door Mini Cooper S built from 2007-2013.

This fun to drive hot hatchback has many of the attributes that makes the SVT Focus great, so check out those two episodes if you want to find out more about the R56 Mini Cooper S.

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About the Podcast

Better Than New
Find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you'll love
The average new car sales price in the US is nearly $50,000, and the average used vehicle sales price is close to $30,000... I think that's insane! Well if you're like me and you don’t want to pay these crazy inflated car prices, I believe you should still be able to drive something fun. That’s the idea behind Better Than New – a podcast to help you find a cool used car, truck or SUV at a price you’ll love.

I’m Gary Crenshaw, host of Better Than New and a long time automotive enthusiast, and I want to inspire car buyers on a budget to think differently about what they can actually afford to drive. My goal is to introduce listeners to the broad array of interesting, fun-to-drive, enthusiast-friendly used cars, trucks and SUVs available at prices just about anyone can afford… vehicles from the 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that offer buyers a wide range of interesting choices. Each week we’ll explore a specific vehicle or vehicle category, tell you what to look for and what to avoid, and give you practical tips to help you find your next cool used car, truck or SUV and keep it on the road for years to come.

With a little work, the joy of owning a cool used car at price you’ll love is within reach and this podcast is here to help you find it.

So hop in, buckle up and let's go for a drive!

About your host

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Gary Crenshaw

A lifelong lover of all things mechanical, Gary has spent the majority of his existence driving, dreaming about or wrenching on cars, motorcycles and even the occasional airplane.

It started with mini-bikes and go-karts as a kid, progressed to 2-stroke dirt bikes, followed by his first car… a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. Then came the Yamaha era with several RD400s, RZ350s and a Canadian RD350LC (should have kept that!). A pilot’s license was next with some memorable hours flying a 1946 Aeronca Champ low and slow around the Pacific Northwest. While in college, his brother-in-law who sold high-end cars hired him to deliver BMW, Mercedes and Porsche vehicles to customers.

Those early experiences led to a lifetime of owning an eclectic mix of interesting used cars, including a ‘65 Mustang GT, a ’72 Datsun 510, a Porsche 914, a Celica Alltrac Turbo, a Mini Cooper S, a couple of Miata’s, two Audi S4 Avants, a Galant VR4, a Fiat 850 Spider, a 1983 Subaru 4x4 GL wagon and a first gen RX-7, along with dozens of daily driver cars and SUVs from Acura, Honda, Toyota and Mazda. And his favorite? Depends on when you ask, but that distinction likely goes to the Mazda RX-4 station wagon he learned to drive in. That fun-to-drive car combined Gary's passion for wagons, rotary engines and manual transmissions all in one.

So what about you? Which used car, truck or SUV would you love to own? Let’s find it together!