I opted for the Focus over a Subaru Legacy (over $20K with safety features I wanted) and the Toyota Matrix (tiny rear windshield, small cargo). I went for ALL the bells and whistles as a consolation and am enjoying the sunroof, the leather, the nimbleness and the overall ride. As I had to factory-order my 5-speed, there wasn't much negotiating on the price and I think I paid top-dollar. For this reason I was peeved when at 2400 miles my gas light when on which required a trip back to the dealer and a full day in the shop to replace fuel pump. Now at 12000 miles, she's been problem free since, but I have yet to see better than 30 mpg on the highway. When I bought this car the warranty was only for 3 years/36K miles and I have been weary of that having heard Ford horror stories. I plan on keeping my bright highway-sign ("grabber") green (very easy to pick out in a parking lot of silver sedans) little car at least until it's paid for (2006), I'm just praying it stays together that long. But that's just my nerves; the car has been great ever since the fuel pump thing. Resale value will not be in my favor thanks to my preference for a stick, and the legacy of the earlier Focii. I'm glad I opted for all the extra airbags, because if an SUV ever runs me down, I'll surely need them. The leather has been a helpful feature as my toddler likes to challenge the durability of everything. This past winter surely put the advancetrac steering system to the test and I must admit I felt very secure on the snowy, sometimes icy roads. Of course I drove like a grandmother whilst all the bigger vehicles with fearless drivers at the helm sped by. Oh, yeah, cargo is fantastic (3 more cubic feet than the Subaru!) my only complaint is that they bothered to split the back of the back seat, but not the fold up bench, so I can't carry anything long with my kid in her car seat. Funny thing is that it's depicted how I would like it in the owner's manual. Go figure.  
