People buy Ford Focuses for the same reason that their default shopping trip takes place at Sainsburys or Tescos. In short, there's no hassle and they know what they're going to get. This isn't the sexiest reason for purchasing a car but it's probably the one that accounts for most Focus sales.

But is Ford's latest Focus really worth such blind purchasing obedience? We thought we'd find out by putting one to the test over six months, first on our company fleet and then into the hands of the most demanding family known to man: namely, mine.

Step forward my wife Katie and our two daughters Caris, who is 9, Ellie who is 7 and Amy who is 2. All four have developed an extremely acute perspective on what they like and don't like about modern cars. Both older girls are picked up every day from school with snacks and (hopefully healthy) treats, so reduce the interior of any school run transport to that of an urban bus shelter within minutes. Crushed crisps, sticky fingermarks and soft drink spillages are par for the course. In vain, I've asked my wife to stick to fruit - but that's another story.

Anyway, what did they make of the Focus, day-in and day-out? Well things got off to a bad start by dint of the fact that the test car was a five-door hatch rather than the estate they were used to. Still, that's not Ford's fault and in any case, merit points were regained when a cursory inspection was made of the extras included on the 1.8 TDCi Titanium model available for test.

Even in standard form, this flagship Focus looks a comprehensive package for buyers seeking an economical family hatch with a sporty edge and at prices starting from £17,200 in this plushest guise (Focus 1.8 TDCi prices actually start at £16,450 if you can do without the bling), it's not ridiculously expensive. What did open our eyes was the potential for nudging that price skyward with a foray into the options list. In addition to the standard Titanium features, our car chipped in with cost options running to metallic paint, rear parking sensors, the communications pack (satellite navigation, Bluetooth hands free technology and the Voice Control System), the Titanium X pack (full leather trim, powered drivers seat, heated front seats, xenon headlamps, LED rear lights and powered mirrors) and the Sport pack (Titanium 18" alloy wheels and sports suspension).

If I'd been paying for that little lot, it would have pushed the asking price up to around £21,000, which seems a tad on the high side for a Focus. Particularly as the Titanium trim level already includes rain sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, sports seats, air-conditioning, the Quickclear heated windscreen, a leather steering wheel, front fog lights and rear privacy glass. You get the idea: this isn't the stuff of a stripped-down shopping hatch.

"Our test reminded us why the Focus remains such a resoundingly sensible choice for so many ordinary family hatchback buyers..."

Not that the Crouch family were interested in all this detail. They were more bothered about the dark privacy glass (they think it makers it look as if drug dealers are on board) and the performance of the Ford-fit stereo (very satisfying for a loud rendition of 'With Love From Me To You' - they're into the Beatles at present). My wife wasn't hugely gripped by the performance of the 1.8-litre 115bhp diesel engine (10.8 seconds from rest to sixty) but she loved the regular 55mpg return at the pumps.

The interior trim and plastics didn't look that impressive at first glance but they did prove easy to wipe clean - which is far more important. The car has a purposeful stance with clean bold lines around the front end and a tidy rear where the light clusters are positioned high up out of harm's way. There's nothing fussy about the detailing with the designers obviously preferring to keep things solid and chunky, two themes that are echoed on the inside of the vehicle.

Space is definitely a key asset for the Focus. There's plenty of room in the back for two six-foot adults and even if they were joined by a third passenger of similar dimensions, the squeeze wouldn't be unbearable on long trips. The boot too is remarkably large, harbouring more than enough capacity for one of my wife's regular really expensive trips to Tesco. As I've suggested, some might find the cabin a touch bland in terms of decor and design, especially at a time when rival family hatchback manufacturers have given their design departments free reign to dream up all manner of outlandish interior features. Luminous plastics, gaudy colours and curvaceous facias have been left on the drawing board, the Focus instead keeping it simple. Some will like the look, some won't but the build quality is impressive. The main thing is that it all works and even a driver who is new to the vehicle should be able to locate the control they want almost instantly.

This was certainly the case when my wife sat herself behind the wheel. She found that the driving position was excellent and that there was good scope for adjustment so that passengers of varying shapes and sizes had no problem getting comfortable. She reported that when fiddling with the seat position, it was best to have the door open as the controls are difficult to get at once you've shut yourself into the car. She awarded plus points to the leather-covered steering wheel ("which has a nice feel to it") and the positioning of the gear lever ("perfectly placed quite high on your left side").

On the road, both of us agreed that the steering had a reassuringly weighty feel and thought the gearchange to be superb with its precise short-throw action. The 1.8-litre TDCi engine generates 115bhp and puts a decent about of low down urge at the driver's disposal. This TDCi is quite refined when cruising: you just get that gruff oil-burning engine note when accelerating up to speed. The main sound inside the car is the road roar and this can become intrusive over time but the engine certainly doesn't make its presence felt too overtly.

Overall, our test reminded us why the Focus remains such a resoundingly sensible choice for so many ordinary family hatchback buyers. Unremarkable it may be in some respects but it does all the things a family hatchback should do and it does them well. The driving experience is good, there's plenty of space inside, it's solidly build and the TDCi engine delivers startling economy. Now all I've got to do is to clear out all those crushed crisps and sweet wrappers before Ford come to collect it...

TOP 5 FOCUS DEALS

The results below show the top FOCUS deals on buyacar

	Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi Zetec 5dr [110] [DPF] Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £239	Saving £3,866	Price £13,474
	Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi Titanium 5dr [110] [DPF] Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £248	Saving £4,037	Price £14,053
	Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi Econetic 5dr [110] [DPF] Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £234	Saving £3,752	Price £13,088
	Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi Titanium 5dr [110] [DPF] Estate
	ETR	Mthly £260	Saving £4,230	Price £14,710
	Ford Focus 2.5 ST-3 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £312	Saving £2,561	Price £17,979

typical 12.17% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000