Focusing depends on the light condition you are in, and where you aim. I have the SIGMA 18-125, and the focusing is not bad and doesn't take 2 secs. in normal lighted room.
Yes definitely... the centre focus is a crosshair focus sensor... so it will focus as long as there is an edge vertical or horizontal... whereas the other sensors are only single direction sensors... if the sensor is horizontal and your picture has lots of horizontal motifs, the AF suffers.