Ford Focus – Driving Impressions: What's the point of doing a story about the Ford Focus, a car that is seven years old and sitting, unloved, in the shadows of hot new models like the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris? We think it's an overlooked gem, a fun, functional, and frugal car, and an undeniable bargain that meets the needs of the times. Plus, like popular hybrid models that cost thousands more, the Focus gets good gas mileage by the EPA's standards, carries a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) rating in California and New England, posts decent crashworthiness and reliability scores, and deserves your consideration. That's why. And if you look in this Sunday's newspaper, you'll find that dealers are blowing these cars out the door for thousands off the sticker price. Good thing, considering our fully loaded 2006 Ford Focus ZX5 SES test car carried a sticker price of $20,000, including the $545 destination charge. But our vehicle was the top-line trim level with lots of goodies; most Ford Focuses sell for well below that figure. Ford offers the Focus in a variety of styles and trim levels. Choose between a three- or five-door hatchback (ZX3 or ZX5), a sedan (ZX4), or a station wagon (ZXW). Trim levels for all styles are S, SE, and SES, with a sporty ST model reserved for the sedan. The least expensive S is pretty basic, including a manual transmission, 15-inch wheels and tires, and a stereo with a CD/MP3 player. The SE is the most popular model, equipped with power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, remote keyless entry, air conditioning, and a center arm rest that improved comfort levels. Stepping up to the SES nets 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, cruise control, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, a tachometer, and body-color exterior trim. The performance-oriented Focus ST gets hardware upgrades to make it go faster and handle better, minor styling differences, heated outside mirrors, sport seats, and upgraded interior décor. Major options on the various Ford Focus models include an automatic transmission, side-impact airbags for the front seats, a power sunroof, traction control, and an upgraded audio system with a six-disc in-dash CD changer. Under the hood of the S, SE, and SES models is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine delivering 136 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 133 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm to the front wheels. In California and New England, the engine is rated PZEV, which means exhaust emissions are cleaner than some hybrid cars. The EPA says this engine will deliver 26 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway with the manual transmission (32 mpg highway with the optional automatic transmission), which isn't as good as most hybrids but then, the Focus is less expensive to buy in the first place. A four-wheel-independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, front disc/rear drum brakes, and 15-inch wheels wearing 195/60 all-season tires (16s shod with 205/50 Pirelli P6s on the SES) complete the standard Focus picture. For added fun, try the Focus ST. Fuel economy is penalized by the Mazda-sourced 2.3-liter four-cylinder at 22 city and 31 highway, and you'll need to know how to drive a stick since there's no option for an automatic on the ST model, but the trade-off is 151 horsepower at 5,750 rpm and 154 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,250 rpm. This engine does not meet PZEV requirements, frustrating since Ford first offered a 2.3-liter PZEV engine in the Focus way back in 2003, and it made more power than today's ST engine. The ST's suspension is based on what used to be under the SVT hot-hatch of a few years ago, there's a four-wheel-disc antilock braking system, and it gets unique alloy wheels. We grabbed a Sonic Blue 2006 Ford Focus ZX5 SES for this evaluation, carrying a base price of $17,030 including the $545 destination charge. It came with an automatic transmission ($815), a Weather Package ($175 – heated seats and side mirrors), a Safety Package ($350 – ABS and side-impact airbags), traction control ($115), a perimeter alarm ($125), an Audiophile stereo with a six-disc CD changer and Sony speakers ($695), and leather seats ($695). We could have lived without most of this extra stuff. At the end of our week-long test, it was clear that the European-designed and engineered Ford Focus has aged gracefully, but that the aging process is rapidly gaining speed. The car is still fun to drive and functional, though not as frugal as we anticipated. Also, despite the high price tag on our test sample, this car is still a bargain if you choose the popular SE trim level, definitely worth a look when the local Ford dealer is offering big discounts or low-interest financing. Clearly, however, given concerns about fuel economy, safety, and the environment, it's time for Ford to refocus on the Focus.
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