Better than: The outgoing Focus
But not as good as: The forthcoming Focus ST
GRM Bang For The Buck Index: 81.95
After more than 10 years of tweaking, facelifting and refining their platform, Ford finally brought a brand-new Focus to the United States. It's a welcome update: The previous car was world-beating and award-winning when it was new, but a decade brings along a lot of changes to the industry. The old Focus was old hat.
The engine is a 2-liter, direct-injection piece making 160 horsepower. It's an all-aluminum mill, with independent variable cam timing on both intake and exhaust and a 12.0:1 compression ratio.
The Titanium trim line comes with the most standard equipment, but we got plenty of additional tech in our tester. The extra $4500 bought that hot yellow paint, parking assist technology, 18-inch wheels and sport suspension, and the MyFord Touch navigation/interface system.
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While the rest of the world fixates on mpg and park-sense, true car enthusiasts emphasize wheel and tire placement relative to the wheel arch. Very few car manufacturers nail this design parameter. An E46 M3 has just about perfect wheel and tire placement right from the factory. So does the new Ford Focus. Even the entry level cars sit on their tires properly.
This is no entry level car though. At $26,700, the Titanium package has every bell and whistle imaginable including leather and the fancy mechatronic manual transmission. The various systems work well together which helped dispel concerns over the high sticker price. With fuel prices where they are, the $27K Focus is the modern day equivalent of a "business coupe". It's ideal for road warriors such as sales people who spend much of their time behind the wheel. Front seats and ergos work well, while the hatch and fold down rear seats will accommodate encyclopedias, vacuum cleaners, or whatever field sales people are hocking in the internet age. Rear seat leg room is a bit cramped.
Here's the big question: Is a taut, fully loaded $27K Focus better than a squishy, semi loaded $27K Fusion? I say yes.
This car looks as good as it drives. It's roomy and practical as well as fun, but priced on a different level than the previous Focus. It's also a somewhat larger car. Previous Focus owners might find the Fiesta more familiar in terms of price point and subsequent interior appointments; this new car is for those who want to move up the ladder. Don't get me wrong: It's a great car for the price. It just so happens that it's not a traditional Focus price.
It's a great driving car. Feels solid, planted and plenty powerful for a day to day driver. The console shape though really rubs me wrong (quite litereally against your inside leg) and the speedo is so small and hard to read in sunlight for me.
Ford's doing a lot of things right!
Hmm... $27k... I'll take a BRZ thankyou! :p Different cars for different purposes, I know.
How is the transmission? All the other reviews I've read say the Ford "DSG" is pretty terrible.
After more than 10 years of tweaking, facelifting and refining their platform, Ford finally brought a brand-new Focus to the United States. It's a welcome update: The previous car was world-beating and award-winning when it was new, but a decade brings along a lot of changes to the industry. The old Focus was old hat.
The engine is a 2-liter, direct-injection piece making 160 horsepower. It's an all-aluminum mill, with independent variable cam timing on both intake and exhaust and a 12.0:1 compression ratio.
The Titanium trim line comes with the most standard equipment, but we got plenty of additional tech in our tester. The extra $4500 bought that hot yellow paint, parking assist technology, 18-inch wheels and sport suspension, and the MyFord Touch navigation/interface system.
| Like what you read here? You can get a whole magazine full of these types of articles delivered to your home or shop 8 times a year. Subscribe now!
Visit the Grassroots Motorsports online store for back issues. |
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