Ford Focus

The Ford Focus is a family of small cars, offered in a wide range of body styles including a four-door sedan, wagon, coupe, and three- and five-door hatchbacks. The model has been Ford's bargain-priced, entry-level model for North America since its introduction, though that's due to change with the introduction of the 2011 Fiesta. Top alternatives to the Focus through the years have included the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Volkswagen Golf/Jetta, Hyundai Elantra, and Mazda's Protégé and Mazda3.

The Focus was originally introduced for 2000, replacing the Ford Escort (and also the Ford Contour sedan, which was then discontinued). At that time of its debut, the Focus was a more upscale-feeling small car than most, offering better interior appointments than most small cars, plus critically lauded handling, so the top rivals at the time were the Volkswagen Golf/Jetta and Mazda Protégé.

In its initial several years, the Focus was offered with 110-horsepower or 130-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines, with the 130-hp (DOHC) version being the pick of the two. Most models could be equipped with a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic, though for many years wagon models were oddly offered only with an automatic. Some models were offered with a 2.3-liter engine. In addition to all the body styles, the Focus was available in many different trim levels and could be loaded with luxury items like leather upholstery and a moonroof.

A 2005 model-year refresh simplified the lineup in many ways and brought crisper front-end styling; the engine lineup changed to 136-hp (2.0-liter) and 151-hp (2.3-liter) versions of Ford's more modern Duratec engine. Focus models from this era and more recent are generally considered more reliable than the earlier ones—and for wagon and hatch aficionados, 2005-2007 is sweet spot.

For 2008 the Focus lineup was refreshed more thoroughly, with an extensively redone interior, more refinement, and expanded safety features. The wagon, along with all hatchback models were dropped, replaced buy a rather homely looking two-door coupe sold alongside the sedan. Also of note, Ford chose the youth-oriented Focus in which to introduce its new Sync hands-free interface, which has since spread to the rest of the lineup.

Ford offered electronic stability control early on for the Focus, but then discontinued it in 2004. Focus models without the optional side airbags have been rated 'poor' by the IIHS, so it should be a must-have. Through this era, the Focus didn't do so well in federal crash tests—for the early years of the Focus, three-door hatchback versions earned one star (out of five) for rear-seat passengers in the side-impact test, while it was only rated three stars in several categories.

The only serious performance model in the Focus' history has been the SVT Focus. Worshipped by pocket-rocket fans, the SVT Focus offered a higher-output, 170-horsepower four, stronger Getrag six-speed gearbox, plus better brakes, a more vocal exhaust, and a greatly enhanced, stiffer suspension that altogether made the Focus a blast to drive.

The Ford Focus was completely redesigned for 2012, this time a true world car in terms of design and engineering, but built in Michigan. The new Focus has all sorts of class-first options—including the MyFord Touch interface, an active parking feature, and HD Radio. A new-generation direct-injection engine returns great gas mileage—up to 40 mpg in special SFE trim—and the lineup so far consists of four-door sedans and five-door hatchbacks. Over several drives, we've also noted the much-improved ride and handling, as well as the more sophisticated driving feel overall, of the new 2012 Focus.

A new, higher-performance Focus model arrives in late 2012. Look for the 2012 Ford Focus ST to get a 247-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four and an even sportier suspension tuning, plus more of a performance look.