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2000 Ford Focus Review

Taking the Focus sedan for a short spin wasn't worthy of Ford's new little car, but a 2400-mile roundtrip drive from Los Angeles to Denver provided a bit more feedback. After all, here at The Car Connection we aim to please, even if we have to drive a subcompact sixteen hours straight to prove it.

Produced to eventually replace Ford's Escort with sweeping new styling, an endless list of standard features, huge headroom, and a snappy 4-cylinder engine, the Focus poses a serious threat to Honda's redesigned 2001 Civic.

What's rather odd about the Focus model lineup is that the hatchback coupe, sedan and wagon body styles resemble each other far less than one would believe possible. The sedan's styling is homogenous, despite flared fenders, while the wagon is, well, a wagon. If the sedan seems a bit stodgy, it makes up for it with remarkable functionality, efficiency, and value. My SE model sported a rear spoiler that added nothing to its appeal except as a grabber with which to slam down the trunk lid.

The coupe, however, is nicely quirky, even French-looking, with edgy angles and geometric touches. Appealing to Europeans, the two-door Focus is all over the roads in England, where it is admired as a small economy car with design cues that fit in to the Brits' idea of "something strange from the Continent (the European one) but driveable because it is American." Peugeots and Renaults are rampant on the UK's motorways and popular, in part, to their penchant for looking nothing like England's own more conservative domestic vehicles, barring Jaguar, of course. The Brits also have a fondness for the Focus because its small exterior and amazingly large interior remind them of the long-deceased Minis and Morris Minors. In fact, the Focus won the 1999 European Car of the Year award.

In addition to surprising comfort, space, and performance, I was impressed most of all with the Focus' fuel economy. I sank a mere $113 into the gas tank for my lengthy journey, achieving an average of 35 miles to the gallon. I'd also been dreading spending so many hours in the economy-class seats with no orthopedic support, but I arrived at my destination with no ill effects or aching muscles. Those practical seats hold your torso together pretty well and sit you comparatively high up, a feature many women look for in SUVs and can now find in the Focus.

Far less splendid, but extremely functional, is the dashboard. Not an inch is wasted. Composed of a hodge-podge of half-moon and oval units seemingly slapped together to fit into the available space, the stereo system, the climate controls and various other knobs including a power point nevertheless are all at your fingertips. The large switches are swathed in a soft rubber-like plastic so your fingers don't slip off, and the same material lines some of the storage bins and cupholders. Everywhere you look, there has obviously been unlimited attention to detail by both the engineers and the designers.

I had no passengers to give me feedback on toss and turn on curves, or lack of rear legroom over long hauls between gas stops, but I did sit in the back with the front seat extended as far as it would go before I left home, and my 5-ft.5-inch frame was reasonably comfortable.

I particularly appreciated the radio display that showed both the clock and the station simultaneously. There’s nothing more irritating than wondering which channel you're tuned into on those long drives when stations change with each mountain range and all you can see is a digital clock. Air vents must number in the dozens, they are everywhere, and in hot weather, most welcome.

The extra-large, comfortable shifter is a plus when you're forced to change gears frequently, and the smooth gearbox responds with neither stickiness nor stubbornness. The trunk is cavernous. I filled it with a large cooler, two suitcases, a laptop, two big cartons, and three bags of groceries.

As for the small engine, a 2.0-liter 16-valve Zetec, it can require a foot to the floor on entrance ramps to get up to speed, but once you're cruising at 70 or 75 mph, it's gravy all the way. Occasionally I'd inadvertently increase my speed to 85 or 90 without realizing it but a slight vibration always brought me back down. I hit 110 for a few seconds but don't recommend it across the windy plains of Colorado.

Built on a completely new platform, the Focus is actually lots of fun to drive - a phrase many manufacturers overuse but in this case warranted. Because of the Focus' lower price and practicality you get a sense that you can bang it about a bit more than you would a BMW or a Caddy, and therefore thoroughly enjoy yourself behind the wheel. The firm suspension is excellent, the brake system responsive with a good solid feel, and steering is as precise as many higher-priced sedans. At high speed, engine noise can intrude depending on road surfaces, but just turn up the music and the noise recedes beyond consciousness.

The SE model tested was equipped with two optional and reasonably-priced packages: the $395 Comfort Group that included a front seat armrest, adjustable steering column, cruise control and front cabin courtesy and map lights, and the $425 Sport Group with spoiler, tachometer, and fog lamps. Other extras on my car were $295 for power windows, $400 antilock brakes, $140 AM/FM stereo radio with CD player, and $350 side impact airbags.

Ford has got the right combination with its little Focus with the right sticker price, and is going to sell enormous quantities of these models because they fill a need for value, performance, function and pleasure all in one affordable and interesting new line of cars.

2001 Ford Focus SE sedan Price: base $13,565, as tested $16,090 Engine: 2.0-liter DOHC 16 valve in-line four-cylinder, 130 hp Transmission: five-speed manual, front-wheel drive Wheelbase: 103 in Length x width x height: 174.9 x 66.9 x 56.3 in Weight: 2551 lb Fuel economy: 32/34 mpg city/highway Major standard features: Air conditioning, power mirrors, rear defroster, driver’s seat height adjuster, 60/40 split rear seat Major options: Antilock brakes, side airbags, tilt steering, cruise control Warranty: Three years/36,000 miles