Driving Impressions

Since it was introduced, the Ford Focus has been praised for its spirited driving dynamics, particularly for a small car. It has made a number of "best" lists for its driving characteristics. To that end, John Sidelko, Focus chief engineer, said his group looked at what customers liked about the Focus, enhancing those a bit, and what they complained about, fixing those. Indeed, the biggest news on the Focus is under its hood. A new 136-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, the same one used in the Mazda 6 and Ford Escape, replaces both the previous 110- and 130-horsepower engines, the engines offered in the Focus since its debut in 2000. In California, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine, the Focus comes standard with a super-clean, 130-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder. (The engine actually began going into some Focus models in 2004.) More powerful than the previous base engine, the new engine is slightly more fuel efficient: 26/35 mpg EPA City/Highway with five-speed manual, 26/32 with four-speed automatic. More important, it puts out much lower emissions so it meets PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle) standards. Ford claims the entire 2004 Focus fleet, which began using the engine, is 33 percent cleaner than the 2003 fleet. A third engine is the 151-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder that goes only in the ZX4 ST. It gets an EPA-rated 23/32 mpg. It is paired only with a five-speed manual transmission. The shifter is a new one and is more precise in locking into gear than the one it replaces. The higher horsepower engine was the one in the tested Focus ZX4 ST. Indeed, it delivers strong acceleration from a dead stop and easily cruised to passing speeds on the highway. The only complaint with the engine was noise. Despite efforts by Ford engineers to quiet the cabin, the ZX4 ST was excessively loud with engine noise even cruising at highway speeds. Ford borrowed pieces of the suspension from the European-sold Focus and the 2004 Focus SVT to make the ZX4 ST more performance oriented than the other models. It borrows the front struts and rear shocks from those models, and they are 50 percent stiffer than the ones on the SE and SES versions. The ZX4 ST also has its own distinctive 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels and Pirelli all-season radials. The package provides sharp handling response, precise steering and generally an enjoyable connection with the road. Indeed, the Focus, at least in this version, remains one of the most fun cars in the class to drive.

Final Word

Despite its makeover, the Ford Focus remains inexpensive, stylish, practical and fun. New engines increase power and efficiency, while new interiors and subtle styling revisions freshen its appearance. It also appears Ford has fixed the major problem with the Focus: its quality. The 2000 and 2001 models had a lot of recalls, which involved inconvenient trips to the dealership for buyers. Those problems forced Ford to institute a longer warranty like those offered by South Korean makers Hyundai and Kia. The Focus continues to carry the extra-long powertrain warranty of five years or 100,000 miles. Meantime, quality improvements already showed up on the 2004 model with Consumer Reports adding it to its recommended buy list and it getting a bump in the J. D. Power and Associates quality surveys.