The New Small Car Standard

Typically I don't write about products I haven't owned, but I've felt compelled to write about Ford's new successful product, the Focus. If the Focus represents the current thinking in Dearborn, MI, Ford and American car buyers have a lot to look forward to in the coming years. The Focus itself really isn't a groundbreaking car on paper, but America has finally built a small car that could have been made by Toyota or Honda, long-time small-car specialists. The Escort has served Ford very well over the years and has a large loyal constituency. But the Escort could never truly compete with Corolla or Civic. What's significant isn't that the Focus equals the quality of the imports. Rather, here is an inexpensive domestic product that could be sold in almost any market in the world and be successful. Ford - or any other American carmaker - have not been able to pull that feat off before. Ford's original "world car", the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique, which I enthusiastically own and drive, did not attain wide market acceptance because of poor marketing, resale-hurting rental sales, flawed decontenting moves and a small back seat.

The Focus won't share the Contour's ails. Since the Focus is replacing both the Escort and the Contour, its market segment is clearly defined. In Ford's old model, some Escorts cost more than some Contours, some of which happened to cost more than some Tauruses. Ford's new strategy mimics Honda's. You have a small, entry-level, second-car (Focus/Civic) and you have a mainstream mid-size (Taurus/Accord). Unfortunately, the now cult-car Contour is a causality in this realignment. Ford will continue to make Escorts, but all production units will go to rental fleets as Ford's small-car offering. Freed from the prospect of becoming a rental car, the Focus earns credibility from fickle import buyers, who tend to demand pride-of-ownership when purchasing a vehicle. I expect that the Focus will support greater resale values and possibly better reliability ratings than you'd expect from a domestic small car. (As an aside, consider Saturn, a company who makes small cars with high resales and good reliability. Have you ever seen a Saturn rental car (not counting dealer demos)? I haven't. Now consider the Cavalier, the Contour, the Taurus, the Grand-Am. All popular rental cars. None have good resale values, especially Taurus, possibly the granddaddy of fleet sales. Rental cars are typically stripped and almost always driven pretty hard, a recipe for poor resale.)

How about the car itself? Unlike the me-too styling of the Escort, the Focus is noticed on the highway. Ford calls the Focus's styling a result of their New Edge design. The 1999 Mercury Cougar, released last year, was the first US Ford product to embrace this design philosophy. Styling is certainly subjective, but I think the Cougar is drop-dead beautiful considering the price it commands. Lines are sharp and creases etch into the sheetmetal. As you walk around the vehicle, the Cougar offers new visual surprises. It's a headturning car without being gaudy. I'd almost call it seductive. The Focus is also a headturning car (for awhile, at least), but its styling is less successful. The headlamps are rather bug-eyed and the engine hood is sloped too much like a minivan. The Focus is a tall car, so it looks proportionally like a mini-minivan. But the sheetmetal doesn't look cheap and the center-mounted roof antenna makes the car look rather like a VW Jetta. The tail is nicely done and the tall form factor gives the car a sense of substantiveness. Some people have called the Focus's styling "ugly", but I wouldn't go that far. The Focus simply has a strong European angularity that takes time for some Americans to appreciate (or accept).

In the interest of cost savings, Ford has carried over drivetrains from the Escort and Contour for the Focus. Currently, Ford offers two engines: A 2.0L SPI 4 cylinder (from the Escort) that develops 110hp and a 2.0L Zetec 4 cylinder with dual overhead cams (from the Contour) that generates 130hp. A manual transmission is available for both engines. The ZX3 hatchback, ZTS sedan and SE wagon only come with the more powerful 2.0L Zetec (no complaints here). The Focus engines have EPA city mpg ratings in the mid-to-high-20s and EPA highway mpg ratings in the lower-to-mid-30s. These ratings are only decent, though the culprit, if you want to call it that, is probably the tuning of the engines for added low-end torque, never a forte of small-displacement engines.

I have driven a Focus sedan with the 2.0L Zetec and the 5-spd manual transmission. The Zetec motivates the Focus more than adequately, if you use other small cars as a benchmark. The Zetec revs high and is responsive to throttle input, in the tradition of Japanese four-cylinders. Under normal acceleration, the Zetec makes only a fair amount of noise, a testament to the amount of soundproofing Ford has likely used in the engine bay. Around town, the Zetec's fairly flexible powerband makes running for errands an easy and less-than-hair-raising experience. But once the road opens up and my enthusiast yearnings come out, the Zetec leaves me yearning for six-cylinder. One hundred thirty horsepower is plenty fine around town, but when more and more (larger) cars are boosting 200+ hp engines and 0-60 runs in the sub-8 second range, the Zetec can seem a little inadequate. Peg the throttle and the Zetec responds, but it buzzes as it revs up high and its limited displacement just can't conjure up enough torque for confident passing or highway merging with a full load of cargo or passengers. If you've been getting by fine with Escorts, Corollas, and Civics, you likely won't find the Zetec engine underpowered. But if you are replacing your V6 Contour, V6 Jetta/Golf, DOHC Neon, Integra, Celica, or Eclipse, you'll probably want more power.

I can't complain about the price. The 4 cylinder Focus may not share the horsepower endowments of these other cars, but it often costs thousands less. What makes me yearn for more horsepower isn't for tire-burning acceleration runs. Rather, the Focus's chassis and suspension feels so tight and rigid, this car's structure COULD handler the rigors and stresses of additional horsepower and torque. A Civic, for instance, just seems well suited to a four cylinder. A torquey pushrod would seem out of place. But the Focus feels like a well-built German car, and an high-revving, small-displacement, 6-cylinder engine (such as the 2.5L Duratec V6 found in the Contour) would pair well with the Focus. If you've ever driven a V6 Jetta or Golf, you'll understand how a strong powerplant can transform a car from economical runabout to an enthusiast machine. And since the V6 is a mere $495 upcharge over the 2.0L Zetec on the Contour, a bigger engine is truly not a financial issue. It's whether Ford can get a larger engine to fit. (ADDENDUM 3/2/2000: The Ford Focus Brand Manager told me that the 2.5L Duratec V6 can't fit in the Focus engine bay. It looks like the Focus will be a four-cylinder-only car. However, Ford is working on higher-performance variation(s) of the 2.0L Zetec to be available in the "near future".)

The five-speed manual transmission in the Focus is allegedly the same found in the Contour. Even so, the gear shifter has different appearance and I thought shifting felt just a little more notchy. But gears are very easy to find and clutch take-up is relatively smooth and easy. The Focus screams out for a manual transmission, and those who can tolerate the occasional inconvenience of a manual trannie are rewarded to a sporty, European-like drive and an engine that can (and possibly needs) to be revved. Automatic transmissions simply aren't suited to small, 4-cylinder engines, stealing away too much power and urgency from the engine.

The Focus doesn't feel American like a Grand Am or Cavalier does. It feels more like a modern Volkswagen, or - dare I say - a small BMW. It feels expensive. The interior suggests a more expensive car. Volkswagen still does the best at making their cars seem far more expensive than they are (the interior of the Golf would look a home on a $30,000 car, for instance). But for an inexpensive AMERICAN car, the Focus's quality and attention to detail is eye-popping. Fit and finish is truly world-class. Plastics look nice for this market class. Buttons and knobs operate with a softer, refined touch. Nothing looks garish or grossly out-of-place. No Batmobile Grand Am styling here.

If you are expecting luxury appointments in the Focus, you aren't in the right price range. The Focus isn't luxurious or passenger-coddling, though it isn't spartan or cheap. You can't get a moonroof or power seats, for instance, but Ford probably figures not enough people would want these options to justify production (expect this to change in the upcoming year(s)) (ADDENUM 3/2/2000: The Focus Brand Manager told me that a moonroof option should be available in mid-2001MY). Given its Escort predecessor and domestic competition - Cavalier/Sunfire, SL series, Neon - the Focus certainly has the finest execution of design and build. Although time will tell, the Focus will probably hold up just as well as a Civic or Corolla. It feels and drives nicer (read: in a Euro sense) than these cars. Toyota may claim you can figuratively weld the engine bay of the Corolla shut and drive forever, and the Focus's build quality suggests the same.

If you've ever driven a Contour, you've got a good idea of how the Focus drives, handles and rides. The Focus rides nothing like an Escort. It likes to be DRIVEN, though you can drive it casually and it won't mind. The ride, while tuned for American tastes, is probably going to put off a few people. There isn't much cush. The ride isn't hard or rough, but it's rather tight and controlled. There is less isolation from the road. From a driving perspective, this is preferred because the car provides more feedback and feels safer, especially in emergency maneuvers. But if you are looking for a staid, leisurely ride, a Corolla will better serve you.

Honda used to hold the crown for building the best-handling, small/inexpensive cars. But Honda's cars have gone soft over the years, figuratively and literally. The Focus probably has the best handling prowess than any other car is its class. It's not a clear-cut win and some of my judgement is based on my European pretensions, but handling ability is a clear Focus strength.

The Contour is still a better driver's car than the Focus, though. The Contour's steering is the probably the best has Ford ever produced. I found the Focus's steering less communicative, but still rather sharp. Ford seems to have limited power steering boost because the Focus's wheel can require some effort to turn. As a desirable side-effect, the steering doesn't feel jittery and the driver feels in complete control of the vehicle. As a cost-cutting measure, the Focus has a disc/drum configuration. Four-wheel discs are generally required for true performance, but Ford probably figured most people wouldn't miss them. After all, the Focus is not pitched as a performance sedan. Stopping distances are reasonable for this class of car and the Focus tends to stop straight rather than sway. I'd like a four-wheel disc option, though. While the Focus is designed to be tossable, the stock tires chosen by Ford limit the car's cornering ability. Push the Focus hard through a turn using throttle and the tires squeal and the car understeers moderately. As a cost-saving measure and for versatility, the economy-oriented all-season radials strive for a comfortable ride rather than dig into the pavement. Overall, however, the average driver will remark about how nice the Focus handles.

From a functional perspective, the Focus also shines. Like the VW New Beetle, the Focus's cabin is tall and large. I'm 6 foot 1 and there was plenty of room above my head. The Focus is also reasonably roomy from side-to-side. Front passengers are treated to a spacious space, enhanced by the sloping instrument and control panels. The back seat also enjoys some feeling of spaciousness, thanks to the tall roofline, but legroom looks a bit limited and cramped. I don't think two adults in the beat seat would be comfortable for an extended trip, but it looks perfect for kids. Since the Focus is pitched as a car for small, growing families, the Focus's seat/cabin arrangement seems perfectly fine. The seats are trimmed in an agreeable fabric and seem to offer a reasonable amount of support. The Focus looks exceptionally good with leather-trimmed seats.

From the outside, it would appear the Focus's trunk is small, and while it isn't huge, it has a useful shape. Instead of being deep, but short, it's almost squarish. With the nice 60/40 folding rear seats, you can easily carry a bike in the trunk, along with a good amount of other gear. As an example of attention to detail, gas struts support the trunk lid and glow-in-the-dark release handles inside the trunk allow a trapped person to escape without outside assistance.

Unlike most stock radios in inexpensive cars, the Focus radio is rather good. The stereo can play loud and the speakers, though the Achilles' Heel in the system, have enough warmth and detail to delay their replacement with aftermarket components. The stereo features a removable faceplate to guard against thieves. While the partially removable face has some security value, it seems a little gimmicky to me. It's one of those things car salesmen point to when closing the deal "...and the faceplate detaches from the stereo!!!"

(ADDENDUM 2/04/2000: I attended the Philadelphia Auto Show yesterday and got a good look at the Focus wagon. For the money, the wagon is a very appealing offering. The roofline is tall from windshield all the way to the rear hatch. The wagon looks exceptionally roomy and has a surprising amount of cargo capacity, especially if you drop down the rear seats. While the Focus wagon isn't a useful as a minivan, if you want to save a few bucks, don't like the stigma of minivans or their size, but like their higher seating position and utility, the Focus wagon deserves your attention. The Focus wagon is also sharper looking than any minivan and should certainly handle better than one. The show car had an automatic transmission, alloy wheels, side airbags, ABS and a CD player, and I believe the sticker totaled in the low-to-mid $17Ks. I think this is an exceptional value. It's a shame, however, that you can't get a manual transmission for the wagon. Aside from the usefulness and pleasure of a manual transmission, the wagon would cost about $800 less - an incredible bargain. But Americans don't like stick shifts and Ford believes the market is too small to bother. What a pity.)

(ADDENDUM 3/02/2000: The Focus Brand Manager told me that Ford WILL be offering a 5spd manual transmission on the 2001 model year Focus wagon. A lot of people complained about the mandatory automatic and I think Ford listened. So if you want a stick shift wagon, wait until September 2000 when the 2001 Foci roll onto dealer lots.)

If you are into performance like I am, you will be interested in the SVT version of the Focus due out in the 2001 model year. SVT stands for Special Vehicle Team, Ford's in-house "aftermarket" operation. The SVT has produced hot-rod versions of the Contour, Mustang, and F150, all at a reasonable-price and with Ford's standard warranty. A Focus SVT will likely come with a more powerful engine (170 horsepower minimum), revamped suspension, beefier all-disc brakes, 16" wheels and some special cladding package. It might even come with a 6-speed manual transmission. Expect a retail price of around $19,995. This hot Focus will give an Integra GS-R or a Celica GT-S a run for its money.

If you are looking for a second car or perhaps your first new car, the Focus deserves your complete consideration. It drives very well, it doesn't blend in with every other car on the road, is roomy and functional and is built to world-class standards. If you are a Japanese auto buyer, you'd probably wouldn't think the Focus was a Ford. If you are a young VW-lover, you'd think the Focus would be a worthy offering of the German marque. The Focus was named European Car of the Year, North American Car of the Year and Automobile Magazine's Car of the Year. The Focus sets the new standard in the small car market. The fact that the Focus is made by an American carmaker may be shocking, but it shows that Detroit is finally walking the walk. (ADDENDUM 2/4/2000: Previously, I had given the Focus four stars but after looking at all of the small cars on the market (thanks to the one-stop convenience of the auto show I attended), I think the Focus deserves a full five-star rating.)