I had a 2002 Ford Focus ZTW (the top of the line Focus Station Wagon) “See my review of the
2002 Ford Focus ZTW", until I went to test drive the SVT Focus. I had read a lot about this car and was very curious about its performance since the car magazines had nothing but praise for the SVT Focus. Well was I prepared for this test drive. I encountered a very willing and amiable salesman that told me that I could drive the car as much as I wanted. And I did. It was clear after the first five minutes that I was going to have a hard time going back to my extremely efficient (but now mundane, weak and worst of all automatic) ZTW. So I decided to spare myself the hard time and bought the SVT Focus.
I got a 5-door black car with every option available. This was not my decision but rather all the cars in the lot were fully optioned (as the reader can imagine the heated seats and mirrors as well as the engine block heater come really handy here in South Florida). The interior is a combination of black leather with red cloth. The leather inn the SVT is of a much better quality than the leather used in the ZTW. In fact the car feels much better built and of a higher quality than my ZTW or very other Focus I have driven in the past. Is like two totally different cars looking very much like each other.
Driving Experience.
To anyone acquainted with the Ford Focus should not come as a surprise any praise on the handling. The SVT Focus however, is in a totally different league. The “like-running-on-rails” steering as the precision of a car three times its price, which teams with a perfectly tuned suspension to give you the ride of your life every time you decide to take a ride, either to the grocery store or a cross country trip. Credit must be given to the 215/45WR-17 Continentals.
Engine.
Sounds great, goes fast and has plenty of low-end torque. In simple terms this means that you can go head to head with the big boys without calling the wrong kind of attention. This works, believe me it does. The 6-speeds transaxle is competent and feels great although I have not given much use to the sixth gear as you can cruise at 75 in fourth (or fifth if you feel like having a relaxed ride) just fine.
Interior.
Being used to the space provided by the ZTW the 5-door was the obvious STV version for me (too bad Ford does not offer a SVT wagon in the US). As I said above the leather feels great and you don’t feel guilty using jeans as the seating surfaces are upholstered with a very resistant cloth and not the mouse fur type of cloth so common these days but rather a very resistant (at least in looks) material. The seats are supportive and very comfortable providing the right amount of lateral support. The drivers’ seats height can be adjusted with the touch of a button and both the driver and the passenger seats have adjustable lumbar support, manual though. Rear seats head rests look good but frankly I have no idea how good they work as I have not been back there yet.
All in all this is the best car for its price and competes head to head with much expensive options like the Acura RSX, VW GTi, BMW 325i, Mazda6. It is usually compared with the likes of the Civic Si, Mazdaspeed Protégé, Mini S or the more powerful Neon R/T, but none of these great but crude little cars come even close to the level of refinement of the SVT Focus.
It also provides you with the understated performance that only the domestic econocar looks can give you. Only if you get the European package in Screaming Yellow or Performance Orange you would have a real chance of getting in trouble.
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