Ford Focus ZTW
Beauty below the surface |
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By Richard J. Newman
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NITS: No tachometer. And few storage compartments.
G-FORCES: The 130-horsepower engine doesn't break any records, but it provides respectable power with minimal lag. In whole, the power plant is very responsive. Handling is a high point, with better cornering than you'd expect for the price.
GIZMOLOGY: Gadgetheads will find little to excite. Gauges and climate dials are basic and dull, and the controls feel lightweight and cheap. The European-style asymmetrical dash is kind of cool, but the novelty wears off quickly.
KID MARKS: There was one surprising annoyance: The seat belt receptacles in the rear seat were buried so deep that my kids, in boosters, could barely buckle themselves. That's usually an easy task that I had to do for them. Otherwise there is ample space for kids, they can climb in and out easily, and storage space in the wagon's cargo area is considerable for such a small package. No back-seat cup holders though.
HOT OR NOT?Not. The winky-wink front end is cute, but the high and square roofline is frumpy.
ENVIROMETER: Earns from six to 10 stars, out of 10, on the EPA's "green vehicle" ratings scale. Mileage ranges from 21 mpg/city to 36 mpg/highway. Details: http://www.epa.gov/autoemissions/
E-FORD-Focus-03.htm
CRASH COURSE: The Focus wagon earned nine stars out of 10 on the government's frontal crash test but has not been tested for side impacts. Other Focus models earned below-average side-impact crash test scores, however. The rollover resistance rating for all models is four stars out of five. Details are at three different Web addresses.
Wagon: http://www.nhtsa.gov/NCAP
/Cars/2337.html
Sedan: http://www.nhtsa.gov/NCAP
/Cars/2336.html
Coupe: http://www.nhtsa.gov/NCAP
/Cars/2338.html
PRICE POINTS: Base price for the Focus ZTW is $18,170, and for the regular wagon is $17,825. Price as tested: $18,170. (All prices include delivery fees.)
MORE INFO: http://www.fordvehicles.com/
cars/focus/
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Model year tested: 2003
After herking and jerking my way through urban congestion, I was finally just one stoplight away from the highway. I could see the traffic zipping along smoothly and I yearned to cruise without interference. The light turned green. The on-ramp beckoned. And then, a fate worse than gridlock: A dump truck lumbering along at the pace of a steamroller began to merge in front of me–and he had the inside track.
In a Corvette or a Boxster it would have been a no-brainer–just gun the engine a bit and make quick work of the truck. Unfortunately, I wasn't so well equipped. The Focus seemed competent and stable, but did it have the moxie for a split-second come-from-behind passing maneuver? A whiff of the dump truck's diesel persuaded me to find out. I pressed the gas and aimed for the narrowing gap between the truck and the left wall of the ramp. Unlike many economy cars that groan when they're pushed, the Focus seemed happy I had placed my faith in it. It darted ahead quickly, with no squeals of protest from under the hood. As we closed the gap with the truck, the firm steering kept my confidence. Before I had time to second-guess the decision, I had angled in front of the leviathan and won the pole position. I could now cruise without obstruction.
That is the kind of situation Ford engineers appear to have thought about when designing the Focus. A lot of inexpensive cars do away with any pretense of performance; after all, that's an ideal way to cut costs and keep the price down. The Focus isn't so compromising. For a list price of about $18,000, the ZTW offers the kind of acceleration and handling I'd expect from a price range a notch or two higher. The 130-horsepower four-cylinder engine is spunky and smooth. The frame is just stiff enough to provide a sporting feel on curves. Even with the suspension upgrades and other sporty enhancements that come on the "Z" models–the ZTW wagon, the ZX3 coupe, and the ZX5 four-door hatchback–it's hard to push the Focus above $20,000. And that's before rebates that could knock up to $3,000 or more off the price.
You'll still know you're in an economy car, however. The interior is spartan. Dials and other cockpit controls have a cheap, plasticky feel. I'm glad there's a center armrest–something missing in the Escort lineup that the Focus replaced–but the contraption felt so rickety I was sometimes afraid to lean on it. At highway speeds, a fair amount of wind and road noise penetrated the passenger compartment. Ford has put its money where it matters to driving purists–under the hood–yet many driv-ers would probably prefer more refinement in the cabin, even at the expense of performance. Also, any discussion of the Focus must entail mention of the numerous recalls that have afflicted the car since its 2000 debut in North America. Ford says it has largely ironed out those quality problems, but I'm not so sure. On the test car I drove, for instance, the gas cap had broken free of its restraining device, ready to get lost the moment I forgot to screw it back in. I'd like to believe this was an anomaly. Considering the ride and the other attributes the Focus offers for the money, it's probably a risk worth taking.
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