This Focus would be a lot more fun to drive if it weren’t geared only for fuel efficiency.Ford engineers would do well to spend a few weeks measuring a Honda Civic cockpit. I ended up sliding the seat farther back than usual and telescoping the steering wheel. The seating position is too high and the pedals are oddly positioned. Never have I ever sat in a Ford Focus (including the one I owned for three years) and felt immediately at ease behind the wheel.I at least wish this car were equipped with the $895 SE EcoBoost Appearance package, which brings visual flair like different 16-inch wheels, LED running lights, gloss-black trim, and foglights, plus rear disc brakes. Despite receiving a visual nip-tuck a year ago, the Focus isn’t nearly as stylish as the new Chevy Cruze, Hyundai Elantra, or Mazda3. The Ford Focus sedan has always looked frumpy – this car was clearly designed as a hatchback first – and this specific one is especially dull.Yet the ride has also improved from the stiff-legged early models, so expansion joints no longer punish passengers. Sharp steering, a poised suspension, and an all-round sense of control show that Focus engineers prize driving enjoyment even in small, affordable cars.Ford’s downsized turbo engines have often been criticized for failing to deliver on their economy ratings, but between the engine’s inherent thriftiness and the very smooth stop-start system, it’s easy to save gas in the Focus EcoBoost. No, I didn’t hit the lofty highway rating, but I came pretty close to the EPA’s 35-mpg combined rating in urban driving. Engineering tricks like an intentionally unbalanced flywheel quell vibrations, so whether it’s idling or running toward its 6,500-rpm rev limit, the three-cylinder is no buzzier than a modern four-banger. Yes, the car is slow, but the broad torque delivery makes it easy to keep up with traffic, so long as you shift the six-speed manual regularly (a six-speed automatic is optional). Performance is impressive given the engine’s small displacement.The main question is whether buyers are willing to sacrifice power in exchange for a little bit more efficiency. Opting for the 1.0-liter engine on a Focus SE costs just $495, so the payback period is relatively quick compared to, say, buying an expensive hybrid. Though it’s less powerful than the Focus’s standard 2.0-liter engine (by 37 horsepower and 21 pound-feet of torque), it’s also considerably more fuel efficient, at 30 miles per gallon city and 42 mpg highway. And I did.Īs almost every automaker works to downsize every engine possible, Ford now offers a turbocharged 1.0-liter inline-three engine as an option in the Focus (as well as the smaller, lighter Fiesta). In fact, I could probably manage fine with just three cylinders. My 18-mile daily slog through traffic takes about 35 minutes, so it really doesn’t matter how much horsepower I have available. As much as I wish I could spend every morning at the helm of a Ford Mustang GT350 or a Porsche Boxster, traffic and stoplights don’t always allow me to actually exercise the cars’ potential.
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