More vehicles to come...

2000-2006 Ford Focus

E-mail to a Friend

It used to be that a U.S. car manufacturer could not produce a compact car that could be described as anything but "mediocre". Even Ford's best-selling Escort was nothing but ho-hum in styling, ride, performance, and interior design. No car, it seemed, wearing an American nameplate would ever rival the Japanese or European compacts in terms of refinement and overall quality.

This all changed with the Ford Focus.

In great contrast to the Escort it would place, the Focus was fresh, refined, and most of all, bold. Its heavily creased "New Edge" styling was elegant with a distinctively European air. Then again, most of the development and engineering for Ford's "world car" took place in Europe.

The Focus was even launched in Europe two years before it ever made it to the U.S. in 2000 as a 3-door hatchback (ZX3), 4-door sedan (ZX4), and estate wagon (ZXW). Shortly after its North American debut, the Focus became the best-selling car in the world. In 2002, the 5-door hatchback model (ZX5) -- which was sold in the U.K. since 1998 -- was finally made available to the U.S. public.

We like the Focus not only for its distinctive body (replete with triangular headlamps and taillights), but also for its critically-acclaimed handling and vehicle dynamics. We are dismayed, however, that none of the smaller, even less gas-thirsty engines under 2 liters that are available in Europe are options for the North American models. Neither are the European-spec diesels.

Regardless, the U.S. Focus' 2.0 liter gasoline engine is frugal enough while delivering ample passing power. In addition, all models provide plenty of interior space -- for both humans and cargo -- despite their compact footprints. We think the Focus has the complete package, and apparently, so do other automotive critics who have heaped over 60 awards on the car since its debut.

Our favorite models are the ZX3 and ZX5 hatchbacks, if only because they look oh-so-European. The ZX4 sedan is not nearly as good-looking in our eyes. The ZXW is one of the better-looking wagons on the market and provides the most luggage capacity while hardly sacrificing any fuel economy. Take your pick of any of these Hot Green Machines and be proud that an American car manufacturer finally got a compact car right.