Rating Summary
“Lots of features in an economy car”
- fuel conscious, daily driver, a car owner, fixing cars, car enthusiast, cost-conscious
- Pros
- Roomy for size, Options like Sync available, Standard Air-Conditioning
- Cons
- Only available as 4 door sedan, Rather short warranty
Ford Focus - 2009 —
My mother recently bought a 2009 Ford Focus, replacing an aging 1988 Tempo that served her amazingly well (she also bought that one new and owned it 21 years). The Ford Focus is undoubtedly an economy car, it is the entry level of Ford's passenger cars, but can be equipped with many of the options available in higher-line Ford models, not only power locks/windows/mirrors security system and remote locking/unlocking, but also the sync interface, which was developed by Microsoft for Ford, which allows you to integrate cellphone and audio media through a voice-operated system (assuming you have a bluetooth-enabled cellular phone). You can also play audio from USB key, but there is no local storage for the files (i.e. you have to keep the USB key plugged in when playing the recordings, cannot copy them to disk within Sync system. Also, not all commands can be issued by voice, and although the menus for choosing what you want to do can be involved (please don't drive when you first try them, practice before driving), they are pretty straightforward to repeat once you learn how they work. There are also audio controls on the steering wheel which help with some of the more common functions. It isn't the same as the On-Star system in GM cars (which has built-in cellphone functions with more of an emergency aid orientation, such as calling for help after a collision), since you will want to have a bluetooth enabled phone to use with Sync. The Focus also comes with air conditioning standard, her car also had the optional Automatic transmission.
This isn't a review of Sync, rather the Focus, so onto the car. It is available only as a 4 door sedan, the 2 door, hatchback, and wagon versions no longer are sold, however, the rear seat does split and fold down for long loads. The Focus has a pretty upright driving position, which is likely key to its roomy interior for the size of the car. It isn't a large car by any means, but might suprise some in terms of interior space.
The Focus doesn't have tons of power, but it zips around town fine and holds it's own on the highway. The fuel economy is what you'd expect in a small car, pretty good. There's a display mode on the dash that lets you gauge your fuel economy, it's fun to watch.
The Focus is a bit more than the typical entry car, especially with the almost requisite power equipment (windows/locks/doors/mirrors. You can add options like Sync that make it a bit different than other small cars. It has a rather short 3 year warranty.
