2006 Ford Focus Review

Specifications

An American Hatch with a European Heart and Soul

Sometimes, you can tell a lot about an object by its wrapping, other times, you cant. Case in point is the badge on the back of this Ford, which reads, “FOCUS” in a rather authoritarian font style, instead of the old and somewhat funky non-capitalized logo. By the looks of things, Ford seems to have matured the new car into something less cheerful, exchanging screen-printed tee and acid-washed jeans for suit and tie. This message of change was double, no, triple-underlined with a reworked facelift received early last year, that stressed sensibility and quality, inspired by the big, and somewhat somber looking Five Hundred sedan.

But even with a facelift, Focus is lost amidst a growing market of compact cars. Against the very UFO-like Civic, the genre-dividing Caliber and other cars that use the height-and-a-half styling theory, the Focus simple hatchback profile seems almost too conventional. Nevertheless, the Focus is an amicable vehicle from any vantage point and to this day its styling has yet to be imitated by any other automaker. I am particularly fond of its rear end, where the sloping rear windows meet the cheeky pillar-mounted tail lamps, though the rest of the car carries the geometrical theme quite well, with some of the most curious bulging shapes this side of a BMW with Bangle angles.

Let your fingers take a walk through the reworked cabin; most noticeably theres a new, symmetrical dashboard, which, much like the nose, is somber and mature. While its better looking than the mad, sweeping triangular dash and console that it replaces, its neither soft-touch, nor fabricated from matte materials resulting in some particularly nasty dash-top glare. From a functionality standpoint, everything is logically laid out, with plenty of big, clear switches and knobs. With the Weather Package ($175) that came with my tester, youve got the switches to the heated seats around the gearbox gate, plus heated mirrors are included as well, and my version also featured traction control ($115) and the optional one-touch glass moonroof ($625). The cabin also plays host to a couple of oddities that resulted in two raised eyebrows, ranging from the rotating crank handle for seat height adjustment, to the drop-down CD storage compartment, to the excellent ergonomically remote stereo controls.

Oh, but to drive, is a completely different story. You see, on face value, its not difficult to dismiss the Focus as just another average compact; theres nothing that overtly hints at how much of a drivers car this is, except perhaps the formed, chunky steering wheel and the cloth bucket seats whose bolsters look like theyve had an anaphylactic allergic reaction. But behind it all, theres a big dynamical surprise party just waiting to happen every time you hit the road - fun time is where the ball is in the Focus court.

Much of my enthusiasm towards the Focus can be traced back to its very European chassis. Kudos to the engineers who were in charge for selecting the unique control-blade multi-link rear suspension; it really makes the car. This is combined with pointy, but communicative steering, and a chassis thats eager to please but never anything less than safe when pushed, giving the car superior balance and grip. It took just one corner for me to be sold; lift off the gas mid corner, and the Focus rear wheels grip hard, and predictably, the nose tucks right into the bend, each and every time. Suddenly, the plastics dont seem to matter because youre too busy having fun to bother. The Focus also feels much lighter on its toes than its competitors, with a natural fluidity that cant be communicated through electronically simulated methods.

All “Focii”, bar the top of the line performance ZX4 ST are powered by a 2.0-liter Duratec 20 inline-four engine with dual overhead cams and sixteen valves. Generating 136 horsepower, and about equal amounts of torque, it lingers towards the middle of the class, mustering up figures that are merely average, but once again, the numbers fail to paint the whole picture. So what if it doesnt have variable valve timing or direct injection; the sweet sounding, free-revving engine delivers its power across its rev range without being prone to coarseness and grittiness, even at the top end. It may not set the road ablaze, but somehow, this might not be an entirely bad thing. The front end isnt corrupted by power delivery, while the traction control is rarely called upon, but to rein in wheelspin when exiting tight corners.

Should you calm things down, the Focus gold-medal refinement still remains. Around town, the engine delivers its pull and twist within a range thats actually accessible during everyday driving, a nice change from high-strung engines that seem to serve a single purpose of chasing power curve diagrams. The engine makes a fine mate for the sporty gearbox and light clutch; gearchanges arent hampered by  any notchiness or balkiness whether youre taking it easy or rushing through the cogs. The shift action is well-oiled, with each gear easily engaged. Also commendable is the ride, which despite having excellent body control is even able to glide over heavy ruts and bumps without exhibiting excessive shock or impact sharpness.

New for this year, and equipped on my test car is the Street Appearance Package I, an aesthetic kit that seeks to tap the tuner deep down inside. It does a pretty good job at mimicking Fords previous WRC car efforts, with deeper fascias, blackout diamond mesh, a roof-mounted spoiler, and rear bumper with faux diffuser insert. I might even hazard a guess by saying that its a pretty serious looking machine, if it werent for the fact that the poor thing looks woefully under-wheeled; the 16-inch alloys on highish 50 profile tires give it the appearance of a shopping trolley, and theres enough of a wheel gap to park a couple of cars underneath (OK, 1:18 scale model cars at least). While the body kit is macho, and pumped up, the stance could do with some work. Verdict: keep the extra $1,295 in the bank, at least until Ford offers 17 or 18-inch wheels with the package, or be prepared to buck up for some new wheels and tires as soon as you drive it off the lot.

The only real con that I can think about the Focus is the asking price. Equipped with most of the requisite upscale goodies, including a six-disc in-dash CD changer ($400), keyless entry and side-impact airbags ($350), ABS brakes ($400) such as the car that Im in, the Focus rings in at $19,970. That kind of money nearly buys a Civic Si or Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged, both of which have a 70 horsepower advantage over the blue oval, a deficit thats difficult to ignore. Mind you, the Focus has a number of advantages, as its available with four doors, plenty of rear legroom and a huge 19.0 cu-ft cargo hold when the rear seats are in place, and if youre able to skip out on the options, a Focus ZX5 S 5-door can be had for as little as $14,995. Instead, stiffer competition comes from Mitsubishis Lancer Ralliart, which also offers impressive dynamic qualities encased in rather ordinary wrapping.

If theres a message that can be taken home from the Ford Focus, its probably along the lines of the fact that being new doesnt guarantee being the best. In its day, the Focus had quite the collection of awards, racking up North American and European Car of the Year, not to mention countless other important awards and hundreds of comparison tests. Its also worth noting that the Focus, now in its fifth year in production, is over its initial teething troubles concerning reliability. This latest model rates as one of the most reliable vehicles in its class, alongside the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. And even while things have changed and the opposition has moved to take on more modern approaches to design, Ford has stood its ground with the Focus, and it still shines brightly today.