my rental car while out east this week- a shiny red ford focus. I've had some downright scary/terrible rental cars lately (toyota carollas are even worse than you might expect) and this was a breath of fresh air. summary: it's a really, really good car- not even just good for the money- fully good.
the good -absolutely excellent steering and car dynamics. feels german-made, weighty, and solid. great ride even on terrible east coast roads
-quiet, even at speed
-very comfortable seats that hold you in place nicely without being obnoxiously sporty
-engine- plenty powerful especially in the city and lower highway speeds.
-the looks are solid, although this particular example has the wrong wheels
-i'm not interested in the practicality of cars, but there is clearly a really impressive amount of space for a small hatchback
-mostly everything that matters
so-so -the steering wheel has these space-age feeling hand grips on the part of the wheel you actually grab. it took some getting used to but i guess i'm ok with it. no real reason for this these to have been added
-too many buttons on the steering wheel- but i guess that is the trend
-torque steer- but honestly you do have to try really hard to find it. Accelerating around a corner or shifting gears while the pedal is fully down are good ways to find it. it's clearly a very well balanced car
-the dashboard and all the readouts are too techy for me- but i'm stodgy and old school like that
the bad -blue dials. not some lighting effect/background color- Ford actually decided everyone would want powder blue needles on all their dials. i'm sure doesn't fall into everyone's "bad" category.
bottom line: it's a small BMW hatchback with a Ford badge on it. it's a great car. if ford made an AWD version i might just have to get one.
steve block
i'm glad you enjoy the car. i had them as rentals twice before i bought mine and treated those as extended test drives.
the first time i mostly got city driving experience and some good tests of the phone and music integration with bluetooth and usb.
the second time we had the lowest end car of the range for 2 solid weeks which included 5 hour road trips across michigan and daily use on paved and gravel roads. i agree with most of your assessment. i think we disagree about the utility of the computer and steering wheel stuff. it was a selling point for me, but sounds like you could take it or leave it.
it's amazingly quiet and it handles really well. no play at all in the steering wheel, very direct steering feel. very nice interior. the rear folds flat and i can fit my bicycle inside the car.
it's an everyday driver's car that happens to also be very practical. it's exactly why top gear generally loves good euro hatchbacks (even though this particular one is not technically hot)
steve block
before i get called on this, let me explain the "euro hatchback" comment above. the focus is a world car, designed and engineered in germany. mine was built in michigan. others will be built elsewhere.
we only have one engine option in the US but it is a solid 2L direct injection job. europe gets more engine choices, as is normal.
the good
-absolutely excellent steering and car dynamics. feels german-made, weighty, and solid. great ride even on terrible east coast roads
-quiet, even at speed
-very comfortable seats that hold you in place nicely without being obnoxiously sporty
-engine- plenty powerful especially in the city and lower highway speeds.
-the looks are solid, although this particular example has the wrong wheels
-i'm not interested in the practicality of cars, but there is clearly a really impressive amount of space for a small hatchback
-mostly everything that matters
so-so
-the steering wheel has these space-age feeling hand grips on the part of the wheel you actually grab. it took some getting used to but i guess i'm ok with it. no real reason for this these to have been added
-too many buttons on the steering wheel- but i guess that is the trend
-torque steer- but honestly you do have to try really hard to find it. Accelerating around a corner or shifting gears while the pedal is fully down are good ways to find it. it's clearly a very well balanced car
-the dashboard and all the readouts are too techy for me- but i'm stodgy and old school like that
the bad
-blue dials. not some lighting effect/background color- Ford actually decided everyone would want powder blue needles on all their dials. i'm sure doesn't fall into everyone's "bad" category.
bottom line: it's a small BMW hatchback with a Ford badge on it. it's a great car. if ford made an AWD version i might just have to get one.
the first time i mostly got city driving experience and some good tests of the phone and music integration with bluetooth and usb.
the second time we had the lowest end car of the range for 2 solid weeks which included 5 hour road trips across michigan and daily use on paved and gravel roads. i agree with most of your assessment. i think we disagree about the utility of the computer and steering wheel stuff. it was a selling point for me, but sounds like you could take it or leave it.
it's amazingly quiet and it handles really well. no play at all in the steering wheel, very direct steering feel. very nice interior. the rear folds flat and i can fit my bicycle inside the car.
it's an everyday driver's car that happens to also be very practical. it's exactly why top gear generally loves good euro hatchbacks (even though this particular one is not technically hot)
we only have one engine option in the US but it is a solid 2L direct injection job. europe gets more engine choices, as is normal.