![]() ![]() As one tester said, “This Focus offers a solid feel from the driver's seat. While track-testing any car is fun, this Focus shines more on road, where it boasts an overriding sense of quality. We eagerly await running the Focus ST through its paces to see how the sportier car stacks up. Still, the Focus displays a fair amount of understeer when pushed through the cones. While that's down compared with the 2012 Honda Civic Si we tested earlier, the Focus only gives up 1 mph to the more powerful, sport-tuned car. And through our tight, 490-foot, eight-cone slalom, the car turned in an average speed of 42.7 mph. Though hardly the stuff of race cars, the Focus handles much better than it stops, achieving 0.74 g in lateral acceleration around the skidpad. From 60 mph, the car came to a stop in 138.0 feet. The car's weak point lies somewhere at the crossroads of its Continental ContiPro Contact 215/50R-17 tires and its 11-inch front-disc and nine-inch rear-drum brakes. That's hardly neck-snapping stuff, but power is delivered in linear fashion, while its five-speed manual transmission makes easy work of staying in the powerband. As is, at 70 mph in fifth gear, the engine turns near 3,000 rpm, not annoyingly buzzy but noticeably high nonetheless.Īt the track, the car's 2.0-liter I4, with 160 hp and 146 lb-ft, managed to propel it to 60 mph in 9.0 seconds the quarter-mile required 17.0 seconds, with a top speed of 84.8 mph. We also appreciate the car's real-world 27.8 mpg, though we can't help but think that an extra gear would go a long way toward returning a combined 30.0 mpg. The cabin is fairly quiet, the seats extremely comfortable and the ride solid, almost sporty. The Focus feels good just driving around town, hopping on and off the freeway and being used generally for errand running. ![]() As one editor noted, “It's not the least expensive small car you can buy, but I would not hesitate to call this car, in this specification, an entry-level luxury car.” Rather, we immediately considered its $26,250 as-tested price spot-on. Still, once we climbed in and experienced the car fully, played with its standard satellite radio, gripped the leather-wrapped steering wheel and felt secure with the stability with torque-vectoring control system standing sentry for a wheel placed wrong, the car did not disappoint us. Our tester, a five-door Titanium model, sits at the top of the Focus lineup, its starting price of $24,985 stoking expectations for superior interior comfort, fits, design and equipment. That the new Focus is also a fun-to-drive car with a host of near-luxury amenities and techy features on its options list also makes a powerful argument for those shopping the compact segment. That car suffered along for a decade with Band-Aid styling updates that did nothing to improve on its once-sharp looks. No, we would have been happy with anything that removed its frumpy predecessor from the streets. We've been fans of the 2012 Ford Focus since its debut, and not simply for its stellar design (the unfortunate sedan version notwithstanding). ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |