2012 ford focus sedan

2012 ford focus sedan

2012 ford focus sedan

MSRP  $17,270

One of the giant holes in Ford’s resume has been
its near-insurmountable inability to make a great small car.  It has
made plenty of popular small cars, and the Focus was a very good car,
but greatness has eluded them so far.  For 2012, though, Ford has
overhauled and redesigned the Focus.  Have they finally made a great
small car?

2012 ford focus sedan

The 2012 Ford Focus SE has a 2.0 liter, inline 4-cylinder engine that
produces 160 horsepower.  It has front-wheel drive, a manual 5-speed
transmission, and 16-inch steel wheels.  The Focus SE is rated at 28 mpg
in the city, but a world-class 38 on the highway.

The
high-mileage segment of the market has been dominated by the turn
toward “green” hybrid cars, but Ford is demonstrating with the Focus
that it is possible to get up to 40 mpg with a conventional engine. 
With the SE, Ford offers a Super Fuel Economy package that allows the
Focus to join the “40 mpg club” on the highway

2012 ford focus sedan

The Focus SE comes with a tilt-telescope steering wheel, a
height-adjustable driver seat, full power accessories, and a trip
computer.  The audio system has 4 speakers, AM/FM radio, a CD/MP3
player, and an audio jack.

The Focus has anti-lock brakes,
stability and traction controls, side front airbags, and side-curtain
airbags.  It also has the Ford MyKey system, which allows you to place
limits on how fast other drivers, such as teenagers, can drive the car
and how high they can turn up the stereo.  The Ford Sync system with
emergency notification is optional.

Conclusions and driver feedback:

The
Focus is definitely a different car this year.  The exterior tweaks,
such as a rear spoiler and aerodynamic redesign, combine with a
reworked suspension to give the Focus a ride that has been described as
“European.”  The steering is very responsive, and there is almost no
body roll.  Somehow, it pulls off the European trick of handling like a
sport car without the stiff ride.  The engine, though it gets great
mileage, still has enough punch to accelerate the Focus nicely.  On top
of this, the Focus manages to ride quietly.

As good as the
mechanical tweaks are, the interior improvement may be even better. 
The cabin is now made of high-quality, soft materials that make you
wonder if Mercedes engineers are “moonlighting” in Detroit.  The design
is very attractive, too.  The seating is almost roomy in the front and
adequate in the back.   While the Focus won’t win awards for cargo
space, there is still enough for a small car.

2012 ford focus sedan

There are a few negatives, but they are more the result of its size
than any flaws.  The back seat could use a little more legroom, and some
find the controls on the optional Ford Sync and MyTouch screen to be a
little confusing at first.

Ultimately, though, the positives far outweigh the negatives.

The verdict: this might be the best small car on the market