2009 Ford Focus
by Jim Prueter -05/2009

New Focus is improved but still chasing competition

(This review was originally written in October 2007 for the 2008 Ford Focus. Little of substance has changed for the 2009 model, however this review has been updated to include those changes.)

In 2008, nearly a decade after it was first introduced, Ford completely redesigned the Focus, the lowest price vehicle in Ford showrooms. Ford designers say the styling was inspired by its midsized Fusion sedan.

Ford seems to finally be catching on to what competitors like Toyota, Nissan and Honda have known for years. With 44 percent of all first-time car buyers choosing a small car, it’s wise to have a car that you can get them started with and build loyalty to your brand. The thinking here is that you can eventually move them up through the ranks to your more expensive and profitable larger vehicles as buyers mature and build their careers.

Toyota does it with its highly successful Scion, Yaris and Corolla vehicles, Honda with Fit and Civic and Nissan with Sentra and Versa. Domestic manufacturers, for the most part, would rather build large SUVs than spend much time with the entry-level segment.

Ford says 17 percent of total new car sales are in the small car segment, with Ford capturing only 6 percent. Ford has no place to go but up in a segment that soon could account for up to one-third of all vehicle sales.

So Ford has finally decided that if you can’t beat ‘em why not join ‘em? Welcome the new Focus. To start, the most obvious change is the new sheet metal, which gets, at best, tepid reviews from the automotive press. While it’s a decided improvement, it certainly can’t be considered cutting edge. As important as this segment is, we question if the looks alone are enough to pull buyers from the Asian brands.

Inside, the newly designed cabin is definitely the bright spot with an interior that is downright attractive, especially when compared to the previous generation Focus.

While there’s still ample use of hard plastics, the build quality, fit and finish and materials used are a significant improvement, but still not the best in this class. Kia, Nissan, Honda and Scion do it better. We did like the silver-metallic trim across the front of the dash on the upgraded SES model.

A new “top of dash” display positioned at eye level on the center stack is easier and quicker to read, keeping the driver’s eyes on the road. The instrument cluster, center console, steering wheel, door lock and window switches are all lit with new ice blue ambient lighting. Optional color lighting, borrowed from Mustang, enables the driver to choose from seven different colors — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet — to light the inside cupholders, front and rear footwells.

We especially like the amount of leg, shoulder and headroom in the front seats. Cloth seating material is standard, leather optional. Noticeably absent are armrest door pull handles, which makes it difficult to keep the large doors on our two-door tester from swinging too far open and banging the door of the vehicle parked next to us. The long reach also makes closing the door difficult, a glaring oversight we complained about with the 2008 model that remains unchanged for 2009.

The new Focus can also be had with the all-new Ford Sync, jointly developed with Microsoft. Ford Sync is a cutting-edge way to use cell phones and media players inside the vehicle. Ford Sync uses voice recognition, Bluetooth and USB connections. Simply touch the telephone button on the steering wheel or dash and speak what you want. Say, “Play Beatles,” and Sync instantly recognizes what you have downloaded and begins to play. It even downloads your cell-phone contact list and recognizes every name by voice. No other competitor offers anything near Sync. Sync is standard on SES models, and a $395 option when it isn’t included in a trim package.

For 2009, the Focus coupe gets a modest freshening on the front and rear and loses the front fender vents introduced on 2008 models. We drove the new Focus in and around the hilly terrain of Seattle and immediately noticed a smoother, quieter ride and better handling over the previous generation Focus. Ford added a new acoustic windshield, thicker side windows and stuffed the vehicle full of sound deadening insulation. The result is the quietest economy car we’ve ever tested. Overall, we thought it was fun to drive.

A 140-horsepower, 2.0-liter Duratec inline four-cylinder engine powers all 2008 and 2009 Focus models. A five-speed manual transmission and an optional four-speed automatic are available, same as last year.

Standard safety features include dual front and thorax side airbags and side-curtain airbags for both front and rear seat occupants. Electronic stability control is a new option for 2009 models. Government crash-test ratings differ for two-door and four-door Focus models. Two-door models earn the highest five star rating in front-impact crash tests, three stars for front side and two stars for rear side-impacts. Four-door Focus models earn a four star rating in front-impact crash tests, five stars in front side-impact crashes and four in rear side-impact crashes.

Focus will be offered in just two versions: a two-door coupe in either SE or SES trim levels and a four-door sedan in S, SE, SES and SEL trim levels. The SEL is a new addition for ’09. Ford no longer offers a wagon or hatchback in the Focus lineup.

While Ford has seemed to fix all the ills from the previous generation, we can’t help but feel a bit cheated that Ford chose to re-skin the old Focus rather than bring us the excellent European-spec Focus introduced there in 2004. That model includes a 225-horsepower engine, edgier styling and even a retractable hardtop-convertible.

Given how crowded this segment is with numerous outstanding competitors from Mazda, Honda, Scion, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Suzuki and others, we wish Ford would have played it less safe and brought us a vehicle that would have struck fear in the hearts and minds of competitors. The new Focus, while better, is just mildly improved and not nearly as interesting as competitors like the Nissan Cube, Kia Soul, Honda Fit or Scion xB.