2015 Ford Focus: One of the Most Popular Compact Cars

Many may not think of the Focus as a compact car, but review the different automobile segments and there it is. Looking more like an attractive and enticing sedan that offers great value for the price the Focus is one of the most popular cars on the market offering shoppers the ability to have a great car to drive. Available in either a four-door sedan or a five- door hatchback the Focus has a look that won’t tire anyone and equipment that continues to lead the way with excellent features to enjoy.

In a market that includes long time namesakes such as Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cruze, Dodge Dart and Mazda Mazda3, the Focus has to be absolutely amazing to be a leader in this market. As a very fuel efficient car that has a large helping of technology and style the Focus is a lot of fun to drive. For 2015 the Focus gains a new engine and a makeover for the front and rear of the car to resemble the Fusion. Add some new interior design features and a Sport Package that is even more exciting to drive.

As a car that is offered in many different countries the Focus has to offer a suspension and steering system that fits in well all over the world. Because the Focus has experience with this already, Ford ensures this car is fitted with a dynamic suspension that is much better than expected for the price and class the car fits into. The steering really makes the Focus fun to drive by being almost intuitive and allowing drivers to drive with great anticipation knowing the car is going to perform and take them on a fun ride to wherever they want to go.

Keeping fuel efficiency as one of the most important aspects of this great compact car the Focus has four engines to choose from to power it down the road. The automatic transmission used is a six-speed dual-clutch version with the manual being a five-speed version. The smallest of these engines is not the base model but one that is available to offer some great fuel efficiency. This engine is a 1.0-liter turbocharged inline three-cylinder engine bringing in 123 horsepower and 148 lb.-ft. of torque. Attached to the automatic transmission the fuel numbers show up as 29 city/40 hwy mpg with this engine getting a six-speed manual to bring a 30 city/42 hwy mpg to the car.

The second engine is the one found on the base model which comes in as a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine that has 160 horsepower and 146 lb.-ft. of torque. This version offers fuel numbers of 26 city/36 hwy mpg for the manual transmission, 28 city/38 hwy mpg for the automatic, 27 city/37 hwy mpg for the SelectShift automatic and 28 city/40 hwy mpg for the SFE trim automatic.

Third in the lineup is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that shows up with 252 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine carries in a nice fuel mileage for the power which comes in at 23 city/32 hwy mpg.

Finally the Focus Electric offers a power plant that is a synchronous electric motor/generator that has a range of nearly 76 miles on a full charge. The power number is 143 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque equivalent to make this a great choice for those who stay near home on a daily basis.

The inside and outside of the Focus has been improved to a very enjoyable level. The interior has the driver and their gadgets in mind with a small cubby for a phone that can be hooked up with a USB port and control buttons and dials that are all easily found. The materials used are comfortable, soft and supportive to make it easy to fully enjoy the ride in comfort and very nice technology. On the outside the Focus seems to not fit in the compact car lineup because it offers a dynamic forward leaning stance that looks more like a small sports car. Even the hatchback is stylish and not just cut off in the rear but slopes nicely to the back making the Focus appear more like a four-door coupe than a compact hatchback.

For the Focus the standard equipment offers a very nice list to enjoy. This list includes air conditioning, a tilt/telescoping steering column, keyless remote entry and an audio system with MP3 connection on the base S model. The SE model adds the SYNC with MyFord Driver Connect, cruise control, a folding rear seat, four-wheel disc brakes and 16-inch alloy wheels. The Titanium model adds leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, push button starting and MyFord Touch to the mix. The Focus Electric stays Earth-friendly with eco-fabric on the seats and voice activated navigation.

The optional features included on the Focus show up to include a Sport Package for the SE model which adds some exterior style improvements, paddle shifters, a revised suspension and 17-inch wheels. Other optional features include blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, Ford SYNC AppLink, Active Parking assistance, handling and winter packages and a navigation system. With these different features that can be added to the Focus the car can be made to perform well in adverse weather or be one that is a pleasure to cruise in while driving down the road.

As a compact car that seems to truly have it all, the compact pricing is almost a surprise. The base S model shows up starting around $17,000 with the step up to the SE coming in near a still affordable $19,000 for the four-door model and the hatchback bringing in a price around $20,000. Moving up to the Titanium model the price will show up at $24,000 for the four-door and $25,000 for the hatchback. The ST with the high performance engine asks a still reasonable price of $24,000 but the Focus Electric will show up near $40,000. Even at that price the Electric saves money by not needing gas and offering a tax credit to put the price in line with the rest of the lineup.