Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Ford seems to be on a roll these days. With the exception of the Taurus redesign in 1996 that cost them "Best Selling Sedan" status, the company has produced a string of winners in the '90s. Explorer, Ranger, F-150, Mustang—these are all sales leaders in their respective segments.

The latest mover and shaker from Ford is the company's all-new compact car, the Focus. Introduced as a 2000 model in North America (it was available in Europe last year), the Focus has made quite a splash in the economy ranks, already outselling everything but the venerable Honda Civic in the economy car class. Sold in every corner of the world, Ford's Escort replacement won European Car of the Year in 1999 and North American Car of the Year in 2000.

The Focus combines a tall cabin and upright seating to create massive interior room, particularly for rear passengers. Even the three-door hatchback can carry four full-sized adults in relative comfort while still providing adequate storage space for those same four people.

Trim levels range from a base LX Sedan for $12,780 to a top-of-the-line ZTS Sedan for $15,725. A wagon and three-door hatchback are offered as well, but the latter body style almost didn't make it to America because Ford, like so many manufacturers, thinks that Americans and hatchbacks don't mix (a five-door hatchback that is sold in Europe did not make it to our shores). Fortunately, the nimble three-door hatchback successfully hopped "the pond" to arrive as the performance-oriented ZX3. This Focus model comes standard with a powerful 2.0-liter, DOHC four-cylinder engine that makes 130 horsepower and 130 foot-pounds of torque.

To show our appreciation for Ford's boldness in offering the three-door style, and because we think it's the "coolest" Focus model, we've added a ZX3 to our long-term fleet to live with over the next two years. Because of some difficulty locating a model with our preferred options, we decided to order one direct from the factory and load it up with almost every available toy.

After placing the order with Santa Monica Ford, we were told a six-to-eight week wait could be expected. Fifteen weeks later our Autumn Orange Metallic Focus arrived, complete with a dark charcoal cloth interior, five-speed manual transmission, and almost every available option (the Kona Mountain Bike and/or Sony Limited Edition models not withstanding). While we didn't enjoy the 15-week wait, our final price was just $300 over invoice and after a few weeks we've already gained an appreciation for the Focus' roomy interior, peppy engine and stable handling.

Tune in every month for the next two years and we'll keep you updated on how our Focus is aging under the demanding strain of life in West L.A.