2000 Ford Focus Review

The 2000 Focus is Ford's all-new "world car" that will be sold initially concurrently with the Escort. Everything from interior room to performance has been addressed to make this European-engineered compact a winner in the small-car segment.

The 2000 Ford Focus is one of the best small cars your money can buy, if the styling and the seat comfort suit you.

"Smart design and spirited driving" were the guiding forces behind the development of the Focus. Targeted to be the new volume leader in Ford sales worldwide, the Focus is a highly evolved compact car with "New Edge" styling, a roomy interior, and excellent road manners.

Ford offers the Focus in three body styles: a three-door hatchback, a sedan and a wagon. The sedan can be ordered in one of three trim levels, starting with the base LX model and going up to the midlevel SE and highline ZTS trim. Wagons are available in SE trim only while the three-door coupe comes with a standard performance-oriented ZX3 package.

The base drivetrain for LX models is a 2.0-liter, 107-horsepower engine and five-speed manual transmission. This same drivetrain is standard in SE sedans, but ZTS sedans and the ZX3 coupe get a more powerful 130-horsepower, 2.0-liter Zetec engine as standard equipment. The Zetec makes 130 pound-feet of torque at an easily accessible 4,250 rpm. This is more peak torque than a Civic EX or Mazda Protege and more useable peak torque than anything else offered in the subcompact class.

The Focus rides on a four-wheel independent suspension with MacPherson struts up front and stabilizer bars both front and rear (except on the wagon). LX models come standard with 14-inch steel wheels while SE, ZTS and ZX3 models get 15-inch aluminum wheels with 60-series tires. Antilock brakes are standard on the ZTS sedan and optional on the LX, SE, and ZX3 cars.

Besides its cutting-edge style and highly functional interior, the Focus boasts such innovative features as child-safety-seat anchors in the rear outboard seat locations and a glow-in-the-dark rear seat back release to prevent trunk entrapment. All models come with rear defrost, manual seat-height adjustments, a center console and a 60/40 split-folding rear seat with flip-up rear seat cushion.

Ford is serious about retaining its share of the worldwide subcompact market. The Focus reflects not only the company's dedication to this goal, but also its ability to make solid, practical transportation for the 21st century.