Test Drive: Ford Focus SES will leave a smile on your face
— -- OK, so you're Ford Motor, with this new model selling just about as planned — no mean feat in today's economy — and you decide: Hey, let's spend money jazzing it up just a year after launch.
That's their story about the 2009 Focus coupe, and Ford gives every indication of sticking to it.
It's either amazing corporate agility in responding to consumers, or an admission Ford F didn't get it right the first time. "Customers were asking for sportier," says Sam De La Garza, Focus marketing manager.
And you can see why. The 2008 Focus coupe was really just a two-door sedan. Nice enough car. Not a sporty persona at all.
So the '09 two-door got a new schnoz and rump Ford hopes gives it a "Euro" look. The real deal, though, is the SES version, rather than the base SE.
In addition to the nose-and-keister tweaks, the SES also got a roof-mounted spoiler which, one time in a million, actually improves the looks instead of detracting. It also got bigger wheels and tires and a slightly stiffer suspension.
Manual-transmission models have a revised exhaust system that delivers an attractive, husky whisper and three more horsepower (143 hp vs. 140). The automatic version gets no additional ponies, but has a final-drive gear ratio that's acceleration-oriented. It's supposed to make it quicker off the mark — at no sacrifice in fuel economy, Ford says — so it might feel more powerful.
Only the SES manual was tested. And tested. And tested. Ford's motor pool guys had to ask around to find the car and the keys to get it back. And if we'd have recognized their number on Caller ID a tick sooner, they'd still be looking for it.
Weeks later, the just-so feel of the manual shift gear knob still makes the palm itch. The tight, snappy feel of the gearshift moving among the gears remains a pleasant muscle memory. The soft, green illumination inside the car and well-executed controls leave a pleasant reminder that lower price needn't mean low-class.
If you have the clear space to drive it like you stole it, the Focus SES coupe will be your fast friend, and you will be its buddy for life.
The fun part is that such affinity is based on balance — a trait that often engenders respect, but seldom ignites passion. The Focus SES coupe is not great at anything, but solid good at everything.
The engine's modest power seems right for the chassis. The grin-producing handling agility comes without delivering a thump to your rump.
The test car — decked out with leather, sunroof, upgraded stereo — was a not-so-cheap $20,090. The options included $725 for anti-lock brakes and stability control (safety features that should be standard by now; can you imagine charging extra for safety belts?).
For the dough, you got a premium-level small car with high-end fun, upscale ambiance inside and front-seat comfort. Back's too tight and, typical for two-doors, awkward to reach.
Roofline's high enough that you don't bump your head, even when clambering into the back.
If want a four-door Focus that feels the same to drive, tough. The SES sedan isn't like the SES coupe. That's unfortunate. BMW long ago proved that four-door cars can raise your heart rate without sacrificing sex appeal.
The test car had an irritant the auto industry was supposed to have exorcised: misaligned trim. The horizontal crease across the center piece of the instrument panel didn't line up perfectly with the same creases on panels to either side.
Those attracted to the SES coupe because of its sporty nature might grumble over the old-fashioned drum brakes on the rear wheels.
That's more a theoretical than practical drawback. Hard braking shifts the car's weight forward onto the front wheels, which have disc brakes that better withstand heat from hard use or repeated stops. Still, nice, open-spoke alloy wheels make it embarrassingly easy to see you have drums in back.
If you dread getting another competent, affordable small car but don't want to overreact and buy a high-strung mount aimed at boy- and girl-racer types, you could find the Focus SES coupe at the sweet spot in the middle.
ABOUT THE NEW FORD FOCUS
• What? Sporty version of the freshened coupe; two-door, front-wheel-drive small car.
• When? On sale since September 2008.
• Where? Built at Wayne, Mich.
• Why? First try at sporty version of coupe, the '08 model, was a tad dorky, turning off the hipper buyers Ford wants.
• How? New grille and tail, bigger wheels, roof-mounted spoiler, engine and suspension changes.
• How much? SES starts at $18,560 (manual transmission); less-sporty SE coupe: $16,875.
• How powerful? 2-liter, four-cylinder rated 143 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 136 pounds-feet at 4,250 rpm (five-speed manual transmission) or 140 hp, 136 lbs.-ft. (four-speed automatic).
• How fancy? Read all about it: www.ford.com.
• How big? Similar footprint to Honda Civic coupe, but more passenger and cargo space. Focus coupe is 175 inches long, 67.9 in. wide, 58.6 in. tall on a 102.9-in wheelbase.
Weighs 2,588 lbs. (manual), 2,617 lbs. (automatic). Passenger space: 93.3 cubic feet; trunk, 13.8 cu. ft. Turning circle diameter: 36.5 feet curb-to-curb. Don't tow, Ford says.
• How thirsty? Manual transmission is rated 24 miles per gallon in town, 35 on the highway, 28 combined; automatic: 24/33/27. Manual test car got 20.4 mpg in enthusiastic suburban driving.
Uses regular. Tank holds 13 gallons.
• Overall:A joy.