Ford Focus – Liz Kim's Opinion:
Sanctimoniousness. Laughable, perhaps, but it's the newest accessory in which to be seen. In this hurricane-addled, record-breaking heat-sapped, global-warmed, “What if Gore was right?” society, only the louche and their minions care about how much horsepower or how many cylinders can be stuffed beneath the massive hood of the gas-guzzling trucks riding on 22-inch wheels. Currently, the cool numbers are about MPG, weeks between fuel ups and how little you're contributing to the grittiness in the air. The 2006 Ford Focus ZX5 SES with its PZEV rating soothes your inner environmentalist, emitting only trace amounts of pollutants.

And it's fun to drive. True to its European compact vehicle heritage, the Ford Focus exhibits a lively character, delivering nimble handling and the tight turning circle necessary for small, crowded streets. Its 136-horsepower 2.0-liter inline four scoots the Focus through traffic with ease, although the four-speed slushbox truly earns its name. Do yourself a favor and get acquainted with a manual; it'll wring more out of the powerplant.

Although it's a likable vehicle, two issues make me hesitant to recommend the Focus. First, the combined fuel economy of 23.3 on our test vehicle is way below what you'd expect for a car in the compact vehicle class. According to EPA numbers, this car should be getting 26 city/32 highway miles. Part of saving the environment is saving fossil fuels, with the added benefit of lowered fuel costs. You won't get that advantage with the Focus, unless you just stepped out of a traditional SUV.

Second, and more important, at $20,000, the value equation becomes suspect. Sure, there are plenty of incentives and rebates for every Ford. But at that price, you don't have to stay in the compact economy car milieu. There are currently 23 vehicles on the market with PZEV engines, and many of those can be purchased for around $20,000. Within the Ford Motor Company, there's the Mazda 3 and 6, and at the higher end, the Volvo S40 and V50. You can go Teutonic with the Volkswagen Rabbit or the Jetta with the 2.5-liter mill. Or you could go mass market with the four-banger versions of the Nissan Altima or the Toyota Camry. Whether or not environmental consciousness is a passing trend remains to be seen, but the increasing choices in pollutant-free transportation can only be a good thing.

Ford Focus – Ron Perry's Opinion:
The Ford Focus has been around a long time but has been overshadowed by big Ford trucks and SUVs. Now that gas prices have escalated, the Focus is coming back into the limelight. Despite its status as an entry-level car, not to mention its age, our ZX5 SES test car surprised me. The build quality inside and out was acceptable; it was comfortable with adequate seating, padded arm rests, and a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel; there were lots of storage areas; and the simple but well designed dash included wisely placed cupholders including bottle holders in the door panels. However, designers failed when it comes to the back seat. The seat backs are split into a 60/40 configuration, but the bottom cushion is one piece and must be raised to fold down the seat backs for any real functionality, making the split seatback virtually useless. The bottom cushions also don't fold flat leaving a big hump to deal with. For passengers, the back seat lacks foot and knee room under normal seating conditions and headrests are non-existent, which brings up a safety question with regard to whiplash protection. Had Ford given the Focus a bit more power and a better designed rear seating area I would give it a thumbs up, but since these flaws are major issues, the Focus gets a thumbs down from this writer.

Photos by Ron Perry