Affordable fun: 2009 Ford Focus

Cars

By Connie Keane, Motor Matters

Last update: January 23, 2009 - 10:52 AM

A fun car that offers good gas mileage is what everybody needs a little of right now. The 2009 Ford Focus coupe has big strengths and a right price.

The coupe version of the Focus, previously offered only in a sedan, is a new introduction for the 2009 model year. While the Focus sedan has practical purposes typical of its class type, the Focus coupe is sporty with a zest for fun. I could tell right away the Focus SES coupe tester would be a pleasure to drive by the wheels it was sporting. The SES was shod with 17-inch tires and Euro Flange 15-spoke aluminum wheels painted dark chrome.

The compact SES tester, with a base price of $17,570, is at the premium end of the coupe offerings. The Focus SE starts at $16,875. The uplevel SES has a track-inspired overall exterior appearance. It's dressed with halogen headlights, fog lamps, a high-mounted spoiler integrated into the roof, chrome exhaust tips, and for even sportier exterior contrasting compared to its sedan sibling, the coupe's chrome accents are darkened around the grille and headlight assembly.

Of course, any car that has a sporty nature will be equipped with a manual transmission, which surely suits driving enthusiasts. The five-speed manual in my SES tester behaved with sport-oriented muscle. It was slightly notchy moving through the gears, but not resistant or difficult. A four-speed automatic transmission is available.

Powering this front-wheel drive, five-passenger coupe is a 16-valve, 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine. The I-4 generates a horsepower rating of 143 at 6,000 rpm. The Focus SES has standard cloth seating, but as optional equipment, the tester was fitted with leather/heated seats for $810. Another optional feature on the SES test model was an anti-lock braking system/electronic stability control program at $745. Ford also offers a $1,270 "Moon & Tune" package, which includes the moonroof, MP3 player and six-disc CD audio system. Ford was offering a $475 reduction on this package on my tester. Standard on the Focus SES is Ford's SYNC technology. SYNC is a vehicle-integrated, voice-command, Bluetooth and digital entertainment system.

In side-impact crash testing the Focus is rated three stars and five stars in frontal crash tests. It is noteworthy that the Ford Focus was found to be significantly less expensive to repair than 19 other small cars according to bumper crash tests results by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The tests showed that the Focus's bumpers better protected the sheet metal and surrounding lighting assemblies than many models.

EPA fuel economy: City: 23, Highway: 35

Base MSRP: $17,570

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