Focus on the basics

2009 Ford Focus

For 2009, Ford puts a lot of thought into the Focus.

The Focus, available for just about a decade now, offers the sedan in four trim levels and the coupe is available in two

The coupe gets a new look on the outside, though it was just introduced last year.

Now, you can get heated leather seats standard on the more plush SEL trim sedan and optional on the trim level below . And Ford finally added stability control to the options list.

If you do a little research, you’ll find the Ford Focus finishes a respectable third in the small sedan segment. I was surprised it’s numbers were so close to some of the more popular Japanese models.

There’s only one engine available on the 2009 Ford Focus. A 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder powerplant offers up 140 hp and 136 pound-feet of torque.

The standard transmission found on all Focus trim levels is a five-speed manual. A four-speed automatic is available as an option.

Fuel economy for the Ford Focus is rated at 24 mpg city/35 mpg highway and 28 mpg combined for the manual transmission. Opting for the automatic drops the highway estimate to 33 mpg, which is about what I got on the automatic transmission model I test drove.

Last year Ford gave a slight makeover to the interior of the Focus and that carries over this year. It looks modern and sleek and isn’t a lot different from an Altima or a Camry.

All materials felt substantial and there seemed to be a lot of shiny silver everywhere.

One thing that stands out in the Focus is Ford’s Sync system.

It’s basically a hands-free voice-recognition interface, the Microsoft-developed Sync adds Bluetooth functionality to the Focus but requires fewer steps than what you can find in some competing vehicles. You don’t have to save voice tags or build lists of phone numbers, as Sync accesses your device’s phone book wirelessly. It offers similar control for the iPod, Zune and other PlaysForSure portable MP3 players. It’s a hit with the young technically-savvy crowd.

I really liked driving the Ford Focus and was sorry to see it go after a week. Driving was enjoyable and rides were quieter than I expected.

The base price for my Focus SES was $17,570. There were some options added on, like the anti-lock braking system (should be standard) and the moonroof and upgraded stereo package that bumped the final price to $20,615.

The Focus offers a lot of car for the $20,000 mark and should be considered when looking at small sedans.