The 2001 FORD FOCUS- Times are weary for the popular compact sedan. People are having families earlier, and they need to the room and safety that comes with a fairly decent sized car. However, since an infinite flow of cash isn't common for most of the population, buyers are forced to find a large-sedan package in a compact sedan price. The answer: the award winning Ford Focus. With a great first year behind it, plus esteemed accolades, i.e. Motor Trend Car of the Year, this car proves it'll be around for a while, and the public won't stop buying..

The Focus is being built the current Escort line at the Wayne, Michigan, assembly plant. But what hasn't been addressed is whether it will merely take the place of Ford's entry-level model and its Mercury Tracer cousin.

It might be a recast into the more expensive Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique market slots. Don't be surprised if it does compete with its Contour cousin, as it exemplifies the many big-car features and roadgoing refinement evidenced by the bigger Fords. FYI, the Focus' euro-trim counterpart is offered with upmarket features like traction control, side-impact airbags, stability control, and even a traveler's aid system that utilizes a GPS package and a cell phone. But from a pricing standpoint, Ford feels it wouldn't sell that well on our shores, so you're looking at a move to Europe for all the goodies. Variants include a traditional four-door sedan, a sleek four-door wagon, and an edgy three-door hatchback. But there's a five-door hatch variant that may also make the leap across the pond. A customer survey failed to express a clear consensus, however the four-door holds more than 60% of the sales.

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The Focus, at the very least, is a solid car: Motoring over smooth, twisty roads prove for a very nimble and confident ride, more like an expensive sedan with sport coupe heritage. These highly desirable traits come courtesy of it's extremely rigid unibody coupled with well-isolated subframes that mount low-friction MacPherson struts up front and a coil-sprung multilink axle in back. Rough and bumpy mid-city driving gives the driver a feeling of safety and control, while maintaining the aspect of a fun one has become accustomed to from a front-wheel drive sedan. Ford has applied its rack-and-pinion know-how and made some friction reducing tweaks to sharpen the communication between the driver and the tires. Ingenious ratios and settings allows minimal kick-back while providing precise lane positioning with no fuss. Another plus is the virtual elimination of torque steer, the usual curse that accompanies small, powerful front-drivers .

An all-aluminum 2.0-liter/130-horsepower DOHC mated through a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic will power this lightweight, Via the manual, the quickest Focus should hit 60 mph in about 9 seconds. Ford, no stranger to the growing popularity of SUV's, recognizes the importance of safety in today's smaller cars. Ford equipped the Focus with front airbags, side-impact airbags, side-door beams, and reinforced seat backs that protect passengers from rear impacts. U.S. models are stopped via front and rear discs paired with four-channel ABS.

The interior also provides excellent comfort and usability, Firm supportive seats, highly legible instruments, Ford's traditional perfect ergonomics, and large vents all combine for a very driver-friendly environment. A 4.5-inch increase in wheelbase endow the Focus with a very roomy interior, expanding both leg and head room and There is an overall higher level of elegance and grace tan we've come to expect for a vehicle this size, which should appeal to drivers who need to get from A to B without spending too much money and want people to know that their sensible and practicality outweighs their eccentrism and extravagantness.

The new Focus, virtually unchanged from last year: It has raised the benchmark of what compact means. And with competitors such as the new Nissan Sentra and Toyota Echo, Ford stands to stake its claim as a rival in the compact+ segment. Whatever the outcome, Ford's new Focus stands as a first-rate exercise in technology, eminently capable of pleasing a wide range of potential buyers. AZ/AutoNetDirect.com

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