The Focus has a clean, modern look. The interior features are easily accessible, and the leather seats are comfortable with eye-pleasing stitching. The center stack looks impressive and the console (though small) has adjustable cup holders.
Inside was surprisingly roomy, more so than some comparable models. There’s more than adequate floor space in the front of the cabin. Although the sport seats were a little tight, the openness of the cabin entry made for a comfortable situation.
The illuminated entry welcomed you to the cabin, making the convenient keyless entry a breeze.
The bucket seats were 6-way manual adjustable while the passenger’s was only 4-way. The 1-touch driver side window, automatic windows and locks, and tilt /telescope steering column added extra personal involvement and convenience to the driver. The steering wheel had audio controls that were simple to operate.
Focus SE’s 60/40 split fold-down seats transform back seat comfort into additional storage. The leg and shoulder room were remarkable, able to accommodate three passengers in the back seat.
Quality sound came from the AM/FM single CD/MP3 with six speakers. The center gauge displayed the temperature, trip computer, and compass.
The 2015 Focus sedan and hatchback have restyled the fascia, hood, and grille. And the rear fascia and rear tail lights are redesigned as well. This new Focus appears better designed and more luxurious than its predecessors. The new LED signature lamps go well with the SE’s sport image.
My favorite outside features were the Easy Fuel capless gas tank and manual-fold power mirrors with integrated blind spot mirror.
The Focus line-up starts with the S (sedan) and SE (sedan and hatchback) trims. The base S sedan carries a price sticker of $17,170, and the SE 5-door hatchback has a reasonable base price of $18,960.
The Titanium model (sedan and hatchback) offers more chrome, leather, power, and intelligent accessories like SYNC with MyFord Touch that interfaces through an 8-inch color LCD touch screen.
The 6-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting, 17-inch aluminum wheels, anti-lock brake system with electronic stability control, rear spoiler, Hill Launch Assist, SiriusXM satellite radio, ambient lighting, and dual-zone automatic temperature control are also included.
Intelligent Access with Push Button Start, Reverse Sensing system, and anti-theft perimeter alarm are more nice-to-have features. It’s a nice upgrade from the SE at a not very expensive price bump of $4,700. Other packages provide cold weather and wheels extras for less than a $1,000.
My Ford Focus SE was colored with Blue Candy metallic tint, complemented by Charcoal Black leather seats and resting on 18-inch aluminum wheels.
The Focus SE got its power from the 2.0 L inline-4 engine that utilized direct injection and Ti-VCT for efficient performance. The 5-speed manual transmission—helps putting down 160 hp at 6,500 rpm and 146 lb-ft of torque at 4,450 rpm.
The 5-speed manual delivers 26-city/36-hwy/30-combined mpg.
Focus transcended smoothly through the gears, as the 55.6-inch shoulder room made the easy shifting more comfortable.
Dallas streets are pothole-covered, but Focus front independent MacPherson strut with stabilizer bar and rear independent control blade added to torque control and helped to mitigate the roughness of the streets.
The 2015 Ford Focus had a “good” IIHS rating in safety for frontal offset, side impact, rear impact, and roof strength. However, the 5-Star US Government ratings for frontal crash, side crash, and rollover were not available.
New Vehicle Limited Warranty
3-year/36,000-mile Bumper to Bumper
5-year/60,000-mile Powertrain
5-year/60,000-mile Safety Restraint System
5-year/Unlimited-mile Corrosion Perforation
Durhl Caussey writes a car column read around the world. He may be reached at this paper or [email protected]
