03.14Ford Focus ZX5
Ford Focus – Driving Impressions: What’s the point of doing a story about the Ford Focus, a car that is seven years old and sitting, unloved, in the shadows of hot new models like the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, and Toyota Yaris? We think it’s an overlooked gem, a fun, functional, and frugal car, and an undeniable bargain that meets the needs of the times. Plus, like popular hybrid models that cost thousands more, the Focus gets good gas mileage by the EPA’s standards, carries a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) rating in California and New England, posts decent crash worthiness and reliability scores, and deserves your consideration. That’s why. And if you look in this Sunday’s newspaper, you’ll find that dealers are blowing these cars out the door for thousands off the sticker price. Good thing, considering our fully loaded 2006 Ford Focus ZX5 SES test car carried a sticker price of $20,000, including the $545 destination charge. But our vehicle was the top-line trim level with lots of goodies; most Ford Focuses sell for well below that figure.
