2007 Ford Focus
 
Investment worthy economy car from Ford
Ford has positioned the Focus as being very upscale and aspirational. The Focus was first introduced in 1998 in Europe. In 2000 Ford brought forth its compact car with 'New Edge' styling, roomy interiors and impeccable road manners in America. It earned Edmunds' Most Wanted awards in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. The Focus's 2000 and 2001 models faced a couple of rough years with a large number of recalls owing to quality problems. Most nagging issues have since been fixed and the Focus is now an investment-worthy-economy-car.

It had extensive interior and exterior upgrades for 2005 with added power. It has been designed as a 'world car' with a global appeal. The Focus offers plenty of road-feel with its sharp steering and tight suspension. It is a great car for stop-and-go city driving because the engine serves up ample power despite featuring a standard four-cylinder engine. The economical and practical Focus 3-door Hatchback is a sporty, roomy and 'fun-to-drive' hatchback. The Focus 4-door Sedan ferries people efficiently. The Focus 4-door Sedan ST, Focus 5-door Hatchback, and the Focus Wagon are its other variants.

This Ford is one of the most fun-to-drive cars with maximum passenger capacity and tons of cargo space. Furthermore Ford brags an extra-long powertrain warranty of five years or 100,000 miles and a basic warranty of 36 months and 36,000 miles. For 2007 the Focus brings in two new exterior colors and a sporty body-colored decklid spoiler in the Street Appearance Package I. The interior features a sporty new look too with sports seats that feature leather seating surfaces and contrasting leather inserts ( available in the new Interior Upgrade package on the ST sedan and SE and SES models).

MP3 compatible CD players are now standard, while the optional 6-disc CD and MP3 player come with audio controls on the steering wheel. The ST sedan and all SE and SES sedans and hatchbacks offer the Street Appearance Package that comes with a unique exterior trim and a polished exhaust outlet.
Great fuel economy and a choice of three engines
 
The Ford Focus comes in four body styles: a 3-door hatchback, a 4-door sedan, a 4-door hatchback and a wagon. The hatchbacks and sedan come in three basic trim levels- S, SE and SES while the wagon is available in SE and SES trims only. The ST sedan is available for buyers seeking a sportier sedan.

The standard drivetrain for the 3-door Hatchback, 4-door Sedan, 5-door Hatchback and the Wagon is a 2.0 liter (L) four-cylinder 136 horsepower (hp) engine (130 in California emissions states) with a torque of 136 pound-feet (lb-ft) for the 136 hp engine (129 lb-ft for the 130 hp engines). It features a standard 5-speed manual transmission and an optional 4-speed automatic. EPA estimated fuel economy amounts to 27/37 mpg (city/highway) for the MT.

The ST sedan features a 2.3L four-cylinder, 151 hp engine with a torque of 154 lb-ft and serves up a mileage of 23 /32 mpg (city/highway).
 
Recontoured body style renders a more substantial look
Bold styling cues on the Focus render a stronger-substantial look. Its exteriors are inspired by the Ford Five Hundred - the company's flagship sedan. The hood and fenders flow gently giving it a refined look while creating a better sight line of the edge of the car for easier parking. Front fenders are redesigned to merge into conventional-looking headlights.

It was given a restyled nose, a new hood and a slightly larger grille in the preceding model year. The sweeping arcs and crisp creases have stayed the same. The rear end features slick taillights that were recontoured to accommodate U.S. license plates better. The larger grille has a diamond pattern ringed in chrome.

The optional Street Appearance Package has a more aggressive and customized look. Adding to the look of a tuner car are an assemblage of unique features; an upbeat front/rear fascia and spoiler, foglamps and lower air deflector.
 
Uncluttered and refined interior space with easy to use instrumentation
 
The Focus’ interior was revamped in 2005 and given a traditional - uncluttered look. It features a symmetrical instrument panel with the driver and front passenger areas divided by two rectangular climate control registers, hazard switch and a shallow center stack for the climate and audio control systems.

The base S Focus has a standard split-folding rear seat, AM/FM/CD sound system, intermittent wipers, rear defroster and rear wiper-washer for the hatchback. Storage is provided in the front doors that feature molded-in bottle holders. A CD player with MP3 capability is standard on all models. Models that have an optional six-disc CD changer feature audio controls on the steering wheel. The Focus is pretty roomy with supportive front seats, there's excellent head room in the front and rear compartments. It features easy-to-read instrumentation and simple controls.
 
Spirited driving dynamics
The Focus features the 2.0L 4-cylinder 136 hp engine, (the same as the one used in the Mazda 6 and Ford Escape), which is the base engine for most of the trims. The ST is the most fun-to-drive of all the trims. It borrows the front struts and rear shocks (that are 50 percent stiffer than the ones on the SE and SES versions) from the European-market Focus and the 2004 Focus SVT, making it more performance oriented. The only hitch is the drone of the engine which is loud even at highway speeds.

A well-developed chassis with an all-independent suspension offers spirited driving dynamics. It delivers a nimble handling response, precise steering, a compliant ride as well as great braking and pedal feel.

The Focus offers a smooth ride across trims. The 5-speed MT offers seamless shifts and works with a nice clutch. Extra torque on the ST engine makes lots of shifting unnecessary.
 
Ford offers all basic safety features
Standard safety features include; driver/front passenger safety belt pretensioners and height adjustable D-rings, a front row passenger seat Occupant Classification System, LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), a “Safety cell” unitized body construction, a safety belt restraint system—driver and front passenger safety belt pretensioners and height adjustable D-rings, and dual stage driver and front passenger airbags.

Optional safety equipment includes: side-impact airbags, antilock brakes and traction control.