2009 Ford Focus

As they say, timing is everything. When Ford redesigned its compact Focus for the 2008 model year, it was right before $4 a gallon gasoline became an American reality. Buyers, especially younger buyers, looking for a smartly packaged, affordable car with good economy, and the latest in hi-tech goodies, beat a path to the Focus. Now, for 2009, Ford has tweaked its zippy little winner to further sharpen its appeal.

With fuel prices having waned, small cars must work harder than ever to win over prospective buyers. This situation hasn’t been lost at Ford. Despite undergoing a big redo about 18 months ago, the 2009 Ford Focus features a fistful of improvements with that exact goal in mind. In addition, designers worked overtime to make the coupe version more distinctive than the sedan.  The Focus Coupe’s sportier look is defined by a revised front fascia with a darker chrome grille and matching headlight accents.  Down below is a larger, more open intake with well integrated fog lamps, which are now standard.

The back-end has also been tweaked for a more athletic appearance, with a flat roof-mounted spoiler (the kind you used to see on Japanese sport coupes) now standard on our car’s uplevel SES trim.  SES also brings with it new chrome 17-inch alloy wheels. As for the Focus Sedan, there is a new, more upscale SEL trim. It’s targeted at those who want to downsize but still require a premium level of fitment.

Under all Focus hoods is a carryover 2.0-liter inline-four rated at 140 horsepower and 136 pound-feet of torque when paired with a four-speed automatic. This transmission has a new final drive ratio for quicker acceleration on the SES Coupe.  The coupe also gains three extra horses - to 143 - when it’s equipped with our car’s five-speed manual.

The top tier SES Coupe also gets your attention with a throatier new sport-tuned exhaust, and it’s not totally just for show. Our Focus SES was quite peppy off the line, and quicker than we remember, while still economy car conservative. 0 to 60 is a respectable 8.1 seconds, with a more labored quarter-mile of 16.3 seconds at 88 miles-per-hour.  Shifts, however, were nicely firm and precise for a domestic manual gearbox.

But it’s this car’s focus on the environment that continues to impress.  Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 24 city/35 highway with a manual, while Focus owners say they’re getting 31.7 miles-per-gallon of regular in real-world driving.

The Focus has a modest Energy Impact Score of 12.2 barrels of oil consumed per year, and an earth-friendly Carbon Footprint of just 6.6 annual tons of CO2.  There’s even a Partial Zero Emissions version of the Focus for California emission states.

For a compact commuter, the Focus is a capable driver.  Sure, it’s tuned a little soft to handle potholes, but it still has easy turn-ins and delivers adequate confidence in corners. New suspension tuning exclusive to our SES certainly helps in this area, as does Electronic Stability Control, which is now available across the lineup. Four-channel ABS brakes resulted in stops that were stable and fade-free, but averaged on the long side at 133 feet.  We did experience a slight jerkiness during some hard stops.

Within, the Focus cabin retains its clean and orderly appearance.  The instrument layout is upscale-Euro, all the way up to its dash-top status screen.  Gauges strive for a Mustang theme.

Seats are well-padded and lean toward sporty.  Leather and heat were optional on our tester, but come standard on the new, more refined SEL Sedan. At the command position, our car featured a leather wrapped steering wheel with cruise and audio controls.

For hands-free use of personal digital devices such as iPods and cell phones, the Ford Sync voice-command system is standard with SES trim.  Along with a power moon roof, a 6-CD stereo is available with the aptly-named Moon and Tune Value Package. While six standard airbags spell safety for occupants. The Coupe’s back seat was okay on space, but a little clumsy on access, although split folding seatbacks help to expand an already large 13.8 cubic foot trunk.

Price wise, the Focus is a practical choice for most budgets.  The entry level S sedan starts at $16,215, while the SE coupe stickers for $17,095. Our SES Coupe begins at $18,560.

The 2009 Ford Focus remains a solid small car option, but takes this premise to the next step.  The coupe now benefits from a little extra show, on the surface and under the hood, while the sedan ups the ante in higher-end appeal.  The result is a far better than average commuter package, and one that we bet will be the focus of even more smart consumers in the future.