2011 Ford Focus - Features and Specs Review

via onlineautobrochure.com

Reviewers, in general, have not been all that kind to the 2011 Ford Focus. With a complete refresh of the model on the books for 2012 and the market for small, fuel-efficient cars heating up, the 2011, which carries an MSRP of $16,640 to $19,670, does not stack up all that well against the competition. Even its own sibling, the Ford Fiesta, is considered to be better looking and a more satisfying drive. In general, when you put the Focus next to cars like the Honda Civic and the Nissan Versa, you’re going to see a dated model that returns sluggish acceleration and is, at best, what Autoblog called a “grocery getter.”

For running errands, the Focus performs as well as any car with a 2.0-liter four cylinder is going to perform. Get out on the road, and the noisy 140 horsepower engine, high cabin noise, annoying tire hum, and complete lack of “get up and go” don’t just stand out, they scream out. Gas mileage is okay — 24 mpg in town and 35 mpg on the road. A year ago that would have been outstanding, now, it’s just “good” for this class of automobile.

Inside, the one thing that does make the Focus stand out is the fact that the Sync infotainment system is a standard feature. Otherwise, when you get past the comfortable front seats, the cabin is mildly low grade. Body panels that don’t line up and flaws in the upholstery, especially on the rear bench seat, are fairly common. The head and leg room is good up front and in theory the car seats five, but three people in the back had better know each other really well. The back seat splits and folds, but the 13.8 cubic feet of trunk space when the seats are up is nothing to write home about. Go with the Nissan Versa, which is a better performer on just about all levels, and you get 17.8 cubic feet.

Parents will like the fact that the MyKey system is also a standard feature. This lets the folks program in a top speed, turn the sound system off unless the seatbelts are in use, and basically annoy their kids into better driving behaviors in a variety of ways. The 2011 hasn’t been crash-tested, but the 2010 picked up four stars for driver and front passenger front impact crashes and five stars for side impact. The insurance industry also awarded the 2010 Focus its top rating, “Good,” for front, side, and rear impacts. You get all the standard safety bells and whistles — six airbags, Electronic Stability Control, and anti-lock brakes.

Ford can and has done better. The 2011 Focus can’t even stand up to the in-house competition. It’s not the cheapest out there — the Kia Forte is $2,000 less and is considered one of the best small cars on the road today with a long list of amenities including Bluetooth and satellite radio. Even if you nurse a particular loyalty for Ford, pass on the 2011 Focus. Wait for the model refresh next year or shop outside the box this year.

source http://www.carseek.com/reviews/ford/2011-focus/