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2001 Ford Focus - More Stability For an Already Stable Car
Hello, and welcome to Focus-Testers-R-Us. Are you interested in reading a review about a Ford Focus? Well you've certainly come to the right place. Grab a shopping basket; there's plenty to look at.
Over in aisle one, we have an Economy Sedan Comparison Test that included a Focus SE. Did you know that the Focus finished second out of nine cars? In aisle six, we have a short review of a Focus SE Wagon. Next to the Furbies on the top shelf, there's a very positive road test of a ZX3 Hatchback. Further up the aisle, we have an ongoing long-term test of our spunky ZX3 Hatchback. Ooh! And look at this! We just got this yesterday; here's a Spin Around Town of a 2001 Focus ZTS!
As you can see, we've certainly spent a considerable amount of time in Ford's economy sedan. This is even more surprising, considering that the car has only been on sale since the summer of 1999. Fortunately, we're rather fond of the Focus and consider it to be one of the better vehicles in its class.
Ford made a few changes for the 2001 model year. Raising the bar for compact vehicles, Ford is offering its stability system -- called AdvanceTrac -- on ZTS Sedans and ZX3 Hatchbacks. Ford has also made previously optional features standard equipment. Highlights include a driver's armrest on every model except LX and power windows on SE Sedans and Wagons. SE Wagons also get the 130-horsepower engine as standard and can be ordered with a manual transmission. A new manual moonroof is offered on the ZX3 and new 16-inch wheels are standard on ZTS Sedans and optional on ZX3 Coupes.
Since we consider AdvanceTrac to be a very rare feature for an economy sedan to have, we decided to punt around a ZTS Sedan for a week to evaluate the system as well as confirm our earlier opinions about the car in general.
AdvanceTrac first appeared on the 2000 Lincoln LS, making the Focus the second vehicle to receive the stability system (it will also be released soon on the Windstar minivan). As a $1,225 option, it is designed to improve stability when the vehicle is cornering and reaching the limits of tire adhesion. The system is always on unless the on/off button near the e-brake handle is pushed.
AdvanceTrac works in conjunction with the ABS and traction control. Special sensors monitor driver inputs (steering, throttle and brakes) and the vehicle's resulting responses. The goal is to increase the safety of the vehicle by minimizing the chance of dangerous spins or skids.
If oversteer or understeer are detected, AdvanceTrac attempts to correct the situation by applying the brakes at one or more wheels. Oversteer is what happens when the rear of the vehicle is rotating faster than the front during cornering. If you can recall the TV show Dukes of Hazzard, you're probably familiar with the General Lee's constant tail-out cornering. While this looks cool for TV, it can quickly lead to a spin. If the General Lee had AdvanceTrac, the system would apply brake force to the outside front wheel to help keep the General on the desired path. If the vehicle is understeering (the car isn't rotating as fast as the driver intended) brake force is applied to the inside front brake, thereby allowing Bo and Luke to complete their quest to find Daisy an even more revealing pair of cutoff jeans.
AdvanceTrac is most beneficial on wet, snowy or icy roads. But it can also aid the driver during emergency maneuvers. We took the Focus to our closed-course testing track (don't you wish you had your own closed-course testing track?) to find out if AdvanceTrac really works. Our plan was simple: drive like a complete doofus and see how well the system reacted.
We can pretty much say that it worked as advertised. As soon as we would try to provoke a spin or skid, AdvanceTrac would activate by applying a quick burst of braking force to the proper wheel. Some stability systems we've encountered engage too early, in our opinion, and can neuter any sort of handling fun. The system on the Focus seemed to be tuned just about right, allowing our drivers to have some thrills without any spills.
If AdvanceTrac were to save you from just one accident or fender bender, it would probably more than pay for itself. So from this aspect, we recommend purchasing the system if you have the additional budget to do so. But be aware that the system isn't above the laws of physics. If you're driving at 90 mph and suddenly start sawing at the wheel, only the good Lord will be there to save you.
While we were at the track, we also performed our usual battery of instrumented tests. This particular car was faster than the Zetec-equipped Focus SE we had in the Economy Sedan Comparison Test. The ZTS went from zero to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds while the SE did it in 9.7 seconds. The quarter-mile time was also quicker -- 16.9 seconds. Still, these acceleration numbers are average for a manual-transmission car with 130 horsepower. A 2001 Honda Civic Sedan we recently tested did an 8.4-second 60-mph sprint.
Beyond that, we found this Focus to contain all of the positive attributes that we've enjoyed in previous tests. The interior is roomy with nice materials and logical control placement. Once on the move, the Focus provides a fantastic combination of steering response, suspension tuning and solid brake feel. The suspension offers a compliant and pleasurable ride. There is a lot of body roll that goes along with this, however, and some members of our staff feel the car is too "tippy." But those who push the car closer to its limits will realize that it is very predictable and stable.
The Focus leaves little room for complaints. The number of recalls should be noted, and they indicate that the car probably won't match Honda's and Toyota's record for reliability. And there's still that issue of the love-it or hate-it styling. But that's about it. When everything is considered -- price, safety, driving enjoyment and feature content -- we have no problem recommending this car to anybody shopping for a new economy sedan.
Text Source: Edmunds.com : By Brent Romans
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