- 166,144
- High Point, NC
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- autoshopper.com
2005 ford focus review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Ford is making a big deal of the revamping of its small car, the 2005 focus. Designers made more changes on the inside, rendering a more traditional look than before. but the biggest news is under the hood where the engine line-up has been revised. Among them is a super-clean, 130-horsepower engine that's more powerful and slightly more fuel efficient; it qualifies as a partial zero emissions vehicle in california, new york, massachusetts, vermont and maine. A new 136-horsepower engine is more powerful than last year's powerplant. despite the makeover, the ford focus remains inexpensive, stylish, practical and fun. The sedans are comfortable and move people efficiently. The three-door hatchback proves to be economical and practical yet sporty and fun. The five-door hatchback makes it easier for rear-seat passengers to join in the merriment. The wagons can carry a ton of cargo. we found the sporty zx4 st fun to drive, if a bit noisy. It delivered strong acceleration from its 151-horsepower engine with sharp handling and precise steering from its sports suspension. Optional on all models are anti-lock brakes and side-impact airbags 350). Its styling at the time was fresh and innovative. While ford designers describe its new look as more refined and grown-up, it continues with same general theme of sweeping arcs and crisp creases that we've grown accustomed to. It takes a sharp eye to distinguish the subtle changes from the old one to the new one, however. designers say they styled the front to have hints of the ford five hundred, the company's upcoming flagship sedan. Its hood and fenders fall away less sharply than the original to make the car look more substantial and to create a better sight line of the edge of the car for easier parking. the most noticeable change is the larger grille with the diamond pattern ringed in chrome. Other new details include reshaped headlamps with clear lenses and a new fascia that incorporates a wide lower air intake, and new round fog lamps. The sedan has new taillamps and rear bumper fascia. All focus models have a hood made of harder steel and fascias made of thicker plastics to ward off dents and dings. interiordesigners made more changes on the inside than the outside. It retains its roomy interior space for its compact size and high roofline for headroom. the previous dash consisted of a collection of arcs, a theme that reinforced the exterior design, and an instrument panel covered by an asymmetrically curved and sharply creased bezel. Those shapes are mostly gone in exchange for a more traditional look. The instrument panel was re-styled to be less cluttered. A monochrome charcoal is offered on the zx4 st, zx3 and zx5. All models but the zx4 st also come with a two-tone flint interior. The zx4 and zx2 can be ordered with a two-tone pebble interior. on two-tone models, the lower portions of the instrument panel and door trim panels are finished in a lighter shade for a more open feeling. Cloth and leather upholstery are offered. The zx4 st has unique woven fabrics or suede seating surfaces surrounded with leather trim. a standard floor console houses the shifter, two cupholders, the parking brake, and controls for options such as traction control. An overhead console includes a sunglasses holder and a space for a garage door opener. More storage is provided in the front doors, which also have a molded-in holder for cups and bottles. driving impressionsince it was introduced, the ford focus has been praised for its spirited driving dynamics, particularly for a small car. It has made a number of 'best' lists for its driving characteristics. To that end, john sidelko, focus chief engineer, said his group looked at what customers liked about the focus, enhancing those a bit, and what they complained about, fixing those. indeed, the biggest news on the focus is under its hood. More important, it puts out much lower emissions so it meets pzev (partial zero emissions vehicle) standards. It gets an epa-rated 23/32 mpg. It is paired only with a five-speed manual transmission. The shifter is a new one and is more precise in locking into gear than the one it replaces. the higher horsepower engine was the one in the tested focus zx4 st. Indeed, it delivers strong acceleration from a dead stop and easily cruised to passing speeds on the highway. The only complaint with the engine was noise. Despite efforts by ford engineers to quiet the cabin, the zx4 st was excessively loud with engine noise even cruising at highway speeds. ford borrowed pieces of the suspension from the european-sold focus and the 2004 focus svt to make the zx4 st more performance oriented than the other models. It borrows the front struts and rear shocks from those models, and they are 50 percent stiffer than the ones on the se and ses versions. The zx4 st also has its own distinctive 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels and pirelli all-season radials. The package provides sharp handling response, precise steering and generally an enjoyable connection with the road. Indeed, the focus, at least in this version, remains one of the most fun cars in the class to drive. summarydespite its makeover, the ford focus remains inexpensive, stylish, practical and fun. New engines increase power and efficiency, while new interiors and subtle styling revisions freshen its appearance. it also appears ford has fixed the major problem with the focus: its quality. Those problems forced ford to insti. Anti-lock Brakes✔ Power Mirrors✔ Tachometer✔ Power Windows✔ AM/FM✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Air Conditioning✔ Climate Control✔ Alloy Wheels
High Point, NCHigh Point, NC at autoshopper.com