Test drive Ford Focus 4 doors 2001 - 2005 sedan

Focus without tricks

The car assembled in Vsevolozhsk withstood editorial tests

We did not ceremony with him all this month, what can I say. They arranged for him the night under the sky, drove in severe frost, loaded to the eyeballs. In general, all the hardships of such an operation Focus assembled under Peter suffered well. Unless in one especially cold morning I started up immediately. But under the advertising slogan, the quality of Ford is now ready to subscribe to Russia.

There is Trend

Silver Focus hatchback with the weakest in a range of 1.6 liters was taken for two reasons. The first is purely subjective: the author of these lines like the hatchback more than the sedan, simply because it looks better, harmonious. The second reason is a popular engine, as they say, refined specifically taking into account Russian conditions. But with a complete set, Trend was just lucky, rather rich. There are front windows, central locking, hydraulic power, a music center and much more. The final price is 13,500 dollars.

Like any Russian consumer, historically related to all that is produced in my native country, I almost explored the car from the outside and inside with a magnifying glass. I could not identify any flaws: the gaps are perfect, all the details are driven for sure. As the dog breeders say, the color is even, without plug, in full accordance with the requirements. What, in general, should have expected.

But all the same, I got inside, as if for the first time, noting that Focus is quite modern, the salon is functional. Personally, I, perhaps, do not have enough adjustment of the driver's seat in height. But the shape of the seats is successful, and the landing as a whole is convenient. Mirrors are equipped with electric drives and heating. The standard audio system sounds pretty good. The front -line windows control buttons are placed on the doors and the driver’s glass with one press can completely go down, does not rise the same. The windshield is equipped with heated, that in the conditions of our winter, the thing pressed the button very useful, and literally in a minute you can turn on the wipers, all the ice or snow has already melted. Only now, you need to get used to the wash of the windshield. The fact is that if you pull the lever as usual on yourself, the fifth door wiper will turn on. The purification of the windshield is in charge of the button in the end of the right lever. It is basically convenient to use it, but again you need dexterity. The engine (in the salon on idle is not heard) does not warm up for long, and warm air begins to enter the salon quickly. The stove itself works excellently, and after about twenty minutes you have to translate the temperature controller closer to the blue zone otherwise in the cabin will be like in the steam room.

In frost, on ice

Now immediately about an unpleasant surprise that Focus presented with one student (it was minus 25 degrees) in the morning: he had to revive him for twenty minutes. In the end, when I was seriously worried about the battery, he started up, erupting the exhaust with a strong smell of gasoline from the exhaust pipe and at first made some kind of metal sound. Perhaps it was necessary to immediately check the oil level, but it was very cold, and the hood of this car opens with a key. One way or another, but on the next, no less cold morning, the Focus engine managed to launch on the second attempt, and henceforth there were no problems with this.

The average fuel consumption during my rather aggressive driving was a little more than 10 liters of 95th gasoline per 100 kilometers. You can pour the 92nd, but then you will lose in dynamics. And I don’t want this, because Focus is created for rapid movement and is able to give pleasure from driving. The adhesion pedal move is quite short, and although the feedback is not too obvious, you quickly get used to it. But the stroke of the gearbox and the transfers algorithm were simply delighted. I did not expect such clarity and selectivity. Moreover, the lever is located very conveniently, the distance from the steering wheel to it allows you to not waste time, quickly moving from one gear to another. The main thing is that if you want to accelerate quickly, keep the engine speed of at least 3000, otherwise the car pulls, let's say, without joy.

Especially we should say about the rear, steering suspension. She is as good as it is insidious. In ordinary life, that is, with a calm ride, it is not worth thinking about it. But with a tendency to extreme driving, you should know that the suspension is able to keep the road very well, but if the food has gone in ski, it is very difficult to catch the car. Here is an example. I enter the turn, without releasing the accelerator pedal, the car seems to stick to the asphalt. Even faster, and on slippery coating is the demolition of the front axle. What will a normal driver do? He will release gas. And then he will receive the demolition of the stern. We will have to actively work with the steering wheel and gas to put the car into the desired trajectory.

I happened to manage Focus on a racing highway near Barcelona during the tests of new tires. So, on wet or even on dry asphalt, the situation can also be very alarming. Yes, the speed with which the car is capable of passing a turn is significantly higher than that of most competitors. But at the same time, it is extremely difficult to predict the moment when the suspension seems to be broken and the demolition begins, and not the front, but at first the rear axle. After that, I repeat once again, catching the car is very difficult. Therefore, a simple advice: do not strive to find the limit of the capabilities of Focus, and, in any case, do not do this on public roads. And it should also be remembered that the brakes of Focus are excellent, but ABS is not.

And I speak in detail about this because, without a doubt, there will be more and more cars from Vsevolozhsk on our roads. And in my opinion, there should be less emergency situations. Ford Focus is quite capable of providing a comfortable and trouble -free riding.

And the last. One of the journalists of AI acquired Focus with a 1.8 -liter engine for personal use. I think he will not mind if the newspaper will from time to time inform the readers about the well -being of the car and real expenses for its maintenance.

Andrey Osipov

Brief technical characteristics of Ford Focus 1.6
Engine volume, cubic meter. See: 1597
Number of valves per cylinder: 2
Power, l. With. at about./min.: 100/5500
Max. Torque, Nm/at about. min.: 140/4300
Acceleration to 100 km/h, p.: 12.8
Maximum speed, km/h: 180
Average fuel consumption l./100 km.: 7.0
Fuel tank volume, l.: 55
Dimensions, mm.: 4152x1702x1460
 

A source: Newspaper "Automobile Izvestia" [No. 4 (28), 2003]