Ford Focus: 35 MPG Under $15K

Do you doubt the domestic auto industry's ability to build a solid economy car ... particularly one with impeccably green credentials? Consider this: The redesigned 2008 Ford Focus is a serious contender in the green car arena that will go toe-to-toe with the world's best small cars and in many bouts, come out on top.

The Focus, you see, delivers surprisingly good fuel efficiency and super-clean tailpipe emissions. Ford delivers the Focus as a Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) in a growing number of states adopting California emissions standards. In addition to California, those states where the PZEV engine is standard now include Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. PZEV variants are available as a limited option in Arizona, Delaware, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, and West Virginia. In states where the near zero emissions PZEV model isn't available, Focus achieves an ultra low emission vehicle (ULEV) rating. The combination is enough to earn EPA SmartWay certification.

Our test car was fitted with a five speed manual transmission and carried a 2008 EPA fuel economy rating of 24 mpg for the city cycle and 35 mpg on the highway. For comparison, a manual transmission Honda Civic has EPA numbers of 26 city and 34 highway. We consistently average above 30 mpg with conservative driving practices and approached 38 mpg on one highway leg that had our speed below 65 mpg. By any measure, that's impressive mileage. While many modern automatic transmissions are now offering better fuel economy than their manual transmission counterparts, the four-speed automatic trans available in the Focus isn't one of them. It does well in the city cycle with 24 mpg, but extracts a 2 mpg penalty with a 33 mpg rating on EPA's highway loop and adds 29 pounds to the base curb weight. With either transmission, highway range is over 400 miles before refueling the 13 gallon fuel tank. Most fill ups will run you under 40 bucks, taking some of the sting out of a $4 gallon.

The manual transmission is fun to run through the gears with positive shifter and clutch feel. From a stop you can blast up to 60 mph in just over 8 seconds, which is respectable for this class of vehicle. The PZEV version of Ford's 2.0-liter DOHC four cylinder produces 132 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 133 lbs-ft of torque at 4,250 rpm. If the 20E (PZEV) version isn't available in your area, the standard 2.0-liter Duratec four offers a bit more power, producing 140 horsepower and 136 lbs-ft of torque.

While the first generation Focus broke new ground for Ford with distinctive European styling, the redesigned 2008 model is more sedate, pulling styling cues from the Fusion and new Taurus. It is only offered as a two door coupe or four door sedan. Sadly, gone is the sporty two door hatchback that was quite popular with the youthful sport compact car crowd.

The Focus is fun to drive. We found steering feel through the power rack-and-pinion gear to be reassuring and precise, making back road travel a sporting pleasure. Four wheel independent suspension features MacPherson struts and a stabilizer bar in the front and a coil spring trailing arm design Ford refers to as "control blade" in the rear. It does a great job of soaking up road irregularities ranging from freeway expansion strips right to potholes and offers a quiet, confident ride.

On the inside, Focus is a pleasant enough place to spend those less than enjoyable daily freeway commutes. Ford is offering its SYNC Microsoft partnered electronics package in the Focus, which includes Bluetooth enabled hands-free calling, voice activated digital media, and an auxiliary jack and USB port for portable media devices. SIRIUS satellite radio is optional.

Overall, fit and finish are very good. The interior on our SES four door felt offered a logical layout that was intuitive the first time behind the wheel. Instruments illuminate with a cool blue light treatment and you can amuse your passengers by changing the LED colors that bathe the footwells and cup holders at night. We also like the low lift-over height of the trunk, which allows easy loading of bulkier items. For cargo that's too big for the trunk - which is generous to start with - either or both split-back rear seats fold forward to provide hatchback like flexibility.

As a family car, we also like the fact that Ford decided to fit all new Focus models with dual-stage front airbags, two front seat side airbags, and front-to-back side curtain airbags. Not surprisingly, the Focus is a bright spot in Ford dealer's showrooms and with record fuel prices they don't stay on the lot long. In fact, Ford increased production by 23 percent in the first quarter of 2008 compared to the previous year, and model year production will likely top 245,000 units this year. That's a nearly a quarter million greener cars on the road, many of which will displace much less environmentally friendly vehicles.