This is a surprisingly fun, peppy and efficient family car.
mechanic, commuter
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APR
23
2007
Much about this car can be expressed in terms of four: four doors, four-cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission. Although we don't have kids to schlep around on trips, we appreciated the easy access provided by four doors. I had my doubts about the engine and transmission, however, as we intended to drive this car at high altitudes in the showy national parks in California. Not to worry... it worked out quite well.
The Car
The car in question was a basic runabout sedan, nothing fancy. The 2004 Focus boasts a two-liter engine rated at 130 hp and 135 ft-lb of torque. Coupled with its 2,600-pound curb weight and four gear ratios, this car could actually get out of its own way... and get good gas mileage in the process.
My rental Focus had air conditioning, cruise control, interval wipers, a CD/MP3 stereo, power windows and locks; otherwise, it was just a plain-vanilla rental car. It had 21,000 miles on it when I rented it and I added nearly 1,200 miles in nine days.
Inside
The 2004 Focus ZX4 SE sedan has two well-bolstered bucket seats up front and seating for three small people in back. Really, two average-sized adults are all that can travel for any distance on the back seat. The front seats were firm but it's a kind of firmness that I appreciate. The back seat had three LATCH points for car seats but I dare you to try and fit three car seats.
The trunk easily swallowed more than a week's worth of luggage for two people with room to spare, but the short rear deck makes the opening to the trunk both small and oddly shaped. The rear seats fold down for more cargo room but getting access to the room is not easy through the small-opening trunk.
We used the A/C and heater extensively on our trip and both worked very well. In fact, there was scarcely any drag from the A/C on the engine, which was very surprising when I drove at higher altitudes. The biggest failing of the accessories was the stereo. I tried the radio a couple of times and it was very dull sounding, even when I ran through all the adjustments.
Performance
I was pleasantly surprised... this little Focus is a fun and fairly sporty drive. I can only imagine how much more fun it would be with a five-speed manual. We visited a couple of the big mountainous national parks in California and I had a hoot charging this little car uphill into altitudes up to 6,000 feet. The car never ran out of breath and never felt underpowered. Although the handling was good by rental-car standards, sportier tires would have made it even better.
In the city (and we did a bunch of city driving, too), the Focus had decent off-the-line lunge and felt eager to run. Keep in mind that everytime I drove the car, it was with two adults and a full complement of luggage on board. With a solo driver and empty trunk, the car would have felt just a tick peppier.
After nearly 1,200 miles of driving on the interstates, in the cities and zipping a little too quickly in the mountains, I averaged 32 miles per gallon for the whole trip. I thought that was excellent.
Summary
I liked it. The 2004 Focus ZX4 SE sedan is not particularly fashionable or super sporty. However, if you need a small family commuter car and you want a bit of sportiness, this deserves a long hard look. In my 1,200 miles, it ran smoothly, quietly and without a hitch. It was very willing to hit the curves and yet was docile around town. Add in four-door practicality and this is a fine car for a small family.
Ford Focus 2004 is recommended by bkovacs
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