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Back when the Ford Focus was introduced in late 1999 as a 2000 model it boasted many attributes that surpassed the competition. It had bold styling, a modern interior with plenty of amenities, a good price, and good fuel economy. Fortunately for us; the consumers, and unfortunately for Ford Motor Company other cars such as the Toyota Matrix/ Suzuki Aerio followed in the Focus's footsteps and created an equally if not better automobile to compete.

For 2002 the Ford Focus Sedan comes in 3 trim lines, the LX, the SE, and the ZTS. While a 2.0 SOHC engine that produces 110 hp is standard on the LX and SE models, my test SE sedan was equipped with a 2.0 DOHC Ztec 4-cylinder. The ZTS sedan comes standard with the DOHC Ztec engine. The 2.0 Ztec puts out a healthy 130 horsepower at 5,300 RPM and 135 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 RPM. 2 transmissions are offered this year; a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic (which was equipped on my tester).

Driving Impressions:

Off-the-line acceleration is disappointing. Having the 130 horsepower Ztec engine I was expecting close to the same performance of the old Escort ZX2 or the 2000 ZX3 5-speed, which had the same engine. The automatic transmission really hampers any sort of rush in power, and when accelerating hard or even slightly hard the engine makes quite a bit of noise. Since the Ford Focus SE's Ztec engine gets its peak torque at a relatively low RPM, take-offs are adequate, but that's it, nothing exciting, just adequate. The 4-speed fully automatic transmission plays a big role in this lackluster performance. At times I could have sworn I was driving a car with a 10 year old transmission; clunking into gear, and odd shifting patterns were common.

Handling in the 2002 Ford Focus SE Sedan was quite impressive; as it was back in its introduction year. The Focus SE remains composed at almost all times, and is surprisingly controllable through hard turns. The suspension made this small sedan very nimble and relatively fun to drive on the twistys.

Cruising in this sedan is also quite good. The ride is firm and sporty, yet does not jolt the driver or passengers from their comfortable seating positions. Cruising at 65-70 MPH can be a little loud with the wind, engine and road noise, but unless you are 'super picky' it won't bother you enough to change your buying decision. Hills are taken with a little strain, the 4-speed automatic will down-shift on steep inclines, and the engine will get quite loud, but you definitely will not be left in the far right lane on those 10 lane hilly freeways. Braking is average, my tester came with the 'so common' front disc/rear drum set-up with no ABS so braking was not a grand offering, but they did do their job of stopping this small sedan with little fuss. Fuel economy is average for a car in this class, the EPA rates this car at 26/31 MPG with the Z-tec engine mated with an automatic transmission.


Interior Accommodation:

The interior of the 2002 Ford Focus SE is very edgy/new wave. The dash board is very distinctive yet offers good good ergonomics and easy to read instrumentation. Even despite not having a tachometer the instrument cluster is well designed with plenty of useful gauges. While the interior of the Ford Focus is almost all plastic, the plastic looks good, and is much less plasticy looking many cars in this category. Amenities are plentiful with the comfort/Ztec package ($600. ). Amenities include AC, CC, keyless entry, power windows and locks, tilt steering, an Am/Fm CD player that you will probably want to replace, cup holders, front air bags, and more. The front bucket eats are made of a cheap cloth but are surprisingly comfortable. These seats offer height adjustments and adequate support. Room is average, plenty of room up front, but the rear 60/40 split folding seats will most likely offer a cramped environment for rear passengers. The Focus however does boast plenty of rear headroom, and the trunk is spacious enough for 1 weeks worth of groceries.


Exterior Innovation:

The exterior of the Ford Focus Sedan remains unchanged since its introduction in 2000. While once considered an 'eye catcher' the Focus now blends in with a profusion of other look-alike cars, i.e. Suzuki Aerio. The exterior, like the interior is very edgy with long triangular headlamps in front and more pudgy triangular tail lamps.

Price, Reliability, & Warranty:


The 2002 Ford Focus SE Sedan with the comfort/Ztec package comes to almost $16,000. Since this is the middle of the year Ford is offer some good APR rates. The Ford Focus has been a reliable car since its introduction, and the Ztec has been a reliable engine since 1997. If anything does happen to your 2002 Ford Focus Ford offers an unimpressive 3 year, 36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, and an extended warranty at an extra cost.

Looking for a more refined economy car? Check out my review on the 2003 Honda Civic


-Happy Car Shopping!