Ford Focus Hatchback 2002.  
 
Focus for the New Century.  
 
At first glance looking at the front end of the Ford Focus Hatchback looks like a regular Ford vehicle but as you proceed to look at the rest of the Focus, you will notice it has a very particular look.  
 
The Focus Hatchback looks as if Ford designers started putting this car together by throwing away all the basic rules about designing a car.  
 
It is well equipped and for those who wants to load it up Ford will offer you an excellent selection of options for your driving pleasure.  
 
The interior of the focus is very spacious and this is due to the raised roofline at the front. Also you should appreciate the extra wide doors which can make entering and exiting much easier.  
 
All the controls are well placed and can easily be seen and reached by the driver. Also I noticed that the controls most often used are placed in a manner that they are much easier to locate than the ones not used regularly.  
 
The exterior look of this car is certainly where it stand out from other compact cars. Not only because the new bold design but it gives the impression of a tightly put together exterior panels.  
 
It may take some time for consumers to get used to this design but lets face it I have seen other unusual designs that became hits with the public. I guess only time will tell about the acceptance of this new style.  
 
I had the opportunity to rent the Focus during a recent visit to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC. When I made my reservation, I asked the car rental company if they had any available and they did.  
 
The first thing I noticed was how well the interior and exterior colors really complimented each other's, the car really looked good.  
 
During the weekend I mostly did city driving and it almost made driving around in a strange city a pleasure. I did drive for short while on the highway and again it felt that even if this is a compact car it still has enough power to feel safe for highway driving.  
 
Breaking with this automobile was smooth and the vehicle came to a quick stop every time. The Ford Focus I rented was equipped as follows.  
 
The Engine was a 4 Cylinder, 2.0 Liters DOHC Zetec engine with 130 Horsepower. IT had a 4-Speed automatic transmission. The brakes were disc for the front and drum in the rear.  
 
As for the fuel economy it gets 25 MPH in the city and 33 on the highway. The curb weight of the Focus hatchback is 2,551 Lbs. The sitting capacity is 5 persons.  
 
The Ford Focus hatchback is an interesting and pleasant car to drive. I had the opportunity to drive it for two full days and even if it is considered a compact, I did not feel cooped in and uncomfortable at all in the Focus.  
 
I would certainly consider going on a long drive with it and I believe it to be an ideal car for a young family.  
 
