Inside the 2017 Ford Focus

Agile and fun to drive, the compact 2017 Ford Focus is available in a four-door sedan or five-door hatchback. Appearance varies slightly by trim:

• The ST uses a central exhaust with dual bright tips, a Piano Black grille, ST badging, and 18-inch Rado Grey-pained wheels.
• The Electric contains a distinctive grille, quad-beam High-Intensity Discharge headlights with LED signature lighting, and 17-inch sparkle silver-painted aluminum wheels.
• Sporting a rear diffuser and unique spoiler to increase downward force, the RS ranks currently as the fastest production Ford.

The MSRP starts at $16,775 for the S Sedan, $18,175 for the SE Sedan, and $19,765 for the SE hatchback. Top-level models start at $24,775 for the ST, $29,120 for the Electric, and $36,120 for the RS.

Interior appointments include cloth bucket seats with head restraints that are adjustable in two ways. However, a leather eight-way power driver seat with four-way adjustable head restraints on the first row is also available. Available dual-zone electronic automatic temperature control allows you and your front passenger to set individual temperature settings. Available heated steering wheels and front seats warm you up on colder days.

The 2.0-liter Twin-independent Variable Cam Timing four-cylinder continuously modifies intake and exhaust cams so the motor runs efficiently even while the speed and torque changes. Flex-fuel capability allows the use of ordinary gasoline, the E85 blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, or any combination of the two.

The 1.0-liter EcoBoost® features Auto Start-Stop Technology that shuts off the engine at stops and starts it up again when you lift your foot off the brake to save fuel. This motor also relies on an efficient turbocharger to minimize engine weight and an oil-immersed timing belt to reduce noise and friction.

To go from 0 to 62 MPH in just 4.7 seconds up to a top track speed of 165 mph, the 2.3-liter engine generates 350 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque by using Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring and a unique turbocharger and exhaust.

Most trims come with either a 5-speed or 6-speed manual transmission. Also available is a 6-speed Powershift Automatic Transmission or a 6-speed Automatic transmission that allows for manual gear changes with SelectShift®.

Finally, the Electric trim uses a 107 kW Permanent Electric Traction Motor that produces no emissions and requires neither gasoline nor oil changes. It comes with a one-speed automatic transmission. Using the available Ford-recommended 240-volt/30-amp charging station at home fully recharges the 35 kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery in 5.5 hours.

Active Grille Shutters stay open at low speeds to cool the engine. When you rev up to high speeds, they close to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag. Torque Vectoring Control improves cornering in low-traction conditions by helping the front wheels grip and handle better. Electric Power-Assisted Steering makes handling easier at any speed.

The 2017 Ford Focus comes with standard and available driver-assist technologies to protect its riders on every trip.

• The Rear View Camera displays real-time color video of what's behind you when you go into reverse. The Reverse Sensing System warns you of any nearby obstacles so you can avoid them. Cross Traffic Alert warns you to any cars that approach your backward path.
• The Blind Spot Information System informs you of any vehicle that has entered your blind zone while you change lanes.
• The Lane Keeping System monitors marking on the road through a front camera and issues alerts if you're drifting outside of your lane. It can also provide steering assistance torque to keep you centered.
• Push Button Start avoids your having to pull your keys out of your bag or pocket. As long as you have the key fob, you can unlock the driver door by pulling on the door handle. Once you're inside, step on the brake and press the Start button to run the engine.
• Three-point safety belts at all seating positions are height-adjustable in front. The Belt-Minder® reminds those sitting in front to buckle up.
• The rear doors are equipped with child-safety door locks. LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tether Anchors for Child) attaches up to two child safety seats.
• Dual-stage front airbags, driver knee airbag, front-seat side-impact airbags, and first- and second-row side-curtain airbags are standard.

Entertainment begins with a four-speaker audio system that includes AM/FM radio, a single-disc CD player that handles MP3 files, and speed-sensitive volume control. It maxes out with the 10-speaker Sony® Branded audio system that includes over 150 stations for SiriusXM Radio and HD Radio™. The SYNC® 3 Enhanced Voice Recognition Communications and Entertainment System allows control through an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen in the center stack or with the spoken word. Available Navigation with SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link® provides turn-by-turn directions that avoid traffic.

Features are similar although the rearview camera is only standard in the top Fiesta trim and unavailable in other Fiesta trims. Driver assistance features like Lane Keep Assist and Blind Spot Detection are unavailable in the Fiesta.

The Honda Civic offers 97.8 cu. ft. of passenger space with 15.1 cu. ft. of cargo in the sedan and 46.2 cu. ft. in the hatch. This is far more room than in the Focus. In addition, the Civic comes with additional driver assist features such as Adaptive Cruise Control for adjusting its distance from the car in front automatically while cruising and Collision Mitigation Braking for stopping the car to prevent an accident. However, the base Civic does cost more than the Focus unless you add the driver assistance features to the Focus, which makes the Civic cost less.

Compared to the Focus, the Mazda3 has a ride that seems harsher on uneven surfaces. While it has more space for its passengers at 96.3 cu. ft. and more cargo room in the hatchback at 47.1 cu. ft., it falls short in the sedan with 12.4 cu. ft. of cargo space. Lower trim levels in the Mazda3 include more driver assist features such as Blind Sport Detection and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. These are standard at the mid-level Mazda3 but only appears at the top Focus trim as a package. This makes the Mazda3 a better value for the money.

The Focus gets up to an EPA-estimated 34 MPG on the highway and 25 MPG in the city with the gasoline engine. The electric gets up to 96 MPGe in the city and 118 MPGe on the highway.

As an affordable compact, the Focus is adequate in terms of performance and design but rivals have more safety features and higher reliability ratings. Still, very few competitors can meet the driving dynamics of the ST trim. The five-passenger interior of the Focus is generally of high quality with plenty of space for those in front. Rear legroom, however, is somewhat cramped.