While the Focus can be had in full-electric and turbocharged flavors, here we’re dealing with a 2.0-liter, direct-injection, naturally aspirated inline 4-cylinder (I4). It utilizes Ford’s Twin Independent Variable Camshaft Timing (Ti-VCT), which allows the engine to advance or retard the timing of both intake and exhaust camshafts for increased power and efficiency, especially at low rpms, where an inline 4 needs the most help. In this configuration, it delivers 160 hp and 146 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels via a dual-clutch 6-speed PowerShift automatic.
While the engine produces enough power for this 3,000-pound hatchback to hit 60 mph in 8.7 seconds, the PowerShift transmission takes some getting used to. Most consumers won’t have any experience with a dual clutch, and the experience tends to bring up some dissatisfaction at first. Besides adding a cog with which to swap, a dual-clutch transmission tends to switch gears at the drop of a hat in an attempt to always provide the best fuel economy. That's good on paper, but if you try to drive it like a traditional automatic, you’ll find it hunting and shuddering as it tries to react to your input. A dual-clutch needs to be driven with a confident foot, which can be hard in city traffic, where you often find yourself letting off the accelerator to avoid inconvenient occurrences like rear-ending someone. Stabbing at the accelerator again when traffic lets up might find you in the wrong gear, meaning a downshift is suddenly necessary, and you’ll be greeted with the accompanying delay. After a couple of days you’ll get used to the operational character of the system, but many give up before they get to that point, wondering what’s wrong with their transmission. Owner reviews (and complaints) are proof of this, but it’s merely part of the growing pains of a new piece of tech.
Dropping into the transmission's Sport Mode forces it to hold onto gears a bit longer and mitigates some of the issues, but the only real way to combat the quirkiness is through the SelectShift system—the manual part of this automated manual. Rather than using a manual shift gate or paddle shifters, here a toggle switch is situated on the side of the gear knob, allowing you to choose which gear you’d like to operate in. It works, but it’s awkward in operation. Never thought I’d say it, but I much prefer the paddles.
There’s an optional 5-speed manual with the traditional 3-pedal setup as well, and while some reviewers have criticized it for being too sloppy, it also drops the 60 sprint an impressive 0.4 seconds. However, you’ll drop 1 mpg on both ends from the 27 mpg city/37 highway you get with the PowerShift.
What won’t give you any headaches are the Focus's immensely satisfying chassis and suspension. It’s rare to drive a car that feels this stout, especially at this size and price point, and the suspension gave enough confidence to remind me that it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. The electric steering exhibits none of the vagueness I’ve experienced with other systems, although some additional feedback would’ve been nice.
With the Titanium Handling package this example was fitted with, things just started to butt up against “too stiff,” although I suspect that’s much more due to the 18-inch wheels and performance tires than the suspension. Even on the usually smooth roads of the Bay Area there were times when the harshness got a little tiring, and potholes were no fun at all. But with the standard setup, I can’t imagine having any complaints at all, and even with this suspension and wheel package, I could still manage to drive for several hours with no fatigue.