The Ford Focus hit the streets in 2000 as a sedan, hatchback, and wagon. It was designed to be an economical sedan Ford could market not only in the U. S., but also. The Ford Contour was a North American variant of the European Ford Mondeo sedan sold by Ford Motor Company. It was sold in North America from 1995 through 2000. Looking for used cars for sale Parkway Ford is one of the leading used car dealerships in WinstonSalem, NC. View our inventory online find a great used car. Limewire 4.10 5. New and used vehicle dealer, including vehicle warranties, location, and hours of operation. Get the latest indepth reviews, ratings, pricing and more for the 2002 Ford Focus from Consumer Reports. Used 2. 00. 0 Ford Focus for sale Pricing Featuresmore about this model Ah yes, the good old days of naming cars. For Ford, it used to be about real life things, like Mustang, Maverick, and Monarch. But now that we are approaching the new millennium, it seems Ford has run out of nouns. Its latest car is named after a verb. Focus, in fact. Can you name a car after a verbIs that legal Really, by this logic, I could name my car the Talk. Or the Burp. Admittedly, the Focus name isnt as bad as some other small car names that come to mind. Top three 1 Chevy Citation. Physically impossible to get a speeding ticket in it 2 Toyota Starlet. Sleeping its way to the top didnt help its career 3 Pontiac Le Mans. Days of Thunder had more to do about racing than this thing. Does the word focus have significance for this carFord doesnt or wont say, but my guess is that Ford is really focused on building a good car. Or maybe it means youre supposed to focus on the car itself. Well, whatever. It does make more sense than Pinto, at least. In a strange way, the Focus needs to thank its antithesis, the truck. F 1. 50s, Explorers and Expeditions these past few years that Ford hasnt had a clue about what to do with all the money. It bought Volvo, of course, but its logical to assume that some of that extra money found its way into the r d budget for the Focus. We say this because its Fords best small car ever. The Focus is a completely new platform. Going on sale in late September 1. For the different body styles, there are four trim levels ZX3 3 door LX sedan SE sedan and wagon and the high series ZTS sedan. Although the front end structure and design of the Focus is common to all three body styles, Ford hopes that the remaining differences will attract a broad base of paying customers. One of the key design elements for the Focus is its intelligent use of space. Ford boasts that the cars overall design started on the inside to provide additional cabin space and comfort. The goal was to have the Focus accommodate humans ranging from a 4 foot 1. Arnold Schwarzenegger to George Costanzas mom Focus designers want to accommodate them both. At the same time To achieve this lofty goal, the Focus has a high roofline and a 1. The wheels are pushed towards the corners, much like Chrysler did with its LH series of cars. The high roofline allowed Ford engineers to position the seats higher off the floor, which freed up the positive benefits of easier entryegress, a better view for the driver, and improved leg comfort for rear seat passengers. Besides providing more space and comfort for passengers, the interior also contains thoughtful ergonomics. Though they still spend most of their time drinking Starbucks coffee and talking on cell phones, drivers generally fiddle with the audio controls more than the climate controls. So Ford placed the audio controls higher than the climate controls for easier access. Both feature buttons that can be easily identified by touch alone. The interior itself is attractive, and contains styling elements from both the Escort ZX2 and Mercury Cougar. The ZX3 interior, with its faux metal highlights, looks sporty. The ZTS Sedans plood journalist slang for plastic wood highlights do not look sporty. They do not look luxurious. They just look like plood. The seats are comfortable and supportive. All Focus seats can be adjusted in height, and a tilttelescopic steering wheel is optional. Focus utilizes an optimized body structure, standard driver and passenger airbags, seatbelt pre tensioners and load limiting retractors, and optional side airbags. A three point safety belt for the center rear seat is standard, as are child safety seat anchor points. Once the comfy Mr. Schwarzenegger and Mrs. Costanza finish arguing over whether Commando or Raw Deal was a better movie, they will focus Sorry. Wont happen again. By driving dynamics, we refer to the way the car handles, steers, accelerates and brakes. Ford was able to use the latest techniques to produce a lightweight, yet rigid chassis. This in turn enabled Ford engineers to fine tune the front and rear suspension systems to deliver new levels of precision and comfort. Up front, the Focus uses Mac. Pherson struts and new, broad A arms located by horizontal bushings. A fully independent multi link suspension has been adopted for the rear. Though more expensive to produce than a twist beam axle system such as on the Ford Escort, the multi link IRS system is more beneficial in ride comfort, steering precision, handling, stability, noise levels and packaging. The steering system is surprisingly quick, fluid and responsive. Fine tuning and a careful selection of new materials enabled Ford to reduce the friction within the steering system by 2. All steering components such as the seals, bearings, tie rod joints and strut top mounts are optimized for low friction. Ford went through this effort because too much friction or resistance in the steering system can make it feel unnatural. There are two engine choices a 2. SOHC four cylinder or a more fizzy 2. DOHC Zetec. While both engines can be found in other Ford products, they have been improved for use in the Focus. The 2. 0 liter SOHC I4 delivers 1. Peak torque is 1. The engine has been significantly upgraded to improve NVH by 3. The DOHC Zetec has also been improved in the noise department. Ford says a full 5. Focus. Horsepower for this engine is 1. Acceleration is acceptable with the SOHC engine and quite competitive with the DOHC. An automatic or manual transmission is available for either. While improved steering and handling are all well and good, its hard to impress the neighbors with them. That job is left to the styling. Whether it succeeds or not is another question. One thing is certain The styling of the Focus is distinct and functional. Ford says its appearance is designed to be progressive, adventurous and distinctively different from the softer, more traditional proportions and silhouettes of other small cars. Translation You wont mistake the three door for a Volkswagen New Beetle. The hatchback is the most distinctive and European looking of the bunch, but all versions have an angular shape, with sculpted wheel arches, triangular headlights and taillights, and crisp lines on the body panels. Like it or not, the styling is functional. Ford says the shape provides maximum crash protection and aerodynamics. Drag co efficient for the sedan is a low 0. The sedans trunk has an impressive 1. In frame gas struts designed to not encroach upon trunk space are used to shut the trunk instead of traditional mechanical arms that may dent luggage. The rear speakers are built into the doors to prevent them from hanging down into the trunk. For the wagon, the luggage compartment holds 3. We suspect that the Focus will be a big success for Ford. Its better than the Escort, even though both will continue to sell at dealerships. And its certainly competitive with the likes of the Dodge Neon or Honda Civic. Crack Apache Log Viewer. Base retail prices range from 1. ZX3 to 1. 5,7. 95 MSRP for the SE Wagon. Prices include the destination and delivery charge of 4. For the price, the Focus seems to have all the necessary elements roominess, comfort, good driving dynamics, safety and functionality. And you can say what you want about the styling. But when youre strapped for cash and cant quite afford an Aston Martin DB7 Vantage to focu.