He Said, She Said: Test driving the 2012 Ford Focus

The premise of the “He Said, She Said” chronicle is simple: we lend a press vehicle to a couple to test drive extensively for two weeks. The participants have simple instructions: to take note of all of their impressions, both good and bad.

Each of the test drivers has to keep their opinions to themselves so as not to influence the other. Easier said than done, right?

This month, Elaine Lévesque and Jean Grenier test drove the Titanium version (fully equipped) of the Ford Focus, featuring a four-cylinder engine (2.0-litre direct injection for 160 horsepower) and a six-speed automatic gearbox. Sticker price: $29,530 (with features like the sunroof, sport suspension, 18-inch wheels, automatic parking, rearview backup camera and navigation system), excluding transport ($1,450) and taxes. Note that the base verison of the Ford Focus starts at $16,000.

Here are their impressions:

He said
Name: Jean Grenier
Age: 49 years
Drives: 2011 Volkswagen Jetta
Occupation: Head of production and distribution/CSSS Thérèse-de-Blainville

First big surprise for our driver: the price of the Ford Focus that he was testing. At almost $31,000, the Titanium is fully double the price of the base model. Jean, who has driven mainly German and Japanese cars his whole life, was shocked. “Ford has always been a laughing stock.”

But as soon as he laid eyes on the metallic white Focus and its 18-inch wheels, things changed in his eyes. “Wow, I didn’t expect it to be such a nice car! What’s more, it has everything! I don’t think you could add anything else.” His colleagues concurred and asked: “Seriously? That’s a Ford?”

Jean just had one or two comments on the car’s handling. “The handling is good and the steering and brakes are responsive, but the accelerations stink – you have to put the pedal to the metal to get the car to move.” Note that all the options loaded on the Focus Titanium make it several kilos heavier.

Ah yes, and a few words on comfort. “The car feels very good, the interior is roomy; you might even call it luxurious. I like the two-zone climate control, which makes a big difference. I was able to carry some average sized passengers on the bench and they found it comfortable. At 5’10”, I could handle travelling in the back, which is surprising for a hatchback.”

Getting to know and love all those buttons
Jean’s most enthusiastic observations were about technology. “There are way too many buttons,” he began. But he enjoyed zapping away at them, even if it would have taken a week or two to figure out all the functions.

Some of the gadgets really won him over, like the backup camera and voice recognition. He appreciated the remote starter, but he would have liked the locks to be easier to use — a comment echoed by Elaine. Also, despite their best efforts, our two test drivers both said that they failed to get the vehicle’s Bluetooth to recognize their cell phones (one iPhone and one BlackBerry).

The high point of the test drive for Jean was when he let the Focus park itself. “I couldn’t get over it! You really see the wheel turn, it lines itself up perfectly. All you have to do is control the brakes. It’s the coolest toy in the vehicle. But personally, I wouldn’t need this parking aide. I wouldn’t use it.”

“I started to notice the other Fords on the road – the Edge SUV, for example. Now that’s a nice-looking vehicle.”

And in conclusion: “I have a newfound respect for the brand. So much so that the next time I purchase a car, I’m going to take a serious look at Ford.”

She said

Name: Elaine Lévesque
Age: 50 years
Drives: 2007 Volkswagen New Beetle
Occupation: Health technology consultant

“This is not a Focus!” were Elaine Lévesque’s first words when she first saw the American compact. “I have a friend that has one (Editor’s note: an old generation) and I think it’s really ugly.”

From the outset, our test driver admitted: “A car’s appearance is very important to me. But honestly, I wouldn’t mind swapping my VW Beetle for the new Focus.” Beautiful on the outside, yes, but beautiful inside as well. “The dashboard is very impressive and user-friendly. The two-tone leather seats are comfortable and you really feel the lumbar support.”

Elaine particularly liked the five-position heated seats and the two-zone climate that allows each of the front passengers to choose their own temperature preference. “There’s a surprising amount of interior space, and the trunk is very roomy. I went shopping at Ikea, and everything fit!”

On the road, she found the Focus to be solid both in curves and when braking, and the soundproofing to be impeccable. But just like her male counterpart, Elaine found that it came up short on accelerations. “You hear the car pushing and the transmission makes a knocking sound when you shift going uphill.”

Despite all that state-of-the-art technology, “you get comfortable fast in the Focus. Everything is standard: comfort, peripheral vision, and seat and steering wheel adjustment.”

However, a few of the gadgets upset Elaine. “The automatic parking was too stressful for me. What’s more, during a storm, there was a constant beeping in the passenger compartment as other vehicles splash mud on us.” (Editor’s note: The radar system can be deactivated).

On the other hand, some of the other gadgets won her over. “The voice recognition works very well, the back-up camera is useful and I like the rain-sensitive windshield wipers.”
Elaine’s new friend: The Focus’ GPS
Elaine really loved the navigation system. “I like that the screen is split in two, with one section showing the map and the other indicating the specific route to take. I also like the summary that displays on the instrumentation right in front of you. The system is much better than my TomTom. It even taught me a new, shorter route to get to work!”

But if Elaine has to spend $31,000 on a car (the price of the Focus Titanium), “I think I’d buy something else. I don’t need all these options; they aren’t essential and they get annoying over the long-term.”

But one thing is certain: “I always thought of Fords are poor-quality cars, but that impression has been shattered. I’m definitely going to look at American cars when shopping for my next vehicle. The Focus is a far cry from my first car, a Fiesta that I drove into the ground in just four or five years.”