2006 Ford Focus SES 2.2

Summary:

The Focus is Ford's best-kept secret, a great little car

Faults:

No problems at all.

General Comments:

Steering and handling are excellent for this small wagon.

Turning circle is tight, a plus for u-turns in Manhattan.

Acceleration is also fine for the engine and box it's in.

The ride is comfortable.

Fuel consumption OK -- about 23 city, 31 highway.

And you can't beat the price. I paid $16,800 for a fully loaded SES (except for a sunroof -- don't like roofs with holes in them).

Too bad Ford terminated the wagon. It's the best small wagon around, with as much or more cargo space than many SUVs. It's also a far better buy than my other purchase consideration, the Legacy wagon. The Legacy beats the Focus on fit and finish; but the Legacy is about $5k pricier, and has crappy front axles.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st September, 2007

2006 Ford Focus ZX4 SE 2.0 liter 4 cylinder

Summary:

Great car, but I'll never buy another one

Faults:

Within a week of purchasing this car, the parking brake stopped working and the ECM had to be reprogrammed. Another two months went by, and the parking brake stopped working again. This time, I took it to a different Ford dealership. They discovered that the parking brake cable was catching on the exhaust heat shield. I have also replaced all four stock Goodyear tires with Toyo Z800 Ultras. The original tires on this car are horrible and I had the tread on two seperate after 20,000 miles.

General Comments:

I like the handling of the car. It turns on a dime. The car handles well on the freeway and accelarates quickly. I drive roughly 100 miles a day and I thank god that this car has cruise control. I only have the SE model and the stereo works fairly well. I also have the alloy wheels and body side moldings. The AC works fairly well, but can actually be too cold sometimes.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 25th June, 2007

14th Mar 2008, 13:46

To the above post, probably because of the parking brake issue. That seems dangerous if you have to park on steep inclines. If it's a manual transmission, a good working parking brake is mandatory, otherwise you'll see your car rolling down the hill in no time.

13th Mar 2009, 04:58

As grandpa taught me,...you turn your front tire into the curb when parking downhill,...and away from the curb when parking up hill... old Pittsburgh driving trick (who needs a parking brake!!

13th Mar 2009, 16:42

Indeed and you can also leave it in 1st gear.

In reply to 13th Mar 2009, 04:58

6th May 2015, 04:11

That's not a Pittsburgh trick; it's basic common sense.

2006 Ford Focus ST 2.3 gas

Summary:

Very underrated car

Faults:

The car would begin to misfire when driven hard and the engine light would flash. This would go away if the car was turned off and restarted. This problem was fixed under warranty. The misfire code ended up being a bad harness.

General Comments:

This car is surprisingly fun to drive. The 2.3 liter motor is rev happy and wants to go. The car loves racing from light to light and is very happy cruising at 80 miles per hour.

The paint quality is very good, as is the overall ambiance of the interior. The ST model gives you very comfortable and supportive seats and a nicely trimmed wheel/shifter.

What sets the ST apart (for me anyway, and other than the motor/suspension upgrades) is the fact that the door handles and mirrors are painted body color, and the mirrors fold in (both are not like this on lesser Focuses (Foci?).

The only thing that I am disappointed in is the fuel economy. Even when I am easy on the car, I have only topped out at 26 miles per gallon.

The car could also use wider tires. The Pirelli's don't want to hold as long as they should.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st March, 2007

12th Oct 2009, 10:33

I though the Focus ST had a 2.5 liter engine?

2006 Ford Focus zxw 1.9

Summary:

Poor

Faults:

A most pathetic air conditioner. If you live in a hot climate (I'm in AZ), you will drive around town a lot waiting for the car to cool off. At 105, after parking in the sun for 30 minutes, I drove 4-5 miles on the highway before I felt any cool coming from the vents. Dealer says: "They're all that way".

General Comments:

Has a light an "flimsy" feel. My 1997 Saturn was more substantial. It's not broken in yet, but I don't think it will even approach the EPA mileage estimates. Don't believe the window sticker.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 26th September, 2006

30th Jul 2007, 06:15

Most cars in this price range have small AC units. Besides that 4 cyl engine won't work with a large AC compressor/condenser, since this would zap all power out of the engine. Want serious AC capacity? Spend another $10,000 on a larger V6 car with a larger AC unit.

It's strange this comes as a big surprise to you. See--this affects most cars in this segment, and that's what test drives are for; right?

18th Mar 2008, 05:07

Having lived in the desert parts of Arizona, I understand the mind blowing heat when you get in a vehicle that has been left in the sun. Certainly someone had told you to leave your windows open a crack to let the heat out so it would reduce the inside temperature. And, as a previous reader commented, there is no way a four cylinder can support a big enough compressor to QUICKLY cool down an unshaded vehicle left in AZ sun. You also don't say if or what kind of tint you might have on the windows. There is a type available which has an interlaminar barrier that reduces heat in the vehicle---a lot! And one of the easist of all is to use an aftermarket windshield screen; one that is highly reflective of the heat. There is also available a solar powered fan that drops over the top of your window and has been proven to substantially reduce inside temps. Of course none of these is the magic button, but all combined can make your car almost bearable. BTW I'm now in Florida an own an SES wagon and quite frankly, it works awesome. The air conditioner was one of the reasons I got rid of my Corolla. It was a joke...