Ford Focus Wagon - Road Test 2008

Forget the Aston, what ‘007’ needs is a Ford Focus 1.6L Wagon.

If you are a spy and want to get about unnoticed (yes, spying is about NOT being seen Mr Bond!) then the Ford Focus Wagon is for you. This car is stealthy. This car is so stealthy that when I came back to it at the local shops, I walked straight past it. Twice.

At first all I could see was an empty space, but as I squinted toward the place where a car should be, a form suddenly materialised in front of my eyes. The unremarkable styling of the new model Focus and the dark colour of the test car do more to mask the Ford from view than all the technology that cloaks the stealth bomber.
The Russians would have won the Cold War if they had this kind of technology.

The looks of the new Focus are sharper than the previous model, more angular and definitely fresher than the original but less cohesive, less...focused.
The first Focus looked so great that it didn't change very much over its model life (almost 10 years!). Unfortunately for the new Focus its looks are eminently forgettable.

What the new car lacks in looks it makes up for in interior space.
It’s amazing to see the change in vehicle sizes over the last ten years.
All the small cars (Focus, Civic et al.) have become medium sized and the mid-size cars have become bigger than the super-sized contestants on the 'Loser' show. Hell, the Mondeo I recently drove felt as big as an early EA Falcon.

But this increase in size is a good thing because it means you have a smallish car, with minimal overhangs that is easy to drive, has good visibility and is easy to park.

It can also fit an arse-load of essentials when you go camping, shopping or when making a mad border-dash with the back full of Bollinger and Eastern bloc women with funny names who will try to rub you out as you drift off in a post-coital haze. However with a bigger car you need more power to pull it and if the stealth of the Focus ever failed, and Bond was found out, the two mice under the bonnet would have their work cut out for them in a high-speed pursuit.

The lackluster 1.6 litre engine is as slow as Paris Hilton and not suited to an automatic transmission so it is no surprise that the Focus has piss-weak performance.
It would be a much better proposition with the Duratorq turbo-diesel and manual transmission.
This combo would be a little more expensive but it’s not only more powerful, it would use less fuel.

Fuel consumption in the Focus is a bit thirsty for its size with a combined test showing 8.4 L/100km. This could however stem from the fact that you need to drive it hard to get up to traffic speeds, which is where the diesel would again be the better option.

The Focus is a very good car for those who need to address practical issues liks like carting kids, shopping and pets around.

It has a huge amount of space in the back to put things and the glove box is roomier than a supermodel’s lunchbox.The interior is very nice for the price with comfortable seats, good ergonomics and controls that are easy to use and understand.

Despite feeling a little upright and flat, I really liked the seats in the Focus as they were comfortable and easy to get in and out of (am I getting old?). The Focus is extremely practical and with the right engine could be a good choice for carrying a lot of stuff quite cheaply. You know that it wouldn't get stolen (stealth factor), but then again you might lose it.

Although Bond would be as likely to drive a Focus as quit drinking, marry Moneypenny and take up philately, it would be the perfect car for him to pick Pussy Galore up in without the missus knowing- Oh James indeed!!