2007 Ford Focus Reviews, Pricing & Specs

$14,130 to $18,145

6/10

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The Ford Focus is a fun-to-drive, affordable compact car that's available in multiple body styles.

The first-generation Ford Focus continues into the 2007 model year with minimal changes to its winning formula of fun, practicality, and efficiency.

out of 10 expert review

Look & feel

7/10

The 2007 Focus has a very modern feel to its exterior design, especially compared to the dumpy Ford Escort from the 1990s. The once-triangular headlights have been reshaped since the 2005 styling refresh. The sloping roof and high-mount taillights are special touches on the ZX3 two-door and ZX5 four-door hatchbacks. The ZX4 sedan and ZX5 wagon are plainer, with the exception of the ZX4 ST, which includes performance-oriented exterior enhancements.

The Focus's interior is not as exciting as its exterior or as the Focus that Ford sells in Europe. It's a basic, no-frills arrangement.

Performance

7/10

A 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine makes power specs of 136 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque. This is a car with a front-wheel-drive (FWD) drivetrain and either a five-speed manual transmission or an optional four-speed automatic. The ZX4 ST is manual-only and has a powertrain with a 2.3-litre engine with 151 hp and 154 lb-ft. It also comes with a stiffer suspension and unique 16-inch alloy wheels. Some of us miss the former 2004 SVT, which had more power and grip, but this is still much better than most compact sedans.

Every Focus model has a suspension primarily tuned by Ford's European division. It has accurate steering, good control, and impressive ride quality. The independent rear suspension is rare in this class, and it excels at making the car more nimble and reactive while minimizing this layout's inherent intrusion into the cabin space. This alone makes the Focus such a great-handling compact car. If you must choose the automatic transmission, know that it can be sluggish to react. The manual, however, has the feel and efficiency that reward you the more you drive.

Form & function

8/10

In most small cars, you'll sit low to the floor. But in the Focus, you sit up higher, as you would in a small crossover. Ford calls this "Command Seating." You'll call it easier to enter and exit the vehicle. The driver's seat is firm and supportive. Manual height adjustment comes standard, but a steering wheel that tilts and telescopes does not. Leather seats are optional on the top SES trim.

The back seat in the ZX3 and ZX5 hatches isn't a great place for anyone for too long. Choose the ZX4 sedan or ZX5 Focus wagon for more head room. The station wagon rivals the space of a small SUV like the Escape, with 1,019 litres of space behind the rear seats and 2,095 litres when folded. Both hatch models have 509 and 1,132 litres, respectively. The sedan's trunk measures 419 litres and the seats fold for more room.

There are two cupholders in the centre console, but the door pockets can't accommodate larger bottles. Place your sunglasses in the overhead console and use the pull-down cubby to the left of the steering wheel for extra storage. Gauges are easy to read and the controls are simple.

Technology

4/10

You can buy a really cheap Focus S, but be aware of how bare-bones it is: crank windows, no heated seats, no air conditioning. There's manual seat-height adjustment, keyless entry, variable-speed wipers, and a CD player included as standard equipment.

The Ford Focus SE adds all the basic necessities, including optional power windows, power mirrors, and cruise control. The SES brings a tilt/telescoping leather steering wheel with stereo controls, a six-disc CD changer, tachometer, fog lamps, and 16-inch alloy wheels instead of the 15-inch steel wheels and plastic hubcaps. The sporty ST adds a trunk-lid spoiler, unique 16-inch alloys, chrome exhaust tip, special rocker panels, a leather shift knob, and ST-specific interior trim. These upper trims can also be ordered with leather upholstery, a moonroof, heated front seats, an alarm, and a Sony stereo with a subwoofer.

Safety

4/10

Traction control is unavailable on the base S variant of the 2007 Focus and optional on all other trims. Front side airbags and anti-lock brakes (ABS) are available on all trims. Head curtain airbags, stability control, and rear head restraints are unavailable on all trims. Crash tests could be better. The 2007 Ford Focus scored a Poor in the side-impact test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and three out of five stars for the driver in a similar test by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In frontal crash tests, the Focus hatch scored a lower four-star rating for the driver than the sedan, which scored five. In an IIHS frontal crash test, the Focus sedan scored the top Good.

Cost-effectiveness

6/10

In Canada, the 2007 Ford Focus starts at $14,999 for a ZX3 S and rises to $20,099 for a ZX4 ST. Fuel economy is estimated at 9.0 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 6.5 L/100 km highway for all non-ST models with the manual transmission. Automatic models are rated for 8.7 city and 5.9 highway, and the ST for 10.5 city and 6.8 highway. Do not buy a base S unless you accept that trim's lack of basic safety and convenience features. The SE and SES trims blend style and performance better than do most cars in the compact segment, which sees competitors such as the Honda Civic, the Toyota Corolla, the Nissan Sentra, and the Hyundai Elantra. The Focus ST will satisfy automotive enthusiasts.

Note: Images show a US model.

by Clifford Atiyeh

Published April 26, 2023

What owners say

AI Summary · 84 reviews

"Overall, owners of the 2007 Ford Focus have a positive impression of this model, appreciating its great handling, fuel efficiency, and comfortable driving experience. Many drivers favor its reliability and low maintenance costs, making it an economical choice. However, some noted that the performance could be lacking, especially in terms of acceleration compared to other cars, and expressed concerns about build quality and limited space for personal items."

4.6

84 reviews

Write a review

by Mirko R

I had this Focus as a rental car for about 4 weeks in Summer 2008. I originally wanted a hatchback or small wagon, because I had to do business in several locations in France and Germany, and as an engineer I carry some heavy toolboxes. Hatchbacks weren't available, so I had a choice of this or a Renault convertible. I took the Focus, and it was awesome! The engine is a bit weak for the heavy car, but it cruises at 120 mph easily if no big grades are involved. Even with the roof down, it's quiet enough at speed to use the bluetooth handsfree. (with the wind deflector up) Excellent Sony stereo. I ended up doing more than 10,000 km in this car, and the seats are definitely good enough to still be relaxed after sitting in it all day. Fuel economy wasn't great - 9L/100km on average - but that was mostly fast driving. Handling is not as good as in the hatchback, but still big fun. The steering is communicative and the 5-speed manual gearbox slick - a 6 speed with a taller top gear would be better though. With a diesel engine, this would be a pretty awesome all-rounder.

April 7, 2009

by Mrcs M

I love my Focus. It has nearly 70,000 miles on it and it is still running like it did when I drove it off the dealer's lot. The performance is acceptable for a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder and the handling is excellent for an econobox. It sometimes feel as though I'm driving something sportier the way it grips corners. It also feels like a much larger car that it looks from the outside. The interior space in my car is comparable to that of most mid-sized family sedans of the mid-90s. My Focus is solid as a rock, the only problem I have is an occasional squeak when I'm going over one of the 5 million speedbumps in my apartment complex, but other than that, nothing. My car hasn't needed any repair work so far mostly because I have taken my car to a Blue Oval certified shop every time I needed anything done including oil changes, tire rotations, etc. As far as cost of ownership, this car has truly spoiled me. Even when gas was $4 a gallon, I was paying less than $30 to fill up. It has excellent gas mileage, so getting gas is a once-a-week thing for me which usually average out to $12-$15 to fill up from a quarter of a tank. The Focus is definitely a fun car to drive, all I can say is go to your local Ford dealer and ask to test drive one. I am certain that you would fall in love with the car like I did with mine...

November 20, 2008

by Anonymous

This car is great! It is roomy, the gas milage is great and it rides very smoothly. I would highly recommend this car. The price is also very affordable for a new car.

June 17, 2007