Its two -- two -- two cars in one!

Ford's new Focus is a "What's that?" car.  You see it go by on the street, and you say, “What's that?”

That's not true of many small cars. But the Focus is a small car with big ambitions.

With this one car, Ford hopes to replace both its economy level Escort and midsize Contour.  That's a tall order, and they've addressed it by building a tall car.  Extra height gives the Focus the interior room of a midsize car while retaining exterior dimensions that make it easy to handle and park.  It comes as a sedan, wagon, and hatchback.

Edgy exterior styling catches the attention of people outside the car.  Remarkable European handling keeps the attention of the people inside the car.  And a surprising price makes it easy to go from outside to inside.

How does Ford get a small car to handle like a big car?  More about that in the next WTOP Car Report. 



You can get good jobs by being picky.

In driving the Ford Focus last week, it occurred to us that even this, the smallest vehicle in the line, felt every bit a Ford.  That's no accident.

The feel of switches, the weight of steering, the sound doors make, and hundreds of other subtle factors give Fords a family feel.  That's because, early in development, every new Ford around the world is driven, dissected, and critiqued by the same man.

His name is John Young Stewart, although you may know him as Jackie.  The three-time Formula One world champion doesn't just test these cars for performance; he provides nitpicking commentary on lights, materials, and everything that makes up the experience of driving a car.  Stewart’s famously finicky handiwork can be seen everywhere from subcompact Asian Fords to the Lincoln Navigator.

It doesn't hurt that he knows how to drive, either.